The former Fijian military commander who escaped to Tonga after being charged with sedition has applied for a travel visa to New Zealand.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ratu Tevita Mara says he has been issued a Tongan passport, and wants to enter the New Zealand briefly to visit a pro-democracy lobby group, although he'd also like to meet Government officials.
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully told Morning Report that Colonel Mara is on a list of people banned from entering this country and would have to be either removed from the list or receive an exemption.
Mr McCully says it will be several days before a decision on his application will be made.
He says that if Colonel Mara is granted a visa, it is likely Foreign Affairs officials will seek a meeting with him.
Colonel Mara is due to travel to Australia to speak at a forum near Canberra on Saturday.
He says he hopes to travel to other countries in the Pacific region as well as to the United Nations headquarters in New York.
He says he wants to build a consolidated front to put pressure on the military regime to return democratic governance to Fiji.
