AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

ISSUED UNDER STRICT EMBARGO 00:01 GMT Wednesday 10 February 2010

Fiji Government misrepresents human rights record to UN

The Fiji Government has misrepresented its human rights record in a report to the United Nations, Amnesty International said today.

The government has submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council ahead of a formal review of the state of the country’s human rights scheduled for Thursday 11 February in Geneva.

Amnesty International disputes many of the claims made in the Fiji Government’s National Report, including assertions that religious freedom is enjoyed in Fiji; that the right to free speech is respected; and that the censorship of the media is a necessary security measure.

“Government assertions that human rights are protected in Fiji are an insult to its citizens, who have had to endure surveillance, intimidation and threats by the military,” said Apolosi Bose, Amnesty International’s Pacific Researcher.

Amnesty International rejects government claims that that the abrogation of Fiji’s constitution, in April 2009, did not have an impact on the respect and enjoyment of human rights, and that the independence of the judiciary remains intact.

“The abrogation of the constitution dealt a devastating blow to the enjoyment of human rights, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in the country,” said Apolosi Bose.

The entire judiciary was sacked in April 2009 and since July, a number of magistrates have been summarily dismissed without any official explanation. Local media continue to face censorship on a daily basis and people are fearful of voicing an opinion that may be contrary to government’s view.

“In an assault on religious freedom, the authorities have specifically targeted the Methodist church of Fiji and have banned the church from holding its annual conference until 2014. Since July 2009, more than 25 pastors and senior administrators of the church have been arrested, briefly detained and charged under the Public Emergency Regulations,” said Apolosi Bose.

The Public Emergency Regulations (PER) which came into force in April 2009, have enabled the government to violate key human rights, while ensuring impunity for those committing these violations. Amnesty International maintains that the interim government has applied the PER to protect itself from any criticism or dissent and to suppress any comment or news item that may be critical of the government or the security forces.

“More than a thousand people have been assaulted, threatened, intimidated or subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment, arbitrary arrests, and detention by the military for either being critical of the authorities or on trumped-up charges,” said Apolosi Bose.

As recently as January 2010, senior officials in the Fiji military have openly threatened critics and dissidents. The government has also begun terminating benefits to pensioners who have been critical of the regime, violating their rights to freedom of speech and social security.

“This speaks volumes about the Fiji government’s lack of commitment to respect human rights,” said Apolosi Bose.

Amnesty International urges the Human Rights Council to conduct a rigorous examination of Fiji’s fulfilment of its human rights obligations and commitments and to call for practical measures aimed at addressing serious shortcomings.

The organization also calls on the government of Fiji to engage in the examination in a spirit of openness and frankness and to act on recommendations to improve the human rights situation in Fiji.

Amnesty International has documented a litany of human rights violations since the military overthrew the elected government in December 2006. As part of the UN Committee’s review of Fiji, Amnesty International has prepared a submission to the committee which examines in detail the human rights situation in that country.

ENDS

Note to editors:

The UN Human Rights Council formal review of Fiji’s human rights record is part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process by which the United Nations Human Rights Council examines the human rights record of each of the UN’s 192 Member States. Each State is reviewed once every four years on a rotating basis.

Amnesty International’s submission on Fiji may be found at:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA18/001/2009/en

Shyster still in control of Human Rights Commission

It seems that while Shaista the Shyster Shamemimi maybe out of the Fiji Human Rights Commission, she is in fact still calling the shots and the action of her dismissal was all a sham. Like her sister Nazhat, they may not be in government now to try and build some credibility back in the shattered reputation, but closer observation reveals another sad story of smokes and mirrors. They are well in the loop of the Muslim Conspiracy (Khaiyum, Shaista, Nazhat, Aziz) fighting to eliminate the Taukei control of Fiji.
 
