FIJI UPDATE 4/3/07: BAINIMARAMA ON VISA SANCTION;

C O N F I D E N T I A L SUVA 000194

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM MARR ASEC FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI UPDATE 4/3/07: BAINIMARAMA ON VISA SANCTION;
UN CONFIRMS NEED FOR FIJI PKO; HUMAN RIGHTS DEVELOPMENTS

REF: SUVA 191

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

Summary
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1. (C) Commodore Bainimarama told a dinner gathering of the
U.S. cancellation of his visa. He reportedly challenged
Ambassador Dinger to retrieve the passport and to "bring his
running shoes." Media report that UN SYG Ban responded to a
request by Commonwealth SecGen McKinnon for the UN to remove
Fiji soldiers from peacekeeping ops by saying "we need them."
The Fiji Human Rights Commission has been suspended by an
umbrella international human rights organization. Fiji's
Police Commissioner says the military is now permitting
police investigators to interview soldiers suspected of
beating a teenager in January, causing his death. End
summary.

Bainimarama and his U.S. visa
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2. (C) Fiji media are reporting that Commodore Bainimarama
told attendees at a recent dinner at Republic of Fiji
Military Forces (RFMF) headquarters that he had received a
letter from Ambassador Dinger canceling his visa to the U.S.
and asking him to make his passport available to the embassy
for official visa-cancellation. Bainimarama reportedly
challenged the Ambassador to "come and get the passport" and
"prepare his running shoes." Comment: Embassy Consul Towry
attempted without success to reach Bainimarama by phone to
inform him of the cancellation. She followed up with a
standard visa-cancellation letter on March 21. The reference
to "running shoes" could relate to an RFMF practice of taking
pro-democracy advocates "to the barracks" and sometimes
having them run laps. There is no requirement that visa
holders present their passports for the cancellation; and the
Embassy does not intend to accept Bainimarama's challenge.
By reaching out to the media, Bainimarama, in effect, served
USG interests by publicizing, as we cannot, his personal
inclusion in the U.S. visa ban. End comment.

UN SYG on Fiji peacekeepers
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3. (U) Fiji media report that Commonwealth Secretary General
McKinnon recently asked UN SYG Ban to remove RFMF troops from
UN peacekeeping duties, given the RFMF's leadership of the
December coup. Reportedly Ban replied, "We need them."

Fiji Human Rights Commission in trouble
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4. (U) According to media reports, the International
Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC) has suspended
the Fiji Human Rights Commission (FHRC). The primary
justification was a statement released by FHRC Director
Shaista Shameem in early January that attempted to defend the
December coup. The ICC reportedly found the FHRC lacks both
credibility and independence. Shameem told the media the
FHRC resigned before it was suspended. In arguing the
suspension is irrelevant, Shameem dismissed the ICC as "a boy
scouts' club" dominated by Western powers.

RFMF to permit Police investigation of murders
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5. (U) Fiji Police Commissioner Tikotikoca said on April 2
that the RFMF has permitted Police investigators access to 6
soldiers allegedly implicated in the beating of a Nadi
teenager in late January. The teenager died from the head
injuries in February. The Commissioner said the Police still
await permission to interrogate soldiers implicated in the
beating to death of a Tailevu villager in early January.
DINGER