MEDIA RELEASE: FIJIAN GOVERNMENTS RESPONSE ON AUSTRALIA'S TRAVEL

ADVISORY

Suva- The Minister for Foreign Affairs Ratu Inoke Kubuabola today assured all Australian citizens
intending to come to Suva that all is well in the capital and there should be no reason to worry.

This assurance is made in light of the travel advisory issued by the Australian Government's
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade where it cautioned its citizens to exercise high degree of
caution when traveling to Suva.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through its Smarttraveller website has
warned its citizens to exercise high degree of caution because of the prevalence of crime and
potential for civil unrest.

The travel advisory stated to Australian citizens that they must pay close attention to their personal
security at all times and monitor the media about possible new safety or security risks.

In the same advisory, the Australians are advised that they must exercise normal safety precautions
in Fiji and exercise common sense and look out for suspicious behavior as they would do in Australia.

Ratu Inoke expressed his "disappointment that the Australian Government had deemed it appropriate
for the upgrading of the Australian travel advisory" and added that while he "understood that it was
the prerogative of the Australian Government to do so as a precautionary measure, it is certainly
not a true reflection of the situation on the ground".