NZ: Amnesty calls on Fiji to stop human rights violations as protesters plan action
Friday, August 8, 2014
Item: 8893
AUCKLAND (Amnesty International / TV3 / Pacific Media Watch): Fiji's former military leader Voreqe Bainimarama has created a climate of fear which must be brought to an end, Amnesty International says.
Bainimarama arrived in New Zealand tonight on a private visit to campaign with local Fijians ahead of his country's first elections since he took control of the Pacific nation in a military coup in 2006.
Bainimarama arrived in New Zealand tonight on a private visit to campaign with local Fijians ahead of his country's first elections since he took control of the Pacific nation in a military coup in 2006.
He was under the protection of NZ’s Department of Internal Affairs minders.
He has said he wants to create a level playing field for Fijians, but Amnesty International says his government continues to violate human rights.
Amnesty International wants this to stop, and wants all political parties and candidates in Fiji's September 17election to respect and protect human rights if they form the next government.
Grant Bayldon, executive director of Amnesty International New Zealand, says human rights defenders, journalists and trade union leaders continue to face harassment, and there are reports of Fijian security forces using torture against people in custody.
"Restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and association in Fiji should be lifted and acts of intimidation and harassment against government critics and peaceful activists must stop.
Repression continues
"It is not enough to say the right things when abroad while allowing the repression to continue at home."
Bainimarama, who stood down as military commander in March so he could contest the elections as a civilian, will be following other Fijian party leaders in coming to Auckland to campaign with the Fijian population.
Details of his movements are being closely guarded but he is addressing a political rally in Manukau tomorrow for his Fiji First party.
New Zealand is supporting the election by supplying $1.5 million in IT and Hansard equipment as part of a United Nations Development Programme-led project.
He has said he wants to create a level playing field for Fijians, but Amnesty International says his government continues to violate human rights.
Amnesty International wants this to stop, and wants all political parties and candidates in Fiji's September 17election to respect and protect human rights if they form the next government.
Grant Bayldon, executive director of Amnesty International New Zealand, says human rights defenders, journalists and trade union leaders continue to face harassment, and there are reports of Fijian security forces using torture against people in custody.
"Restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and association in Fiji should be lifted and acts of intimidation and harassment against government critics and peaceful activists must stop.
Repression continues
"It is not enough to say the right things when abroad while allowing the repression to continue at home."
Bainimarama, who stood down as military commander in March so he could contest the elections as a civilian, will be following other Fijian party leaders in coming to Auckland to campaign with the Fijian population.
Details of his movements are being closely guarded but he is addressing a political rally in Manukau tomorrow for his Fiji First party.
New Zealand is supporting the election by supplying $1.5 million in IT and Hansard equipment as part of a United Nations Development Programme-led project.
The Asia-Pacific Human Rights Coalition (APHRC) announced it would hold a "Back to Democracy" seminar in Auckland later this month.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence.
Pacific Media Watch
Pacific Media Centre | Te Amokura
D-63 School of Communication Studies
WG1027
Communications Precinct
2 Governor Fitzroy Place
AUT University
Private Bag 92006
AUCKLAND 1142
Aotearoa/New Zealand
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz
Pacific Media Centre | Te Amokura
D-63 School of Communication Studies
WG1027
Communications Precinct
2 Governor Fitzroy Place
AUT University
Private Bag 92006
AUCKLAND 1142
Aotearoa/New Zealand
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz
Editor: Professor David Robiedavid.robie@aut.ac.nz
Contributing Editor: Anna Majavu pmedia@aut.ac.nz
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Pacific Media Centre: www.pmc.aut.ac.nz
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10 comments:
Is this Angola we talking about?
Bainimarama and the illegal junta are a total disgrace. Boko bhaini is just a puppet of khaiyum. The incessant attacks on Fijian women leaders and the people of Fiji and their Christian values must be punished. Those behind the overthrow of the legitimate FIJIAN government must be brought to justice and the corrupted judiciary must be removed.
Some people here are just bonkers, like this last correspondent. Why do we allow such people to vote? For that matter, why do we allow such people to live?
Amnesty is a joke. A once great organisation that stood up for human rights has been taken over by zealots and partisan activists. Isn't it strange that nowhere in the Amnesty report does it mention the Bainimarama Government's most important achievement - creating an equal society? Isn't that the greatest human right of all? A pathetic document that can only have been based on information from Fijians implacably opposed to the Government. Climate of fear, my foot. Anyone in Fiji can say whatever they like and do so.
I could not agree more with you! For the first time in Fiji's history, we have an equal opportunity society where even uneducated morons can hold the highest office!
You seem confused boko? Bhaini the ghoose doesn't have a 'government' - he has a rabble of treasonous criminals protected by dimwitted thugs with guns - it is called a military regime little boko.
Frank just finished speaking at the FijiFirst Rally in Manukau, Auckland. Didn't realise that he would have so much support in here. Thousands of people turned up and whilst I didn't personally attend, a mate of mine who is SODELPA supporter did and reckons he had a "cracker" of a speech. Crowd absolutely loved him.
I hope all you slurpers have seen this
http://fijimediawars.blogspot.ca/2014/08/amnesty-international-fiji-must-end.html
Dont bother checking out this link that Marc has posted. Its an instructional video on masturbation!
Astonishing how Marc Edge comes to Croz's website in an attempt to promote his own. He gets few readers, if any, and no comments at all. Talk about desperation! No Marc, this slurper has no intention of visiting your pathetic blogsite. You created it for the sole purpose of self aggrandisement and to continue your vendetta against those individuals you blame for your expulsion from Fiji. Nobody is interested in anything you have to say. There is not a single original idea in anything I have seen. It is either totally derivative or pure fantasy or both.
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