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

HONIARA, Solomon Islands – The Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission is open and will begin addressing the ethnic violence which killed 100 and displaced 20,000 in 1997 to 2003.

Today, several thousand people came to watch South African Nobel laureate and Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, open the Commission to the public. The Archbishop spoke at the opening where he encouraged the Solomon people to embrace forgiveness and peace.

On Monday, Prime Minister, Derek Sikua, announced the Commission members which included three Solomon Islanders and two foreign members.

In 1997, ethnic conflict almost destroyed the Solomon Islands. Australia led a peacekeeping intervention in 2003, but tribal tensions have persisted. The Commission was formed to address these concerns.

The Commission hopes that through reconciliation methods, the country might move away from its troubled past and embrace sustainable peace.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Solomons Truth and Reconciliation Commission launched – 29 April 2009

BBC News – Solomons launches truth inquiry – 29 April 2009

The Australian – Solomon Islands gets Desmond Tutu truth help – 29 April 2009

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

PAP’ETE, French Polynesia– Tomorrow, a court in French Polynesia will hear a case lodged by eight former workers of French nuclear weapons testing sites in Mururoa and Fangataufa.

Moruroa e Tatou, the French Polynesian based association representing the workers, will represent the workers in the Pape’ete Court who will be judging the cases for the first time ever.  Of the eight former workers, three are alive and five will be represented by their widows.  The workers claim their illnesses are due to nuclear testing and are asking for financial compensation.

Moruroa e Tatou said justice should be swift because witnesses of the nuclear testing period in French Polynesia from 1966 to 1996 are now getting old.

Walter Zweifel reported, “The veterans association has described the court case to get compensation as historic and comes after last year’s admission by France that its tests in the South Pacific were not clean as it had previously claimed.  But after years of unsuccessful campaigning for recognition, there is continued mistrust among veterans.”

The group had asked for the proceedings to be filmed for increased transparency, but they were told there was not enough time to organize it.

French Polynesian President, Oscar Temaru’s party, has announced it will support the workers.

For more information, please see:
Pacific Islands Report – French Polynesian Nuke Victims Head to Court – 24 April 2009

Islands Business – Tahitian nuclear test veteran association getting ready for “historic case” – 27 April 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Nuke victims compensation case to be lodged in French Polynesia tomorrow – 27 April 2009

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

SUVA, Fiji – For the next month, the Fiji High Court will not hear any government cases says Fiji’s Solicitor General, Christopher Pryde.

Mr. Pryde says that, due to Presidential decree, certain cases can no longer be challenged in court.

“The existence of the decrees won’t be capable of being challenged in the courts, for example the first decree was the abrogation of the constitution and that can’t be challenged in court,” Mr. Pryde said.

On April 10th, Fiji’s President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, abrogated Fiji’s constitution and dismissed judicial members. There has been growing concern over the new court system’s independence.

Mr. Pryde, a New Zealand lawyer, lost his position after the abrogation of the Constitution. He has retaken the position of Solicitor General because he says it allows him to function more as a public servant and less as a politician.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – No government cases to go before Fiji High Court for another month – 26 April 2009

Fijilive – Fiji courts take shape today – 20 April 2009

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – The Pacific Islands News Association(PINA) has asked the Pacific Islands Forum to take a stand and demand that the Fiji military regime respect media freedom.

PINA has condemned the regime’s recent actions in censoring news produced by the regional news service, Pacnews.  Pacnews no longer carries any stories of the Fiji crisis.  They also want a strong regional stand on what they have called “the ongoing flagrant abuse of democratic rights in Fiji.”

PINA President, Joseph Ealedona, says the group is calling upon Fiji President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, to restore media freedom for the sake of the Fiji people. Mr. Ealedona says the people are reluctant to criticize the regime due to the military’s intimidation.  Mr. Ealedona wants the region to focus on the Fiji ban during May’s Media and Press Freedom day.

Mr. Ealedona has also said it is very important that the regional body stays in Fiji despite the censorship.

“I think it is very important that PINA remains there and does not show to the interim regime that we are running away.  The media in Fiji needs PINA there.  As far as the situation continues like that we will remain there,” Mr. Ealedona said.

Last week, PINA journalist Pita Ligaiula was detained overnight for unfavorable reports.  A source has also reported that PINA has received threatening phone calls.  For now, radio transmitters that broadcast international services remain switched off, access to internet cafes has been limited, and interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has hinted that censorship will continue.

For more information, please see:
Nine MSN – UN ‘utterly hypocritical’ over Fiji – 22 April 2009

Radio New Zealand International – PINA calls for strong stand against Fiji censorship – 24 April 2009

Radio New Zealand International – PINA chief says it is important to stay in Fiji despite pressure from regime – 24 April 2009

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

SUVA, Fiji – Amnesty International says Fiji’s military regime has threatened the lives of two lawyers, and will continue to commit other human rights abuses unless the government’s power is checked.

Amnesty researcher for the Pacific region, Apolosi Bose, performed a two week fact-finding mission in Fiji. Bose found that two judges were verbally threatened on their cell phones when they tried to go to work after the abrogation of Fiji’s Constitution on April 10th.

Bose says that people are too afraid to criticize the government since the President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, did away with the constitution, fired the judiciary, and censored the media.

“People received death threats on that day. There was a warning from people who were linked to the military or to the government, you know don’t do anything, we are now on a path for success and nothing you can do can will ever stop us,” Bose said.

Bose believes that, unless the military regime’s power is limited, further abuse will take place.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Amnesty International fears further abuses in Fiji – 22 April 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Amnesty fears for Fiji human rights as clampdown muzzles media – 22 April 2009