FHRC director Dr Shaista Shameem admiringly described how she received a “comprehensive” report from interim Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum on the allegations against the RFMF, since its Christmas Coup.
Dr Shameem said this will now allow the FHRC to investigate the allegations which will include responses from the complainant.
“As far as we are concerned, they are satisfactory responses,” says Dr Shameem, then hastens to add, “Not satisfactory necessarily (that) there are no violations, but satisfactory from our perspective that we have substantive responses and allegations (are) found to have substance.”
This statement appears to be the first substantive response to the military violations and the first time Dr Shameem admits abuses did occur.
Fijivillage points out: “Dr Shameem stresses that the FHRC is an independent body under the constitution and will continue to process all complaints through the normal procedures.”
Musharaf’s a copycat, or is it the other way around?
But now we hear of accusations that Musharraf copied his Fijian counterpart Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama when he sacked that country’s Chief Justice.
Fijilive reports that a Pakistani opposition party – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – says Musharraf was copying Bainimarama’s example when he suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
“The manner in which General Musharraf tried to conquer Supreme Court is most shameful,” said PML-N’s Secretary of Information Ahsan Iqbal in a statement.
“General Musharraf took the cue of his unconstitutional action from a fellow military dictator Voreqe Bainimarama of
Thanks to Fijilive for posting this gem.
Polls begin of voice of the people
Despite threats from the interim government that any form of industrial action would be illegal under the state of emergency, several public sector unions have begun balloting for a strike mandate.
The Fiji Public Service Association and the Fiji Teachers Union are expected to reveal the results of the ballot on whether to strike against the 5 percent civil service pay cut.
The
Interim Labour Minister Bernadette Ganilau said they cannot do anything about a pending nationwide strike because an official warning of a strike had yet to be received by the ministry, Fijivillage reports.
The unions are not backing down on their threats to strike.
“We know the military will step in if we go on strike. We are only afraid of God,” Pita Delana, Public Employees Union general secretary told Fijilive.
And speaking of the state of emergency, its extension by a month last week passed by with hardly a mention in the media.
Fijilive reported only this week that the President had extended the Emergency Decree until early April. The extension was published in the state’s Extraordinary Gazette last week.
There’s hardly any fanfare now when the military quietly extends the provisions of the emergency month by month.
What’s the rush?
Fiji TV reported tonight the military says it won’t be rushed in its investigation into the death of 19-year-old Nadi youth Sakiusa Rabaka.
Army mouthpiece Major Neumi Leweni said a board of inquiry had convened “way before” the death of Rabaka. Rabaka underwent surgery after being assaulted in military custody in late January.
“Just because someone says that an investigation has to be taken, (doesn’t mean) we have to jump,” Leweni told 1 National News.
Before we end...
Here's a food for thought from the Fiji Daily Post about the development of online media as way of free expression for Fiji's citizens.
5 comments:
I think the strike is a good start and people should rally behind them…
yes - what can they do against thousands of people refusing to do what they say
I suggest to the private sector to not to pay any company taxes whatsoever, and it will cripple the economy to the extent that they will give up.
The key is to cripple the intake of cash into the govt. coffers:
Steps - All private sector companies refuse to pay any tax for 1 week or 2 weeks tops and the illegal govt is forced to call fresh elections immediately.
I agree with the US government in stating that the time is not "3 years from now, 2 years from now or 6 months from now, BUT NOW!
The longer this IG keeps the elections away, the more suffering for the ordinary citizen!
AG called the Police investigating team into Rabaka's death and asked them to drop the case... apparently it was an order right from the top...ummmmm.
Hi there, to start off, I propose a tools down week for everyone that contributes to Govt coffers.
From the Private sector to the Public sector let's stop whatever we normally do that Govt gets rewarded for,
because they are trying to justify their existance by forcing us with unlawfull paycuts etc.
Now that they are checking incoming goods at all port of entry, what is then the work of FIRCA ?
I call upon the staff of FIRCA to work out of their work, and let see if they(Bainivore's) are capable of handling Customs work in collecting revenue.Even their charges to inspect container's is to high, who needs them anyway to do inpection at all port of entry(Force taki mai).
Let's unite and fight injustice in a peacefull manner by staging workout in every work place.
(Peacefull resistance) Let's gain international attention, and they will face international ban should they wish to use their illegal tactics.
They (Bainivore's) are in total about 3000 Fiji wide, where's we are more than 500 000 in numbers.We are to assemble and show support to each other by rallying behind our Union's.
They can't beat us all, but we can defeat them through peacefull demonstration to gain international attention. If they contravene International conventions, then they(Bainivore's) will face the full brunt of International ban , only then they will buck if under pressured from outside powerfull force e.g. US,EU,UN,UK.
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