By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – A United Nations and Commonwealth Joint Technical Team arrives in Fiji today to begin a fact-finding mission of the political situation.

The UN and Commonwealth has decided to act together after receiving a request to mediate an “inclusive, independent and time-bound political dialogue process.” The team consists of Mari Yamashita and Alex Grzybowski from the United Nations and Juliet Solomon and Sabhita Raju from the Commonwealth.

As part of its agenda, the Team will meet with members of Fiji’s interim Government as well as key stakeholders.

The goal of the fact-finding mission is to facilitate Fiji’s return to democratic rule through elections. Meanwhile, Fiji’s Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has been unwilling to relinquish power or set a date for those elections.

In 2006, Bainimarama led the bloodless coup of Fiji’s Federal government. Since then, he has promised to restore stability and democracy, but has yet to step down as Interim Prime Minister.

Ousted Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, says he looks forward to meeting with representatives from the UN and Commonwealth.

According to the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Fiji, the Technical Team will remain in Fiji until Saturday the 14th.

For more information, please see:
Fiji Times – UN, Commonwealth to follow up on technical missions – 09 February 2009

Radio New Zealand International – United Nations and Commonwealth joint technical team in Fiji – 08 February 2009

Fiji Times – UN to gather data on Fiji – 08 February 2009

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

PAPEETE, Tahiti – A no confidence motion was filed this week and signed by fifteen French Polynesia Assembly representatives from three political groups.  The groups are trying to put an end to five years of chronic instability, citing the chronic political instability that has had a severe impact on the local economy, political behaviors from the past, and the wish to form a majority exempt from political division.

The motion names pro-Tahiti independence leader Oscar Temaru as candidate to replace Gaston Tong Sang as Tahiti’s president.  The assembly will vote next week on the motion, which would topple the nine-month-old Tong Sang government.  It would also mark the fourth government under Temaru’s power since 2004 and become the eighth government Tahiti has had over the past five years.

The motion is the work of Temaru’s Union for Democracy coalition, Gaston Flosse’s pro-France, pro-Tahiti autonomy Tahoera’a Huiraatira party, and Jean-Christophe Bouissou’s pro-France, pro-Tahiti autonomy Rautahi party.  The three leaders claim to represent 31 of the assembly’s 57 seats, or a three-vote majority.  The 31 seats would give Temaru the biggest majority of any of the eight governments since 2004.

The no confidence motion ended more than two months of speculation, political maneuvering, and political summits involving Tahiti’s four key political leaders.

For more information, please see:
Tahiti Presse – Tong Sang claims Temaru’s only interest is “to block Flosse” – 05 February 2009

Pacific Islands Report – Another No Confidence Motion Filed in Tahiti – 06 February 2009

Fiji Times – Polynesia Vote – 07 February 2009

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

PORT VILA, Vanuatu – The Vanuatu Women’s centre has reported that sex crimes accounted for an astonishing 64 percent of last year’s 380 Supreme Court cases in Port Vila.

Ms. Merilyn Tahi, coordinator for the Women’s centre, says these horrifying statistics should prompt the government to recognize the seriousness of the situation and take action to prevent crimes against women. In addition, Tahi argues that the statistics represent the unacceptable attitude toward women in Vanuatu.

“We say, the bottom line is that men have to take women as equal partners have more respect for women and recognise as both human beings. Otherwise our country will just see a more increase of violence and sexual violence on women,” Tahi said.

Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek says that the Port Vila figures are representative of the increase of sex crimes throughout the country. Drug crime accounted for 18 percent, but was a distant second to the number of sex crimes.

The Women’s centre asserts that these startling figures support their stance that violence against women is on the rise, and that the government must recognize this distressing trend.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Vanuatu women’s group appalled at sex crime figures – 04 February 2009

TVNZ – Sex crimes top court cases in Vanuatu – 04 February 2009

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Tuilaepa Sailele Malilelegaoi, Samoan Prime Minister, has said Fiji must get rid of their armed forces to have peace.  Tuilaepa said he thinks Fiji’s future is uncertain and even if the country holds elections there is no reason why a civilian government could not be toppled.

Tuilaepa just returned from Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea where Pacific leaders were to discuss Fiji’s return to a civilian government.  He said, “If Bainimarama goes and there is a return to civilian government I feel there will be many other Bainimarama’s who may come forward in the future.”  The Samoan PM continued, “This is because it is very easy to pick up a gun and wave it at people.”

Tuilaepa explained Pacific nations wanted Fiji to hold elections because it is a condition for membership in the Pacific Forum that governments are democratically elected.  He mentioned that Bainimarama has accounced it could take up to ten years before elections can be held in Fiji.  He thinks this is negligent of Bainimarama as the leader of Fiji.  He then described Bainimarama as inexperienced in international relations, unused to governing a country, and only wanting praise.

Suspension from the Forum was discussed in Port Moresby and in a unanimous decision Fiji was given until May 1 to come up with an election date this year.  Failure to meet the deadline will result in suspension.

For more information, please see:
Islands Business – Fiji strongman losing Pacific goodwill – 30 January 2009

Samoa Observer – No peace in Fiji with army: PM – 01 February 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Samoa PM says no peace in Fiji unless military goes – 03 February 2009

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

JAYAPURA, Papua – A human rights group is speaking out after Indonesian police beat and shot at a crowd of demonstrators earlier this week.

Papuan demonstrators held an overnight vigil outside a local elections office in Nabire to protest the government’s delay in holding elections that had been scheduled for last October.

Paula Makabori, a representative from the human right’s group ELSHAM, says the demonstrators were threatening to boycott this year’s legislative and presidential elections if the government did not explain the delay.

Makabori also claims that police attacked the protestors in their sleep.

“And this brutal attack and gunshots against the people resulted in some people suffering of bruises and open wounds, and five people suffering from serious bullet wounds. So the victims have been hiding because they think that the police will go there and then take them out,” Makabori said.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, police shot into a crowd of nearly 300 angry protestors in Timika, seriously injuring four. The hostility began as a demonstration against police brutality and, specifically, the death of one Timika resident, Simor Fader, who was shot by police.

Local police commander, Jasim Hoda, says “a number” of protestors will be questioned in this matter.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Protestors in Papua say police beat them – 30 January 2009

Jakarta Globe – 4 Wounded as Officers Open Fire on Antipolice Protesters in Papua – 28 January 2009

AFP – Indonesian police open fire on Papuan protesters: witnesses – 27 Janurary 2009

Reuters – Police fire on crowd in Indonesia’s Papua, 3 hurt – 27 January 2009