Impunity Watch: Oceania

Bainimarama Warns SDL Party

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji - Fiji's Interim Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, has warned ousted Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, that his SDL party might not be included in the proposed President's Political Forum if the party continues to criticize the interim government. 

Spokesman for the SDL, Ted Young, says it is nothing that has not been said before but his party is surprised by the response, "The threats of excluding SDL from the forum would be a very counter-productive move, in fact the forum will not achieve its purpose if the biggest political party is absent from the Forum and it will be an unwise move on the part of the interim regime and Bainimarama to exclude SDL."

Mr. Young believes the threat is a reaction of comments made by Mr. Qarase who is in Australia.  Mr. Qarase has been unable to leave Fiji since he was charged with abuse of office after his government was overthrown in December of 2006.  However, the High Court in Fiji altered his bail restrictions this week, allowing him to travel abroad as long as he is in Fiji in early March for his case's hearing.  He is in Australia lobbying for support of the SDL party and visiting family.

Meanwhile, the Fiji political situation will be discussed at a meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) in London next week.  CMAG will meet in London next week to discuss Fiji and whether further measures need to be taken in light of the interim Government's refusal to adhere to the May 1 elections deadline.  Fiji was suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth immediately following the 2006 coup.

For more information, please see:
Fiji Times - CMAG to discuss Fiji at London meet - 27 February 2009

Radio New Zealand International - Fiji interim regime threat undermines planned political forum - 24 February 2009

Fiji Daily Post - Qarase seeks help in Australia - 17 February 2009

World News Australia - Qarase free to visit Australia: reports - 12 February 2009

State of Emergency Regulations Will Continue in Tonga

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga - The Tonga Government says state of emergency regulations will be in place until people in the capital city center feel safe again.

Nearly three years ago, the pro-democracy movement in Tonga turned violent, causing the death of eight and destroying Tonga’s capital city, Nuku’alofa. The riots erupted after the Legislative Assembly of Tonga adjourned for the year without employing promised reforms.

Following the violence in 2006, the government issued a 30 day state of emergency, and has since renewed those regulations on a monthly basis.

The state of emergency regulations were expanded in September, giving Tongan police the power to stop individuals, search them without a warrant, and even enter into and seize evidence from any vehicle, ship, or aircraft.

Citizens complain that the regulations are too restrictive, while the Government contends they are necessary to ensuring security.  

While Police Minister, Siaosi Aho, recognizes that the regulations have tainted the people’s image of the police and government, he also says there is no foreseeable end to the “special laws.”

“And this is one of the things that has convinced me that I should continue [with the emergency regulations] is the fact that the people had completely lost faith and trust in the police. We are running a programme now, strategically, to bring back this trust,” Aho said.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International - Emergency powers in Tonga’s capital won’t go until people assure Government they feel safe - 25 February 2009

ABC Radio New Zealand - Tonga reimposes emergency regulations - 10 September 2008

AFP News Service - Tonga extends area under emergency powers - 10 September 2008

U.S. Court of Appeals Grants Fiji Family Political Asylum

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SAN FRANCISCO, United States - A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that a California man and his family who fled Fiji in 1998 in response to racially motivated beatings and death threats are eligible for political asylum.  The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco reversed rulings by immigration courts against Rajeshwar Singh, his wife, Mohini Lata Singh, and their two children.

Mr. Singh's father was killed by native Fijians in 1987 and the Singhs were under pressure to vacate their leased land so natives could move in according to their lawyer, Ashwani Bakhri.  Mr. Singh, a cabdriver in Fiji, was locked in the trunk of his taxi in 1996 by passengers who rolled the vehicle into a ditch, seriously injuring him.  His wife and young children were also attacked.  The Singhs, of Indian descent, said the violence against them was by Fiji's native majority, who control the government.

The federal immigration board ruled that the family had not been persecuted which made them ineligible for asylum because they could not show that the police were unable or unwilling to protect them.  In a 3-0 ruling the appeals court said Singh had complained to police about the violence and had received no response.

The court ruled, "We have previously recognized the indifference of authorities to violence against Indo-Fijians during the period at issue in this case."  The judges said the Singhs had been persecuted because of their ethnicity and probably would be persecuted again if they were deported back to Fiji.

For more information, please see:

San Francisco Chronicle - Fiji fear leads to asylum win for local family - 23 February 2009

Fiji Times - Fiji family qualifies for political asylum, US court rules - 24 February 2009

Ousted Chaudhry Says Reform Must Precede Elections

By Ryan L. Maness
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji - Fiji's Labour Party leader, Mahendra Chaudhry, said that Fiji must sort out its governmental problems before holding elections.  He says that reforms must be put in place if Fiji is to avoid another political coup in the future.  

