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Please help restore democracy in Fiji
WE are a group of deeply-concerned
Fijians, who have influence in various areas, including the
Government.
We write this in our various capacities and as citizens who love
our country.
Our main concern goes beyond the illegality of the coup by
Commodore Frank Bainimarama on Dec 5 last year.
It centres on the widespread human right abuses that have occurred
since the coup.
We feel helpless.
We have no reason to believe that Bainimarama is planning, or is
able to guarantee rights will be protected for as long as his
regime is allowed to continue.
Indeed, the strongest documented evidence of the immorality of his
actions can be found in the stark contrast between the falseness
of his rhetoric and the all-too-grim reality of what is happening
each day in Fiji.
The military can pull anyone off the streets for interrogation,
without good reason; already two people have died under military
interrogation.
It is government by threat and fear.
The military continually threatens ordinary law-abiding citizens
with physical harm if they criticise the new regime.
This is not the Fijian way. It is not the Melanesian way. It is
not the Pacific way.
We write therefore to urge all Pacific Forum Foreign Ministers to
do their part to help Fiji restore the rule of democracy, to
restore the basic human rights that Fijians enjoyed prior to the
coup, and to seek the implementation of the full range of
recommendations of the Eminent Persons Group.
We do so in the expectation that they share our concern for the
future of Fiji and for the credibility of the Pacific Forum’s
constituent members and their respective democratically-elected
governments.
We are encouraged by the stand taken to date by Forum members.
We urge the foreign ministers meeting in Port Vila to speak out in
the name of democracy, in the name of human rights.
We ask that they remember their responsibility as regional
leaders, not just for the future of Fiji, but also for the future
of the region itself.
We also take encouragement from the timely way in which the
Pacific Forum has gone about addressing this most important of
issues but we should point out that there is no time to spare.
It has taken only three months for the rule of law and proper
judicial process in Fiji to be comprehensively compromised.
Following a meeting in Sydney, the ministers issued a statement on
Dec 1 last year expressing “profound concern” over Bainimarama’s
actions.
As we now see, his actions are cause for even greater concern.
Please do not let us down.
We apologise that, in the circumstances detailed above, we are
unable at the time to list our names.
Concerned Fijians
Via email
 
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