EU extends Sanctions

No wonder the Fiji Sugar Corporation aided by the military regime are bracing themselves for some major and difficult and EXPENSIVE decisions.

Even seasoned media personality Mahendra Chaudhry's Fiji Labour Party is pussy-footingly reverting to web updates to make their concerns known.

As we predicted earlier, the EU is definitely not dancing to Bainimarama et al's tune.

EU extends sanctions against post-coup Fiji
Sapa-AFP    
Published: 2010/03/29 01:59:01 PM

EU nations today extended sanctions against post-coup Fiji for 6 more months, over its failure to respect human rights and the rule of law.

“This decision follows the delay in implementing commitments the Fiji authorities made to the EU,” notably on the constitution, human rights and the postponement of parliamentary elections, the 27 EU nations said in an agreed statement.

The measures, originally introduced in 2007 following a coup, largely involve stopping EU development funding for the Fijian government.

Aid to the country’s key sugar sector is also hit.

The December 5, 2006, bloodless coup in the southern Pacific island chain was greeted by outrage in the international community and a number of countries including Australia, New Zealand and the US have imposed sanctions.

Humanitarian aid and direct support to civil society can continue.

Last month Fiji’s military junta dismissed pressure for elections to be held before those scheduled for 2014 as futile, amid a barrage of western calls for a swift return to democracy.

The European Union statement said that “a credible and inclusive process which would result in progress in the interim government’s reform programme and early restoration of democracy would prepare the ground for new consultations,” on the sanctions.

The extended EU sanctions will now apply at least until October 1.