By Eileen Gould
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

PORT VILA, Vanuatu – Delegates are currently meeting in Vanuatu to discuss food security issues in the Pacific region.

There are currently 170 delegates meeting in the tiny island nation.  Many are concerned about the “urgent” and “enormous” challenge the food security issue poses in the nations of the Pacific.

Local agriculture and the fisheries are being threatened by globalization and climate change.  Hence, there is a great need for change.

The Summit supported the idea that everyone must ensure that all people in the Pacific have access to safe and nutritious food from the area, as it is a basic right of all humans.

According to Dr. Chen, South Pacific’s Representative for the World Health Organization and Chair of the Summit, the delegates have been discussing a “Framework for Action”, which would provide for working together to pool resources and coordinate amongst regional nations.  The goal of the plan is ultimately to “sustain human life, minimize early death and ensure healthy and productive people.”

Trade, health, and agriculture Ministers came together for the first time to deal with the food security issue and establish a plan that will promote countries taking the initiative to resolve the problem.

The Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat says that the plan demonstrates that countries and regional organizations have worked together to develop a way to resolve the food security situation.

The Summit focused on sustainable local agriculture and protection of the rights of “vulnerable individuals”.

Food security was first recognized as an issue of increasing importance in August 2008 at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ meeting.  According to remarks by the Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Mr. Feleti P. Teo, it was at this meeting that leaders realized that “[f]ood security is no longer simply a health issue; it is a development issue and one that is multi-sectoral in nature and must be viewed in it[s] broadest scope.”

For more information please see:
Radio Fiji – Pacific Food Summit ends – 24 April 2010

Pacific.Scoop – Opening remarks by DSG Teo at the Food Summit – Vanuatu – 22 April 2010

Radio New Zealand International – Food summit in Vanuatu focuses on sustainable agriculture – 22 April 2010

By Cindy Trinh
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – The United Nations is holding a workshop in Fiji to train human rights workers in the region in monitoring and documenting human rights.

The workshop follows as a result from human rights advocates raising concerns that the Fiji interim government’s new immunity and media decrees could allow further abuses to occur with impunity.

The draft Media Industry Development Decree provides for the establishment of a Media Development Authority and a tribunal with the power to fine news organizations and imprison journalists for up to 5 years.

It also restricts foreign ownership of news media to 10% with all company directors required to be citizens of Fiji.

Under the decree, media outlets may be fined up to $500,000 and individual editors, publishers, and journalists may be fined up to $100,000, and/or jailed if they do not comply with the “decree’s dictates.”

Reports from Fiji say the interim regime will consider further consultations about the proposed Media Decree.

Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says that the government is still working on the draft and no specific time frame has been set in terms of the implementation of the decree.

The interim regime said that once the media decree is in place, it will lift the emergency provisions, including the media censorship, which has been in place since April of 2009 when the regime abrogated the consultation after the appeals court ruled that the post-coup administration was illegal.

Amnesty International has described the proposed decree as the “deathnail for free media in Fiji which could enable further abuses to go unreported.”

The draft of the media law has sparked immediate protest by news groups, academics, and civil society movements. The draft decree has been described as “draconian.”

During the first consultation, about 50 media organizations and civil society groups were present and opposed the proposal.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world’s largest body of newspeople, strongly condemned the regime for the “reinforcement of sweeping censorship.”

The general secretary of IFJ, Aidan White, stated: “The decree is clearly focused on the regime retaining control and entrenching its highly oppressive restrictions, not only on the media but on members of the public who might wish to express dissenting views.”

The director of the Pacific Media Centre, David Roble, stated that the decree was “ruthlessly chilling.” He wrote in his blog: “The regime is systematically destroying what has been traditionally one of the strongest media industries in the Pacific.”

Because of all the controversy over the media decree, the United Nations is holding a workshop in Fiji to train human rights workers to monitor and document human rights.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Regional Office for the Pacific says it cannot comment publicly on the issue because its strategy is to work to improve the situation in other ways.

The office’s regional representative, Matilda Bogner, says during the workshop they will talk with human rights workers about other approaches they can take to use the information they document in countries where media freedoms are restricted.

Bogner stated: “There are many strategies that can get information out. Not all advocacy has to be done publicly through the media. A lot of advocacy can be done behind closed doors with key people who are decision makers.”

Bogner further stated that there are forums other than traditional media to make the general community aware of human rights violations.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – UN holds workshop in Fiji on documenting human rights – 15 April 2010

Radio New Zealand International – Fiji regime considers further media decree consultations – 15 April 2010

Pacific Scoop – Draconian Fiji draft media law triggers news group protests – 08 April 2010

By Cindy Trinh
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Fiji’s coup leaders have given themselves immunity. President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau has approved a decree giving full immunity to those involved with the 2006 coup, and also for the coup in 2000 and the attempted mutiny at the Fiji army barracks also in 2000.

The decree states that absolute and unconditional immunity will be granted to the interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, his predecessor, Jona Senilagakali, and a former president Ratu Josefa Iloilo, who last year abrogated the constitution.

It extends the immunity from criminal or civil prosecution to members of the military, police and prison service, and all others acting under official orders.

The decree says, however, that those who have already been found guilty of crimes will not be given immunity.

The immunity will apply to a list of prescribed political events, starting with the purported civilian takeover of the government in May of 2000 and the attempted mutiny at the Queen Elizabeth barracks also in 2000. It will also cover the government take-over in 2006, and the abrogation of the constitution.

The president of the Fiji Law Society, Dorsami Naidu, says a government decree giving coup leaders immunity from prosecution shows that those in power think they are above the law.

He stated: “This decree basically does away with all actions, or all events that may have occurred, or that may be before a court or tribunal or any body which would be seeking any form of damages, compensation, or any claim against the present regime.”