According to Chaudhry, Fiji's problems are ones of fundamental governance and that the people of Fiji must admit that these problems exist before progress can commence.  The solutions to these problems, he said, must precede a return to democratic rule.  

"We've had it for so long, we need to solve those problems," he said. "Otherwise we will always have a turbulent democracy here, we've had four coups and we don't want that again."

While he admitted that the overall return to democracy will take time, he said that a timeline should be put in place for the return.  "It does not really matter, so long as progress is being made and there is a timeline - reasonable and fair to those demanding elections immediately and those who are saying 'Let's wait and solve problems out and have elections'."

Chaudhry was the prime minister of Fiji before being ousted by a coup in 2000.  

For more information, please see:

Fiji Times - 'Solutions before polls' - 23 February 2009

Radio New Zealand International - Fiji's Labour Party leader says governance still needs to be sorted out before any elections - 22 February 2009

US Will Move 8,000 Troops From Japan To Guam

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

OKINAWA, Japan - The US and Japan have signed the Guam International Agreement ordering the relocation of 8,000 US soldiers from the Japanese island of Okinawa to Guam by 2014.  Under the agreement, Japan will provide $6.09 billion of the estimated $10.3 billion it will cost for the transfer of the soldiers and for the building of housing on Guam, a US territory.

The Guam Landowners Association says it is opposed to the plan for military buildup.  The Association's Antony Sablan says the people of Guam have not been asked if they support the move.  The soldier transfer will boost Guam's population by ten percent.  Mr. Sablan believes Guam will lose land and part of its identity.  He said, "We are a foster child of a foster parent, where our resources are getting raped by our foster parent.  Somebody has to step up to the plate and take the step to say: 'hey, you can't take advantage of this small group of innocent people.'"  Mr. Sablan went on to say the international community should step in to protect the people of Guam.

Meanwhile, Guam's Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to the population increase for what it will mean for Guam's economy.  The Chamber's chair, Frank Campillo says it will bring many opportunities.  Mr. Campillo explained, "We'll see a huge amount of construction activity: we need to improve our island infrastructure, the streets, the waterways, the distribution of electricity, we need to build new housing.  We understand there'll be between 8 and 10 billion dollars of construction activity."

For more information, please see:
Press TV - US to remove soldiers from Okinawa - 17 February 2009

Radio New Zealand International - Guam Landowners oppose US troop build up - 18 February 2009

Radio New Zealand International - Guam businesses eyeing benefits from the US marines relocating - 18 February 2009

Tonga's Emergency Regulations Renewed

By Ryan L. Maness
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga - Tonga's Government has elected to renew emergency powers for a further thirty days in parts of capital city.  The acting chief secretary and the secretary to the cabinet, Paula Ma'u, confirmed today that the Public Safety and Public Security Regulations had been extended.  According to Ma'u the regulations were renewed based upon the recommendation by the Minister of Police. 

Under these renewed powers the police have the authority to stop and search any vehicle without a warrant, as well as to seek evidence inside of any vehicle.  The powers also allow officers wider authority to make arrests.  These powers have been criticized by international rights organizations for being an abuse of power and an attempt to frustrate the pro-democracy movement.  

The emergency powers were originally put into place in November 2006 after a riot broke out in the heart of the capital city of Nuku'alofa.  The riot began when a group broke away from a political reform rally and began looting local businesses.  Throughout the course of the riot 150 businesses, mostly owned by people of Chinese origins, were destroyed.  

For more information, please see:

Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Tonga extends emergency rule - 20 February 2009

Radio New Zealand International - Emergency regulations in Tonga rolled over for the 28th time - 20 February 2009

Matangi - Emergency Powers extended another 30 days - 19 February 2009

Tongan Women Lobby For Increased Representation

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

NUKUALOFA, Tonga- A group of more than 50 women has started lobbying for a greater voice in Parliament.  The group wants a quota of 30 percent political representation and has started a campaign to gather support to begin the quota under the new system of government being developed for 2010.  Betty Blake of the Catholic Women's League says the group believes mixed political decision-making would lead to a more prosperous economy.  Ms. Blake said, "We feel that women have a place, they have a lot to say.  They can contribute to the development of our country economically, socially, and any other aspects of life."  She reports that half of the male MPs support the proposal, with one objection being the possibility of all women MPs taking maternity leave at the same time.