For a start, it is now common knowledge that while Nazhat has conveniently declined to take an oath to be a high court judge after the constitution was abrogated last year, she is now milking more from the government coffers then what she was paid as a high court judge as she now works as a special consultant drafting decrees for Aiyarse Khaiyum with her latest creation being the Court Procedures Decree and the Crime Decree. Such is the practice of this government after conveniently booting out public careered legal draftsman in their bullshit clean up.
 
As to Shyster, she has opened up a law firm in Suva and another one in Rakiraki of all places. The one in Rakiraki is now fully funded by taking on all the legal cases currently handled by the Fiji Human Rights Commission. Yes people, prior to the coup, the Commissions legal unit was headed by a Proceedings Commissioner (Sevuloni Valenitabua) and run by a Principal Legal Officer (Usaia Ratuvili), a senior legal officer (Deveena Herman) and two legal officers. It appears that this legal unit that took seven years to build up has now virtually grinded to a halt with no staff to man it and all files moved to Shysters Rakiraki Firm. The Shyster now makes more money from  the Commission then when she was Director or later on as illegal chair and Ombudsman. Shame on Shyster!!!
 
So much for crime free Suva clean up, police crusade, FICAC, bull shit. Who needs criminals when we have Bai’s Regime of Thieves in charge!!!

A Mentally ill man rammed replica of the spikey cathedral in to the Italian PM’s face!!

A mentally ill man broke Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s nose and knocked two of his teeth out with a punch to the face at a rowdy rally in Milan Sunday.

Doctors said they will keep him in the hospital under observation for 24 hours. They said he was not badly injured.

It was not clear if the prime minister, who has confessed to having a face lift, will need more plastic surgery.

Italian TV showed the dazed premier – his face cut and his mouth a mass of blood – falling to the ground and then being hustled into a car.

The attacker, 42-year-old Massimo Tartaglia, a graphic designer with a history of mental problems, was quickly bundled away by police.

Berlusconi was gladhanding the crowd after delivering a tirade against the left at an evening rally in front of Milan’s Duomo when he was hit.

Witness Doriano Riparbelli told Italian media that Tartaglia was holding a souvenir replica of the famously spikey cathedral and rammed it into Berlusconi’s face

What are you waiting for?

Bainimarama’s Predatory State

Fiji’s illegal regimes new Criminal Procedure Decree that comes into effect on Monday 1st February 2010, are the final acts of a predatory state seeking Legitimacy- the life giving oxygen for its survival. Some four years later, this is it, the big, “Final Solution.”

For Baimimarama’s Predatory State, this is the last weapon it has to use to survive. The theory goes that the fear of life incarceration will finally bludgeon those critics of his regime and the people into submission.

It is cruel coercion plain and simple. Bainimarama’s military training with the Chileans has exposed him well to such draconian measures. That country was famous for silencing all and sundry critics.

This decree is chiefly concerned with protecting the Bainimarama regime and nothing more. Like Chilean dictator Pinochet who ruled for nearly two decades from 1973 this decree is used to ferret out and persecute political dissidents. Over 3,000 citizen of Chile were killed or are still missing as a result of such decrees.

Again there have been calls from some international coup apologists this week for Australia and New Zealand to relax Travel Bans in support of re-engagement. Even though Australia and New Zealand have been magnanimous enough to not slap trade bans on and not cut aid.

They argue you will get a better caliber of civil servants and those serving on statutory boards etc.

This is simply not true .What right minded person would want to sacrifice his/ her professional integrity for an uncertain future? Job security is non existent with a dictatorial regime, provided you are a lackey.

See what happened to the recently fired magistrates and DPP lawyers – arbitrary firing, no due process and avenue to redress.

Former Foreign affairs CEO Ratu Isoa Gavidi got the boot all for what? Giving the man sound diplomatic advice to enter into dialogue.

More so hoping meritocracy gets you to the top with the regime is a piped dream. Forget it.

Bainimarama posts his own people to tell him what he wants to hear.

Look at the wholesale sacking of nine government ministers back in 2007.

Basically what Bainimarama is saying is ‘Don’t confuse me with facts my minds made up!’

