By Max Bartels 

Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania 

 

Canberra, Australia 

In response to a formal request from the United States for specific Australian Defense Force (ADF) capabilities, Australia has committed to send 600 ADF personnel to the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E) to contribute to the U.S airstrikes agent Islamic State militants (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. 400 of the 600 ADF personnel come from the Royal Australian Air force including up to eight F/A 18 Hornet combat aircraft as well as 200 military personnel, including Special Forces.

The Prime Minister of Australia, Tony Abbott was careful to state that Australia is not deploying troops for combat but instead contributing to an international effort to prevent a humanitarian crisis. Tony Abbott also said that Australia is prepared to engage in international operations to disrupt and degrade ISIS, calling ISIS a “murderous death cult”.  Abbott further stated that Obama gave him the impression that these operations would be a lengthy mission.

There is a great deal of opposition to this deployment in Australia, namely form the Green Party. The Green party leader has said that this deployment is subjecting young Australian to the dangers of an American war in Iraq and that Australia should not be involved. Others in Australia are worried that the deployment has the potential to over extend the ADF. Former ADF officer Dr. Blaxland from the Australian National University stated that a 600 troop deployment requires an 1,800 troop rotation and while that doesn’t sound like that many it raises questions about the ADF’s ability to raise, train and sustain this number of forces abroad for an indefinite amount of time.

Prime Minister Abbott stated that a final decision of whether to commit to combat operations has yet to be made.  In that wake of yet another beheading by ISIS there is significant public support in Australia for involvement in the conflict. Abbott linked the ISIS threat in Iraq and Syria to the domestic threat in Australia, stating that an estimated 60 Australian citizens had gone abroad to Syria and Iraq to fight for ISIS. Abbott made it clear in his statements about the decision to deploy troops, that if left unchecked ISIS would continue to destabilize the Middle East and possibly spread beyond the Middle East to areas where a greater threat will be posed to Australians.

For more information, please see:

ABC News — Islamic State: Australian Military Stretched With Deployment to International Fight Against IS Militants, Experts Say — 14 September 2014

The Guardian — Abbott: Australia to Send Military Force to Fight ISIS “Death Cult” — 13 September 2014

NBC News — Australia Commits Military Forces to Fight ISIS — 13 September 2014

The Independent — Tony Abbott Brands ISIS a “Death Cult” and Says Australia Will Send Military Force to Fight Extremists — 14 September 2014

 

By Max Bartels

Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania 

 

Apia, Samoa 

This week the U.N held the Third Annual Conference on Small Developing States in Apia, Samoa. This year the conference focused on the development of small island nations mainly in Pacific but also in the Caribbean and the Atlantic. The conference was centered on the many challenges faced by developing island nations such as food security and scarcity, safeguarding and harnessing aquatic resources, climate change and environmental degradation.

The conference represents a renewed political effort to confront the problem faced by these island nations. By the end of the conference $1.9 Billion had been pledged to sustainable development projects for island nations across the world. These partnerships are between governments, businesses and U.N entities. The projects they have agreed on range from sustainable development, climate change to risk management.

The nations across Oceania showed overwhelming support for the results of the conference. The Samoan President has been vocal about the need for action on many of the issues that plague island nations, the conference was an important step toward real action, especially in the area of climate change. Island nations face the brunt of the damage related to climate change, Samoa is one of them, suffering from an earthquake and a tsunami in 2009.  Samoa and other island nations face rising sea levels that cut down on square mileage and cause overcrowding and food scarcity.

Many of these Island nations opportunities for renewable energy development but most are entirely dependent of fossil fuel imports. Climate change and its effects was certainly a focus of the conference. The U.N Secretary- General has outlined a goal for nations to be achieving sustainable energy by 2030; he stated that all that is needed is corporate stakeholders to support these initiatives.

A corporation called FAO is one of these stakeholders and has invested $40 million dollars to initiatives in island nations. Its flagship initiative is called Global Blue Growth and focuses on the fishing industry, which contributes up to 10% of the GDP in Pacific island nations. The initiative focuses on industrial as well as small- scale family fisheries to increase the production and wealth of this important part of an island nations economy. The fishing industry will only become more important as these islands continue to slip into the ocean, there will be less room for land based agriculture. According to the U.N and many island nations the conference was a success. The U.N now looks toward the Climate Change Summit later this month in New York to continue the progress made in Samoa.

