By Ryan L. Maness
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania
SUVA, Fiji –Despite calls from the Pacific Island Forum not to do so, Fiji has suspended suspended talks with the Forum Joint Working Group. After the suspension the Ministry of Information acting deputy secretary, Major Neumi Leweni, was unequivocal that talks had not been terminated, only that they were suspended for the moment. The suspension arose after the government of New Zealand imposed a travel ban against businessman Robin Storck soon after his appointment as chief executive of Fijian Holdings Limited. New Zealand has been categorical in imposing travel bans against anyone associated with the interim government; however, when pulling out of the Working Group, interim Prime Minister Bainimarama credited the “hypocritical” stance of New Zealand and Australia.
The other members of the working group have expressed their hope that the dialogue with Fiji will renew and a path to return Fiji to democracy will be charted. The chairman of the group. Tongaâs Prime Minister Dr Feleti Sevele. has called on Bainimarama to return to the table for next month’s scheduled meeting, despite his absence from the meeting this past week. Without Fiji’s presence in the working group, Sevele said, there isn’t much point for continuing to meet. Sevele went on to say that, while he hoped Fiji would return, he was sure that they will have conditions for coming back.”
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said that the travel bans will not be relaxed from their current configuration.
For more information, please see:
Fijilive — Travel bans remain, NZ tells Fiji — 29 June 2008
Fijilive — Pacific Forum chair pushes Fiji to rejoin — 29 June 2008
Fiji Times — Remain engaged in dialogue, Fiji urged — 26 June 2008
Radio New Zealand International — New Zealand Foreign Minister hoping for re-engagement with Fiji regime next month — 26 June 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Chair of Pacific Forum says Fiji must be encouraged to return to dialogue — 26 June 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Uncertainty over Fiji/Forum meeting after Fiji boycott — 26 June 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji’s interim Prime Minister suspends talks with Forum Joint Working Group — 22 June 2008
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SUVA, Fiji — Daryl Tarte, the chairman of the Fiji Media Council, says that the media in Fiji is under severe threat of governmental regulation. Speaking at the launch of the Media and Developement Book this week, Tarte said that statutory regulation would harm Fiji’s media and that it would be better to have the media regulate itself. The Fiji Media Council recently met with the interim PM, but Tarte said that he is looking forward to another meeting.
Perhaps worrying to those who oppose governmental media regulation, on 22 June members of the Fiji police began investigating an interview done for Close Up program to determine whether or not inciteful comments were made by Suva Lawyer Rajendra Chaudhry and Close Up Show Host, Anish Chand. The Fiji Police said that they received credible information that the tape contained inciteful comments, but have not yet taken either Chaudhry or Chand in for questioning. The tape containing the interview was not played prior to the police seizure, but neither has it been returned to the television station, despite requests that it be.
For more information, please see:
Fiji Times — Police keep tape — 27 June 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji Media Council says media independence threatened — 24 June 2008
Fiji Times — Media faces State wrath — 24 June 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji Media Council Chair says media faces threat of regulation — 23 June 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji police probe Fiji TV programme — 23 June 2008
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SUVA, Fiji — The Fiji Human Rights Commission created a report, which was leaked to the Sunday Star Times, which dealt with the recent deportations of newspaper publishers Evan Hannah and Russell Hunter. According to the report, the deportation of the two men was not only appropriate, but actually long overdue. In finding that none of Hannah or Hunter’s rights were breached, it went on to saw that both men, as well as New Zealand High Commissioner in Fiji Michael Green, were making persistent attacks on the administration of Justice in Fiji. According to the report, although Green was made persona non grata in Fiji last year, he continues to interfere in Fiji’s internal affairs.
The New Zealand government has denied any attempts to infiltrate the Fijian government or to interfere with the administration of justice.
The report was commissioned after ousted opposition leader Mick Beddoes filed a complaint with the FHRC.
Opposition leaders in Fiji have condemned the findings in the report. Beddoes told Radio Fiji that the substance of the report was in large part irrelevant to what he had originally asked about. He also said, “I’m deeply concerned that someone who must administer matters concerning the rights of people in this country has such an obvious leaning toward a particular political party and to the government.”
For more information, please see:
Fiji Broadcasting Corporation Limited — Military looks into FHRC report — 25 June 2008
Fiji Times — Commission report irrelevant: Beddoes — 25 June 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Editor of Fiji Times expresses renewed concern over Human Rights Commission — 22 June 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji’s ousted opposition leader says report into deportation backs backs move of military regime — 22 June 2008
Fijilive — NZ diplomat interfering in Govt, Fiji claims — 22 june 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji’s Human Rights Commission claims interim regime right to deport publishers — 20 June 2008