The latest grandstanding with New Zealand regarding Leweni’s posting is a sham. Why conduct a public campaign by releasing Leweni’s name in the open press if the Nadi meeting was all in good faith?

Obviously to pressure New Zealand in bad faith. As Driti openly admits, ‘they are testing the Kiwis’! I mean they tried the same thing with Malaysia as regards Driti’s posting. They politely and quietly refused without much fan fare and a firm, ‘Terima kasih menyimpan dia’ (thankyou- keep him- or even better – promote him!)

Bainimarama has a set mindset- in other words it is not in his DNA to Dialogue! New Zealand likes to be seen to understand the Pacific and it does in many ways. She did great with the Bougainville truce and peace accord.

But with Prime Minister Keys trying to play the honest broker (and elections around the corner) with a known serial liar- it is high risk for him. Bainimarama is only interested in regime survival. A return to liberal democracy with the military back to barracks is totally off the cards with him.

His brand of militarism is here to stay. So many good RFMF officers have lost their careers to attest to this. So stop fooling yourselves.

We are in for a protracted predatory military rule with the façade of democracy. Fiji’s society has become one big espionage network which the regime is trying its best to spread overseas to New Zealand and Australia with its sympathizes.

This has been the mode of operating for dictatorial regimes of the past. In Fiji people spy on their neigbours in order to curry favour with the regime.

In Australia and New Zealand these coup apologists suffer from messianic delusions that Bainimarama has the magic bullet but really have revenge as their underlying motive.

Why are there so many draconian decrees? Obviously it facilitates a false sense of legitimacy at the same time grandstanding to the world that the peoples’ regimented silence is acquiescence.

Why is the Land Force Commander defending the regime when you have a whole Ministry of Defence with Ganilau, his CEO etc that sits above him?

Indeed making overt threats to society at large is predatory mentality of the lowest animal order. They need the military watchdog to keep barking to frighten the very tax payers who they owe their living to. Compounding this mentality, the PM and his predatory state has been very generous in dispensing with others, honest work tax dollars to the military for keeping national security intact!

The national dialogue forum set for February 2010 for want of a better phrase is “simply pissing in each others pockets”. The puppet of a CEO at the PM’s office say’s “No race based political organization should be represented”. Well if that’s the case they should exclude the military because it is now the most race based political institution ever created by mankind not only in Fiji but the world with 99 % Indigenous Fijians.

Then again who cares, so long as we have our babakau and draunimoli tea.

Kai Colo

Fiji Military Forces barracks up in Smokes

From Fiji times

SIX families watched helplessly as their homes were destroyed in a fire yesterday morning.

Police and firefighters believe the fire started from a lit mosquito coil in a flat at the Fiji Military Forces barracks at Cunn-ingham Road.

Retired school teacher Saras Kumar who lives in Madhwan Street in Wainivula said she was brushing her teeth outside at about 5.55am when she noticed smoke coming out of a flat at the barracks.

Ms Kumar said she called her husband and showed him the scene and asked him to call the fire brigade but by then fire trucks had arrived.

NFA chief fire officer Tupou Saubulinayau said they received a fire alert from a bystander at about 6.13am.

Mr Saubulinayau said when the fire crew arrived at the scene at the barracks they found that the top floor of the double-story building was engulfed in flames.

He said firefighters focused on preventing the fire from spreading to the bottom floor.

"The heat generated from the barracks was so intense and it was spreading quickly to the attached bottom flat of the double-storey building," he said.

The firefighters saved the bottom flats but the top flats were destroyed in the fire with most of the residents’ belongings.

Mr Saubulinayau said they were working with the Fiji Military Forces and the police to investigate the cause of the fire.

Yesterday the residents managed to salvage some of their belongings from the fire and stored them in neighbouring barracks where they will be billeted until the flats are repaired.

Avoid bloodshed at all costs.

