Wellington bracing itself for anti-Fiji protests
January 17, 2001

Demonstrators opposed to sporting contact with Fiji will be out in force when rugby and cricket teams from the Pacific Island nation play in New Zealand in February.

Fiji's sevens team are scheduled to appear at the Wellington sevens and the Fijian cricket team are due to play in the inaugural Pacifica Cup in Wellington in February, in spite of sporting sanctions which have been imposed against their country.

The rugby players and cricketers have been granted special dispensations by the New Zealand government on the grounds that they are participating in international tournaments.

A former leader of Halt All Racist Tours (Hart),John Minto, which protested against New Zealand sporting ties with South Africa in the 70s and 80s, said on Wednesday he would back protests organised by a Fijian organisation known as the Coalition for Democracy in Fiji.

"We're talking about really important human rights issues here," Minto told NZPA. "If we're talking about a boycott, then New Zealand should be really firm about it ... otherwise we send a message ... to the coup supporters that New Zealand isn't that concerned about the whole situation. And we send a message to the Indians and the indigenous Fijians that opposed the coup that we're not concerned enough to make a stand."

The New Zealand government imposed sporting bans against Fiji after the George Speight-led coup overthrew the elected government in May 2000 and held the prime minister as one of a group of hostages in the Parliament buildings.

In response to a subsequent softening in the government's position, Minto added that thre should be no "half-way house" with sanctions. "You can't have sanctions and then sort of not have them at the same time," he said.

"If you want to send a message you've got to be clear and determined about it. This vaccilation is extremely disappointing."


New Zealand Rugby Football Union CEO David Rutherford told NZPA that tournament organisers could not stop people protesting in public places.

However he was unsure whether protests could be stopped inside Wellington Stadium itself. He confirmed that the NZRFU would be asking for a security report from the tournament organisers.

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