Naidu believes that the decree makes a “mockery of the regime’s claim that the judiciary is independent.”

Other political exiles in New Zealand says the decree may be the price Fiji has to pay for free elections in the future.

Ruth Hill, correspondent for Radio New Zealand International reported: “A spokesperson for the Auckland-based Coalition of Democracy in Fiji, Nik Naidu, says the decree will allow the regime to literally get away with murder in some cases. Many military personnel have never faced charges for extra-judicial killings. This decree gives total immunity to all involved with the coup in 2000, an attempted mutiny later that year, the last coup in 2006, and scrapping the constitution last year. Mr Naidu says he believes those behind the illegal coup will never give up power unless they’re given immunity.”

For more information, please see:
Pacific Islands News Association – Fiji’s coup leaders give themselves immunity – 09 April 2010

Radio New Zealand International – Belief that immunity for coup leaders may be price that Fiji has to pay – 09 April 2010

Radio New Zealand International – Law society says Fiji coup leaders think they are above the law – 09 April 2010

Radio New Zealand International – Fiji’s coup leaders give themselves immunity – 09 April 2010

By Eileen Gould
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – The leaders of the coup that overtook Fiji’s democratically elected has been given full immunity from prosecution.

According to a report issued on Friday, Fiji’s military leader, Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, has been given full immunity from prosecution. A decree issued on March 22 gives full immunity to those who participated in the coups of 2000 and 2006.  The current president, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, granted immunity to Bainimarama and the other members of the coup, a coup in 2000 as well as for an attempted mutiny at the Fiji army barracks.

Fiji’s former president Ratu Josefa Iloilo was also granted immunity from prosecution.  Iloilo abrogated the constitution in 2009, after the Court of Appeal said that Bainimarama’s coup was illegal.

Nailatikau’s decree grants immunity from criminal or civil actions to members of the police, military and prison service, as well as all individuals who acted under official orders.

According to the president of Fiji Law Society, Dorsami Naidu, the decree also awards immunity for future actions.

Individuals who have already been convicted of crimes will not be given immunity.  For instance, George Speight, businessman and leader of the 2000 coup, is serving a life sentence.

Mr. Speight and the other members of the coup gave themselves immunity but Bainimarama went back on this deal, and these men were arrested.

It is believed that the decree was issued in response to the decision by a court to award compensation to an individual who was tortured by individuals during the 2000 coup.

Fiji Law Society stated that the decree “basically does away with all actions, or all events that may have occurred, or that may be before a court or a tribunal or any body which would be seeking any form of damages, compensation, or any claim against the present regime.”

The Coalition for Democracy in Fiji states that individuals in power will not allow free elections to take place unless they have been granted full immunity from prosecution.  It allows them to get away with many egregious acts.

For more information please see:
Radio New Zealand News – Fiji leaders’ immunity decree ‘a mockery’ – 10 April 2010

Monsters and Critics – Fiji’s 2006 coup leaders give themselves legal immunity – 09 April 2010

Radio New Zealand International – Law society says Fiji coup leaders think they are above the law – 09 April 2010

By Cindy Trinh
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga – A pro-democracy MP in Tonga says the Cabinet has rejected proposals put forward by a couple commissions set up to determine electoral boundaries. The Cabinet is opting instead to have 17 constituencies with an equal number of votes. Concern has risen over the Cabinet’s decision, and there is fear that more violence may ensue.

There has been much debate in Tonga for democratic reform. Mateni Tapueluelu says the priority for parliament right now is the recommendations for greater democracy compiled by the Constitutional and Electoral Commission.

He stated: “[I]t was brought up in parliament by the People’s Representatives…they already have information from the government that the Cabinet is not accepting the recommendation from that commission…they are forming up their own recommendation and so there is a bit of a fight between People’s Representatives about how Tonga will have to be subdivided before the election in November.”

However, the government rejected the recommendations put forward by the Constitutional and Electoral Commission.

The government then set up the Boundaries Commission after rejecting the reforms proposed by the Constitutional and Electoral Commission. The Boundaries Commission put forth three options, but the Cabinet also rejected these.

Akilisi Pohiva of the People’s Committee for Political Reform reported that the Cabinet rejected all three options put forward by the Boundaries Commission because the Cabinet instead has opted to have 17 constituencies with a roughly equal number of votes.

Pohiva stated: “Take for example Niua, under the government proposal it will have no representative. Niua will be one of the constituencies in Tongatapu. A group of islands in Ha’apai will move to Tongatapu. In order for government to be able to have an equal share or almost an equal number of notes, this is how they do it.”

Pohiva further reported that the parliament will be debating the Cabinet’s proposal on April 8, 2010. He expects that the Cabinet’s proposal will go through.

However, he fears that if the proposal does go through, more violence will ensue. He stated: “It’ll edge the Kingdom towards further violence.”

“That complete neglect of the boundary commission is the latest serious mistake they have made. And this is what we hope to raise in the House when we come back in the afternoon and probably next week. We will try to pressure the government to honor and respect the recommendations made by the Boundary Commission and if they continue to remain stubborn something can happen, that’s how I look at it.”

For more information, please see:
Islands Business – Cabinet decision could spark more violence in Tonga, says MP – 08 April 2010

Pacific Islands News Association – Cabinet decision could spark more violence in Tonga, says MP – 08 April 2010

Radio New Zealand International – Cabinet decision could spark more violence in Tonga, says MP – 08 April 2010

Radio New Zealand International – Tonga Cabinet rejects recommendations from boundary commission – 08 April 2010

Radio new Zealand International – Democratic reform debate sidelines Ashika report in Tonga – 07 April 2010