Last month, Fiji's military regime purportedly dissolved the Great Council of Chiefs after that body rejected the regime's choice for Vice President. In response, several of the suspended chiefs are seeking a judicial review of their "suspension". This threatens to embarass the regime, and so the military have responded the only way they know how: by taking the lawyers in for "questioning". On Friday, lawyer Kitione Vuataki was detained at his office and taken to the barracks by uniformed soldiers. He has since been released (unharmed, for once), but in the meantime the army have also detained his fellow lawyer Ratu Savenaca Komaisavai. The aim is clearly to intimidate the lawyers in an effort to derail the case.
Meanwhile, despite claiming last week to no longer be concerned with pro-democracy blogs and to have given up attempts to block them, the military is now approaching ISPs in an effort to silence its critics by technical means:
Internet Service Providers in Fiji are now looking at the possibility of blocking anti-military websites from being accessed in Fiji.Connect Fiji Chief Executive Sharon Smith Johns has confirmed that all ISP companies have been approached by the RFMF to see if these sites can be successfully blocked.
Hopefully they'll have as little luck at it as FINTEL.
Agreed...FMF is using gorilla tactics from behind barbed wire fence called State of Emergency Decree and are violating basic human rights to practice their profession and earn their livelihood. Harassing the lawyers is interfearing with the independence of the judiciary.It's clear FMF does not have people's mandate. What baffles me is the silence of EPG,EU,UN, Human Rights Groups and international media.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame to find out FMF was playing "Big Brother" in the murder of the innocent and delaying investigations as admitted by Fiji Police.
ReplyDeleteThey were putting people in places to ensure safe passage for the murderers. Having achieved that they have given all clear now.
It's clear won't be a fair investigation and trial and justice won't be done.
Guess who the thugs were who stole the Kiwi lawyers computer?
ReplyDeleteSorry can't tell you cos it will breech the State of Emergency Rules.
Good luck keep thinking and you will figure it out yourself.