Australia expels Fiji diplomat
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Fiji's acting high commissioner, Kamlesh Kumar Arya, has been ordered to return to Suva, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith announced on Wednesday.
The decision followed Fiji's action in officially declaring Australia's high commissioner James Batley persona non grata earlier on Wednesday.
Australia, in concert with New Zealand, had decided to take proportionate action against Fiji, Smith said, adding that Suva's decision was unwarranted and "deeply disappointing".
"This is very much a backward step," he told reporters.
Australia needed to send a strong message to Fiji, but it would not consider trade or economic sanctions.
"We are steadfast in our view that Fiji has to return to democracy," Smith said, adding that Australia would remain open to a dialogue between the two nations.
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Australia would continue to take a hardline stance against the military regime.
"We're not about to simply allow a coup culture to spread," he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio, adding that Australia wanted stability in the South Pacific region.
Australia would not allow what has happened in Fiji to become "some sort of norm for the Pacific at large", Rudd said.
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