FIJI'S MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT TALKING AGAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SUVA 000255

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2016
TAGS: PREL KPKO PGOV FJ NZ
SUBJECT: FIJI'S MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT TALKING AGAIN

REF: SUVA 109

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DINGER. SECTIONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

Summary
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1. (C) Representatives of the Republic of Fiji Military
Forces (RFMF) and Fiji's Ministry of Home Affairs tell us a
June 23 meeting between RFMF Commander Bainimarama and Home
Affairs Minister Vosanibola appears to have helped put
civil-military relations in Fiji back on the right track.
RFMF senior officers who participated said all major
outstanding issues were raised, including the RFMF's desire
to join the coalition in Iraq. Few definitive decisions were
made, but most participants think the cooperative tone could
bode well for the future. However, in a private conversation
with the Ambassador, Bainimarama sounded much less
optimistic. He complained that Vosanibola knows almost
nothing about key military issues and should have been
replaced as Minister. Bainimarama expressed displeasure
about Vosanibola's conversation with New Zealand Minister for
Defense Phil Goff on June 22 in which both reportedly
endorsed the idea of having Fiji's Supreme Court rule on the
RFMF's proper role under the Fiji Constitution. End summary.

RFMF-Home Affairs Meeting: Generally Good Reviews
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2. (C) Senior military officers who attended the June 23
reconciliation session between RFMF Commander Bainimarama and
Minister of Home Affairs Vosanibola told the Ambassador and
DATT June 24 that the event was very useful and positive.
The meeting lasted over five hours, with a ceremonial
exchange of whales' teeth and lots of kava drinking. RFMF
Commander Bainimarama and 15 military officers attended.
Minister of Home Affairs Vosanibola, CEO Korovavala and other
officials represented the Ministry. At one point, Korovavala
reportedly had tears streaming down his face. The officers
said virtually all outstanding civil-military issues were
discussed. While few definitive decisions were made, the
officers were impressed with the cooperative spirit that
pervaded the meeting and left feeling good about prospects
for improved civil-military relations.


3. (C) At a joint meeting with the Ambassador, DATT, and
DCM June 26, Korovavala and RFMF Chief of Staff Teleni agreed
that the meeting was very positive. Korovavala said
discussion was open and honest, and no issues were evaded.
He said a decision has been made by both the ministry and the
military to put the past behind them and "head in a new
direction."

RFMF Involvement in Iraq
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4. (C) One key issue that came up at the RFMF-Home Affairs
meetings was the RFMF's desire to join the Coalition of the
Willing in Iraq. According to participants, Home Affairs
referred to the 2003 government decision stipulating that the
RFMF could only participate in UN activities in Iraq. The
RFMF argued that the situation in Iraq is now totally
different from 2003, when a full-scale war was imminent. The
RFMF also noted that the UN has endorsed the Coalition's
efforts to combat the insurgency and reconstruct Iraq.
Korovavala told us June 26 that the Cabinet has called for a
review of Fiji's participation in Iraq and the Sinai, and
that a report to the Cabinet is due at the end of August.

Military Will Not be Downsized
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5. (C) Korovavala and Teleni said a "defense white paper,"
which media articles have suggested contains a plan to
dramatically downsize the military, was also discussed at the
meeting. Korovavala said virtually all reporting on the
white paper has been wrong, confusing the as-yet-unwritten
defense paper with an already completed "security white
paper." Contrary to public perception, he said, the security
paper does not talk about military personnel levels. Teleni
chimed in, stating that the government has sent word to the
RFMF that personnel levels will be maintained. (Note: In a
statement June 7, RFMF spokesman Neumi Leweni said that
Vosanibola had informed the RFMF that the proposed defense
white paper has been set aside. Leweni also referred to

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statements by the Prime Minister during the election campaign
stating that there would be no reduction in RFMF strength.)

