"The Pacific cannot devolve into an area where strong men unilaterally decide the fates of their country and destabilize democratic foundations of their neighbors," Rice told the Eighth Pacific Island Conference of Leaders in Washington yesterday, according to the State Department. Hawai'i's Gov. Linda Lingle was among those attending.

The U.S. supports the 16-nation Pacific Islands Forum for speaking "with one voice" in calling for democracy to be restored speedily, Rice said.

The U.S. joined Australia and New Zealand in imposing travel restrictions on Fijian government and military leaders after the takeover. Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, who led the coup and serves as prime minister of the interim government, said in March that general elections may not be held until 2010 because new voter lists need to be drawn up.

The U.S. is "deeply concerned about the unlawful overthrow of the freely elected government in Fiji," Rice told leaders of U.S. dependencies in the Pacific, including Guam, American Samoa, as well as the state of Hawai'i.

The European Union last month decided against cutting a development aid package to Fiji worth more than $136 million after Fijian officials said parliamentary elections would be held within two years. The interim government later said the polls may not be held for 36 months.

Travel restrictions

Australia last week rejected complaints by Bainimarama that restrictions on the interim government are counterproductive and said he must take "genuine and clear steps" toward holding elections before sanctions are withdrawn.

Bainimarama on May 3 described the sanctions as "petty, bullying schoolyard tactics," saying the measures won't prompt him to call early elections.

The Pacific Islands Forum, which includes Australia and New Zealand, in February called for elections to be held within 12 to 18 months of the coup and for the lifting of a state of emergency imposed after the government of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase was overthrown.

Fiji's fourth coup in 19 years has affected the nation's economy, which is reliant on tourism as well as sugar production.

Tourist arrivals in January this year fell 9 percent from the same period a year ago. The 332-island archipelago located 3,240 kilometers (2,013 miles) northeast of Australia, has between 300,000 and 400,000 visitors on average annually.

Arms Control

The Pacific region needs better control of the sale of arms to prevent weapons reaching armed groups such as those in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, Mary Robinson, the honorary president of aid group Oxfam International said in an interview with Australian television late yesterday.

Many guns supplied legally by governments "very quickly get into the hands of bandits, gangsters and rebel groups" if they are not properly secured, Robinson told the Australian Broadcasting Corp's "Lateline" program.

"That's one of the problems in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, that the guns are not manufactured locally," Robinson said, according to a transcript of the interview on ABC's Web site. "They come from Australia, from the United States, often starting in legal supply."