ISSUE
Friday, August 1, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 70
New Zealand will not interfere in a mounting standoff between Fiji and Tonga, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said.
The standoff follows the Tongan Navy entering Fiji waters at the weekend to pick up Fiji Army’s former chief of staff Lieutenant-Colonel Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara, who had been facing sedition charges last week.
Ratu Tevita, the youngest son of Fiji’s founding Prime Minister and former President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, had been released on bail.
Fiji Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama has declared Ratu Tevita a fugitive and accused the Royal Tongan Navy of illegally picking up Ratu Tevita in a patrol boat in Fijian waters last week.
Suva Magistrates Court yesterday issued a bench warrant for Ratu Tevita, who breached his bail conditions after being charged with one count of uttering seditious comments.
The bench warrant means Fiji can proceed with an extradition application under the Extradition Act. Ratu Tevita, who has strong Tongan connections, was now reported to be under Tonga's protection.
Meanwhile, Tongan Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano said the Fiji government will not face any obstacles from his government as they seek to extradite Mara.
Mr McCully said it was "heartening" that the Tongan Prime Minister had made assurances the courts would not be subjected to political interference when considering the extradition.
Fiji today started the legal process to extradite Ratu Tevita.
Mr McCully said New Zealand was watching the issue closely, but would not intervene at this point because it was an issue between Fiji and Tonga.
He had not spoken to Tonga's Prime Minister and said he had not sought any information on how Ratu Tevita had come to be picked by Tonga's Navy.
Ratu Tevita has since released a You Tube video strongly critical of Fiji's attorney-general Aiyaz Khaiyum, and said Mr Bainimarama "is no more than Aiyaz Khaiyum's hand-puppet".
In the You Tube video dated May 14 entitled "regime change should happen in Fiji soon", Ratu Tevita said the plan to arrest him and Brig Gen Driti on what he said were "trumped-up" charges had been laid by Mr Khaiyum.
"For inexplicable reasons, Commodore Bainimarama, weakened by ill health, morally and intellectually bankrupt, is no more than Aiyaz Khaiyum's hand-puppet," Ratu Tevita said.
"His (Khaiyum's) megalomania is inspired entirely by the self-importance of a lonely and inadequate man, endowed with no leadership qualities and incapable of understanding the simplest principles of decency and respect."
Ratu Tevita said that when Fiji's dictatorship had ended, "all of us who once served it shall answer to the Fijian people for the part we played, and I shall gladly submit to their verdict".
New Zealand will not interfere in a mounting standoff between Fiji and Tonga, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said. The standoff follows the Tongan Navy entering Fiji waters at the weekend to pick up Fiji Army’s former chief of staff Lieutenant-Colonel Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara, who had...
New Zealand will not interfere in a mounting standoff between Fiji and Tonga, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said.
The standoff follows the Tongan Navy entering Fiji waters at the weekend to pick up Fiji Army’s former chief of staff Lieutenant-Colonel Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara, who had been facing sedition charges last week.
Ratu Tevita, the youngest son of Fiji’s founding Prime Minister and former President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, had been released on bail.
Fiji Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama has declared Ratu Tevita a fugitive and accused the Royal Tongan Navy of illegally picking up Ratu Tevita in a patrol boat in Fijian waters last week.
Suva Magistrates Court yesterday issued a bench warrant for Ratu Tevita, who breached his bail conditions after being charged with one count of uttering seditious comments.
The bench warrant means Fiji can proceed with an extradition application under the Extradition Act. Ratu Tevita, who has strong Tongan connections, was now reported to be under Tonga's protection.
Meanwhile, Tongan Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano said the Fiji government will not face any obstacles from his government as they seek to extradite Mara.
Mr McCully said it was "heartening" that the Tongan Prime Minister had made assurances the courts would not be subjected to political interference when considering the extradition.
Fiji today started the legal process to extradite Ratu Tevita.
Mr McCully said New Zealand was watching the issue closely, but would not intervene at this point because it was an issue between Fiji and Tonga.
He had not spoken to Tonga's Prime Minister and said he had not sought any information on how Ratu Tevita had come to be picked by Tonga's Navy.
Ratu Tevita has since released a You Tube video strongly critical of Fiji's attorney-general Aiyaz Khaiyum, and said Mr Bainimarama "is no more than Aiyaz Khaiyum's hand-puppet".
In the You Tube video dated May 14 entitled "regime change should happen in Fiji soon", Ratu Tevita said the plan to arrest him and Brig Gen Driti on what he said were "trumped-up" charges had been laid by Mr Khaiyum.
"For inexplicable reasons, Commodore Bainimarama, weakened by ill health, morally and intellectually bankrupt, is no more than Aiyaz Khaiyum's hand-puppet," Ratu Tevita said.
"His (Khaiyum's) megalomania is inspired entirely by the self-importance of a lonely and inadequate man, endowed with no leadership qualities and incapable of understanding the simplest principles of decency and respect."
Ratu Tevita said that when Fiji's dictatorship had ended, "all of us who once served it shall answer to the Fijian people for the part we played, and I shall gladly submit to their verdict".
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