FIJI FOREIGN SECRETARY DISCUSSES ROAD MAPS, CHINA,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SUVA 000067

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2017
TAGS: PREL MARR PHUM ASEC CASC CVIS IQ FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI FOREIGN SECRETARY DISCUSSES ROAD MAPS, CHINA,
IRAQ, ETC.

REF: A. SUVA 59

B. SUVA 53 (AND PREVIOUS)

Classified By: Amb. Dinger. Sec. 1.4 (B,D).

Summary
--------------

1. (C) On Jan. 26, Fiji interim Secretary for Foreign Affairs
Mataitoga described to us the interim government's plan for
responding to concerns about post-coup human rights and about
a road map back to democratic elections, issues bound to be
raised by a Pacific Islands Forum Eminent Persons Group
(PIF/EPG) that visits Suva next week. He acknowledged the
military's future role in Fiji must also be thought through.
Mataitoga raised China's influence in the Pacific. When
asked, he said Chinese concessional economic assistance is
very difficult to obtain. He expressed no knowledge of any
requests for new PRC military aid. Mataitoga said the
reality is that Australia and New Zealand are Fiji's
essential economic partners, thus interim PM Bainimarama has
backed away from his threat to "retaliate" against those
neighbors for their visa-sanction policies. Mataitoga asked
for a softening of the U.S. public announcement on Fiji's
security situation. Finally, he asked if a Fiji military
interest in participating in MNFI is "still standing." Our
comment notes that the situation in Fiji has changed
significantly since a year ago when Commodore Bainimarama
raised the issue of an Iraq deployment with the Coalition.
From the perspective of not rewarding a coup, we prefer not
to respond positively. Since other interests are involved,
we seek Washington guidance. End summary.

Finding the way back to normalcy for Fiji: PIF/EPG
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2. (C) Fiji interim Secretary for Foreign Affairs Isikele
Mataitoga sought a meeting with the Ambassador on Jan. 26.
He had a lengthy agenda which began with discussion of ways
in which Fiji might find its way "back to where we want to
be" with the rest of the world, post coup. Mataitoga noted
that the PIF/EPG, due to arrive in Suva on Monday, Jan. 29,
is to meet with President Iloilo, interim PM Bainimarama, and
at least seven interim ministers. In preparation, MFA is
working with other ministries to prepare responses to the
international-community's list of complaints.

Human rights complaints
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3. (C) On human rights abuses, Mataitoga is consulting with
interim AG Sayed Khayyum on ways to have military concerns
about "inciteful" speech channeled to the police and courts
rather than to the Army barracks. When we noted that, thus
far, it appears RFMF leadership, still in control, has not
accepted the AG's advice on the topic, Mataitoga moved on.

Elections road map
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4. (C) On developing a road map to elections, Mataitoga noted
reports that the interim government might last 5 years or
longer. He believes the length can be shortened; shorter
periods from coup to election have been possible in the past.
Still, Fiji will argue that the necessary census (the first
in 11 years),the redraft of electoral boundaries, and
improvements to electoral systems will take some time. Fiji
wants to engage with Australia and New Zealand on resuming
assistance for electoral reforms. Mataitoga's aim is for the
PIF/EPG process to bless concepts that can then be the basis
for an interim Cabinet commitment to a clear time table.

EU discussions, too
--------------

5. (C) Mataitoga noted that another crucial dialogue will be
with the EU. Post-coup discussions mandated by the Cotonou
Agreement regarding the EU's aid package, including a major
plan for sugar reform, are likely to start in Brussels in
late February. The issues of interest to the PIF/EPG are
also issues for the EU.

The military's future role?
--------------

6. (C) We noted that we have no Washington guidance on road
maps as yet, but it strikes us another important topic is the
military's role in Fiji. It is certainly possible that fair

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elections would bring a return of either an SDL government
(deposed by the RFMF in 2006) or an FLP government (deposed
with help of elements of the RFMF in 2000). What can be done
to encourage the military to return permanently to the
barracks? Mataitoga said he has been pondering the question
of the military's role and is thinking that, maybe, Fiji's
Constitution must include a formal role for the military in
the political process.

