Monday, 15 June 2009
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Early Signs of Genocide in the Republic of the Fiji Islands
The word ‘genocide’ was coined by Raphael Lemkin in 1945 and was first used in the same year in an indictment brought before the Nuremburg Tribunal.
In the 1948 Genocide Convention, Article 2 defines ‘genocide’ as “...acts committed to destroy in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”
The prevention of genocide across the globe should become a national priority for the President of the United States of America, Barrack Obama, not only for moral reasons but also because it would be in America’s national interest. These were the sentiments expressed jointly by Madeline K. Albright and William S. Cohen as reported in the New York Times in March 2009.
There were three reasons given for this suggested change in national priority.
First, genocide fuels instability in weak, undemocratic, corrupt states. It is in these states that terrorist recruitment, human trafficking and civil strife are present.
Second, genocide and mass atrocities have a long lasting consequence far beyond the states in which they occur especially in relation to the displacement of people.
Third, America’s standing in the world is eroded if perceived as a bystander to genocide.
The United States “...must learn to recognize the early warning signs of genocide and put diplomatic and economic pressure on those who violate the norms of civilized behavior”.
The events rapidly unfolding in the Republic of the Fiji Islands since the purported abrogation of its Constitution on the 10th of April 2009 by the Military junta against selective groups of the populace including lawyers, journalists and religious groups is tantamount to genocide.
The International community must recognize these early warning signs, as it is an International Crime and Fiji has ratified the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Frank Bainimarama must be engaged in dialogue and told in no uncertain terms to comply or face the consequences.
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