Photo: RNZI / Sally Round

Photo: RNZI

The leaders of Fiji's two opposition parties and a prominent trade unionist remained in police custody on Sunday morning, after they were arrested on Saturday over utterances at a meeting regarding the 2013 constitution in an incident that has alarmed human rights groups.

The leader of the National Federation Party, Biman Prasad, and the leader of Sodelpa, Sitiveni Rabuka, were being held, along with the general secretary of the Fiji Council of Trade Unions, Attar Singh, an academic and former politician, Tupeni Baba, and Jone Dakuvula, from the organisation Pacific Dialogue.

The leader of the Labour Party Mahendra Chaudhry told RNZ International he was also on his way to speak to police.

The police questioning is understood to be over what was said at a public meeting organised by Pacific Dialogue this week regarding the 2013 constitution, which was held without a government permit.

The National Federation Party said Professor Prasad's house and the party's headquarters in Suva had been searched by police on Saturday evening. It said a laptop and documents were seized from its offices. Mr Singh's house is also understood to have been searched.

RNZ International today interviewed the leader of the Fiji Labour Party, Mahendra Chaudhry, at home in Suva on Sunday afternoon, where he was preparing to go down to the police station for questioning.

The former prime minister said he contacted the police because he is a law abiding citizen and heard that they wanted to speak to him.

He said the police confirmed they were waiting for him and it was possible he would be at the police station overnight.

Mr Chaudhry said he had been invited by Pacific Dialogue to speak in two forums, one on the sugar industry and the other on the country's constitution.

Asked if he was acting in solidarity with leaders of other opposition groups who had been arrested, Mr Chaudhry said they were "all in it together".

"I was away from Suva, so now that I'm back, I think I should also join the queue."

Mr Chaudhry said he would talk to the police "and see what they do".

Mr Singh's lawyer, Raman Singh, said the men were being held at different police stations around the capital, Suva, and had not yet been charged. Under Fiji law, police can detain a person without charge for a maximum of 48 hours.

Tupou Draunidalo, the president of the National Federation Party, said Professor Prassad remained in good spirits after almost 24-hours in police custody, and had spent Sunday being questioned.

Ms Draunidalo said party supporters and family members had formed a vigil outside the police stations in Suva: "Really, today, we just want to show moral support, be there around the police station and check in on him," she said in an interview. "Just to make sure that these gentlemen, who have a reputation of upholding the rule of law, are well and have not been mistreated. That's our concern really, right now."

Attar Singh's lawyer, Raman Singh, said his client's questioning related to what was said at the meeting under the provisions of the Public Order Decree, and that Pacific Dialogue's meeting was held without a police permit.

In a statement, a police spokesperson, Ana Naisoro, said that officers had taken in "a number" of people regarding "comments uttered" at the discussion.

"This is a police process conducted when information is received about possible issues that could affect the safety and security of all Fijians which is why this step is being taken merely to eliminate all doubts and concerns that could stem from speculation," she said.

The panelists at the discussion, which Ms Naisoro confirmed did not have a permit, were Professor Prasad, Mr Singh and Mr Dakuvula, as well as an academic, Ganesh Chand, and an economist, Nilesh Lal.

But the weekend's events triggered concern among human rights organisations - both in Fiji and internationally - about a possible crackdown on political opposition and a decay in the country's newly re-established democracy. The country held its first elections under a new constitution in 2014, eight years after the then-military commander, Frank Bainimarama, took power in a coup. Mr Bainimarama's Fiji First party won the 2014 election by a landslide.

The 2013 constitution was drawn up by Mr Bainimarama's government after it scrapped a draft prepared by a constitutional committee after widespread public consultation. The new constitution had been criticised by opposition politicians and international NGOs, including Amnesty International, for apparent shortfalls on human rights and wide reaching immunities for the former military regime.

Prem Singh, an MP for the National Federation Party, who was not at the meeting, said it was unclear how a meeting about this constitution could have jeopardised Fijians' safety and security. He said the response undermined democracy and freedom of assembly.

