By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

MELBOURNE, Australia – Oxfam in Papua New Guinea has told the Sanitation and Water Conference being held in Melbourne that they are having trouble meeting the challenge of delivering adequate sanitation and water programs to remote communities in the Pacific region.  The conference was organized as part of the International Year of Sanitation and includes representatives from various United Nations agencies, aid agencies, and the World Bank.

It is reported at the conference that one in three people living in rural and remote communities do not have access to water hygiene and sanitation facilities.  Pauline Komolong, a water engineer for Oxfam, said “Some of the challenges are such things as the terrain where it’s impossible getting there; sometimes you walk across gushing rivers, climb mountains and when you are transporting materials sometimes it takes a long time because of all the logistics that are involved.”

World Vision estimated in 2004 that in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, 100 million people were living without safe water and 185 million were living without adequate sanitation.

For more information, please see:
Radio Australia – UN highlights the cost of lack of sanitation – 29 October 2008
Fiji Times Online – Water hygiene an issue – 29 October 2008
Islands Business – Struggle in Pacific to deliver water services – 29 October 2008

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SYDNEY, Australia – An additional 140 Australian reserve soldiers will be deployed to the Solomon Islands to join Operation ANODE, the Australian Defense Force, which is part of the larger Regional Assistance Mission Solomon Islands (RAMSI).  The soldiers will help maintain peace and stability in the Solomon Islands along with help the local government improve law and order according to the Australian federal government.

The soldiers are from South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia and will have a four-month deployment. During their deployment they will carry out street patrols with the Australian Federal Police. The soldiers will also be involved in a number of community outreach initiatives that are a part of RAMSI.

Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said, “Their contribution in Solomon Islands is made all the more exceptional by the fact that their civilian employers have released them to provide military service to a neighbor in need.”

Since 2006, the Australian Defense Force has deployed 5 Army Reserve Company groups adding up to more than 700 part-time soldiers.

RAMSI started on 24 July 2003 with a mandate unanimously approved by the Solomon Islands National Parliament “to help the Solomon Islands Government restore law and order, strenghten government institutions, reduce corruption, and re-invigorate the economy.”  Fifteen countries contribute personnel to the mission, including police officers, military, and civilians.

For more information, please see:

Solomon Star News – More Aussie troops heading for here – 27 October 2008

Islands Business – More troops deployed to Solomons – 27 October 2008

Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – In anticipation of Monday’s meeting, Fiji’s Interim Prime Minister has announced that if political leaders do not embrace his vision of change, he will not step down from power.

Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, meets today for the first time with representatives from 14 of Fiji’s political parties to discuss Fiji’s future. Bainimarama has warned that he will only entertain proposals from political leaders but will not tolerate the politics of Fiji’s past.

“They should come with proposals on the way forward, not demands! If they show politics of the past in their demands then Monday is not for them and neither will I hand over leadership,” Bainimarama said.

In 2006, the Interim Prime Minister led a military takeover of Fiji’s Federal Government. Earlier this month, the High Court in Fiji ruled that the 2006 coup was legitimate. Ousted Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, has challenged that decision, calling it a “miscarriage of justice.”

But the Interim Prime Minister insists that he knows what is best for Fiji. Bainimarama has announced that he will not abdicate power until he is certain that Fiji’s politicians have reformed from their old ways.

“I’m not going to give up leadership of the country until the political parties are ready to show good governance. Because that’s the gist of the PR I am receiving from some political parties. That is, they want to revert to the politics of the past after elections,” Bainimarama said today.

Meanwhile, Qarase’s Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua Party (SDL) is happy that Bainimarama wants to talk, but remains committed to pressing the issue of Democratic elections. Both SDL and Fiji’s Labor party have insisted that Bainimarama set a firm date for elections to replace the current military government.

But the Interim Prime Minister has clearly stated that now is not the time to discuss a date for the elections.

For more information, please see:
FijiLive – Change your politics or I stay: Fiji PM – 27 October 2008

Fiji Broadcasting Corp Ltd – Set a firm date for polls: Chaudhry – 27 October 2008

FijiVillage – Parties To Meet Interim PM Today – 27 October 2008

FijiVillage – NFP Confirms Participation in Political Dialogue – 27 October 2008

FijiLive – Fiji Leader’s Dialogue to determine future – 26 October 2008

Radio New Zealand International – Fiji interim regime urges cooperation now that coup has been declared legal – 09 October 2008

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – The Fiji Law Society (FLS) has announced they would like to be amicus curiae if ousted Prime Minister Lasenia Qarase appeals the recent High Court decision legalizing the 2006 coup that ousted him from office.

Dorsami Naidu, FLS president, thought the decision would “undermine the rule of law, weaken parliamentary democracy and parliamentary institutions rather than strengthen them.”nbsp; The decision was made in response to a panel held in Australia that expressed grave concern about the long-term ramifications of legalizing the coup.

Qarase has said his party hopes to file their appeal before the end of the month.  The party will also be looking for a new Queen’s Counsel because Nye Perram has been appointed judge to the Federal Courts of Australia.

Iliesa Duvuloco, Nationalist Tako Lavo party leader, claims the fight is not over yet and that he hopes justice will prevail.

For more information, please see:
The Fiji Times Online – FLS to join Qarase appeal – 26 October 2008