SUVA, Fiji — When interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama came to a power a year ago, he said that his coup was intended to restore the rule of law to Fiji and to eliminate racist corruption from the government.  A major part of his plan has been the drafting and implementation of People’s Charter for Change and Progress.  Bainimarama has stated that this document is intended to be the safeguard of all that his interim government has worked for.  The question remained, however, of who would safe guard the the People’s Charter.  Curiosity was put to rest, however, when Bainimarama told a group of reporters that the military would ensure that the People’s Charter was still enforced, even if a new party came to power in a future election.

While Bainimarama did not elaborate on what he meant by his remarks, Colonel Mohammed Aziz, a military spokesman, supported the interim Prime Minister’s remarks.  He indicated the military’s involvement with law and order means that the military will always have a role to play in government.  While he acknowledged that the exact language of the People’s Charter was still being worked on, he did say that the Charter stood for good governance, reconciliation and harmony among the races.  If anyone steps out of line with these principles, the military will be there to step in.

Deposed Prime MInister Qarase has said that if his SDL party returns to power, his government will not abide by the People’s Charter, because it was created by an unconstitutional government.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji’s interim prime minister says military will be guardian of People’s Charter — 05 December 2007

Fiji Times Online — Military has role to play in State — 05 December 2007

Marians Variety — Fiji interim PM: Military guardian of People’s Charter — 07 December 2008

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga – Six men and one woman were found guilty on charges related to the riots of November 16th of last year.  The pro-democracy rioting destroyed much of the Nuku’alofa business district and resulted in eight deaths, and is responsible for the current state of emergency.  Three of those convicted told the jury that they were involved with the pro-democracy movement at the time of the riots.

Last month, a group of six people charged with riot-related offenses were found not guilty by a jury.

The six men were convicted on seventeen counts on Wednesday, including riotous assembly, housebreaking, and the damaging of government and private property.  The Treasury, Parliament House, Magistrate Court, and Supreme Court were among the government properties damaged in the riot.

Taufa Tafolo, the sole woman in the group, was convicted on a single charge of attending a riotous meeting.

The court will reconvene on 08 February for sentencing.

Five pro-reform legislators have been charged with sedition for allegedly having a role in the riots, but their trial is not expected until next year.

For more information, please see:

Matangi Tonga – Guilty verdict in second 16/11 group trial – 05 December 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Jury finds 6 people guilty over last November’s riots in Tonga – 05 December 2007

Radio New Zealand News – Group convicted of 17 charges over Tonga riot – 06 December 2007

Sydney Morning Herald – Seven found guilty over Tonga riots – 06 December 2007

Herald Sun – Seven convicted over deadly Tonga riot – 06 December 2007

Islands Business – Group convicted of 17 charges over Nuku’alofa riot – 07 December 2007

TIMIKA, Papua – On December 1st, several Papuans raised the Morning Star flag.  The flag and the date mark the anniversary of the West Papuan Declaration of Independence from Dutch rule in 1961.  Indonesia currently controls West Papua, and has declared the flag illegal.  [Indonesia won control of Papua from the Dutch in 1969 in a referendum that is now widely seen as a sham.]

On 01 December 2004, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were arrested for organizing a peaceful commemoration of the date and are currently serving fifteen year and ten year sentences in prison.

This year, twenty to thirty people were initially arrested, but most were released the following day.  Three of the remaining prisoners are members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) and are charged with raising the Morning Star flag.  Two or three of the others are alleged to be held on weapons charges, depending on the report.

Indonesian police confiscated the flag and the tree trunk that was used as a flag pole.

For more information, please see:

AHN – Indonesia Bans Hoisting Separatist Flag in Papua – 28 November 2007

Scoop (Indonesia Human Rights Committee) – West Papua flag to mark Independence Day – 29 November 2007

Antara – Morning Star flag raised in Timika, Papua – 01 December 2007

Antara – 25 Papuans grilled over hoisting of ‘Morning Star’ flag – 02 December 2007

The Jakarta Post – 25 Papuans questioned over independence flag – 02 December 2007

Radio Australia – Arrests in Indonesia’s Papua as flag is raised – 02 December 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Arrests in Indonesian province of Papua after raising of independence flag – 02 December 2007

AFP – Police free 14 in Papua after independence event – 03 December 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Six Papuan flag-raisers still under arrest in Mimika District – 05 December 2007

By Sarah C. LaBelle
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

The opposition in the Solomon Islands has alleged that they have the numbers to rule for the past three weeks.  Meanwhile, the government claims that this is untrue.  The Governor General has stepped in and set December 13th as the date for parliament to meet to settle the issue. Currently, the sides appear to be tied at 24 members each. For more background information, please see theImpunity Watch posts on the early stages of the numbers dispute here andhere.

HONIARA, Solomon Islands — As December 13th approaches, heated arguments are springing up between MPs and a variety of lawsuits have been filed related to the dispute over who has the numbers to lead.

