By Ryan L. Maness
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

SYDNEY, Australia — Fiji’s Interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has been consistent in the past months in his view that social and political reforms were needed before any democratic elections can take place.  This view was directly challenged this week as the Pacific Island Forum concluded talks with Fiji’s leaders and Stephen Smith, Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, said that there is no justification for any delay in Fiji’s people going to the polls next March.

According to Smith, Bainimarama has gone back on the promise election promise that he made to the Pacific Island Forum last year.  With ample time and a stable environment, there is no reason to postpone elections, Smith said.  “There is nothing that we have seen or heard which would stand in the way of that occurring, provided that there is the political will. The political will in the first instance, primarily if not exclusively from the interim government, but also the political dialogue which ensues between the political players in Fiji which we both encourage and welcome.”

For more information, please see:
Fiji Broadcasting Corporation Limited — Smith criticized delay in Fiji elections — 20 July 2008

Fiji Times — No justification for poll postponement: Smith — 20 July 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Forum ministers see no impediment to March elections in Fiji — 16 July 2008

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SUVA, Fiji –– The interim government of Fiji’s stance towards the media has sparked the ire of the country’s Media Council and particularly its chairman, Daryl Tarte.  Tarte is concerned about the perceived differences between what the Council was told by interim Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and what the interim government has actually done.  Addressing the Council, the interim AG said that existing media lalws would be consolidated into one piece of overarching legislation, but a day later the interim government announced that it would create a tribunal to hear appeals on grievances lodged with the Media Council.

The interim government defends its action, saying that there is nothing new in the consolidation of laws.  He also reiterated the government’s previously stated stance that, “We do not want to control the media or the content of the media by licensing it.”

Tarte, however, sees things differently.  He is upset by the fact that there are discrepencies between interim government’s words and their actions.  “At the media council meeting on Wednesday, the interim attorney general was invited to talk to council members about the Government’s-media relationship, and he cateorically stated the government did not intend introducing any form of legislation. The very next day it is announced that government are going to impose legislation.”  Fiji Times also reports that he has expressed his fear that, along with the hearing appeals, the tribunal would set codes of conduct and exact fines.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand News — Fears Fiji tribunal will undermine media — 19 July 2008

Fiji Daily Post News — Media council wants their views heard — 19 July 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji media council stunned by interim regime’s regulation — 18 July 2008

Fiji Times — State move on media shocks council head — 18 July 2008

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SUVA, Fiji — The a draft of the interim government’s much touted People’s Charter should be finished by the end of the month, says the National Council for Building a Better Fiji.  The chairman of the Council, John Samy, said that the time line for getting the the Charter out was accelerated so as not to interfere with  possible elections next year.

Along with the Charter Samy announced that a State of the Nation report would also be released as well as an economic report. During the announcement, which was delivered to an applauding crowd of the NCBBF, he said, “Not all provincial councils are against the idea of the Charter, in fact below the provincial council, at village and grassroot level, the response we are getting is broad based support.”

For more information, please see:
Fijilive — Draft People’s Charter to be out soon — 15 July 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Draft Fiji People’s Charter expected to be complete by end of this month — 14 July 2008

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga — The number two people’s representative in Tonga, who was charged with crimes relating to the November 2006 riots, has been cleared of those charges.

Tonga’s April elections had been the first since 2006, when the pro-democracy movement turned violent, causing the death of eight and destroying Tonga’s capital city, Nuku’alofa. The riots erupted after the Legislative Assembly of Tonga adjourned for the year without employing promised reforms. Five of the six newly elected candidates faced criminal charges for their alleged involvement in the riots.

Isi Pulu was the first of the people’s representatives to stand trial for his alleged involvement in the riots.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International — Tonga’s number two People’s Rep cleared on riot-related charges — 14 July 2008

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PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — The PNG government is under pressure for allegedly ignoring reports that a government minister took 40 million US dollars from logging deals.

Since 2002, a Senior Minister in the PNG government, who remains unnamed, allegedly took 2.1 per cent of each log exported out of the country. The Post Courier, a PNG newspaper, reported that the money was kept in two Singapore accounts and managed by a consortium.

Bart Philemon, PNG’s deputy opposition leader, believes the government has chosen to ignore the issue:

“The government has been reluctant to deal directly with a lot of these issues. Like any other issues that have come up, it would appear that the government takes a non-active involvement in trying to find out whether there’s substance to some of these allegations or not.”