Photo: AFP

"This is political persecution," said Mr Singh in an interview. "In a normal democracy you don't have these things just for attending a meeting and conversing with people, trying to find a way forward. As political leaders they have a right to discuss and debate issues of national importance and I think this is a very heavy-handed tactic."

The chair of the Fiji Coaltion for Human Rights, Michelle Reddy, said she was deeply troubled by Saturday's events. Ms Reddy said that while it remained unclear exactly why the men had been detained, the restrictions placed on such meetings were of great concern.

"It just creates an atmosphere of intimidation and fear, and I think that's exactly a limiting factor because a lot of civil society organisations are going to rethinking about whether they should host an event," said Ms Reddy in an interview. "It definitely is a violation of free speech, and freedom of association as well."

Amnesty International also condemned the arrests, calling for all five men to be released immediately. "This is a brazen crackdown on people for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression," said Rafendi Djamin, the NGO's director for South East Asia and the Pacific.

"The men appear to have been detained under Fiji's repressive Public Order Amendment Decree which restricts the ability to hold 'public' meetings. There is no evidence to suggest that the event posed any threat to national security. Fijians should be free to openly discuss their supreme law and even criticise without fear of reprisals," he said in a statement.

Ms Reddy said the Public Order Decree still remained in place, requiring a permit for public meetings, but many civil society organisations have held discussions without a permit with no repurcussions for years .

"Civil Society in general has not applied for permits to convene with other members of the public since the 2012 announcement by the Attorney General. The timing of these arrests is a concern and the further restrictions placed on meetings and events only create an atmosphere of intimidation and fear. The freedom of assembly, freedom of association as well as free of speech are fundamental cornerstones of democracy and rule of law," she said.

Tupou Draunidalo said the fact that people could be arrested for discussing the constitution was disgraceful and showed the country's democracy to be a sham.

"It's been a sham for the last two years, an absolute sham," she said. "They just do as they please and when the law doesn't suit them they change the law with their majority, and Australia and New Zealand is going along with all that. I really don't know why all of these draconian laws have to continue when we have so-called democracy."

Australia and New Zealand have fully restored diplomatic in recent years after Fiji's 2014 elections, which observers said was widely free and fair.

New Zealand's foreign minister, Murray McCully, said New Zealand was closely watching events in Fiji and seeking official advice.

Mr McCully, who is at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Summit in Federated States of Micronesia, said he was briefed on events by Fiji's representative there.

"Obviously anything that constrains free speech and space for legitimate political debate would be of concern to the New Zealand government," he said. "I've asked him to convey to his government our close interest in how this plays out." </s> Authorities in the tiny Pacific island nation of Fiji arrested the leader of an opposition party and a senior trade union official on Saturday, and issued arrest warrants for several other opposition politicians, New Zealand media reported.

Radio New Zealand said the leader of the National Federation Party, Biman Prasad, and a trade unionist, Attar Singh, were arrested on Saturday afternoon.

The arrests were related to public meetings held last week to discuss Fiji's constitution, it added.

Police had taken Prasad for questioning, the National Federation Party said in a message from its official account on social network Twitter. It gave no further details.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the arrests or the reason for them. </s> MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Authorities in Fiji on Saturday detained the leaders of two opposition parties and a senior trade union official after they took part in an event critical of the Pacific island nation’s constitution, an opposition party official said.

The leader of the National Federation Party (NFP), Biman Prasad, and a trade unionist, Attar Singh, were taken into custody over their participation in Wednesday’s forum on the 2013 constitution, said an NFP official, Prem Singh.

“The arrest is a threat to public assembly and we don’t know why they are being arrested, they are only doing their jobs,” Singh said, but added that no charges had yet been made.

In a statement, the Sodelpa opposition party said its leader Sitiveni Rabuka, a former prime minister, had turned himself in to police. Rabuka was involved in two previous coups in 1987 and went on to become prime minister between 1992 and 1999.

Police and government officials did not immediately respond to telephone calls from Reuters seeking comment.

