The United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA) was agreed by all Member States of the United Nations in 2001. Eight years later, the PoA remains the principle UN policy document for addressing small arms and light weapons (SALW), and provides the central framework that states can use to channel SALW-related international assistance.
The interim government in Fiji came about in a bloodless coup d’état when the Fijian Military took control of the government in 2006, marking the state’s fourth coup d’état since 1987.
One of the first steps taken by the military government was to disarm the national police force and to give the military a monopoly over access and use of SALW. Despite the military’s monopoly over SALW, there is a small number of legally held private weapons for sport shooting and farmland protection, which are tightly controlled by the government.
Public perceptions of the military vary, ranging from a prestigious employer, to an intimidating presence. Violations of human rights by the military, in the form of armed threats and unlawful holding of individuals, have also been reported. There is public concern that the military culture is eroding traditional institutions and government accountability. Nevertheless, Fiji is a regional hub of commercial and tourist activity and hosts a number of regionally focused international organizations; it is often a transit point for travelling to other Pacific Islands.
SALW as a stand-alone issue has not been considered a significant concern for the interim military government. Its security-related priorities centre on drug trafficking and other transnational crimes such as human trafficking, counterfeiting, money laundering, customs and revenue fraud and wildlife smuggling. Some interviewees expressed concern that Fiji is increasingly opening up to Asian crime rings.
In response to the 2006 coup d’état, Australia and New Zealand imposed restrictions on the export of arms and ammunition to Fiji, and other states have followed suit by refusing import applications submitted by Fiji. Consequently, there is a reported shortage of ammunition available for recreational use and farmland protection, which some fear could encourage the illicit market.
NATIONAL COORDINATION ON SALWThe focal point for PoA implementation is the Ministry of Defence, National Security, Disaster Management and Immigration, though there is no desk officer specifically assigned to address SALW.
Fiji submitted a national report on implementation of the PoA in 2004.
Fiji was the first host of the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre, though it moved to Samoa following the 2006 coup d’état. Fiji’s own TCU was established in July 2002.The police and customs collaborate to a small degree, which increases the utility of available resources. Representatives from both entities noted that the cooperation could be strengthened, particularly with respect to information-sharing systems, training and joint operation procedures for monitoring maritime borders.
LAWS, REGULATIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURESFiji passed an Arms and Ammunition Act in 2003, which was developed to reflect the Honiara Initiative and the Nadi Framework, and covers issues such as production, export, import, transit and retransfer, while criminalizing the illicit manufacturing, stockpiling and possession of SALW.
It has yet to be enacted; the delay in its enactment is cited to be caused by a lack of human resources and expertise available to prepare secondary legislation and regulations and because of the changes in the political environment following the coup d’état of 2006. With one staff
member to draft all of the state’s legislation, consultants often need to be hired.
LAW ENFORCEMENTThe National Police are tasked with dealing with SALW issues. However, as the police force has been disarmed and is not permitted access to arms, the military must be called in to support the police in situations where arms are present or required.
There is little police presence in the outer islands and few resources are available for law enforcement officers to visit the more remote islands when required. Another resource limitation relates to access to international information-sharing networks. Interviewees noted that law enforcement could benefit from information on and exposure to international networks such as the INTERPOL Weapons Electronic Tracing System (IWeTS).
Senior police officials identified the need for better training on human rights, use of force and lawful interrogation practices, in addition to training to improve internal oversight within the police force.
CUSTOMS AND BORDERSWeapons and their components enter Fiji illegally through the postal system, in luggage and among personal effects, and in small air or sea craft. Peacekeepers or other military officers serving abroad return from their postings and may bypass customs with weapons acquired
abroad or may simply send them through the postal service. In one case police encountered a firearm held by a minor whose father was currently serving in Iraq. Relying heavily on manual inspections and an outdated record-keeping system,
customs and the postal service have no access to x-ray and scanning technology. Similarly to the other case study countries, private and commercial boats carry arms onboard (the vast majority carry firearms) for self-protection. Tourism and boat racing account for a large number of vessels to be cleared for entry and Fiji is also a regional hub for
commercial vessels. All vessels are expected to declare the arms they have onboard. For those staying less than a week, arms must be sealed securely on board. If the intended visit will be longer than a week, the arms are taken into police custody until the owner returns to pick up
the items up prior to departure and returns unescorted with the arms back to their vessel. If customs seizes illegal items, those are transferred to police custody, though the lines of how this proceeds is unclear given that the police must defer all handling of weapons to the military.