Perhaps now might be the right time for those in power, and I’m not talking about the pretend President, Frank and Co. his supporters or the Military Council, nor the pretend Police Commissioner, I’m talking about the Legitimate Prime Minister Mr. Qarase, the Legitimate Democratically Elected Government and it’s Ministers, the Legitimate Great Council of Chiefs and the loyalist ( if there are any left ) Soldiers of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, and Loyalist Officers of the Fiji Police Force, to have a new President & Vice President elected and sworn into Office, a new Commander of the Military appointed, ( temporarily with restricted powers for now ), a new Commissioner of Police appointed and sworn into Office and the Police Tactical Response Group re-instated with arresting powers and re-armed, backed by an Elite Military Force charged with the job of arresting all those involved in, party to, or who took appointments from the illegal Regime of Frank Bainimarama.

The time has come for some serious & decisive action if bloodshed is to be avoided.

All those who are likely to be wanted by the Police because of their alleged involvement in this coup, should have their travel documents ceased and those Lawyers , Magistrates and Judges who have accepted illegal appointments etc. should also be arrested and have their travel documents, passports etc. confiscated.

Warrants should be issued by Interpol and the International Courts, as well as new Laws introduced to curtail their movements etc. in and out of Fiji and other countries.

Travel restrictions should be placed on them, their immediate and extended families and their properties and Bank Accounts ceased, from within and outside of Fiji.

Any measures necessary to bring to Justice those who advised, were involved in ( past & present ), were responsible for or who aided and abetted Frank Bainimarama & his Regime, should be considered and implemented where necessary, including those who at 1st. advised the Military of how to commit High Treason etc.

New Laws should also be introduced that would allow the Fiji Police and the International Police to consider any retrospective anomalies etc.

The same sort of actions could be applied to the National & International Courts in order to extend their powers.

Anything less than these measures, will see a repeat of 1987, 1988, 2000 & 2006 in Fiji & could have the effect of encouraging like minded criminal behaviour elsewhere in the Pacific Region.

Mark Manning

THE PRESIDENT OF FIJI WAS PUNCHED AND ROBBED AT AN ATM IN SUVA

Story going around the Suva corridor on how the President of Fiji Epeli Naulukau was recently robbed at an ATM after a random passerby punched him in the face! He was being his wanna be macho self strolling around Suva streets minus body guards when the incident occurred !! Of course the news has been suppressed and heavily censored to protect his stupidity and low down image by the illegal regime. Pse investigate this story and publish for the world to see their lolovira ness and how they certainly dont deserve to be in such high office because after all he is not a Fijian but a fokisi from Tonga!!!!

From a member

The Façade of Fijian Democracy

Why aren’t Fijians defending democracy? Leaving aside the obvious lame excuse of the military regime’s PER (history is replete with people taking on more brutal oppressive regimes), Is it really the pressures of every day modern living that has muzzled the so called ‘Warriors of the Pacific’? Have we become a gutless race or are there inherent social flaws in Fijian society, bluntly speaking, were we always gutless from before?

Vei keda, as asserted by modern Kai Colo Ron Gatty, “the chiefly system of Fiji is fundamental to Fijian society but a ruling hierarchy of chiefs has been artificially established and reinforced by colonial policy. Previously, chiefs could plunder, destroy, and demand tribute but they never ruled or governed over any large territory”.

That said Bainimarama’s military regime has taken on the role of our tyrant chiefly system only on a wider national scale. This power grab now sits comfortably with Fijian’s common psyche in always siding with the powerful chief.

Democracy and freedom of speech were and still are remote concepts in Fiji, despite several efforts to have a stable, equitable Constitution.

We do well to listen to the words of Professor Futa Helu, He is unusual among islanders to speak out with courage and clarity:

“My view is that there is a contradiction here in Fiji. There is this tension between the veneer of democracy and an undercurrent of the reality of Fiji, which is the rigid hierarchical society. [now replaced by militarism]

“The power of the chiefly classes is so strong that you almost have no hope and the way I see it, Fiji is not going to be able to solve this problem.