Funding Request for "Peacekeeping Center"
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6. (C) Korovavala and Teleni made a joint pitch for the
U.S. to help fund a planned "peacekeeping center" at Black
Rock in western Fiji. Both spoke of Fiji's need to provide a
centralized training center for troops engaged in
peacekeeping activities around the world, and referred to
previous U.S. expressions of support for the concept. The
Ambassador and DATT said the United States would carefully
consider Fiji's request for funds and equipment, noting the
extensive assistance we give to the RFMF to help train Fiji
peacekeepers. We are helping send a large Fijian contingent
to Mongolia to participate in PKO exercises in August.
Korovavala said Fiji is very grateful for U.S. military
assistance, and he asked for updated dollar figures and
details that he could share with the Cabinet and the public.
The Ambassador tasked the DATT to provide all appropriate
information.

Commander Bainimarama Downplays Meeting with Home Affairs
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7. (C) In contrast to the upbeat reports from RFMF senior
officers, Commodore Bainimarama downplayed the significance
of the RFMF-Home Affairs meeting in a conversation with the
Ambassador on June 24. Bainimarama grumbled that, after two
years, Vosanibola still knows almost nothing about the
front-burner issues that affect the military. Thus, he was
not prepared to respond to the RFMF on any important items,
including the RFMF's desire to join the coalition in Iraq.
Bainimarama complained yet again that Vosanibola relies far
too much on CEO Korovavala for policy and decision-making
guidance, an inappropriate role for a CEO, who should be more
of a conduit for information exchange and dialogue.
Bainimarama said the appointment of former RFMF Chief of
Staff, Home Affairs CEO, and High Commissioner to Australia
Jioji Konrote as Minister of State for Immigration within the
Ministry of Home Affairs is positive. Konrote helped
organize the June 23 meeting and participated in it.
Bainimarama expressed disappointment that Konrote wasn't
picked to replace Vosanibola as Home Affairs Minister.

Displeasure with NZ Minister Goff
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8. (C) Bainimarama indicated that part of his pique with
Vosanibola related to the Minister's meeting with New Zealand
Trade and Defense Minister Goff on June 22. Bainimarama said
he participated sincerely in the reconciliation ceremony with
Vosanibola, only to hear afterward from others that on the
day before Vosanibola and Goff had endorsed a move by PM
Qarase to seek a Supreme Court opinion on the proper role of
the military under the Fiji Constitution. Bainimarama
clearly felt betrayed, and he asked the Ambassador
plaintively: "Why does the government think that is
necessary?" He suggested that the notion of asking for a
Supreme court ruling "doesn't make sense." When the
Ambassador referred to Bainimarama's numerous public
statements suggesting the RFMF has a major role to play in
the governance of Fiji, including to remove the sitting
government if necessary, and arguing that Fiji's Constitution
mandates such an active political role for the military,
Bainimarama denied ever suggesting the RFMF might remove the
Qarase government. He then acknowledged having said the RFMF
might have to "take over" if the government continued to
advocate passage of the Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity
Bill (RTUB).

Support for Police Commissioner Hughes
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9. (C) Interestingly, Bainimarama suggested to the
Ambassador that recent media criticism of Police Commissioner
Hughes (including a full-page article in the June 24 Fiji
Post) was very unfair. Bainimarama said Hughes, an Aussie,
has done an excellent job in improving the police force, but
Qarase Government policies, like the RTUB bill, foster an
atmosphere of lawlessness that undermines the police.
(Comment: As recently as March, Bainimarama and his RFMF
spokesman strongly criticized Hughes for allegedly taking
part in an Australian-led effort to shrink the size of Fiji's

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military (reftel). We hear that when Bainimarama was in
Australia for defense talks in mid-June, Australian senior
officials made crystal clear their displeasure about
Bainimarama's critical remarks. End comment.)

Comment: Reason for Optimism?
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10. (C) The new-found spirit of cooperation between the
RFMF and the government can be a very positive development.
Just about everyone in Fiji, except perhaps for Commodore
Bainimarama, has felt very nervous about a situation in which
the military commander and the government have not been not
on speaking terms. If personalities don't get in the way,
and especially if Fiji's new multiparty cabinet holds, a real
opportunity exists for the government and military to
establish the groundwork for a much more stable and positive
relationship.
DINGER