FIJI UPDATE 1/24/07: RFMF DETAINS CRITICS; UNIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000059

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2017
TAGS: PREL MARR PHUM PINR ASEC FJ CH
SUBJECT: FIJI UPDATE 1/24/07: RFMF DETAINS CRITICS; UNIONS
ANGRY AT RETIREMENT AGE DIRECTIVE

REF: SUVA 53 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Ambassador Dinger per 1.5 (B) and (D)

Summary
--------------

1. (C) Prominent lawyer Richard Naidu was brought to the
army barracks and "given the usual third degree" last night.
He will "lay low" for a while but plans to resume public
comment. The interim Attorney General suggested that instead
of bringing critics up to QEB, the military should let police
handle the matter. The RFMF appears to disagree and is
reportedly also searching for democracy advocate Angie
Heffernan. The public service union is up in arms over plans
to lower the retirement age. The PRC Embassy in Suva has not
yet been contacted about the planned visit of "high-powered"
interim government officials to China and other countries.
India's DATT is conveying an RFMF request to New Delhi for
additional slots in military schools. End summary.

Naidu Brought to QEB, Military Looking for Other Critics
-------------- --------------

2. (C) Prominent Lawyer Richard Naidu was taken to QEB the
evening of 1/23 after he made remarks to Radio New Zealand
stating that President Iloilo is "the military's President,
not the Constitution's President." Soldiers surrounded
Naidu's home in Suva, and then brought him to the camp for
questioning. Naidu told the Ambassador he was "given the
usual third degree" by soldiers. He said he planned to lay
low for a while, but not too long. "Otherwise, they win,"
he said.


3. (SBU) RFMF spokesman Leweni said Naidu was brought to
QEB because his comments were demeaning and "inciting."
Interim Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, who also
criticized Naidu's comments, read a statement suggesting that
instead of bringing critics up to QEB, the military should
let police handle such cases under the Public Order Act.
Leweni defended the military's action, saying Naidu had
breached the State of Emergency Decree. "Richard's
statements," he said, "were quite bad, and he deserved to be
taken to task."


4. (C) Leweni told reporters that the RFMF was also looking
for prominent democracy activist Angie Heffernan because of
recent statements she has made criticizing the interim
government. Heffernan contacted us this afternoon, stating
the military went to her house late 1/23. She, her husband
and her children evaded the soldiers and drove out of Suva to
an undisclosed location in Fiji's west. Heffernan's
organization, the Pacific Center for Public Integrity, closed
down temporarily today.

Union Angry at Interim Government
--------------

5. (SBU) Representatives of Fiji's Public Service Union
criticized plans announced by interim Public Service Minister
Bune to lower the civil service retirement age from 60 to 55.
The union head said the minister's announcement was made
without prior consultation with the union, and was a breach
of the union contract. Union members' rights are being
trampled, he said. He noted that the union has various tools
potentially at its disposal, including work stoppages.

China Unaware of Planned High-level Trip
--------------

6. (C) The DCM at the PRC Embassy in Suva told us today
that the Embassy has not yet been contacted about the visit
of ministers, senior officials, and business people to China
and other countries that Commander Bainimarama announced
1/22. "I read about it in the papers," he said.

RFMF Request to India
--------------

7. (C) India's Defense Attache to Fiji, resident in
Australia, has been visiting Suva, and he met Bainimarama
this week. The India DATT has received, and will convey to
New Delhi, a request for additional RFMF slots at Indian
military colleges. The Indian DATT expressed concern that
Western military sanctions on Fiji are creating a "vacuum"
that China will exploit. He urged the U.S. not to be "near
sighted" about Fiji.


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