UN to stop using Fiji troops

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SYDNEY, April 28 (AFP): The UN will stop using Fijian soldiers on peacekeeping operations, depriving the military-ruled nation of an important source of revenue, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said.
The move was aimed at sending a clear-cut message to the people of Fiji that the military government was unacceptable because of its refusal to follow democratic principles, Rudd told a news conference.
Military leader Voreqe Bainimarama's regime, which came to power in a 2006 coup, earlier this month abrogated the constitution, sacked the judiciary, cracked down on the media and delayed elections until at least 2014.
Fiji had 231 military personnel and 51 police involved in UN peacekeeping missions last month, according to UN figures.
Rudd also said Australia maintained a "hardline" position on suspending Fiji from a regional grouping this week over its failure to set a date for elections.
"Australia's position is hardline," Rudd told reporters at a joint press conference with Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Michael Somare.