RNZI: Fiji beatings a sign of regime’s fear of revolt, says academic

Posted at 07:27 on 03 March, 2011 UTC

An Australian-based Fiji academic says an intensification of military abuses in Fiji has been sparked by fears the revolutionary spirit in the Middle East could spread.

Amnesty International is reporting that at least 10 politicians, trade unionists, government critics and others have been arrested and beaten in the last two weeks.

A group of youths is also reported to have been detained and physically and mentally abused by the military last weekend.

Australian National University Professor Brij Lal says the Fiji authorities are concerned about a proposed demonstration in Suva tomorrow.

But he says the crackdown has also been prompted by the unrest in the Middle East

    “Where simple human spirit, when will power was able to triumph over all the tanks and the guns and people of Fiji do watch these programmes and are in communication with their friends outside. So there is this fear that something untoward as far as the military is concerned might happen and they’re taking preemptive action to come down on critics.”

Brij Lal says detentions and abuses have been going on for a while but people are too afraid to report them.

Court orders police instead of military to lay off of Padarath

Huh?

The judge presiding over Ben Padarath's case is ordering the POLICE to lay off of Padarath when the whole country, and the world knows damn well that it is the illegal and treasonous military, with Bainimarama's fullest concurrence, that is at the forefront of all these human rights transgressions.

Police ordered to stop questioning Padarath
Thursday, March 03, 2011

The Suva Magistrate Court has stopped police from further questioning or harassing Suva businessman Ben Padarath.

Acting Chief Magistrate Nannaykkarre made the order following a request from Padarath’s lawyer Rajendra Chauhdry yesterday.

Chauhdry told the court that his client has already been charged with one count of concealing false government documents and doesn’t need further questioning.

The case has been adjourned to March 11.

Report by: Maca Lutunauga

Global Trade Union body hones in on military regime

As we had leaked earlier, the human rights violations dished out to Felix Anthony by the illegal and treasonous military, is now confirmed.

What's worse is that Anthony's plight has now gotten the attention of the global trade union movement, and any repurcussions at that level would be catastrophic for Fiji.

Fiji: Military Intimidation and Beatings of Union Officials

2 March 2011: The ITUC and Global Union Federations ITF and IUF have reacted strongly to intimidation and physical attacks against Felix Anthony, General Secretary of the Fiji Trade Union Congress and against other officials from FTUC affiliates.

Anthony is also General Secretary of the Sugar Workers’ Union which is affiliated to the ITF and the IUF. On 12 February, Anthony was taken from his home by 3 uniformed military officers and subjected to threats whilst being driven around the back roads of Lautoka for some 2 hours. His family, including children, were also threatened.

On 18 February, Anthony and other union officials from the sugar industry were called to meet the Fijian Prime Minister at a sugar mill in Ba, on the western side of Fiji. The union representatives were subsequently assaulted by military officers while still at the mill, then taken to Namaka military barracks and subjected to further beatings. As they were released from the barracks, they were again threatened with further violence.

“We have asked the International Labour Organisation to intervene with the Fiji authorities, and will be monitoring the situation very closely. This kind of behaviour from the Fiji regime is totally unacceptable, and is a serious violation of fundamental trade union rights,” said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 621 018

The ITUC represents 176 million workers in 151 countries and territories and has 301 national affiliates.

Indonesia advises military regime on electoral reform

Wonderful. We now have the Government of Indonesia showing us how to do democracy.

This is a country which is just 5 seconds into democracy, having subjected their citizens to authoritarian rule, like forever.

And let's not forget the poor West Papuans who continue to be crushed under Indonesia's military might and not enjoy their own civil liberties while being totally shut out from exercising their rights to decide how their resources are used.

The illegal and treasonous Bainimarama, being the simpleton that he is, would be totally clueless about the fact that Indonesia wants to muscle themselves into the MSG alliance, which Fiji unfortunately now chairs.

Top Indonesia poll official briefs PM
writer : SOURCE: MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
3/3/2011

The Indonesian Electoral Commissioner Dr Abdul Aziz Ahmad briefed Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, senior Cabinet ministers, acting supervisor of Elections, and members of the Military Council on the one day, one person, one vote election system practiced in Indonesia and which is proposed to be adapted in Fiji.

The briefing yesterday by Dr Ahmad, an academic by profession, is part and parcel of Government's plans of preparing for elections earmarked for 2014 as outlined in the Strategic Framework for Change and Roadmap for Democracy and Sustainable Socio-economic Development.

The visit was facilitated in collaboration with the Embassy of Indonesia in Fiji.

Under Indonesia's democratic voting system, the elections will be based on one citizen, one vote system, which is something similar to the proposed Proportional Representation List system to be used in the 2014 General Elections.

Dr Ahmad enlightened Government leaders on the new system, which has been a proven success in Indonesia.

Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy, held its last two elections under the same system in 2004 and 2009.

Dr Ahmad said the system would be as successful in Fiji because of the demographic parallels the two countries share.

"Given the logistical and demographical parallels to Fiji as an archipelagic state, the Indonesian experience provides some introductory insights into the new electoral system that is also being proposed for Fiji in the near future," he said.

Meanwhile, members of the public were enlightened on the electoral system during a public audience at the University of the South Pacific last night.