Tagicakibau Suggests UN Training is Being Used to Perpetuate Coup Culture

By Ryan L. Maness
Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – As a United Nations delegation toured Fiji this week, interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama called upon the delegation to allow a greater role in the UN’s international peacekeeping efforts for Fiji’s peacekeeping soldiers.  Bainimarama said that Fiji’s forces had a “proud track record” for their involvement with UN peacekeeping.

However, Pacific Concerns Resource Centre has cautioned the UN to not grant Bainimarama’s request.  Organization spokesperson Ema Tagicakibau, said that the training  and confidence that Fiji’s forces have received from the UN have been employed in Fiji to allow the military to stage coups.  Referring to repeated allegations of police and military misconduct, the spokeswoman said, “”After all, a military force that terrorises and violates the rights of its own people and intervenes in political and democratic governance, has no business cleaning up the affairs of other nations.”

“The credibility of the UN will be at stake if it turns a blind eye to the fact that these professional peacekeepers are the very ones breaking the peace at home,”   Tagicakibau said.

For more information, please see:

FijiVillage – Reconsider Peacekeeping Role- PCRC – 01 October 2008

Fiji Times – UN told of coup cycle, peacekeeping link – 01 October 2008

Author: Impunity Watch Archive