Colonel Driti Threatens Critics of Interim Government

Colonel Driti Threatens Critics of Interim Government

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji– Republic of Fiji Military Forces’ Land Force Commander, Colonel Pita Driti, has said the Fiji Times should be closed down.  In a statement he said, “The Fiji Times in particular is the most non-cooperative and biased newspaper in the country.”  Colonel Pita Driti went to say it “should be closed down immediately.”  He has also disagreed with the Fiji Media Council’s advice to political parties and stakeholders to take their grievances to the media.

The Fiji Times Editor, Netani Rika, has said it is unfortunate for Colonel Driti to make the statement, “The Fiji Times has always covered positive and not-so positive incidents and issues involving the arm and the interim administration.”  Mr. Rika went on to say, “If Colonel Driti provides us with particular issues which have not been covered, I will be happy to address these individually.”

Colonel Pita has also threatened to exclude the SDL, National Federation Party, and certain NGOs from future political leaders’ meetings if they do not curtail their public criticism of the interim government.  He said the President’s Political Dialogue Forum, “is one that is designated for the sensitivity of having parties drawn carefully towards a common end, state, or vision.”  He went on to say, “the verbal attacks by the two parties will only be a clear indication of the non-adherence and non-alignment to the Forum’s guidelines, its themes, and its strive to take Fiji forward.”

Colonel Pita added that the military coup in 2000 happened to “prevent Fiji falling into the abyss of lawlessness and disorder with mass genocides, ethnic cleansing, and battle between warlords, let alone civil war now that is a national security angle that I am speaking from on behalf of the military as the final bastion of law and order.”

Ousted Opposition Leader Mick Beddoes responded to the statement, saying it reflects little faith in Fiji’s citizens.  Mr. Beddoes said “it is the participants of coups and treason who destroy what we have built, and have such little faith in the good will of our people who would never consider such horrendous possibilities occurring in Fiji.”

For more information, please see:

Fiji Times – Military threatens to lock out critics – 25 March 2009

Fiji Times – Closure Threat – 26 March 2009

Fiji Times – Criticism is inciting: Driti – 27 March 2009

Fiji Times – Driti lacks faith in majority’s goodwill: Beddoes – 28 March 2009

Canada Ignores Mexican Violence in Providing Refugee Statu

27 March 2009

Canada Ignores Mexican Violence in Providing Refugee Status

By Maria E. Molina
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

OTTAWA, Canada – The Canadian government is prohibiting the entry of Mexicans  seeking refuge and safety in Canada as a result of violence.

Part of the difficulty for refugee applicants is that Immigration and Refugee Board judges Mexico as a country that is able to protect its citizens.  As such, the Canadian government doesn’t believe that Mexicans are genuine refugee cases, or fleeing from genuine persecution in Mexico. Instead, the Canadian government suggests claimants can simply relocate to another part of Mexico.

Instead, the Canadian authorities assert that Mexican refugee claimants are economic migrants to Canada. This is unrealistic.  Mexico is plagued by violence, lack of protection from the authorities, corruption, and drugs. It is unconscionable that the Canadian government is prejudging asylum claims from Mexico.

More than 8,000 deaths have been linked to drug-related violence in Mexico over the past year.  The situation has also alarmed the United States government. The Obama administration sent 500 federal agents to assist the Mexican officers.

There is a high rejection rate for Mexican claimants – 90 per cent.  Some of the people rejected have received direct threats for different reasons.  They were either caught in the middle of drug cartels when they are trying to control an area, or they saw a crime or corruption. The Immigration and Refugee Board need to look closely at the nature of the claims because there are serious human rights concerns with respect to people coming from Mexico.

Because Mexicans do not require a visa to enter Canada, they are exempt from a Canada-U.S. treaty that requires refugees to make a claim in the first country they enter – called the Safe Third Country agreement. This makes the entire process for Mexican refugees easier. In cases of serious threat, this exemption is a matter of great concern.

For more information, please see:

CBC News – Canada ignores drug violence in Mexican refugee cases: advocates – 27 March 2009

Financial Post – How do you abuse a refugee system with no rules? – 26 March 2009

The Canadian Press – Canada ignoring refugees from Mexican violence: advocates – 27 March 2009

Fiji Police Investigation Brings Criticism

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

SUVA, Fiji — Following this week’s bombing of prominent members of the Fijian media, the police have begun an investigation into the violence that has sparked criticism from a Fiji women’s awareness group.  FemLink Pacific.
Organization representative Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, says that the police needs to do more than “look for foot prints in the sand.”  This is the time when the people of our country need to be feeling safe to be able to say, this is what I feel is the way forward, this is what I would like to see happen,” Rolls said.  “But with this kind of environment, people aren’t going to be comfortable to speak.”  She went onto say that these attacks are only a manifestation of a violent climate that has been in place since the 2006 coup.
Criticism has also been leveled against the police for their reaction to the attacks themselves.  After the explosions, the government issued a statement stating that the Fiji Times, whose editor in chief had been the target of a bomb, had been giving unbalanced coverage of the investigation.  In response the chairman of Fiji’s Media Council, Daryl Tarte, “The media in Fiji, just as in Australia, is entitled to be be partisan if they want to be. It’s probably more dangerous to be partisan in Fiji than it is in Australia but the fact is that I think most media in Fiji are trying to report as objectively and in a balanced way as they can. It is very dangerous for them not to do so. And the examples of the recent attacks on the editor of the Fiji Times is evidence of this”
Police spokesperson, Atunasai Sokomuri, defends the police saying that they are doing the best that they can.  “It’ll take time as all these incidents are happening late at night and in the early hours of the morning. So we are just pleading with members of the public just to bear with us because Fiji police is trying to do its best in investigating all these cases.”  After calls for him to do so, interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has also come out to condemn the firebombings and denies rumors that his government was in anyway involved in the attack.


