FIJI: Expert says Interim PM wants to tell his story
Updated
An expert on Fiji politics says the point of interim prime minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama's address to the UN this week is to tell his version of the coup story to the international community. Professor of Pacific and Asian History at the Australian National University, Brij Lal doesn't think the international community can be persuaded by Commodore Bainimarama to soften its approach to Fiji for a number of reasons.
Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speakers: Brij Lal, Professor of Pacific and Asian History Australian National University,
LAL: Well I think the first thing is that he feels the need to reassure the international community that what is happening in Fiji is nothing untoward and things are normal and that's part of his agenda. He wants to tell them I suppose why he has done what he has done and the plans he has for Fiji. And I think secondly, this is also there's a domestic audience he wants to play up to that this is the leader going out, out there, in the international community, speaking up for Fiji and for them. So I think it's a symbolic gesture of some importance as far as the interim administration is concerned.
COUTTS: Which members of the international community do you think that he feels he needs to impress?
LAL: Well, I think at the UN there would be representatives from many countries. I suppose you would like to impress the Americans certainly and other members and in other constituencies to explain things to as well, such as the Commonwealth Secretariat and the European Union. And I think this address to the UN provides him an opportunity to explain himself, to tell the world what is happening in Fiji from his vantage point and to get I suppose a semblance of credibility and legitimacy for his actions.
COUTTS: I just find the chronology a little bit interesting, because it's reported that the American embassy, someone approached the American embassy not to give him a visa which would disallow him to travel, block the trip in other words. We know that at least six months ago, or earlier this year, that the UN Special Rapporteur on independence judges and lawyers wrote to the interim government seeking an invitation to look into the independence of the judiciary, now that hasn't been responded to. So I'm just wondering why now when he's got an opportunity to work with the UN at this level, he seeks to go. It just seems to be contradictory in his purpose.
LAL: Well, I think this whole question of providing access to UN agencies to investigate aspects of his judiciary is something that has been talked about. Now the interim administration is trying to create a tribunal to investigate the chief justice and so on. So why they have not responded to the invitation I have no idea. But I think that now it's over six months since the coup took place and the international community, the pressure from the international community has not diminished, we have the travel bans and so on and reduction in aid and so forth. And I suppose he feels the need to explain what's happening, because I think the international pressure is beginning to bite. There's no secret that travel bans have prevented people from accepting positions in the interim administration. They have deprived Fiji as expertise from outside, and I suppose he feels the need to reassure the international community that he is leading Fiji in the right direction. Of course whether the international community is convinced of that is another matter.
COUTTS: Well, it doesn't seem to be any consistently of approach, again staying with the UN influence. He is going to the UN to make a presentation to tell them that he is actually a good guy and what he is doing is justifiable. But also just two days ago, the public emergency regulation went from being in place for a month to now being indefinite. The UN and other international community members have railed against that.
LAL: Well, exactly, exactly. I think there is a fear I suppose which has led to the reimposition of the public emergency regulation, especially with the return of Mr Qarase to Suva. There was a fear that he might become the rallying point for protest marches and so forth. Initially, he said, and the attorney-general said that this was only for a month, but now it's for an indefinite period. And so I think the kinds of things that they are doing in Fiji, and the kind of response. There's a disparity between that you see. They impose emergency regulations for an indefinite period and then expect the international community to understand their position. Well, I think it's very difficult and I think the commodore might find explaining this to the international community not as easy as you might think.