China's expanding role?
--------------

7. (C) Mataitoga turned the topic to China, recalling
stimulating conversations at an Asia Pacific Center for
Security Studies seminar he attended a year and a half ago
that raised concerns about China's future role in the
Pacific. We noted Bainimarama's announcements that, given
Western intransigence on sanctions, Fiji would "look north"
to China, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia for both trade and
aid. Mataitoga said the trade delegation to China was in the
works pre-coup. He indicated no knowledge of any military
aid requests. On economic aid, he said China is "getting
smarter." He recalled Premier Wen's offer last April of
F$600 million for the Pacific; however, it has turned out the
interest-concessionality conditions are extremely tough. Of
all Pacific nations, Fiji is the most able fiscally, and even
Fiji considers the terms too difficult. Mataitoga mentioned
that agriculture-related talks with Indonesia are going ahead
in February.

Australia and New Zealand are the reality
--------------

8. (C) In Mataitoga's practical view, the "reality" is that
most of Fiji's trade and investment inevitably must take
place with Australia and New Zealand. Thus, Bainimarama's
implied threat a few days ago that Fiji would "retaliate"
against the Aussies and Kiwis on the trade front in response
to the imposition of visa sanctions was a worry. Mataitoga
said he and others worked to turn the threat off.
(Bainimarama told the media Jan. 25 that he now does not
intend to interfere with trade.) The need remains, though,
to find ways to work through issues with Australia and New
Zealand, and Mataitoga sees signs of a willingness to "retain
dialogue" on a host of working-level issues. He noted a
proposal we had been briefed on by the Kiwis (ref B) for
bilateral discussions to resolve a continental-shelf boundary
dispute. Mataitoga said the meeting may take place in
Wellington next month. He hopes that can lead to the
Australian and New Zealand travel bans being lifted for such
kinds of working-level talks.

The U.S. public announcement
--------------

9. (C) Mataitoga raised the U.S. public announcement to the
American public about the security situation in Fiji, saying
an American investor in the tourism sector is having trouble
obtaining travel insurance to come to Suva to wrap up
negotiations on a project. We noted the overriding
importance of accurately informing Amcits on safety issues
and observed that even the RFMF is still saying publicly that
conditions remain unstable.

Visas for ex-RFMF security-firm employees
--------------

10. (C) Mataitoga noted that many ex-RFMF soldiers have
joined international security firms. He asked if U.S. visa
sanctions because of the coup would affect the ex-soldiers'
ability to obtain visas to the U.S.? We responded that final
judgments are still pending about the total scope of visa
sanctions, but our impression is that ex-RFMF soldiers who
departed the Army well before the coup are not likely to be
covered by the new visa sanctions.

Any U.S. interest in RFMF participation in MNFI?
-------------- ---

11. (C) Finally, Mataitoga asked if the RFMF's expression of
interest in joining the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq is
"still standing"? He said, "If so, please let me know." We
responded that we do not know the answer since, obviously,
circumstances have changed from a year ago when Commodore
Bainimarama initially expressed interest. We agreed to pass
the inquiry to Washington.


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Comment
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12. (C) Mataitoga is a clever operator who is working closely
with his new bosses in the interim government to attempt to
normalize Fiji's relations with the Western world ASAP. We
seek Washington guidance on how to respond to the
Iraq-deployment query. When Bainimarama first raised the
issue a year ago, he was just back from a visit to Baghdad,
and he wanted his "boys" to have more action than the
static-guard functions RFMF troops have been undertaking with
UNAMI. The Qarase Government was not inclined to humor
Bainimarama, and the query stayed in an "in box." From the
perspective of the USG interest in not rewarding a coup, we
would prefer not to accept any interim-government expression
of interest in joining MNFI. We do recognize other interests
are at play, and Washington will have to judge what response,
if any, we should provide Mataitoga. Please advise.
DINGER