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ILO concerned about alleged attacks on Fiji union leader by military
Posted at 07:15 on 28 June, 2011 UTC
The International Labour Organisation has expressed its serious concern to Fiji’s interim regime about a series of alleged beatings and intimidation of union leaders.
The general secretary of the Fiji Trades Union Congress Felix Anthony is alleged to have been beaten by the military in March.
The ILO representative in Suva, David Lamotte, says the President of the Ba Branch of the Fiji Sugar and General Workers Union, Mohammed Khalil, is alleged to have been attacked by two military personnel on the 22nd of this month. Mr Lamotte says he has been in touch with Mr Khalil following the alleged assault.
“I have personally inquired into Mr Khalil’s wellbeing. I am told that he is OK and he is in shock and has taken a week’s sick leave. The ILO is now working with our international partners to look at a more comprehensive strategy in how we respond to these issues.” Mr Lamotte says he has requested meetings with the interim government on the matter and the ILO has suggested a high level delegation also travels to Suva to meet government officials.
SOURCE: Radio New Zealand International
The International Labour Organisation has expressed its serious concern to Fiji’s interim regime about a series of alleged beatings and intimidation of union leaders.
The general secretary of the Fiji Trades Union Congress Felix Anthony is alleged to have been beaten by the military in March.
The ILO representative in Suva, David Lamotte, says the President of the Ba Branch of the Fiji Sugar and General Workers Union, Mohammed Khalil, is alleged to have been attacked by two military personnel on the 22nd of this month. Mr Lamotte says he has been in touch with Mr Khalil following the alleged assault.
“I have personally inquired into Mr Khalil’s wellbeing. I am told that he is OK and he is in shock and has taken a week’s sick leave. The ILO is now working with our international partners to look at a more comprehensive strategy in how we respond to these issues.” Mr Lamotte says he has requested meetings with the interim government on the matter and the ILO has suggested a high level delegation also travels to Suva to meet government officials.
SOURCE: Radio New Zealand International
Fiji unionist tells of beating by PM's men
AAP | July 01, 2011
A SENIOR Fiji unionist claims he was beaten and yelled at by government officers after speaking out against the country's military regime. The allegations are the latest to be levelled at the government, which has been accused of increasingly curbing human rights, silencing opponents and controlling the media since seizing power in a 2006 coup.
Felix Anthony, national secretary of the Fiji Trades Union Congress, said he was subjected to screaming abuse from the country's self-appointed leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, after speaking out about the country's struggling sugar industry.
After Cdre Bainimarama left, senior military officers, including one from the prime minister's office, took Mr Anthony and his colleagues into a room for questioning one by one.
"They didn't have weapons but they started punching and kicking," he told Radio New Zealand during a visit to Auckland.
"It was pretty bad. My eardrum was damaged and of course I had other injuries on my back.
"There were soldiers all around me punching from everywhere they possibly could, probably about five, seven of them."
The unionist's claims fit with allegations made by one of Cdre Bainimarama's former frontmen, Lieutenant Colonel Ratu Tevita Mara, who fled his homeland in May, and has since accused the regime of widespread corruption and abuse. Col Mara, who escaped after being charged with trying to overthrow the government, claimed the leader himself once beat three women involved in the pro-democracy movement.
"Bainimarama landed the first blow," he said a statement in May, describing the incident.
"He then continued to punch and kick them. When they had fallen to the ground he jumped on their backs and continued with the beating."
Cdre Bainimarama has refused to comment on any of Col Mara's claims beyond saying his words are "lies" spoken by a "little kid who doesn't know what's happening".
The regime is coming under increasing international pressure to end its human rights abuses and hold elections that will return the country to democracy. Cdre Bainimarama has given a "cast iron guarantee" that elections will be held before September 2014, saying that time is needed to reform the country's unfair electoral system.
Both Canberra and Wellington have expressed concern at the lack of progress on reforms and persistence with policies that curb free speech and prohibit the media from any unfavourable reporting.
In March, Amnesty International accused the regime of targeting at least 10 Fijians with pro-democracy views and subjecting them to severe beatings.
The group of opposition politicians and unionists had planned to stage a peaceful anti-government protest.
SOURCE: AAP/news.com.au
A SENIOR Fiji unionist claims he was beaten and yelled at by government officers after speaking out against the country's military regime. The allegations are the latest to be levelled at the government, which has been accused of increasingly curbing human rights, silencing opponents and controlling the media since seizing power in a 2006 coup.
Felix Anthony, national secretary of the Fiji Trades Union Congress, said he was subjected to screaming abuse from the country's self-appointed leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, after speaking out about the country's struggling sugar industry.
After Cdre Bainimarama left, senior military officers, including one from the prime minister's office, took Mr Anthony and his colleagues into a room for questioning one by one.
"They didn't have weapons but they started punching and kicking," he told Radio New Zealand during a visit to Auckland.
"It was pretty bad. My eardrum was damaged and of course I had other injuries on my back.
"There were soldiers all around me punching from everywhere they possibly could, probably about five, seven of them."
The unionist's claims fit with allegations made by one of Cdre Bainimarama's former frontmen, Lieutenant Colonel Ratu Tevita Mara, who fled his homeland in May, and has since accused the regime of widespread corruption and abuse. Col Mara, who escaped after being charged with trying to overthrow the government, claimed the leader himself once beat three women involved in the pro-democracy movement.
"Bainimarama landed the first blow," he said a statement in May, describing the incident.
"He then continued to punch and kick them. When they had fallen to the ground he jumped on their backs and continued with the beating."
Cdre Bainimarama has refused to comment on any of Col Mara's claims beyond saying his words are "lies" spoken by a "little kid who doesn't know what's happening".
The regime is coming under increasing international pressure to end its human rights abuses and hold elections that will return the country to democracy. Cdre Bainimarama has given a "cast iron guarantee" that elections will be held before September 2014, saying that time is needed to reform the country's unfair electoral system.
Both Canberra and Wellington have expressed concern at the lack of progress on reforms and persistence with policies that curb free speech and prohibit the media from any unfavourable reporting.
In March, Amnesty International accused the regime of targeting at least 10 Fijians with pro-democracy views and subjecting them to severe beatings.
The group of opposition politicians and unionists had planned to stage a peaceful anti-government protest.
SOURCE: AAP/news.com.au
