FIJI UPDATE 9/24/2007

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SUVA 000465

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/24/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR PHUM FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI UPDATE 9/24/2007

REF: SUVA 436

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

Summary
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1. (U) Fiji interim Prime Minister Bainimarama intends bilats
with Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Italy
during his UNGA stay. The Fiji military has warned against
any efforts to depose Bainimarama during his trip.
Bainimarama has signaled he will re-shuffle the interim
cabinet soon. Two investigations of military personnel for
murders early this year remain pending. An IG review of the
Great Council of Chiefs and a proposed People's Charter for
reform are percolating. The re-imposition of
public-emergency regulations early this month remains
controversial, and day-to-day human rights issues continue to
arise. The inquiry into alleged misconduct by Chief Justice
Fatiaki is to begin soon. Fiji has announced it will open a
diplomatic post in Seoul as part of a "Look North" policy.
End summary.

Bainimarama meetings at UNGA: Venezuela; Cuba, DR; Italy
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2. (C) The office of interim PM Bainimarama has told the
media that, aside from a speech to the General Assembly on
Sept. 28, Bainimarama will hold bilats with Venezuela, Cuba,
the Dominican Republic, and Italy. The Venezuela and Cuba
events follow meetings interim Minister Bune had around the
edges of the PICL in Washington in May. Venezuela reportedly
will discuss energy assistance, perhaps a proposal for
petroleum refining in Fiji. Bainimarama said the topic would
be "biofuels." Bainimarama said Cuba has offered aid. He
suggested assistance to the Fiji boxing team would be
helpful. We presume the Italy meeting is to push for a visa
to visit MFO Sinai HQ in Rome. Reportedly Italy has refused
the visa thus far. We are curious about business with the
Dominican Republic. There has been no mention to the media
of the scheduled Bainimarama meeting with EAP PDAS Davies.

Fiji military warns against counter-coup efforts
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3. (C) The Fiji military spokesman , LtCol Tikoitoga, told
the media Sept. 24 that military allegiance to Bainimarama is
solid, and he warned against any attempt to depose the
Commander while he is away for the UNGA. The trip which
begins Oct. 25 will be Bainimarama's first departure from
Fiji since last December's coup. Tikoitoga said some people
made efforts in the past to remove Bainimarama while he was
overseas. As an example, Tikoitoga referred to last November
when, he said, three diplomats in Suva allegedly asked Deputy
Commander Teleni to withdraw his support from Commodore
Bainimarama. Comment: As previously reported, that
depiction, described as the Australian, UK, and U.S. COMs
encouraging mutiny, was not accurate. End comment.

Interim Cabinet to be reshuffled?
--------------

4. (C) Commodore Bainimarama told the media last week that "a
couple of reshuffles" in Cabinet are expected "in the next
couple of months." A source close to Bainimarama has told us
three interim ministers have particularly irritated the
Commodore and the military council: interim Finance Minister
Chaudhry; interim Attorney General Sayed-Khaiyum; and interim
Labor/Tourism Minister Rounds-Ganilau. Comment: Removing
Chaudhry would be a major political event, perhaps too major
to actually happen. End comment.

Murder investigations...never ending
--------------

5. (C) Investigations into the alleged murder of two
ethnic-Fijian males by military forces early this year still
continue, despite pleas from the victims' families for
justice. The cases do not appear complex, and reportedly the
perpetrators were identified within days if not hours of the
acts; however, the military, the police, and the public
prosecutor's office have juggled the cases endlessly.
Interim Police Commissioner Teleni has now directed a Police
team to "look into" and "speed up" the investigations.
Commodore Bainimarama told the media last week he "will not

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interfere" in the investigations. He said he has "all the
confidence in the military and police."