Julian Moti, the controversial attorney general of the Solomon Islands, filed a suit against Governor General Sir Nathaniel Waena and others, challenging the constitutionality of his intervention in the political mess.  Moti said that there wasn’t anything unusual about naming the governor general as defendant in a suit, and said that there is a history in the Solomons of prime ministers suing governor generals.  He also named Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Independent Members as defendants, stating that since they had a stake in the outcome of the case, they deserved to be heard.

Criminal charges of misconduct in office and conspiracy were dropped against opposition leader Fred Fono today in magistrate court.  The charges were dismissed on the grounds that the prosecution abused the court process by attempting to incorrectly get the case referred to the High Court rather than the Leadership Code Commission.

The opposition group, now calling itself the “Coalition for National Unity and Rural Advancement” (CNURA), recently dropped a claim against current Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of misconduct, which turns out to have been based on fraudulent information.  An unnamed government spokesman said that the accusation was a deliberate attempt to discredit the government, and called it a “smear campaign”.

MP Sam Iduri, one of the nine original defectors, has been called on by his community leaders to rejoin the government because they feel that his defection may lead to development projects being canceled in their community.

East Honiara MP Charles Dausabea accused RAMSI of wanting to topple Sogavare’s government, based on information from “reliable sources”, and said that RAMSI needs to stay out of politics.  Fono denied that his group is supported by RAMSI, and told the Solomon Star that “Dausabea needs to justify where he gets his statements from … RAMSI is totally neutral and I don’t know where Dausabea gets his facts from but he needs to check again.”

CNURA has said the the Grand Coalition for Change (GCC), the current government, has not successfully implemented its “Bottom-Up Approach” (BUA) development policy.  CNURA claims that Sogavare spent money that should have gone to BUA on defending and protecting Moti, and stated that CNURA is committed to making the development policy work.  Sogavare responded to these claims by saying that they demonstrated CNURA’s desperation and claims that the policy would take a long time to implement successfully.  He also said that the programme should not be discontinued even if a future government does not like it; the hypothetical future government should realign the programmes instead.

CNURA also criticized government attempts to stop the printing of the gazette on the proclamation of the date the governor general declared for parliament to meet.  These attempts failed because by the time members of the prime minister’s office arrived at the printers’ office, the gazette had already been delivered to Government House and distributed among the MPs.  Of the attempts, Fono said, “They are sure signs of a desperate group that wants to cling onto power despite losing its majority support in parliament.”

Fono also alleges that opposition MPs are being threatened and that government officials are behind the threats.  An unnamed government official spoke with the Solomon Star and categorically denied the allegation.  Fono claims that the MPs are being harassed by groups of people showing up at the Honiara Hotel, where the defected ministers are staying since their government housing has been revoked.  Government caucus chairman Nelson Ne’e said that the opposition members were “locked away like prisoners” in the hotel, a claim Fono disputes.

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand International – Solomons govt caucus whip accuses opposition of keeping MPs prisoner – 29 November 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Calls for MP in Solomon Islands to rejoin government – 03 December 2007

Solomon Times – Opposition Group Vows New Beginning for Nation – 03 December 2007

Solomon Times – New Government to Enhance Solomons Security, Law and Order: Huni’ehu – 03 December 2007

Solomon Times – Opposition’s CNURA Pledges to Make BUA Work – 04 December 2007

Solomon Times – BUA – The Way Forward for SI: Prime Minister Sogavare – 04 December 2007

Solomon Times – CNURA Pledge to Address Economic Recovery and Financial Management – 04 December 2007

Solomon Star – Opposition blasts government – 04 December 2007

Solomon Star – Moti explains law suit – 04 December 2007

Solomon Star – Opposition drops claim about PM – 04 December 2007

Solomon Star – Opposition MPs being threatened, says Fono – 04 December 2007

Solomon Star – RAMSI stay out of politics: Dausabea – 04 December 2007

Islands Business – Opposition parties formalise coalition – 04 December 2007

Islands Business – Court dismisses charges against Opposition leader – 04 December 2007

Radio Australia – Solomon Is. Opposition releases policy details – 05 December 2007

KONO, Bougainville – Bougainville is an autonomous province in Papua New Guinea, and it experienced civil war during its fight for independence from PNG.  Jacob Naisi, deputy commander of the Bougainville Resistance Force (BRF), was shot dead at close range last Sunday afternoon in his village while walking home from the bakery with his two neices.  It is believed that the shooters are the same group who commandeered a UN vehicle in the area last week.

Naisi, who was instrumental in the peace process, died as he was being rushed to the village.  Donald Hamau, regional chairman for the BRF, said that Naisi’s death highlights the need for the Bougainville government to address lingering reconciliation and weapons disposal issues.

Bougainville president Joseph Kabui  said that it was likely that Naisi was killed by Me’ekamui rebels to derail the peace process.  He said, “It is the one spot in Bougainville that is still — there are tensions so on and so forth, still suspicions, still haunting the area.”

For more information, please see:

The National – BRF leader shot dead – 28 November 2007

Radio Australia – Bougainville President pays tribute to dead resistance fighter – 28 November 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Bougainville killing in Kono recalls former tensions – 28 November 2007