For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Fiji police defend home-bombing investigation amid public criticism – 27 March 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Fiji Media Council says balanced media coverage more crucial now than ever – 27 March 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Fiji women’s group criticises police handing of home bombings – 27 March 2009

President Obama Announces New Plan for War in Afghanistan

By Shayne R. Burnham
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

AFGHANISTAN – United States President Obama declared that an extra 4,000 troops would be sent to Afghanistan in an effort to fight against the Taliban and al-Quaeda.

Obama said, “I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Quaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future.”

This announcement followed an Afghanistan-Pakistan policy review that occurred soon after he took the oath of office.

Obama warned that the same terrorists behind the September 11, 2001 attacks were plotting another attack on the United States from Pakistani soil.

He further stressed that Afghanistan was in peril of falling into the hands of Islamic militants.  He said that “[i]f the Afghanistan government falls to the Taliban or allows al-Quaeda to go unchallenged, that country will again be a base for terrorists.”

Therefore, the main goal is to rebuild civilian infrastructure within Afghanistan.  The 4,000 troops to be sent to Afghanistan is to train and support the Afghan police and army.  In addition, more troops are needed from NATO allies.  In sum, Obama hopes to build the Afghan army to 134,000 and the police to 82,000.  Agricultural specialists, engineers and lawyers would also be sent to the country.

The Afghan government fully supports Obama’s policy.  Presidential spokesman Humayun Hamidzada  stated that “the recognition of the regional aspect of the problem in Afghanistan and specifically recognition that the al-Quaeda threat is mainly emanating from Pakistan.”

However, Obama recognized that the plan could not be carried out alone.  Obama is focused on utilizing allies “to confront our common enemy.”  He said that the existence of al Quaeda and the Taliban pose an international security threat, especially to the nations that border Afghanistan.

“Together with the United Nations, we will forge a new Contact Group for Afghanistan and Pakistan that brings together all who should have a stake in the security of the region,” he said.  This contact group is set to include “our NATO allies and other partners, but also the Central Asian states, the Gulf nations and Iran; Russia, India and China.”

Although there has been tension between the U.S. and Iran, Obama hopes to strengthen their diplomatic ties.

“We see Iran as an important player related to Afghanistan.  We see this as a very productive area for engagement in the future.”

Iran foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi said, “We will participate in the Afghanistan meeting.  At what level, I don’t know yet, but we will participate.”

The U.S. further seeks help from the Pakistani government to put pressure on al-Quaeda.  In exchange, Obama is asking Congress to pass a bill that would authorize the tripling of spending in Pakistan to $1.5 billion each year over the next five years.  The money will be spent to help rebuild schools, hospitals and roads.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Obama Proposes Afghan Contact Group Including Iran – 27 March 2009

Associated Press – Obama: Taliban and al-Quaida Must Be Stopped – 27 March 2009

BBC – U.S. Rethinks Afghanistan Strategy – 27 March 2009

Boston Globe – Obama Plans More Afghan Reinforcements – 26 March 2009

China Blocks YouTube

By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China –  YouTube, a Google-owned popular video sharing site, is blocked by the Chinese government since Monday.  According to Reuters, Chinese traffic to the site saw a sharp decline on Monday and almost all the traffic had stopped by Tuesday.  Google did not explain why Chinese authorities were barring access to YouTube.  “We do not know the reason for the blockage, and we’re working as quickly as possible to restore access to our users in China.”  However, Chinese authorities are known for blocking websites they deem politically unacceptable or offensive.

Many people speculated it is because of footages that a Tibetan exile group posted on YouTube. The videos show protesters being beaten, kicked and choked allegedly by Chinese police officers in March 2008 riots. The Tibetan government-in-exile says the footage shows the Chinese government’s “brutality”.  But a Chinese government official said video footage is “a lie” because many of the images and voices in the video had been pieced together from different sources.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Qin Gang, told reporters: “Many people have a false impression that the Chinese government fears the Internet. In fact it is just the opposite.”
He cites that China has the world’s largest online population and 100m blogs.  “China’s internet is open enough, but also needs to be regulated by law in order to prevent the spread of harmful information and for national security”, he added.  However,  Qing Gang did not did not directly comment on whether YouTube had been blocked in China.

Several civil rights groups criticize the Chinese government for blocking YouTube. The Global Network Initiative said the blocking of YouTube in China is “inconsistent with the rule of law and the right to freedom of expression”. Leslie Harris, president of the Center for Democracy and Technology made a similar statement: ” China’s actions fail to live up to international norms. Anytime a country limits or takes down content online , it must be forthright and specific about its actions and do so only in narrowly defined circumstances consistent with international human rights and the rule of law.”

For more information:

AP – YouTube blocked in China; official says video fake – 24 March 2009

AFP – YouTube confirms website blocked in China – 24 March 2009

BBC – China criticised over YouTube – 25 March 2009

BBC – China says Tibet video is ‘a lie’ – 25 March 2009

CNN – YouTube blocked in China – 25 March 2009

Reuters – “Unafraid” China apparently fears YouTube – 24 March 2009

Wall Street Journal – China’s YouTube Block: A Tibet Connection? – 25 March 2009