Fiji: Former MP and sixteen others file complaints against the military

Radio New Zealand reports that sixteen complaints have been filed against the military in Fiji for assaults on civilians.  The complaint that has received the most press has been that of Ted Young, acting director of the ousted SDL party.

Young was summoned to the military camp at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, presumably because of his public criticism of the military and the interim government's National Council for Building a Better Fiji.  Young had told the Fiji Sun that Fiji's deterioration is the fault of the lack of discipline in the military and the military's reluctance to work with civilian governments.

Over the course of his interrogation, Young alleges, he was punched twice in the face.  He appeared on television a few hours after this meeting with visible bruising.  Peceli Kinivuwai, the SDL party national director, says that Young told him he went to the military barracks because he did not want to risk them showing up at his house "for the sake of them being a nuisance and a security threat to his family."  Young told the Fiji Times that he was taken to a cell and beaten by a senior military officer before a second officer arrived to interrogate him.

Young filed a complaint with the police, but did not file one with the Fiji Human Rights Commission, stating that he did not have faith in that organization.

Since the December coup, members of the public and former members of the government have been questioned at the barracks, and many of them allege assault by members of the military over the course of those interrogations.  The Fiji police have taken the stance that the public emergency regulations clearly allow the military and the police to use force if they deem it necessary.  The interim Attorney General, Aiyaz Saiyad-Khaiyum, agrees that special regulations apply.  The police have also stated that they have to see medical reports to evaluate how serious the charges are.

Please see also:
"Fiji police say 16 cases filed over alleged assault by military"  Radio New Zealand International (28 May 2007)
"SDL politician alleges assault by Fiji military"  Radio Australia (23 May 2007)
"Ex-MP assaulted by army"  Fiji Times (22 May 2007)
"SDL official summoned by Fiji military" Radio New Zealand (21 May 2007)