Thursday, 22 July 2010

• Engaging Fiji Concluding Statement of Pacific Leaders July 2010

  Whereas the Governments of the Pacific attending the “Engaging Fiji Meet” and the Fiji Islands have long shared a strong bilateral working relationship;

   

  Whereas the people and former lawful Government of Fiji played an important role in global and regional politics;

   

  Whereas Fiji had been an intellectual and cultural center of the Pacific Islands;

   

  Whereas respect for democracy, human rights, and civil liberties are fundamental principles of the Pacific Islands Nations and critical to Fiji’s previous lawful governments national security objectives;

   

  Whereas, in his June 4, 2009, speech in Cairo, President Barack Obama noted, "[G]overnments that protect [human] rights are ultimately more stable, successful and secure. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away";

   

  Whereas the authorities in Fiji continue to harass, intimidate, arbitrarily detain, and engage in violence against peaceful demonstrators, journalists, human rights activists, and bloggers;

   

  Whereas, despite Frank Bainimarama’s pledge to the contrary in 2009 Fiji 's controversial emergency law which has been in place continuously since, give police broad powers of arrest allowing indefinite detention without charge;

    

  Whereas human rights violations in Fiji  are widespread and routine, including arbitrary detention, torture, and unfair trials before state security and military appointed judiciary, polices the political sphere and considers any exercise of freedom of assembly a security threat, frequently beating and arresting peaceful dissenters;

   

  Whereas the independence of the judiciary in Fiji  continues to be undermined through politically motivated appointments to the bench, that swear unlawful allegiance to an illegal military government, executive administrative orders overriding judicial decisions, and politically motivated lawsuits;

   

  Whereas excessive use of force by security forces in Fiji  is occurring in violation of Fiji 's obligations to protect fundamental human rights and has undermined the country's long-term stability;

   

  Resolved, That, the Democratically Elected Pacific Island Governments in attendence have "Engaged Fiji" —

   

  (1) reaffirms that respect for basic human rights is a fundamental value of the Pacific Islands and that providing unconditional support for governments that do not respect those basic human rights undermines the credibility of the Pacific Islands and creates tensions, including in the Melanesian bloc, that can be exploited;

   

  (2) encourages the illegal military led Government of Fiji  to promptly restore the Constitution of Fiji and honor its commitment to permanently repeal the state of emergency, which is a significant obstacle to consolidation of the rule of law in Fiji ;

   

  (3) calls on the illegal military Government of Fiji —

   

  (A) to take all steps necessary to call for election immediately and to ensure that same is free, fair, transparent, and credible, including granting independent international and domestic electoral observers unrestricted access to polling and counting stations and instructing its Fiji military forces not to engage in violence;

   

  (B) to end all arbitrary detention, torture, and other forms of harassment against media professionals, human rights defenders and activists, and opposition figures, fully respect freedom of expression and association, and release all individuals detained for peaceful expression as well as those detained and/or indicted under the emergency law; and

   

  (C) to lift legislative restrictions on freedoms of assembly, association, and expression immediately as guaranteed by the 1997 Constitution of Fiji.

   

   

  The above statement is a Real Fiji News draft of what other Pacific Island leaders ought to resolve at the conclusion of their holiday in Fiji.  

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