FORMER FIJI PM RABUKA ARRESTED ON 2000 MUTINY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000201

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2016
TAGS: PINS CJAN PREL MARR PGOV PINR FJ
SUBJECT: FORMER FIJI PM RABUKA ARRESTED ON 2000 MUTINY
CHARGES

Classified By: Amb. Dinger. Section 1.4 (B,D).


1. (C) Summary: Former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has
been arrested in Fiji and charged with inciting the military
mutiny that took place in November 2000. Rabuka has been
released on bail and his case has been transferred to the
High Court, where a preliminary hearing will take place June

30. The arrest was the culmination of a long-running
investigation by the police and the Department of Public
Prosecutions. Opposition leader Chaudhry told us the arrest
sent a much-needed signal that actions taken against lawfully
elected governments will not be tolerated in Fiji. End
summary.

Rabuka Arrested, Released on Bail
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2. (C) Sitiveni Rabuka was arrested on the evening of May 11
after his return to Fiji from medical treatment in India. He
appeared in court on the morning of May 12 and was charged
with fomenting the mutiny that took place at the Republic of
Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) headquarters in November 2000.
No plea was taken. Rabuka was released on FJ$1,000 bail
(about USD$580). Rabuka was ordered to surrender his
passport and report to his local police station twice a week.
A preliminary hearing will take place June 30 at Fiji's High
Court.

Chaudhry Hails Arrest
--------------


3. (C) Opposition leader Chaudhry told us May 12 that he
was pleased with the arrest, which will send a strong signal
to anyone contemplating taking action against the newly
elected government. The timing of the arrest, he concluded,
could not have been better. The ruling SDL party has made no
comment yet on the arrest.

The Rabuka Saga
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4. (C) Rabuka led two military coups in 1987 and later
served as Prime Minister until his SVT party lost the 1999
general elections. In the mid-1990s, he moderated his
nationalist-Fijian views and collaborated with
then-Opposition Leader Reddy to create Fiji's rather liberal,
multi-cultural-oriented 1997 Constitution. Such cooperation,
which alienated an important part of Rabuka's ethnic-Fijian
base, led to the smashing defeat of the SVT in 1999. Rumors
have suggested that Rabuka was involved behind the scenes in
the 2000 ethnic-Fijian-led coup which removed then-PM
Chaudhry and then-President Mara from office.

A Long-Running Investigation
--------------


5. (C) Senior police sources told us many months ago that a
long-running investigation into the events of 2000 pointed
toward Rabuka playing rolls in both the initial coup and the
military mutiny which followed six months later. That
knowledge contributed to the U.S. declining to provide
agrement in 2005 for the Fiji Government's proposal to send
Rabuka as Ambassador to Washington. (Note: PM Qarase has
appointed several figures rumored to have been involved
negatively in the events of 2000 to diplomatic postings
abroad, notably UN PermRep Savua, High Commissioner to
Malaysia Adi Samanumu Cakabau, and former High Commissioner
to PNG, now to Tokyo, Ratu Inoke Kabuabola.)


6. (C) The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) confirmed
to us several weeks ago that he was prepared to indict Rabuka
on 2000-related charges, but that Rabuka had headed off to
India for knee-replacement surgery. The DPP speculated that
Rabuka might stay away indefinitely, being aware the
indictment was approaching. We note that DPP decision-making
regarding the case was slow. Police sources had indicated
privately many months ago that they had a good case against
Rabuka that only awaited DPP endorsement.

Bainimarama Vindicated?
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7. (C) RFMF Commander Bainimarama was badly shaken by the

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November 2000 mutiny, which was engineered by elements of the
Counter-Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) unit that Rabuka had
established within the RFMF after 1987. Mutineers came close
to killing Bainimarama at the time. Rumor has it that Rabuka
was at the barracks that day, in his old uniform. Having the
prosecutorial system pursue the mutiny perpetrators has been
a key Bainimarama demand ever since.

Comment
--------------


8. (C) The indictment in the midst of Fiji's national
elections might suggest some sort of political calculation.
Could the Qarase Government, wanting to energize its
ethnic-Fijian base, see Rabuka's 2000-related arrest as a way
to inflame passions and get ethnic-Fijian folks to the polls
to endorse Qarase's SDL party which has, despite
protestations to the contrary, taken a rather soft approach
toward some other highly placed Fijians involved in 2000? Or
is the timing simply triggered by Rabuka's return, with an
arrest order waiting? We would not be surprised if the
earlier delay in indicting Rabuka had a political tinge;
however, our initial impression is that the timing of last
night's arrest is explained by Rabuka's flight schedule home.
DINGER