GCC and People's Charter processes moving ahead
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6. (C) The IG's review of the Great Council of Chiefs and an
IG proposal of a People's Charter are proceeding, though both
are reportedly receiving mixed responses. A number of
provincial councils of chiefs have reportedly endorsed the
GCC review, but some others, including Tailevu and Naitasiri,
have been negative. The opportunity for public comment on
the People's Charter proposal has been extended repeatedly,
reportedly because relatively few submissions have arrived,
with a number of them negative. The IG has announced,
though, that sufficient responses are now in and the interim
Cabinet will consider the People's Charter proposal shortly.
Commodore Bainimarama told the media last Friday that he
wants the support of the chiefs but he is moving on
regardless. He described the Charter as the military's "exit
strategy" to return the reins of government back to
politicians. Comment: the People's Charter concept paper
lists a number of noble goals (though it omits an end to coup
culture). Unfortunately, the make-up of the Charter
commission would mostly be people selected by the IG, with
Bainimarama a co-chair. Many observers fear the process
would not be free and independent, and they question how an
un-elected body could chart the political future for all the
people of Fiji. End comment.

Public Emergency Regulation reactions, review?
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7. (SBU) The re-imposition of public-emergency regulations
(PER) on Sept. 6, in response to deposed PM Qarase's return
to Suva, brought complaints from several quarters, including
from human-rights activists Shameema Ali and Angie Heffernan.
That irritated Commodore Bainimarama, who informed the media
Sept. 14 that the two should "shut their mouths up." He
said the two don't know what is happening in terms of the
security situation and he accused them of mouthing the
sentiments of Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S., who, he
said, pay their bills. Ali and Heffernan responded that they
have every right to speak up under the Fiji Constitution and
they do so independently. There are rumors that the PER may
be removed soon; however, Bainimarama told the media last
week not to expect the PER to end anytime soon.

Human rights notes
--------------

8. (SBU) The military took one of Fiji's highest chiefs into
custody on the night of Sept. 8, allegedly for having gotten
into an altercation with a military officer at a bar.
Reportedly the officer was Bainimarama's son. The police,
who ordinarily would handle such a case, played only a
subsidiary role. On Sept. 5, in response to an allegation by
Qarase that he had received a military death threat, a
military spokesman warned Qarase and his SDL party not to
"discredit" the military to create instability. Bainimarama
threatened to send Qarase back to exile if he continued to
speak out. In subsequent days, after re-invokation of the
emergency regulations, Qarase has been very quiet. On the
night of Sept. 5, vandals smashed the windshields of
automobiles belonging to the Fiji Daily Post's general
manager and his daughter. The GM is a relative and close
associate of Qarase. The Permanent Secretary of the Fiji
Public Services Commission announced that a senior officer in
the Finance Ministry has been suspended for allegedly
blogging against the IG on government time. She said this is
the second such case. The PermSec reminded public servants
that they must be apolitical.

More problems in the judiciary
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9. (C) Six expatriate judges of the Fiji Court of Appeals
resigned this month, announcing that actions by Acting Chief
Justice Gates had made it clear they were no longer wanted.
The Law Council of Australia's president said government
interference in the legal system of Fiji is undermining the
rule of law. Also early this month, President Iloilo's
office announced appointment of two new Court of Appeals
judges, both from Malaysia: Dato' Dr. Cyrus Das and Dato'

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Cecil Abraham. Neither has been a judge previously, and we
hear from our Australian colleagues that at least one of them
hasn't actually accepted the appointment. Last week, interim
AG Sayed-Khaiyum announced that the inquiry into alleged
misconduct by Chief Justice Fatiaki will commence shortly.
Judges have been picked, though Sayed-Khaiyum refused to name
them publicly. Sayed-Khaiyum also announced that former
judge John Connor will undertake an investigation of the Fiji
magistrate system. Comment: with investigations at the top
(CJ) and bottom (magistrates),only the High Court is
untouched. Unfortunately, it is the High Court that by many
accounts most needs a clean-up. End comment.

Fiji to open diplomatic mission in ROK
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10. (C) The IG has announced it will establish a resident
diplomatic mission in Seoul. Interim Foreign Minister
Nailatikau noted that Korea "has not interfered in Fiji's
political affairs," and relations "have been consistently
cordial." Nailatikau said another fundamental reason for
strengthening ties is the IG's "Look North" policy, to
counter problems with Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S.
The new ROK Ambassador to Fiji presented his credentials to
President Iloilo last week. Ambassador Zeon told us Iloilo
seemed mentally alert and carried on a useful conversation.
Asked if he would be meeting with Bainimarama, Zeon said,
"no," he had no intention to do so. Zeon said that, while
the ROK has allowed senior members of the IG to transit
Seoul, approval has been for transit only, no official visits
as yet.
DINGER