[pima.nius] FIJI: Amnesty says immunity decree to protect regime

Title – 6793 FIJI: Amnesty says immunity decree to protect regime
Date – 14 April 2010
Byline – None
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – Radio NZ International, 13/4/10
Copyright – RNZI
Status – Unabridged
----------------------------
* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Post a comment on this story at PMW Right of Reply:
www.pacificmediacentre.blogspot.com
pmc@aut.ac.nz

* Pacific Media Centre on Twitter - http://twitter.com/pacmedcentre


AMNESTY SAYS FIJI IMMUNITY DECREE TO DEFLECT FROM ABUSES
www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=52966

LONDON (Radio NZ International/Pacific Media Watch): Amnesty International says a decree granting immunity to those involved in Fiji's recent coups shows the interim regime wants to protect itself more than anything else.

The decree gives immunity from prosecution to those involved in the 2000 and 2006 coups, including Commodore Frank Bainimarama, the military and police.

The human rights organisation's Pacific researcher, Apolosi Bose, says the decree shows the government is consolidating its authority and that talk about holding elections in 2014 is a facade.

He says the decree shows there is pressure from within the ranks to be protected from being held to account for human rights abuses that occurred during the 2006 coup.

"When they took over, several activists were also beaten up. By February 2007, the military had already admitted that more than a thousand people had been taken up to the camp and had been assaulted. So they have passed it to reassure the military officers that, you know, we will look after you."

Apolosi Bose is also critical of the government's draft media decree, calling it a "deathnail" for free media in Fiji, which will allow further abuses to occur with impunity.

* Comment on this item www.pacific.scoop.co.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

(c)1996-2010 Creative Commons
http://creativecommons.org

Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original  producers as indicated in the header. Recipients should seek permission
from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not  wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views
of PMW or the Pacific Media Centre.

For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:
http://lists.apc.org.au/listinfo.cgi/pacific_media_watch?apc.org.au

Email:
pmc@aut.ac.nz
Fax: (+649) 921 9987
SnailMail: Pacific Media Centre, School of Communication Studies, AUT
University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, Aotearoa/New Zealand

Website: www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz
_______________________________________________
Pacific_media_watch mailing list
Pacific_media_watch@lists.apc.org.au

_______________________________________________
Pacific_media_watch mailing list
Pacific_media_watch@lists.apc.org.au

--
----------------------------------------
pacific islands media association
pima.nius@gmail.com
aotearoa, new zealand
----------------------------------------
The pima.nius googlegroup is a facility for discussion and distributing information. Content sent by this googlegroup are forwarded from various networks and media publications.
 
DISCLAIMER: These emails are unedited and discussions made through this googlegroup are unmoderated. Announcements made through this googlegroup do not constitute endorsement for the organisations, individuals or opinions featured. Please check the integrity of organisations and individuals before exchanging personal information with them.
 
- - - - - - - - -
comment here:
http://groups.google.com/group/pima-nius/topics?hl=en
 
send an email comment here:
pima-nius@googlegroups.com
 
unsubscribe:
pima-nius+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
 
more options
http://groups.google.com/group/pima-nius?hl=en?hl=en
 
- - - - - - - - -