It is reported that some weapon owners forget to retrieve their weapons, and there are no procedures in place for handling the forgotten weapons. Representatives of the Australian High Commission expressed concern that confiscated weapons have not been properly disposed
of. Similarly there are no procedures in place in Fiji for securing and tracking weapons once they are in the court system.
According to the Oceania Customs Organisation, Fiji is reasonably well advanced in technical, administrative and customs legislation; nevertheless, monitoring Fiji’s 1.2 million km2 exclusive economic zone remains a considerable challenge in terms of human resources
and physical infrastructure. For instance, customs has one boat responsible for covering all issues in the zone, such as monitoring the fishing industry, enforcing quarantine, and investigating immigration, and human and drug trafficking. There is also a lack of access and training to international monitoring systems.
Customs is staffed by approximately 770 individuals, although the Acting General Manager of Customs and Revenue notes that the staff must be increased by 146 in order to achieve an effective customs service. The navy assists in the monitoring of territorial waters with its 300 naval officers and seven ships, although the relationship between the navy and customs could me more formalized, and the navy also has limited human and material
resources, including fuel, at its disposition, which limits the extent to which it can support monitoring.
Support is also provided by certain civil society groups such as Greenpeace. There is areporting system in place to allow the outer islands to communicate to the Ministry of Defence about vessels entering national territory unofficially. A naval officer noted, “We are probably
not aware of 90% of what is actually taking place in our waters”.
There are a number of training programmes for customs officials. However, given the organizational culture of Fiji’s public services, staff is frequently rotated from one post or portfolio to another and thus the benefits of the training is short-lived and must be frequently repeated. There are few nationally based training programmes that focus on searching techniques for small craft, and on recognizing parts and components of SALW in luggage and parcel post and identifying fraudulent documents. Further, as training generally takes place abroad, it does not factor in the conditions and resources available to officers in Fiji and draws staff members away from their duties, exacerbating the chronic shortage of personnel.
NATIONAL REGISTRIES AND LICENSINGThe firearms unit within the police force consists of four to five people responsible for the licensing and registration of private arms. Registration and licensing records are kept manually, though an electronic database is desired.
Firearm licences are issued for sport shooting, hunting and farming. Licenses must be renewed on an annual basis. For applicants over 60 years of age, an evaluation of mental health is required. Representatives of the firearms unit noted that firearms safety campaigns are necessary, through seminars, trainings or publications.
SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENTFiji has historically been a relatively peaceful country, though a number of interviewees referred to tensions between different sectors of society, such as between indigenous and Indo-Fijian communities or along socio-economic or clan cleavages, which politicians are alleged to
exploit.
Over a third of the population (37%) live below the poverty line.
Increasingly, individuals and families are moving to urban areas to seek gainful employment. A large proportion of youth poses a growing challenge, particularly in light of the lack of rural development and opportunities, inadequate delivery of services, rural–urban migration and rising unemployment.
The fact that more than half of Fiji’s population (53%) is under the age of 25 means that these challenges will be exacerbated by a youth bulge that will soon be competing for the limited services, employment and resources.
Local crime is a growing concern for the police, resulting in national efforts in crime prevention. One such effort is the establishment of “crime free days”, whereby events and concerts will be organized to celebrate if no crimes are reported on the specified days.
SUMMARY OF NEEDS FOR INTERNATIONAL SALW ASSISTANCEIn response to the current political situation in Fiji, the two principle donors of international assistance in the Pacific—Australia and New Zealand—have suspended aid to Fiji aside from essential activities in areas such as health and education. Nevertheless, Fiji, being a regional
hub of commercial activity, has an important role to play in combating the illicit trade in SALW.