A public petition is currently circulating which calls on the Prime Minister to make inquiries into the corruption allegations.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand — PNG govt under pressure to investigate corruption allegations — 14 July 2008

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PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — A senior minister in Papua New Guinea (PNG) told Parliament last week that the country has no clear plan to deal with refugees currently squatting in the country.

Foreign affairs, Immigrations, and Trade minister, Sam Abal, has announced the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is responsible for deciding whether refugees in PNG should be resettled. The question is whether the refugees prefer to remain in PNG or move to a third country.

Some refugees are uncertain as to whether, after 30 years of living in PNG, they have the same rights as Papua New Guineans, or whether they will only become permissive residents. Mr. Abel says that residents are subsequently confused about their status because of the government’s lack of a clear policy.

Mr. Abel maintains that all refugees currently squatting in Port Moresby have the right to apply for citizenship.

For more information, please see:
The National/ PacNews — No clear policy on West Papuans –Abal — 14 July 2008

By Ryan L. Maness
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — After declaring that it would maintain its travel ban against all members of Fiji’s interim government and their families, the government of New Zealand has granted an exception for the daughters of a Fiji naval officer so that they can visit their seriously ill brother.  Osea Namatalevu, son of Keveli Namatalevu of the Fiji Navy, is a New Zealand based rugby player who is studying in New Zealand and how is in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant to treat his Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Originally the government of New Zealand intended to hold firm to its commitment to its travel ban, despite the pleas of interim government to grant an exception.  Osea’s mother, Makarita Namatalevu, was dismayed at the New Zealand government’s position and worried that the delay in granting the visas could have an adverse effect on her son’s health.

The cost of Osea’s treatment is expected to reach upwards of $50,000, but Fiji’s interim government has announced that it will hold a fund raiser to assist the Namatalevu family with the costs.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International — New Zealand Government makes exception to Fiji travel ban — 11 July 2008

Radio New Zealand International — NZ upholds travel an despite Fiji plea for for help in medical case — 11 July 2008

Fiji Village — Grant Visas Please — 11 July 2008

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SUVA, Fiji — The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement have written letters to the Commonwealth Secretariat Special Envoy to Fiji calling for the final terms of reference for women to have a seat at the proposed political forum.  The letter was delivered to Sir Paul Reeves while he was in Fiji last week.

Virisila Buadromo, executive director of FWRM, has said that it is essential for women to play a role in peace negotiations and post conflict reconstruction in this time when Fiji is transitioning back to Parliamentary democracy.  She also said that, to date, she has been disappointed that she has not yet received a response to the letter.  “We were quite disappointed that despite us sending a letter last week while he was here, asking if he could include us in his meetings, while he was hear trying to formulate the terms of reference, we didn’t get any response from it at all. We think we should be part of the designing of that terms of reference as well as being part of that political forum.”

The forum is expected to convene next month.

For more information, please see:
Fiji Times — Include us, women say — 10 July 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji women’s organization wants a voice in forum — 09 July 2008

Fiji Times — Women’s organization writes to Sir Paul — 09 July 2008

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SUVA, Fiji —  As the investigation into the death threats made against Australian High Commissioner to Fiji James Batley continue, a spokesman for the Fiji Police has said that assistance from other countries may be necessary.  While this marks a change in course from previous statements that have come from his office, Mua has maintained that they “have enough manpower to continue with our investigation and providing security at the High Commission.”  Specifically Mua said that the police department did not the aid that Australia and New Zealand had offered.  “There are other countries where we can get the help from apart from these two countries, the ministry will look into these areas.”

The assistance that Mua has indicated his office may need is more technical.  He revealed this week that officers could not lift finger prints from two of the death threats that had been received (the other death threat was received via email).

While Mua has not wavered on his refusal to allow foreign officers into the investigation, his tone has changed in that last week with regard to the progress of the investigation.  Earlier the Fiji Police had announced that they had strong leads about who was responsible for the death threats, but now that optimism has dwindled.

