By Angela Marie Watkins
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – The European Commission canceled a grant worth more than $32.6 million to Fiji in a sign of growing international impatience at the military regime’s refusal to hold elections.

A statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade indicated that the cancellation “is the inevitable result of the interim government’s failure to return Fiji to democracy.” The statement went on to say that “Fiji and its people continue to bear the consequences of the interim government’s intransigent attitude.”

The United States and Fiji’s most affluent neighbors, Australia and New Zealand, have also imposed targeted sanctions.

The sugar industry is Fiji’s second-largest after tourism and contributes between six and eighth percent of the country’s total gross domestic product.

In early 2007, the European Union found that interim regime’s military coup of Fiji’s democratically elected government in 2006 had violated the Cotonau Agreement. Under that agreement, sugar produced by developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific are given subsidized and preferential access to European markets. The EU announced in October 2007 that subsidies would be tied to progress toward democracy.

The military government says it will not hold elections before 2014. Recently, it has imposed a state of emergency under which the media is censored.

Last month, the military regime tightened its grip on power leading to its suspension from the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional bloc that represents the common interests of regional island nations.

For more information, please see:
Bloomberg – EU Cancel Substantial Aid to Fiji – 20 May 2009

Radio Austrailia – Australia Backs EU’s ‘Firm Line’ Canceling Sugar Aid to Fiji – 20 May 2009

AFP – EU cancels 2009 Fiji sugar assistance – 20 May 2009

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

SUVA, Fiji – Fiji’s police have seized the computers of three prominent lawyers which may contain confidential client information belonging to ousted members of Fiji’s federal government.

The President of the Fiji Law Society, Dorsami Naidu, confirmed that those computers were taken from a police station in Suva, Fiji’s capital city.

Jon Apted, Richard Naidu and Tevita Fa’s computers were seized allegedly because of their suspected involvement with an anti-government blog site.

Recently, the interim government imposed emergency regulations on the media which forces journalists to cast the government in a positive light. All published material must first go through the Ministry of Information, Major Neumi Leweni.

But the lawyers are concerned about the confidential client information contained on those computers. Tevita Fa is also the lawyer for the ousted prime minister, Laisenia Qarase. Fa is concerned that the interim government may have access to his clients’ information.

“There’s a lot of confidential matters. I mean anyone who goes to a solicitor relies on confidentiality and there may be a lot of information and other data and there’s no guarantee that the police will not abuse their powers of search in this case,” Fa said.

Meanwhile, Fiji police have not confirmed that they have seized any of the lawyers’ property.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Fiji police seize computers of three prominent lawyers – 20 May 2009

ABC, Radio Australia News – Fijian lawyers questioned by police – 20 May 2009

ABC, Radio Australia News – Grassroots crime rising as Fiji law in limbo – 20 May 2009

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

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – For the third straight day, protesters in Papua New Guinea have attacked and pillaged Chinese run businesses.

On Wednesday, Chinese-owned stores were targeted in the capital city of Port Moresby. Protesters attacked more stores yesterday in Lae. On Friday morning, police intervened, sending tear gas out into the crowd to stop the riot.

The violence has led many Chinese-owned stores and nationals to hire extra police and guards to protect their shops. The Chinese embassy went so far as to encourage Chinese-owned businesses to close their businesses while the violence continues.

Local resentment of Chinese-owned businesses has grown as an increasing number of Chinese immigrants move to Papua New Guinea to start their businesses.

One unnamed youth told PNG newspaper, The National, “Who is allowing these Asians to come into our country and own small businesses which should be owned by Papua New Guineans?” He added, “They are ripping us off and investing their money in their country.”

The turmoil started after 100 anti-Chinese protesters turned a demonstration into a violent brawl. The demonstrators began looting Chinese businesses, but the police did little to stop the protest.

Port Moresby police chief, Fred Yakasa, claims that the police were not responsible for the protest. Mr. Yakasa says that the violence was due to “hooligans” and not the protesters generally.

“There is nothing to worry about, as we will continue our patrols and increase presence on the streets,” Mr. Yakasa said.

Meanwhile, in Lae, hundreds of protesters attacked Chinese nationals and Chinese-owned stores, resulting in one unconfirmed death and many serious injuries.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – More violence in Papua New Guinea directed at Chinese businesses – 15 May 2009

The Age – Looting, attacks target Chinese in PNG -15 May 2009

ABC News – Violent stoushes close PNG mine – May 11 2009

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – The Commonwealth Press Union’s media freedom committee has passed a resolution criticizing the interim regime’s indefinite extension of censorship in Fiji.

The committee represents major media organizations in New Zealand.  Tim Pankhurst, the committee chairman, says they are aware Fiji’s interim regime is unlikely to take notice of the resolution.  Mr. Pankhurst says the committee felt it was important to condemn the actions and to stand with the journalists in Fiji who are working under the emergency regulations.

Mr. Pankhurst believes it is important to raise awareness of the regulations in Fiji to New Zealanders.

“We decided on the motion of deploring because we felt the best role that we can serve right now is to make New Zealanders aware that what’s happening continually in Fiji is not some kind of happy little coup in paradise.  Real freedoms that we take for granted are being denied and abused there,” Pankhurst said.

He also urged New Zealanders to consider what is happening in Fiji when making travel and business decisions.

Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has sent an opinion editorial to Fiji’s media outlets explaining why the country’s military backed regime has been suspended from the the Pacific Islands Forum.  In the piece, Mr. Rudd said Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama’s actions have damaged Fiji’s international standing and the reputation of its military.  The piece was provided to local media outlets this past week and has not appeared in any of Fiji’s media outlets.

The Executive Director of Fijian Civil Society Group, the Citizen’s Constitutional Forum, Reverend Aquile Yabaki, says Rudd’s statement should be available to everyone, “It’s a statement from the Australian Prime Minister.  We need to hear it.  We want to hear it.”

For more information, please see:
Pacific Islands Report – Australian PM Sends Opinion Piece to Fiji Media – 15 May 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Commonwealth Press Union passes resolution deploring Fiji censorship – 15 May 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Commonwealth Press Union says resolution unlikely to move Fiji’s interim govt – 15 May 2009

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

SUVA, Fiji – Government censorship of the media in Fiji will continue, says Permanent Secretary for Information, Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni.

Mr. Leweni says the regulations will remain in place until journalists learn to follow directives from the Ministry of Information. According to regulations, journalists must first submit any reports on the government to the Ministry of Information for review.

Fiji’s interim government installed these regulations on April 10th, following the subrogation of the Constitution and the dismissal of all judicial members. Mr. Leweni says news outlets cannot expect to return to their old style of reporting prior to April 10th.

Mr. Leweni also says that the regulations have yielded “good” results, and if he were in charge, he would extend that censorship for another five years.

But such regulations have already caused one Fiji based news outlet to temporarily relocate. PACNEWS, operated by two local journalists, Makereta Komai and Pita Ligaiula, says deciding to leave Fiji was not easy.

“We would want to be in Fiji as it is in the center of the Pacific but our work as an independent news agency is becoming increasingly more difficult,” said Joseph Ealadona, the board chair of the Pacific Islands News Association news service.

He blames the media for these regulations, saying that harsher control would not be necessary if the media was not always so critical of the government. Mr Leweni claims that journalists have been irresponsible and “sensationalized” government actions.

The interim government has officially extended the regulations 30 days after May 10th.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Censorship of Fiji media could continue indefinitely, says regime – 13 May 2009

Fiji Times Online – Pacific news service to leave Fiji – 13 May 2009