Fiji unions want peace-keeping force

Date: 30 May 2000

The Fiji TUC - despite the military takeover in an attempt to end the on-going Fiji crisis - has maintained its support for comprehensive sanctions applied swiftly and speedily.

The TUC has even suggested that there may be a need for an international peacekeeping force to protect citizens from armed vigilante groups.

On the first day of martial law the Fiji labour movement is now watching closely the action of the Fiji military as they try to run this Pacific Island country.

The Fiji TUC leader, Mr Felix Anthony, said today there is considerable uncertainty as to which way the military leadership will eventually jump.

" We just don't know if they are eventually going to back Speight, or back the Constitution. There is a meeting later today between Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who imposed martial law, and George Speight. We are awaiting the result of the meeting," Felix Anthony said today.

The TUC has scheduled a meeting for 1pm Wednesday in the national capital, Suva, to discuss the latest events.

The union leadership was scheduled to meet on Tuesday but was forced to cancel that meeting because of the military coup.

Fiji TUC leader, Felix Anthony, was visited by military officers hours after martial law was announced, and told he would have to co-operate with the military hierachy.

The result of the re-scheduled Fiji TUC meeting tomorrow will be reported to the ACTU Fiji Crisis Committee which is also scheduled to meet on Wednesday afternoon.

The 48 hour curfew announced by the military last night has already been lifted and some people have been able to return to work.

The TUC has released a seven-page analysis and update on the Fiji hostage crisis attacking the outrageous outcome of the Great Council of Chiefs.

The TUC document started circulating in Fiji yesterday, just hours before the military took over the country.

The sudden changed political circumstances do not however make the contents of this document irrelevant.

" The call by the Council of Chiefs for the dissolution of an elected Parliament and the appointment of an interim Government are unequivocally unconstitutional, " the document states.

" They are therefore absolutely unacceptable to the Fiji TUC, just as they are to the people of Fiji , the People's Coalition Government and the international community.

" There cannot be any political solution negotiated while the elected government, including the Prime Minister, remain in captivity.

" The Fiji TUC strongly condemns the President's suspension of parliament and the dismissal of the Prime Minister and his cabinet."

Signed by the National President of the TUC, Daniel Urai ,and the National Secretary of the TUC, Felix Anthony, it names 26 people as being responsible for the hostage taking. Number one on their list is George Speight.

The TUC has accused a Labour Party Minister - David Momoedonu - of an act of treachery for co-operating with the President in the so-called dismissal of Prime Minister Chaudry and the proroguing of parliament.

The TUC document has put forward a ten-point strategy for trade union solidarity action in the form of:

· Statement condemning the actions of the President of Fiji and demand that he upholds the full integrity of the 1997 Constitution by reversing the unconstitutional dismissal of the elected Government;
· Pressure the President to commit himself to seeking a restoration of the constitutional and democratically elected Government;
· Condemnation of the actions of the Council of Chiefs in their support for the unconstitutional and illegal demands of the terrorist group led by Speight;
· To apply comprehensive sanctions that will target trade, shipping, airlines, tourism, travel, sporting, mail, banking and other services, swiftly and speedily;
· Freeze all assets held in any interim government immediately;
· Impose a global travel ban on hostage takers, co-conspirators and any members of any interim government;
· Call upon their Government, the European Union, Commonwealth and the UN to impose the full range of sanctions to ensure that the elected government is restored. These include invoking the Section 366 Procedure under the EU-ACP partnership agreements, the Millbrook Action Plan of the Harare Declaration of the Commonwealth and the appropriate Security Council measures by the UN;
· Ask that the international community warn the terrorists, their supporters and members that may be part of any interim Government appointed by the President that they will be brought to justice under international law should they try to travel abroad;
· Ask for direct intervention by Heads of States in the form of communication to the President indicating their willingness to accept anything short of the restoration of the elected Peoples Coalition Government;
· Ask for the setting up of international peacekeeping force to provide protection to citizens of Fiji Islands from the armed vigilante groups and from security forces that now support the overthrow of the constitutionally elected government.

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union
Phone:	9281 9511
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	Andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au

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