Another death at the hands of soldiers

It is with sadness and outrage that Intelligentsiya reports today the death of yet another man as a result of military brutality.

The man from a village in Vanua Levu died a week-and-a-half ago in hospital from injuries he sustained in the attack. He was arrested, it is understood, in one of the military's drug raids in his village in the east of Vanua Levu.

It is understood the man suffered injuries to his chest and abdomen in the assault.

Intelligentsiya obtained this information days after the man died and has been trying to independently verify the death with the man's family but communication with his village is difficult.

We are withholding the man's name and village until it is confirmed by relatives although the details have been verified by various sources including civil society groups.

His death brings to four the number of military-related deaths.

More details will be posted as confirmation comes in.

Meanwhile…

The interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has rejected claims by the Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon that human rights abuses are being tolerated by the military and interim government.

Sayed-Khaiyum, as reported on Legend FM, said McKinnon’s comments were misleading as the “alleged” cases of human rights violations were being investigated.

And finally…

The Fiji Human Rights Commission has confirmed it is investigating the death of Sakiusa Rabaka, the 19-year-old who died on February 24. Sakiusa was assaulted by soldiers and a policeman in Nadi after his arrest on January 28 on marijuana-related suspicion.

FHRC director Dr Shaista Shameem said Sakiusa’s mother had lodged a complaint against the military last week but she would not reveal any further information pending the investigation, Legend FM reported.

Shameem says the military is investigating 20 reports of human rights abuses, adding that the police are also investigating some cases and were consulting with the Director of Public Prosecution on whether to bring charges.

Since the December 5 military takeover, Shameem has not made an unequivocal stand on behalf of the Fiji Human Rights Commission regarding the arbitrary arrests and subsequent assaults, humiliation and death in military custody.

Military brutality victim laid to rest

Sakiusa Rabaka, the 19-year-old Nadi youth who died after being assaulted by soldiers and a policeman, was buried today, while the nation’s attention was focussed on the emergency budget being announced by military-backed interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry in Suva.

Fiji TV reported that about 100 people attended his funeral service at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Namaka, Nadi.

Sakiusa’s admission to hospital for brain surgery and eventual death were both reported first by Intelligentsiya. It is the third military-related death since the coup on December 5, 2006. (Intelligentsiya considers the death of John Whippy in December part of this tally because he was allegedly bashed up by Francis Kean, the Navy commander and brother-in-law of Commander Voreqe Bainimarama over alleged anti-army comments.)

Six soldiers and a policeman have been implicated in his death. The policeman has been interviewed under caution while the soldiers are expected to be questioned later. The military also says they are investigating the death.

Sakiusa was arrested on January 28 along with some of his friends on suspicion of dealing or smoking marijuana. They were taken to an army base in Nadi and made to run up and down a hill with heavy sacks on their backs. They were also beaten. Photographs taken by his family after Sakiusa’s release showed a heavily-bruised back and chest and what looked like a rope-burn or similar injury across his stomach near his navel.

After his release the morning after his arrest, Sakiusa began to complain of headaches. He was taken to Nadi hospital, then to Lautoka hospital before being transferred to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva for brain surgery a week later.

After surgery, he returned to Nadi but collapsed on February 24 and finally succumbed to his injuries.

An autopsy revealed Sakiusa died from brain haemorrhage.

His death prompted an outcry of shock from his friends and youth activists. Interim Labour Minister Bernadette Rounds-Ganilau, who visited Sakiusa while he was in hospital in Suva and reported his injuries to army spokesman Major Neumi Leweni, expressed regret at his death saying “this should never have happened”.

Military releases Mesake Koroi

Fiji Daily Post general manager was released at midday today after 24 hours in detention, the newspaper reports on its website.

The newspaper says soldiers brought Koroi back to its offices at 12.15pm. He was detained over the military's irritation with the "tone of recent articles and features published in the newspaper".

Koroi was taken by soldiers to Queen Elizabeth Barracks yesterday morning after a letter was published in the newspaper yesterday titled 'The Great Conspiracy' which "alleged and named conspirators" in the December 5 coup. (Intelligentsiya suggested yesterday that it could have been because of another letter titled 'Defunct Police Force' but an anonymous commenter alerted us to the actual source of the military's ire. That letter has since been removed from the newspaper's website.)

Koroi's detention - three times this week, it is understood - did not seem to take away his sense of humour though.

The newspaper said on its website: "Upon his release Mr Koroi commented that he had a chance to count 2539 ants crawling across his cell but he lost count of the mosquitoes."

Newspaper executive Mesake Koroi hauled away by soldiers

The general manager of the Fiji Daily Post newspaper, Mesake Koroi, was arrested by soldiers today and taken to Queen Elizabeth Barracks (QEB).

Intelligentsiya understands Koroi was taken by soldiers this morning over a particular letter to the editor that was published. It could probably have been over a letter from a Fijian in Australia (titled 'Defunct Police Force') criticising acting Police Commissioner Romanu Tikotikoca for shelving the investigation into army commander Voreqe Bainimarama in connection with his seditious remarks last year.

It is also understood this was the third time this week that he was taken to QEB.

Fiji Television quoted army Land Force Commander Colonel Pita Driti as saying Koroi was detained because of the newspaper’s “failure to adhere to the military’s warnings over what it describes as inciteful statements”.

Koroi is a cousin of deposed Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and the newspaper has been the target of several military threats since the December 5, 2006 coup.

By late evening, Koroi had still not been released and Fiji TV quoted Driti as saying he could not say when that would happen.

The government of Fiji holds shares in the company but interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry has announced that the interim administration would sell off the state's shares in the newspaper because the newspaper had never made a profit.