VZCZCXRO7306
OO RUEHMJ RUEHPB
DE RUEHWL #0924/01 3271732
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 231732Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3521
INFO RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA IMMEDIATE 0534
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 4619
RUEHMJ/AMEMBASSY MAJURO PRIORITY 0095
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY PRIORITY 0614
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC PRIORITY
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000924 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR D (FRITZ), EAP/FO, EUR/RPM, AND EAP/ANP 
NSC FOR VICTOR CHA 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISD JESSICA POWERS 
PACOM FOR J01E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2016 
TAGS: ASEC PREL PGOV FJ NZ
SUBJECT: GNZ TO DELIVER STRONG POINTS TO FIJI'S BAINIMARAMA 
 
REF: STATE 190257 
 
Classified By: DCM David J. Keegan. Reasons: E.O. 12958, 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) The GNZ MFAT has prepared strongly worded points, 
which it has passed to the British Defence Attache Nigel 
Lloyd (DA), who will convey them to Commodore Bainimarama at 
a private lunch with Bainimarama on November 23 at the DA's 
residence.  (The points are repeated below at para 3). 
Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who had originally planned 
to deliver the points, will be unable to do so personally 
before November 24, as he will be on travel in Auckland. 
 
¶2. (C) MFAT has also informed Poloff that they are 
approaching the President of the UN Security Council, UN 
Peacekeeping, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, and 
the EU to encourage them to press on Bainimarama to abandon 
his stated plans to remove the Fijian government in early 
December.  MFAT is also seeking the assistance of the British 
DA's wife to emphasize to Bainimarama's wife that should 
there be a coup, the Commodore and she would no longer be 
able to travel to New Zealand to visit their grandchildren. 
MFAT indicates that GNZ's strategy is to focus on the 
consequences of a coup to both Fiji and to Bainimarama 
personally. 
 
¶3. (C) Begin talking points for Foreign Minister Peters's 
discussion with RFMF Commander Frank Bainimarama: 
 
--  I gather you are down here on a private visit for your 
grand-daughter's first communion - a significant family 
occasion.  I hope you enjoy your visit. 
 
--  You have stated publicly that you are planning to make 
certain demands of the Fiji government when you get back, and 
that if those demands are not met that you will take steps to 
remove them on 4 December. 
 
--  I would counsel you very strongly against taking such 
steps.  You need to understand that there would be serious 
consequences if you do go ahead. 
 
--  New Zealand unconditionally supports the rule of law, and 
the right of a democratically elected government to govern 
without coercion -- and there is no question that the Fiji 
government is democratically elected.  We would not be able 
to stand back and let that happen without responding. 
 
--  We would be obliged to take steps to underline our utter 
disapproval of any unconstitutional action and we would do so 
in close collaboration with our friends, the Australians, the 
British, the Americans and the region. 
 
--  From a military perspective this would include suspension 
of all defence ties.  That would include any training or 
assistance with peacekeeping activities, regionally and 
internationally.  The MAP programme would be discontinued. 
 
--  We would moreover encourage like-minded countries to take 
similar steps, and seek international condemnation of your 
actions, including in the UN Security Council and the 
Commonwealth.  We would urge the Commonwealth and the Forum 
to take the strongest possible steps to register the 
unacceptability of such actions. 
 
--  New Zealand's relationship with any government installed 
as a result of a coup would be correspondingly restricted. 
 
--  You need to understand that if you do something stupid 
you will not be able to operate around the Pacific.  Neither 
we, Australia, Britain nor the United States would be able to 
work with you, or offer any assistance. 
 
--  Your reputation and that of the RFMF would suffer 
irreparable damage both within the region and as a 
participant in international peacekeeping operations. 
Without the support and training of the Australian and New 
Zealand defence forces Fiji's deployment in international 
peacekeeping operations would become very difficult. 
 
WELLINGTON 00000924  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
--  We are considering the level of our travel advisory in 
the light of the threats you have been making.  Upgrading our 
travel advisory would have a significant impact on tourist 
flows to Fiji and significantly affect Fiji's economy. 
 
--  There would also be personal implications for you and 
your family.  We would ban you, as well as others associated 
with a coup, and possibly your family, from entering New 
Zealand. 
 
--  The Government permitted your entry to New Zealand on the 
basis that yours was a private visit.  That does not sit well 
with the public threats against the Fiji Government that you 
have been making since arriving in New Zealand.  Consistent 
with the purpose of your visit we require you to make no 
further public statements during your stay. 
 
End points. 
 
¶4. (C) Embassy Wellington has sought to contact Bainimarama 
through his personal assistant Ben Naliva, who said 
Bainimarama is on "private leave and does not want to be 
disturbed."  When told that Washington regards the 
conversation as extremely important and reminded that 
Bainimarama has spoken to the NZ press so his visit is no 
longer private, Naliva said he would check.  A half hour 
later he called to again say the Commodore was not available. 
 Naliva did not answer any of our follow-up calls. 
Ambassador McCormick has discussed the matter with Minister 
Peters, who has admitted he's had trouble getting an 
appointment as well and encouraged us to be persistent.  We 
continue to work with MFAT and our defense attache to 
identify a way to deliver reftel demarche to Bainamarama. 
McCormick