For more information, please see:

U.N News Centre — Conference Leaves “Legacy with Impact” — 4 September, 2014

Thomson Reuters — UN Conference on Small Island Developing States Opens in Samoa — 1 September, 2014

U.N News Centre — Small Island Developing States can Lead Transition to “Green Energy” — 1 September, 2014

U.N News Centre — Samoa: Urging Sustainable Action, UN Officials Link Small Islands to Global Issues at Conference Opening — 31 August, 2014

 

 

By Max Bartels

Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania 

 

Suva, Fiji 

Fiji is set to have their first democratic election since the military coup of 2006 and many are nervous that the elections will change nothing. Military leader Frank Bainimarama seized power in 2006 and has been the nation’s dictator ever since, he has now stepped down from that role and runs as a candidate in the presidential elections taking place next month. There are mixed feelings about Bainimarama’s time in power, many Fijians praise his efforts to improve the standard of living for the islanders others found his style of rule oppressive. There have been many reports of human rights abuses under Bainimarama’s watch that is why Fiji has asked for outside help to observe the elections and ensure that there is no corruption involved and the will of the people is effectively implemented.

Australia has been invited by the interim Fijian government to co-lead the Multinational Observation Group (MOG) along  Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and India. Many other nations have also been invited and are in the process of sending observers including Israel, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Iran and the U.K. Canada and the U.S have also been invited to send observers and have expressed interest in doing so. Australia is especially excited to participate in the election according to Peter Reith, the appointed head of the observational group, Australian are keen to repair relations with Fiji since the 2006 coup.

The observation group is said to be given complete freedom of movement across Fiji and complete access to deal with the Fijian Government, political parties and organizations. Two reports will be issued as a result of the operation, one will be issued immediately after the election, the other will be released within two months of the election. The first is focused on whether the election was effective and allowed the Fijian people to represent their will. The second will contain recommendations as to how the Fijian Government can be more effective in implementing elections in the future. The point of both is to provide confidence in the results not just for the Fijian people but for the international community as well.

Bainimarama stated recently during a campaign trip to New Zealand that he will accept the results if the election goes against him. He swore to upheld the newly created constitution that protects Fiji from another military coup. The MOG is already on the ground in Fiji observing the political parties, candidates and preparations for the elections.

For more information, please see:

The Fiji Times — Watch and Improve — 27 August, 2014

ABC News — Elections: Australia to Co-Lead Multinational Observation Group with Indonesia, India and PNG — 15 August 2014 

ABC News — Interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama Pledges to Accept Election Results During NZ Visit — 11 August 2014

ABC News — Fiji Leader Frank Bainimarama Greeted by Protesters Outside Sydney Election Rally — 23 August 2014

 

 

By Max Bartels

Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

 

Suva, Fiji

To add to the mounting domestic struggles in the island nation of Fiji in the wake of elections and government repression, a YouTube video has surfaced claimed to be showing a Fijian fishing crew being gunned down just outside Fijian waters as they clung to their submerged craft. Fijian police have yet to identify the victims in the video, confirm that they are indeed Fijian citizens or that it actually occurred in the South Pacific. The amateur video shows the assailants on another boat laughing and taking selfies in the wake of the killings. The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that the vessel the assailants were on has been identified as a Taiwanese tuna fishing vessel. The vessel in question has had its  Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) turned off for the past three months and has not been located since. The Taiwanese fishing boat is reported to have been licensed to fish for tuna in the waters around Southern Australia and New Zealand last year.

A Fijian college student originally uploaded the video to YouTube. Police say that the student found a mobile phone left inside a taxi that contained the video. The Fijian authorities have asked for help from Interpol to further the investigation.

The Fiji Tuna Boat Owners Association President, Mr. Southwick has stated that he believes the video actually originates from the coast of Somalia. It has been recorded that Taiwanese tuna crews have been making record catches of tuna off the coast of Somalia in recent years and have been risking the pirate infested waters ever since. It is Mr. Southwick’s contention that the incident shown in the video is actually a well-known event that occurred off the coast of Somalia. Somali pirates attempted to board a tuna boat but were shot by armed guards on the boat.

There is no evidence linking the video to Fiji or any evidence to reveal the victims in the video or indeed whether they are the victims in the situation at all. Even though the fishing boat had been previously licensed in the south pacific it is not uncommon for the boat to move to different waters. However, Southwick went on to say that he is aware that violence often erupts in pacific waters. The completion for tuna has grown quickly in recent years as tuna has become rare and where large amounts of money are at stake there is always a possibility for foul play.

For more information, please see:

ABC News Australia — Men Shot at Sea: Fiji Police Told Gruesome Video Showing Men Being Shot at Sea Originated in Somalia — 19 August 2014

The Guardian — “Fijian Fisherman Being Shot” Video Posted on YouTube — 19 August 2014

The Sydney Morning Herald — Fiji Police Investigate High- SeasShooting Video — 19 August 2014

The Daily Mail — Shot at Sea: Shocking Video Posted on YouTube Appears to Show Fisherman “Murdered” in Fiji — 19 August 2014