Given that SALW is considered to be a matter for the police in Fiji, and yet they must defer to the military when the handling of arms is required or in certain law enforcement matters, the line between the police and military can be ambiguous in the eyes of the public.
Considering the excessive use of force displayed by the police and rights violations on the part of the military, much work remains to be done in terms of ensuring greater accountability of the security sector and in earning the confidence of the public. Fiji’s security sector could thus
benefit from training in the use of force, discipline and gender sensitivity.
More nationally based training programmes for customs and revenue staff is necessary in the areas of data collection, analysis and risk management. Support for establishing and maintaining joint training and operations among the police, customs, immigration and navy
could improve cooperation and coordination and make best use of limited resources.
However, a review of and changes to the staff rotation system may be necessary to complement training efforts in order to allow for more concentrated and less repetitious training.
Other options for SALW-related assistance for Fiji include support for establishing secondary legislation and regulations for the Arms and Ammunition Act, bolstering Fiji’s monitoring capacity of the postal system, airports and territorial waters, and access and training to international communication networks such as IWeTs are also necessary.
NATIONALLY IDENTIFIED AREAS FOR SALW ASSISTANCELaws, regulations and administrative procedures:
• developing secondary legislation and regulations for the Arms and Ammunition Act;
and
• awareness-raising, promotion and enforcement of the Arms and Ammunition Act once
it is enacted.
Law enforcement:
• training in human rights, use of force and conflict mediation/resolution techniques;
• training in self-discipline and gender sensitivity;
• providing psychosocial support and sensitization to address and minimize domestic
abuse perpetrated by members of the security forces; and
• enhancing mobility to outer islands and providing physical resources to dispatch
officers throughout the islands.
Customs and borders:
• reviewing the legislative framework with respect to SALW-related matters;
• strengthening physical infrastructure in terms of patrol boats and availability of fuel,
access to technology (for example, x-ray machines or scanners at ports of entry,
including for the postal services), communications and record-keeping;
• providing access and training in international information-sharing networks;
• training in detection and investigation of SALW and components; and
• supporting information-sharing and strengthening of coordination mechanisms among
different government stakeholders, particularly with respect to joint operations
between the police and customs.
National registry and licences:
• systematizing the auditing of firearms;
• developing an electronic record-keeping system for firearms licenses; and
• conducting awareness-raising programmes, and firearm safety training, seminars or
publications targeting those with licenses.
Security and development:
• supporting employment schemes and micro-financing that target the high number of
unemployed youths and the emerging youth bulge; and
• establishing and sustaining a crime prevention strategy, with a specific focus on youth.
ACRONYMS
AusAID Australian Agency for International Development
DDR disarmament, demobilization and reintegration
IWeTS INTERPOL Weapons Electronic Tracing System
NZAID New Zealand Agency for International Development
PoA United Nations Programme of Action to Combat, Eradicate and Prevent
the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects
RAMSI Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands
SALW small arms and light weapons
TCU Transnational Crime Unit
Not a single recommendation for technical assistance to the military government of the Republic of Fiji will eradicate the United Nations perception of Fiji's "RISK" in the South West Pacific unless and until the 1997 Constitution is restored and the decision of the Fiji Court of Appeal is implemented to restore Democracy.
All development assistance by the United Nations and the International Community (if any) should be focused ONLY in ONE AREA, "EDUCATION" OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CONCEPT OF DEMOCRACY, RESPECT FOR THE RULE OF LAW, HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ABSOLUTE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD GOVERNANCE IN ACHIEVING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
To pour resources into secondary aims notwithstanding the real transnational risks would prove futile in the long term just as millions of dollars in aid and thousands of billable hours in technical assistance has been flushed down the sewer.
Past mistakes are being repeated by the United Nations and its agencies, what a hollow sham indeed. Extract from UNIDR Case Study Oct 2009 per Kerry Maze
