[Proctor]

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/20/1074360768557.html
Tensions fuel fears of another Fiji coup

By Malcolm Brown
January 21, 2004

Fiji was on the brink of another crisis yesterday after the military commander, Frank Bainimarama, clashed so angrily with the Government that police were asked to investigate his behaviour.

As tensions rose between the military and the Government, with talk of a possible coup, the Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, and the police chief, Andrew Hughes, rushed to make televised addresses telling the nation to keep calm.

But moves are reported within the Government to replace Commodore Bainimarama with a more "pliable" commander and reduce the number of armed forces personnel by 300.

In the meantime, Commodore Bainimarama has shifted his headquarters from Queen Elizabeth Barracks, on the outskirts of Suva, to government offices near Government House. That is only a short distance from the parliament, where George Speight staged his coup in May 2000 and held MPs at gunpoint.

Last night, Mr Qarase paid homage to Commodore Bainimarama and told the nation the Government was in control.

Mr Hughes said that if there was "anything brewing", then there would be "a lot of activity around Suva". He confirmed there had been a "vigorous exchange" between Commodore Bainimarama and the Home Affairs Secretary, Jeremiah Waqanisau. He did not go on to say the police were investigating a complaint by Mr Waqanisau.

Mr Waqanisau, a former senior army officer who was involved in the 1987 coup, is chairman of a committee to decide on Commodore Bainimarama's replacement.

A political analyst told the Herald last night: "Frank does not like the Government and believes that if he goes, the extreme nationalists which Qarase's coalition depends on will be a problem.

"If he went and was replaced by a commander more pliable, the extreme nationalists could maybe start asking the Government for pardons, or go soft on prosecutions of those involved in the 2000 coup, or stop pending investigations."

The Qarase Government has lost two recent by-elections despite vigorous campaigning by Mr Qarase.

A Supreme Court case on a demand by a former prime minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, for a significant place in cabinet for the Labour Party is due to be heard in July.

Fiji has always been a rather tumultuous, with the normal harmony between ethnic Indian and Fijian regularly bubbling over into politcal unrest, as seen most recently in 2000.

As armchair observers in New Zealand and Australia, it is easy for us to say, "Oh, but you have to feel sorry for the Fijians. They're a minority in their own country." Don't forget that Aborigines and Maori are also minorities in their own country, and we aren't so tolerant of activism from them are we?

I really don't understand the issue at all. It's not particularly complicated; I can't work out why it wasn't laid to rest long ago.

[Bricktop]

Erk. My aunty and uncle are currently in Fiji on holiday...



Drummond