REGIME HUMAN RIGHTS CONTINUE: GAY COMMUNITY MARCH PERMIT REVOKED
A permit given for a pride march through Suva was cancelled at the last minute yesterday. The event was planned to mark International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia.
The official word was that the person who vetted the permit application had not realised what the words homophobia and transphobia referred to Police said the march was stopped because of concerns about the safety of participants following recent media attention.
This is all a farce and the regime simply did not want this march to go head due to the group it represented in our society. This is a direct attack on the human rights of the gay and lesbian community.
DESPERATE REGIME CHANGE AIRLINE NAME IN BID TO GET MORE TOURISTS
The desperate regime in Fiji has once again delivered. This time its to do with the changing of the national carrier Air Pacific's name to Fiji Airways.
Illegal AG and among his numerous other titles illegal Minister for Civil Aviation said the rebranding was a milestone for the company and part of the [illegal] government’s agenda to make better use of the Fijian brand.
The fact of the matter remains no matter how you rebrand Air Pacific, travelers do not go to a destination based on a national airline, travelers simply chose the best and cheapest deal.
This is a laugh! The regime telling the Fijian people that a name change will mean more people traveling Fiji Airways to get to Fiji. Never! Travelers will always take the cheapest and more affordable flight available.
14 MAY 1987:
25 YEARS LATER:
THE DAY TERRORISTS OVERTHREW DEMOCRACY IN FIJI
Democratically elected Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra - removed by terrorists on 14 May 1987
The Face of terrorism: Chief terrorist Sitiveni Rabuka
Terrorists then proceeded to brutalise, beat, rape, steal and torture Fiji citizens from 14 May 1987 onwards
University lecturer Dr. Anirudh Singh was abducted and tortured by these terrorist for opposing racism and illegal laws and rule.
CONSTITUTIONAL HEAD HOPES FOR OPEN FIJI CONSULTATIONS
Fiji’s Constitution Commission head Professor Yash Ghai says the country’s impending civic education process will be a chance to find out if people in Fiji are holding back from giving their views on the constitution.
The Kenyan academic has been in Fiji to set up the Commission which is due to be up and running in a month.
Professor Ghai says he has been told by some they are not brave enough to speak out but he did not yet have enough knowledge of the contentious decrees involved.
He says there are sometimes good reasons for restrictions but people should be free to meet without too much bureaucracy.
“I hope that the authorities will have a review of the laws and to see if the restrictions go beyond what is strictly necessary for the reason for which they are instituted.” Professor Ghai says he’s sure of the authorities’ commitment to the process and he has experienced no obstacles in doing his job so far.
Source: www.rnzi.com
Professor Yash Ghai
FIJI'S
CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS
DETAILS ANNOUNCED
The chair of Fiji’s constitutional commission, Yash Ghai, has promised Fiji people will have full access to the body which has begun consulting on the new constitution.
The regime abolished the 1997 constitution three years ago when the appeal court ruled that the interim government was illegal. The Kenyan expert has been in Suva to set up the commission’s office.
Sally Round reports from Suva.
“Professor Ghai says the commission will be based in a wing of Suva’s parliamentary complex, and helped by some of the existing staff. He says funding is being sought from the UN Development Programme, as well as the interim government. Professor Ghai says the public will have full access to the body’s accounts, documents and submissions. He reiterated his own view that it is time for a review of laws which might be restrictive, but says he has been assured by regime leaders of their commitment to the consultation process. Professor Ghai says no obstacle has been put in his path. He says Fiji can learn from other countries’ experiences, and his main role is to listen, deliberate and encourage dialogue.”
Source: www.rnzi.com
Fijian's have a right to vote and elect a government of their choice.
FIJI REGIME ILLEGAL AG SEEKING MORE ATTENTION
The poor illegal Attorney General, just cannot help himself and wanting to be in the news headlines. So what does he do after getting less then 25 minutes with the Forum Ministerial Contact Group, he continues to make noise in the local media without any foundation. Now the Fiji regime says it will not accept an offer by New Zealand and Australia to soften travel sanctions.
The sanctions continue to work and until and unless power is handed to a totally civilian government, the overseas nations should not remove sanctions. The regime have themselves complained that decent professionals do not wish to take up government positions or join the regime due to these sanctions.
Last month, the New Zealand foreign minister, Murray McCully, said the government was keen to promote a demilitarisation of the Fiji administration and would consider exempting civilians from the sanctions to replace soldiers in key posts.
The sanctions must remain until Fiji is democratic once again.
AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF TRADE UNIONS SAYS ANY MOVE TO EASE SANCTIONS ON THE MILITARY REGIME IN FIJI WOULD BE TOO EARLY
Australian Council of Trade Unions President Ged Kearney says the visit by the Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact Group to Fiji came as a surprise to her.
Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Ged Kearney, Australian Council of Trade Unions President
KEARNEY: Well we were surprised that the Foreign Minister was going to visit Fiji. We understand he's going to meet with the Pacific Islands Ministerial Contact Group. We certainly hope that this is going to be a serious fact-finding mission, that he will meet with civil society, including trade unions whom we all know have grave concerns about the regime and how it operates there, particularly in the area of civil liberties, and we hope he will come back an enlightened person. We would certainly also hope that he follows the advice of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group recently where they have agreed not to allow Fiji back into the Commonwealth until they actually show that they really are returning to a true democracy.
HILL: There has been some pressure on the Australian government to change its policy towards Fiji. Do you think that Mr Carr might announce some change in the sanctions regime on members of the Fiji interim government or not?
KEARNEY: I think it's far too early, certainly while the Public Order Act is still in place we know that true freedom of the press, true free discussion by anybody in Fiji really cannot take place, and until that Public Order Act is removed there can really be no free and democratic election. So I would be very surprised if the Foreign Minister considered lifting sanctions so soon.
HILL: This is a Labor Party government here in Australia and you're head of the trade union movement, which has a lot of influence on Labor Party policy. Is the ACTU trying to work behind the scenes to make sure that the sanctions aren't lifted yet until your concern about trade union rights are ameliorated?
KEARNEY: Well as you know this has been a serious issue of concern for the trade union movement for a long time, and we use every means we can to raise awareness, be that through community awareness through our own members, and certainly through speaking with politicians on all sides of the political divide, not just the government. And we hope through that we'll actually keep this issue at the front and centre of our foreign policy.
HILL: An Australian minister hasn't visited Fiji for many years now, wouldn't you perhaps agree with some of the criticism of this that dialogue is better than staying away and not having anything to do with that government in Suva?
KEARNEY: Well unfortunately in normal circumstances you would think so , but the Bainimarama regime has made many, many statements about changing, it's given us many promises that it is on the road to democracy, that it is going to allow freedom of speech, it's going to remove some of its draconian orders that are in place, and sadly none of these have ever come to fruition. It seems to us that dialogue with the regime produces nothing.
HILL: If the Australian government or a future Australian government does lift the sanctions on the interim regime in Suva, would the Australian trade union movement do anything about that, or would you acquiesce this?
KEARNEY: We would certainly raise our disagreement with that. We do not think this is a good time at all to be lifting sanctions or even talking about it. We still need to be talking to the regime about having a free democracy and democratic elections in Fiji.
Source: www.radioaustralia.net.au
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