By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Amnesty International says Fiji’s military regime has threatened the lives of two lawyers, and will continue to commit other human rights abuses unless the government’s power is checked.

Amnesty researcher for the Pacific region, Apolosi Bose, performed a two week fact-finding mission in Fiji. Bose found that two judges were verbally threatened on their cell phones when they tried to go to work after the abrogation of Fiji’s Constitution on April 10th.

Bose says that people are too afraid to criticize the government since the President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, did away with the constitution, fired the judiciary, and censored the media.

“People received death threats on that day. There was a warning from people who were linked to the military or to the government, you know don’t do anything, we are now on a path for success and nothing you can do can will ever stop us,” Bose said.

Bose believes that, unless the military regime’s power is limited, further abuse will take place.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Amnesty International fears further abuses in Fiji – 22 April 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Amnesty fears for Fiji human rights as clampdown muzzles media – 22 April 2009