“Fiji is going to go on deteriorating politically and socially speaking from now on. I think that, this may be too strong, but Fiji could become the Haiti of the South Pacific, if we are not careful”(The Fiji Times, 16 June 2001, p. 41).

Bainimarama’s ‘coup to end all coups’ in Dec of 2006 only reinforces this argument and that we as a race pathetically deserve to be enslaved.

To explore further, a good analogy to understanding Fijian silent acquiescence to the oppressive Bainimarama regime is derived from a reference to the spread of Christianity in Fiji through the conversion of chiefs. In Dean’s Fijian Society; or the Sociology and Psychology of the Fijians (1921), the head of the Methodist school in Fiji in regards to Fijian conversion to Christianity observed,” intensity of [Fijian] conviction [to Christianity] will never increase until education and a change of social organization bring about more independent belief and action.”

The conviction and conversion to democracy for modern day Fijians is similar. We were converted to liberal democracy through our chiefs e.g. Mara, Ganilau. As they went, we went. No wonder with the confusion of their progeny in siding with the dictatorial Bainimarama’s regime, the majority of us end up politically confused together with them.

The intensity of conviction to democracy and the rule of law is absent for the simple reason that Fijian education ala its elites and the present social organization of Fijians are not vigorous and vibrant enough to stand up and question the present oppressive political impasse. I agree with Professor Helu, we are hardwired to fail-if the intensity of our conviction to democracy remains dead as it is.

The only dissenting voices heard seem to be the bloggers mostly from overseas and our dependency on the international community to act on our behalf. Fijian society seems totally indifferent to true democracy and is contented with the façade of democracy as propagandized and promoted by the regimes upcoming national dialogue forum in February 2010.

 Kai Colo

Former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuaka was ordered out from his Vehicle

The Fiji interim regime has stopped the pension paid to a former Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka.

This comes just over two weeks after a decree was passed giving the interim prime minister the sole authority to end retirement benefits to retirees who criticised the regime or incited hatred.

Mr Rabuka, who led the 1987 coups, has confirmed that he had received a letter, explaining the decision to him.

The interim regime also seized the vehicle which was part of his retirement package.

The decree, which cannot be challenged under Fiji’s so-called new legal order, does not apply to those who are eligible for a pension from the National Provident Fund.

It is not known how many retirees are being targetted for having held views that caused displeasure to the interim government.

The new policy, which is unprecdented in the region, has been condemned by civil society groups.

Fiji’s Dictator is hoping for Leweni to be working from New Zealand

In a move that is bound to ruffle feathers in the New Zealand government, the junta has applied to have Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni working from Wellington.

Leweni played a major role in the country’s 2006 coup and has been responsible for censoring local media, deporting Australian and New Zealand journalists and curbing free speech.

He, like others directly connected to the country’s regime, is banned from even travelling to New Zealand or Australia.

But the Fiji government hopes to have him officially installed in a counselling post in Wellington under a new arrangement to boost diplomatic ties between the two countries.

New Zealand’s foreign minister Murray McCully offered the extra posting earlier this month as an olive branch to mend regional relations and help return Fiji to democracy earlier than the 2014 election date set by leader Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.

Nomination ‘yet to be confirmed’

The self-appointed prime minister has broken several promises to go to the polls since staging a December 2006 coup.

Bainimarama’s office told the Fiji Village website it had nominated Leweni for the job, while Leweni himself says his nomination is yet to be confirmed.

Fiji government sources confirmed to Fairfax New Zealand that Leweni’s name had been put forward.

Bainimarama did not confirm the name on Auckland’s Radio Tarana on Thursday but said he was awaiting New Zealand’s response on the posting.

“We are extremely pleased that the New Zealand government is taking a step forward in redeeming our diplomatic relations,” he told the station.

“We have submitted our nominee for the position for counsellor as agreed to in our initial meeting between our two foreign ministers.

“New Zealand is yet to respond on this.”