For more information, please see:

Fiji Daily Post — ‘No Need’ — 10 July 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji Police say they may need overseas help to solve threats against diplomat — 08 July 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Australia prepared to offer assistance to Fiji police — 07 July 2008

Fiji Times — Overseas help for threat case: Police —  07 July 2008

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — Despite requests for resettlement, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has announced that there is no rush to remove the roughly 100 Papuan refugees currently squatting in Papua New Guinea’s capital.

The refugees have accused the UNHCR of neglecting the group’s needs. The UNHCR, meanwhile, has explained that Papua New Guinea has a plan for the refugees to remain in the country.

Within the last 9 months, the group has moved from different locations throughout Port Moresby. Currently the 100 are squatting in a Boroko public park. Richard Towle, a regional representative for UNHCR, explains that, similar to the 10,000 Papuan refugees currently residing in PNG, this relatively small group has little to complain about:

“But they have refugee status, they are safe. there’s absolutely no suggestion of forced return to Indonesia. We’re satisfied that the basic principles of international protection are being fully met here. Certainly there’s a sympathy that we have for a small group of people that can’t find a place to live. I think there are some solutions that need to be explored. We’re happy to work with government and with this group to try and find them in PNG.”

Meanwhile, local NGO activist,  Richard Brunton, has painted a different picture. According to Brunton, the elderly and children refugees are suffering the most due to poor living conditions among the camps:

“[F]or the past three or four days, real problems with sanitation and water. I’ve not seen one visit by UNHCR, Provincial Affairs, Foreign Affairs, even the Governor of the city, nobody’s been down here to check out their conditions or hear the concerns about their safety and not having a place to stay.”

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International — Papuan refugees in PNG don’t need resettlement, says UNHCR — 06 July 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Concern voiced for welfare of Papuan refugees in Port Moresby — 04 July 2008

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YAREN, Nauru — Controversial former President of Nauru, Rene Harris, has passed away at the age of 61. A state funeral was held shortly after his death.

President Harris had been an influential member of Nauru’s Parliament, having served for 31 years. He had also served as president for a total of 4 years between 1999 and 2004.

In particular, Mr. Harris was known for supporting the controversial “Pacific Solution.” As part of this “solution,” the Australian government had introduced a detainment center which soon employed roughly ten per cent of Nauru’s population. The program was aimed at keeping asylum seekers off Australian turf by detaining 1,637 refugees on nearby Nauru and Manus islands. The policy garnered global attention in 2001 when Aghan refugees were offloaded on Nauru, and in 2004, when several detainees went on a hunger strike and sewed their mouths shut to protest their incarceration.

Despite the Pacific Solution’s widespread criticism, Foreign Minister and member of Mr. Harris’s opposing party, Kieren Keke, remembered the former President as an influential and tough politician.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International — Former President of Nauru Rene Harris dies — 06 July 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Nauru’s former President remembered as strong willed but amicable person — 07 July 2008

Sydney Morning Herald — Nauru ‘Pacific Solution’ president dead — 06 July 2008

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SAIPAN, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands — A Guam man pled guilty to allegations that he was involved in the trafficking of women from Chuuk, Micronesia from April 2006 to January 14, 2008. The man is one of two men recently charged with criminal conspiracy related to human trafficking.

In total, nine women from Chuuk were brought to Guam to work at a place called the Blue House bar. In their pleas, Saknin Weira and Freuda Eseun admitted to recruiting, enticing, transporting, and getting women to perform sex acts for money, the Marianas Variety reported. In addition, the owner’s of Blue House bar, Song Ja Cha and Han Cha, will be charged with conspiracy, sex trafficking, coercion, and enticement to travel for the purpose of prostitution.

Weria and Eseun plead guilty to Chief Judge Francis Tydingco-Gatewood, from a U.S. District Court of Guam. The Marianas Variety had reported that one of the men who pled guilty is mentally challenged.

For more information, please see:
Marianas Variety — Second Bar Worker Pleads Guilty In Human Trafficking Case — 07 July 2008

By Ryan L. Maness
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji –Despite calls from the Pacific Island Forum not to do so, Fiji has suspended suspended talks with the Forum Joint Working Group.  After the suspension the Ministry of Information acting deputy secretary, Major Neumi Leweni, was unequivocal that talks had not been terminated, only that they were suspended for the moment.  The suspension arose after the government of New Zealand imposed a travel ban against businessman Robin Storck soon after his appointment as chief executive of Fijian Holdings Limited.  New Zealand has been categorical in imposing travel bans against anyone associated with the interim government; however, when pulling out of the Working Group, interim Prime Minister Bainimarama credited the “hypocritical” stance of New Zealand and Australia.