Polotu Fakafanua Paunga from the Women's Affairs Division of the Ministry of Education said the primary objective of today's consultation meeting was to discuss their proposal that will be submitted before the deadline on February 23.  He said the next step will be to draft the written submission and gather signatures.  A follow-up meeting will be held next week.  The Electoral Commission requires signed submissions from the public be made by a group of at least 200 people over 21 years of age.

Only five women have entered the Tongan Parliament since 1975, including the first woman appointed as Cabinet Minister, Hon 'Alisi Taumoepeau.

For more information, please see:

Pacific Islands Report - Tongan Women Seek Better Representation in Parliament - 16 February 2009

Radio New Zealand International - Tongan women lobby for 30% representation in Parliament - 16 February 2009

Solomon Star News - Tongan women lobby for 30% representation in Parliament - 17 February 2009

Fiji Interim Government to Hold Second Political Dialogue Meeting in March

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji - Fiji’s interim Attorney Generals says that, before the President’s Dialogue Forum convenes, the interim government should hold a second political dialogue meeting to discuss the agenda and terms of reference to be discussed at that Forum.

Interim Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, called for this second meeting during his discussions with a joint technical team made up of representatives from the United Nations and Commonwealth. Last week, the joint team traveled to Fiji to conduct a fact-finding mission on the country’s political situation.

Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum says his discussions with the joint team included the scope of issues to be discussed at the impending President’s Dialogue Forum.

The interim Attorney General also says that interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, is eager to use the Forum to better assess political opinions among Non-Governmental Organizations as well as civil society groups.

FijiLive reports that the second political dialogue is scheduled for the first or second week of March.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International - Fiji’s interim administration says second political dialogue meeting to be held in March - 15 February 2009

FijiTimes - Our last chance - 10 February 2009

Fiji's Interim Regime's Motives Questioned

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji - Commodore Frank Bainimarama says he did not overthrow the Qarase government in 2006 to seize power and remain in control.  He made it known to the Vice President of China Xi Jinping during a meeting that the military will only stay in power until all of its objectives are achieved.

Bainimarama explained, "The military, essentially assumed control of the Government with clear objectives to eliminate corruption, racial discrimination policies and practices, and to bring about necessary reforms in the area of public service, governance as well as the electoral system in an effort to build a better and more progressive Fiji." 

Bainimarama said Fiji will return to a system of parliamentary democracy, "the timing of which will be determined by the people of Fiji alone."

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Jone Baledrokadroka, the former commander of the Fiji military land force says the military will remain a part of Fiji's political landscape.  Baledrokadroka said the Government has been militarized at all levels, from ministerial positions to permanent secretaries in all departments.  He continued, "They've put people all over our Government. Now they're talking about municipal councils. So it seems they have a plan to be in power."

Fiji's National Federation Party general secretary, Pramod Rae, says Fiji's people are sick of uncertainty, so it is incumbent that the interim regime commits to a return to parliamentary democracy.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International - Fiji's NFP says Forum 2009 deadline achievable - 10 February 2009

Islands Business - Military not power hungry: Bainimarama - 11 February 2009

Pacific Islands Report - Former Fiji Commander Says Military 'To Stay' - 12 February 2009

Fiji Times - 'Hidden agenda' in army call-up - 12 February 2009

Forcing Journalists to Reveal Sources is a Threat to Media Freedom, Says Former Solomon Islands Politician

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

HONIARA, Solomon Islands - A former Solomon Islands cabinet minister is accusing the Government of threatening freedom of the press after a Government agency has requested that two journalists reveal their sources.

Last year, two journalists reported that certain Government Ministers had borrowed thousands from local businessmen in violation of the Leadership Code Commission. Another article covered a Cabinet Minister’s activities while he was attending the South Pacific Games last year. 
Alfred Sasako, a former journalist and politician, says that the Solomon Islands’ Leadership Code Commission has summoned the two journalists to verify the sources of their information.

Mr. Sasako says forcing the journalists to disclose their sources is clearly wrong and a threat to media freedom. 

“The leadership code commission has issued summons to journalist and they were to force them to reveal their source of information. That’s going overboard, reporters are there to report about issues of public interest,” Sasako said.

The two journalists are scheduled to appear before the Leadership Code Commission tomorrow morning.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International - Former Solomons Cabinet Minister angry at Commission’s summons for journalists - 11 February 2009

Radio New Zealand International - Solomons summons labelled intimidation and threat to media freedom - 11 February 2009