By Angela Marie Watkins
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Australia and New Zealand on Thursday urged China and the rest of the international community to back efforts to return Fiji to democracy and renewed demands that the United Nations stop using Fijian troops for peacekeeping duties, more than two years after a military coup in the South Pacific nation.

Fiji has up to 2,000 troops on peacekeeping duties with U.N. security forces around the world, including Iraq, Lebanon and East Timor. The UN decided last year not to use Fijian peacekeepers for any new missions but it has continued to deploy those already engaged.

Fiji’s military regime “has gained comfort and considerable amounts of cash from those ongoing peacekeeping activities,” said New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Murray McCully.

McCully said the U.N.’s use of Fiji troops was “particularly unhelpful” to the international community, given former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s warning to Fiji in 2006 that its peacekeepers would be “sent home” if the 2006 coup led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama proceeded.

Since 2006, Bainimarama has suspended the constitution, detained opponents, delayed elections to 2014, suppressed freedom of speech, and required lawyers to get new licenses to practice under his administration.

The military regime has previously stated that Fiji’s soldiers would continue with U.N. peacekeeping duties because the U.N. hadn’t stopped peacekeeping participation by countries like Pakistan and Zimbabwe.

Fiji has also recently received support from China, who has extended its influence into the Pacific with various forms of aid, including money for infrastructure projects. Last month a new bridge was opened in Fiji, funded and built by China.

“We’ve been urging all members of the international community that, if they are having contact with Fiji, that they should certainly make the point that the international community wants to see Fiji return to democracy,” said Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith.

For more information, please see:
BBC – China support for Fiji questioned – 19 June 2009

The Sydney Morning Herald – Aust/NZ FMs criticise UN over Fiji – 19 June 2009

Taiwan News – Australia, NZ want UN to stop using Fiji troops – 19 June 2009