D-Day for Viti Lomani in Vanuatu

Eureka! Makubuna’s…Isa!!! I read this today and was moved to post this up as a Bu Josi “take” for today.

This is from an Intelligentsiya source who, understandably, was unable to get this Open Letter published.

Let’s continue to peacefully advocate for our civil liberties. If you are in support of this letter, use your e-networks to communicate your wishes to our Pacific Island Forum Leaders.

Butuka Ragone!

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Open Letter to Pacific Forum Foreign Ministers

We are a group of deeply concerned Fijians, all of whom are influential in various spheres in Fiji, including government. We write to you both in our various capacities and as citizens who love their country.

Our main concern goes beyond the illegality of the coup by Commodore Bainimarama on 5 December 2006. It centres on the widespread incidence of serious human rights abuses that have been recorded since the coup. Our feeling of helplessness in the face of the more grotesque violations is made all the worse by the fact that we have no reason to believe what Commodore Bainimarama is planning, or is able to guarantee rights will be protected for as long as his regime is allowed to continue.

Indeed, the strongest documented evidence of the immorality of Commodore Bainimarama's actions can be found in the stark contrast between the falseness of his rhetoric and the all too grim reality of what is happening each day in Fiji.

The military can pull anyone off the streets for interrogation, even including some forms of torture, without good reason. Already two people have died under military interrogation. It is government by threat and fear. The RFMF continually threaten ordinary law-abiding citizens with physical harm if they even dare to criticise the new regime. This is not the Fijian way. It is not the Melanesian way. It is not the Pacific way.

Thank You Tumas therefore Melanesian Wantoks for your firm stand on Fiji.

We write therefore to urge all Pacific Forum Foreign Ministers to do their part to help Fiji restore the rule of democracy, to restore the basic human rights that Fijians enjoyed prior to December 5, and to seek the implementation of the full range of recommendations of the Eminent Persons Group. We do so in the expectation that Pacific Forum Foreign Ministers share our concern for the future of Fiji and for the credibility of the Forum's constituent members and their respective democratically elected governments.

We are encouraged by the stand taken to date by Forum members. We urge foreign ministers meeting in Port Vila to speak out in the name of democracy, in the name of human rights. We ask you to remember your responsibility as regional leaders, not just for the future of Fiji, but also for the future of the region itself.

We also take encouragement from the timely way in which the Forum has gone about addressing this most important of issues. But we should point out that there is no time to spare. It has taken only three months for the rule of law and proper judicial process in Fiji to be comprehensively compromised.

Honourable Leaders, on first December 2006, in your outcome statement from your meeting in Sydney you expressed your "profound concern" about the statements of Commodore Bainimarama. As you have seen, his actions are cause for even greater concern.

We place our trust in you to help our beautiful country and her people. Our eyes, and the eyes of the world, are upon you. Please do not let us down.

We sincerely apologize that, in the circumstances detailed above, we are unable at the time to list our names.