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Frank Bainimarama - Source: ONE News -
Related
Australia will push for international sanctions against Fiji's
military government, but will ensure earnings from tourism are not
affected to spare its people hardship, Foreign Minister Stephen
Smith said.
After Fiji's President Ratu Josefa Iloilo last week repealed the
constitution and reinstated military chief Commodore Frank
Bainimarama as prime minister, Smith said it was almost inevitable
Fiji would be ejected from regional groupings and the
Commonwealth.
But Australia, the region's biggest economy and aid donor, was not
considering additional sanctions on top of travel bans already
targeting Bainimarama and other senior members of the
coup-installed government, he said.
"We don't want to do anything which adversely impacts on the Fiji
people themselves. We're urging the international community to look
at what measures the international community can apply," Smith told
state radio.
The former British colony has suffered four coups and a military
mutiny since 1987, fuelled by tensions between indigenous Fijians
and the large and economically powerful ethnic Indian
minority.
An appeals court last Friday ruled the 2006 coup that brought the
ethnic Fijian Bainimarama to power was illegal, prompting Iloilo to
sack the judiciary and usher in new military controls on the
movement of people and curb press freedoms.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and New Zealand Foreign
Minister Murray McCully described Fiji as a military dictatorship,
with Wellington considering trade sanctions after three foreign
journalists were expelled from the country.
"We have got an effectively self-appointed dictator who has
abrogated the constitution, sacked the judges, tried to suppress
media freedom and clamped down on the liberties of citizens. It
doesn't get much worse than that," McCully said.
Fijian news outlets have been barred from publishing news that
would cause disorder or public alarm, while the security forces
have been deployed to news bureaux throughout the country to
prevent news critical of the government.
The Fiji Times, the country's major newspaper, has in recent days
been published with blank spaces in place of stories censored by
the government.
Smith said Australia was not considering any military intervention
in Fiji, where the government's interim Attorney-General Aiyaz
Sayed-Khaiyum told local radio the security situation was still
peaceful.
"There is no chaos, there is nothing happening in the streets,"
said Sayed-Khaiyum.
Events in Fiji have been widely condemned overseas, including by
the United Nations and the Commonwealth, which has called for a
special meeting to discuss Fiji, amid talk of sanctions.
Ethnic Fijians dominate the country's military.
The abrogated 1997 constitution was intended to ease ethnic tensions, but instead fuelled a decade of political instability after an ethnic Indian was elected prime minister in 1999.
What do you make of the Fiji situation? Post your comment on the messageboard below:
Add a Comment:
Post new commentvaingloriouscoconut said on 2009-04-28 @ 23:37 NZDT: Report abusive post
Like a jedi knight said at the beginning of a certain movie, the whole crisis doesn't make sense. A phantom menace at work? Whoever stands to gain most from this charade are 'the Sith'. Alot of noble talk generating alot of thuggery. Judge by effects, and actions beloved Fijians - not by intentions and words. Time will reveal all.
UP2DATE said on 2009-04-28 @ 19:24 NZDT: Report abusive post
The UN is a joke. Sorry Fiji. The Commodore is a total dictator. Only the Fijian people can change this. It is time to stand up to this madness. Good luck.
Mark Manning said on 2009-04-23 @ 13:01 NZDT: Report abusive post
The Commander is hiding from allegations of and an investigation into , his and others , alleged involvement into the murders of 5 Counter Revolutionary Warfare Soldiers in 2000 . At that time of the civil unrest , some soldiers justified murder of these men by declaring them an act of war and thought that assertion would protect them from prosecution . However , one of those murdered , wasn't even in the vicinity of the camp at the time of the killings of the soldiers in the camp .
Udreudre said on 2009-04-18 @ 18:13 NZDT: Report abusive post
Bula Vinaka, just my comment on media. Actually the news now is much better. Before so much headache. Eg the move to get retirement age to 55. Oilei! If were in Fiji 2 months ago, you will know what I mean. As soon as the news was aired, 5 more related news: the unions, the politicians, close up show. Really very stressful. Our own version of Shortland Street was Fiji one news. Very entertaining but stressful. Even at night, we think, this and that, but now, no more. Only news not noise.
Udreudre said on 2009-04-18 @ 11:46 NZDT: Report abusive post
Actually, our beloved country can survive without aid money. we have land, sea, only thing is we get very relaxed. If we work hard and become independant, we will benefit. I am a landowner and personally if we dont get tourists, it will be good. They bring in their evilways. we have a population of 800,000, yet the tourist number is 600,000 per year!. They may be working as cleaners or maids but they come here and are treated like royalty. My children dont have to be slaves to the tourists.