It's official: Fiji has been suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum. And the Forum was quite clear about why:
A regime which displays such a total disregard for basic human rights, democracy and freedom has no place in the Pacific Islands Forum.As for the effect, this is more than just not inviting the Fijian regime to parties anymore - it will also remove them from all Forum cooperation programs and financial assistance, cutting them out of trade, technical assistance and aid programs directed at anything other than holding elections. More importantly, it sends a message to other groupings, such as the Commonwealth and EU, that they should do the same. All of which will squeeze Fiji even tighter.
Will it work? Probably not - Bainimarama has resisted all other diplomatic attempts to restore democracy, and seems disinclined to listen to anyone but himself (and especially not the "people of Fiji" in whose name he constantly claims to be acting). But this isn't just about trying to pressure Fiji's illegal regime - it's also about who we are. And by defining ourselves as people who don't talk to dictators, the Pacific Forum has just taken a strong step to reinforce democracy in the region.