The other members of the working group have expressed their hope that the dialogue with Fiji will renew and a path to return Fiji to democracy will be charted.  The chairman of the group. Tonga’s Prime Minister Dr Feleti Sevele. has called on Bainimarama to return to the table for next month’s scheduled meeting, despite his absence from the meeting this past week.  Without Fiji’s presence in the working group, Sevele said, there isn’t much point for continuing to meet.  Sevele went on to say that, while he hoped Fiji would return, he was sure that they will have conditions for coming back.”

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said that the travel bans will not be relaxed from their current configuration.

For more information, please see:
Fijilive — Travel bans remain, NZ tells Fiji — 29 June 2008

Fijilive — Pacific Forum chair pushes Fiji to rejoin — 29 June 2008

Fiji Times — Remain engaged in dialogue, Fiji urged — 26 June 2008

Radio New Zealand International — New Zealand Foreign Minister hoping for re-engagement with Fiji regime next month — 26 June 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Chair of Pacific Forum says Fiji must be encouraged to return to dialogue — 26 June 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Uncertainty over Fiji/Forum meeting after Fiji boycott — 26 June 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji’s interim Prime Minister suspends talks with Forum Joint Working Group — 22 June 2008

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SUVA, Fiji — Daryl Tarte, the chairman of the Fiji Media Council, says that the media in Fiji is under severe threat of governmental regulation.  Speaking at the launch of the Media and Developement Book this week, Tarte said that statutory regulation would harm Fiji’s media and that it would be better to have the media regulate itself.  The Fiji Media Council recently met with the interim PM, but Tarte said that he is looking forward to another meeting.

Perhaps worrying to those who oppose governmental media regulation, on 22 June members of the Fiji police began investigating an interview done for Close Up program to determine whether or not inciteful comments were made by  Suva Lawyer Rajendra Chaudhry and Close Up Show Host, Anish Chand.  The Fiji Police said that they received credible information that the tape contained inciteful comments, but have not yet taken either Chaudhry or Chand in for questioning.  The tape containing the interview was not played prior to the police seizure, but neither has it been returned to the television station, despite requests that it be.

For more information, please see:
Fiji Times — Police keep tape — 27 June 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji Media Council says media independence threatened — 24 June 2008

Fiji Times — Media faces State wrath — 24 June 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji Media Council Chair says media faces threat of regulation — 23 June 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji police probe Fiji TV programme — 23 June 2008

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SUVA, Fiji — The Fiji Human Rights Commission created a report, which was leaked to the Sunday Star Times, which dealt with the recent deportations of newspaper publishers Evan Hannah and Russell Hunter.  According to the report, the deportation of the two men was not only appropriate, but actually long overdue.  In finding that none of Hannah or Hunter’s rights were breached, it went on to saw that both men, as well as New Zealand High Commissioner in Fiji Michael Green, were making persistent attacks on the administration of Justice in Fiji.  According to the report, although Green was made persona non grata in Fiji last year, he continues to interfere in Fiji’s internal affairs.

The New Zealand government has denied any attempts to infiltrate the Fijian government or to interfere with the administration of justice.

The report was commissioned after ousted opposition leader Mick Beddoes filed a complaint with the FHRC.

Opposition leaders in Fiji have condemned the findings in the report.  Beddoes told Radio Fiji that the substance of the report was in large part irrelevant to what he had originally asked about.  He also said, “I’m deeply concerned that someone who must administer matters concerning the rights of people in this country has such an obvious leaning toward a particular political party and to the government.”

For more information, please see:
Fiji Broadcasting Corporation Limited — Military looks into FHRC report — 25 June 2008

Fiji Times — Commission report irrelevant: Beddoes — 25 June 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Editor of Fiji Times expresses renewed concern over Human Rights Commission — 22 June 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji’s ousted opposition leader says report into deportation backs backs move of military regime — 22 June 2008

Fijilive — NZ diplomat interfering in Govt, Fiji claims — 22 june 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji’s Human Rights Commission claims interim regime right to deport publishers — 20 June 2008