But a Fiji police spokeswoman, Ana Naisoro, told The Fiji Times that several people were being questioned over comments made at the forum which “could affect the safety and security of all Fijians”.

“This step is being taken merely to eliminate all doubts and concerns that could stem from speculation,” Naisoro was quoted as saying by The Fiji Times.

Police are also holding a former politician and an official of a non-government body that organized Wednesday’s event, Radio New Zealand said. The event coincided with the tiny nation’s first public holiday for Constitution Day.

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the day before the event, Prasad had described the holiday as a “waste of money” and government “propaganda”.

“There is nothing much to celebrate about the 2013 constitution, which was opposed to the will of the people,” Prasad said.

Prasad’s wife, Rajni Chand Prasad, told Reuters that police had searched their house looking for documents and that police also searched his office and took away a laptop computer.

Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama came to power in a bloodless military coup in 2006. He stood down from the military to run as a civilian in the country’s 2014 elections, winning by a landslide. </s> Fiji opposition MPs freed after what Amnesty calls "brazen crackdown" on rights

SYDNEY, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Fijian police have released three opposition lawmakers detained over the weekend for criticising the constitution in what Amnesty International described as a "brazen crackdown" on freedom of expression.

Police on Saturday and Sunday detained leaders of three opposition parties and three other organisers and participants involved in a forum on constitutional reform in the Pacific island's capital of Suva last week.

All have since been freed without charge, but the case has been referred to the public prosecutor, police said in a statement issued on Sunday evening.

Police said the detentions were carried out in response to "issues that could affect the safety and security of all Fijians".

There is widespread concern among Fiji's opposition parties that the constitution gives too much power to a government originally installed in 2006 through a bloodless military coup.

"I think it's politically motivated," Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry told Reuters by phone shortly after he was released on Monday.

"The regime here is very sensitive to criticism. They have seen all three political parties in opposition coming together in one forum and I think they feel a bit jittery about it."

Opposition MPs wore black ribbons at Monday's opening of parliament and some boycotted the ceremonial session in protest over the detentions.

A spokeswoman for Fiji's Director of Public Prosecutions declined to comment. A spokesman for Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

After seizing power in 2006, Bainimarama stood down from the military to run as a civilian in the country's 2014 elections, winning by a landslide.

His opponents say the constitution, drawn up in 2013, concentrates too much power in the prime minister's office.

Jone Dakuvulua, who organised the reform forum and chairs non-government organisation Pacific Dialogue, said his arrest highlighted some of these problems.

"It's an indication that even though we have a so-called parliament, we do not have democracy," Dakuvulua told Reuters by phone.

Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty International's director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said the detentions were "a brazen crackdown on people for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression". (Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Nick Macfie) </s> There will be a French influence at the Pacific Islands’ Forum in Samoa next year after leaders voted to give New Caledonia and French Polynesia full membership.

At the leader’s retreat in Pohnpei on Saturday Prime Minister John Key and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pushed the case for the two French territories to be let in, after years of knocking on the door.

“The thing I like about it is these are two countries that have quite developed economies. They’re quite active in the issues that matter - tourism, renewable energy and fisheries for instance,’’ Key said.

Fundamentally it gives the forum “more weight,’’ he said.

New Zealand changed its tune after previously agreeing with other Pacific nations that the two French territories not having control over their foreign policy and defence meant they shouldn’t be allowed full membership.

“We’ve changed our position over time,’’ Key said.

Ahead of the retreat Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully had warned that the motion probably wouldn’t pass because of opposition from members.

On Sunday McCully said he was “pleasantly surprised” leaders had worked through their differences and got it over the line so quickly.

Bubbling away behind the scenes of the forum was the chaos breaking out in Fiji where Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has had a Cabinet reshuffle and ordered for some Opposition MPs, including the leader, to be arrested.

Bainimarama isn’t at the forum in the Federated States of Micronesia after refusing to attend since he was banned in 2009 - instead he sent his foreign minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, who he's since strippped of the role while he’s in Pohnpei.

McCully met with Kubuabola on Sunday where he told him New Zealand was “very closely interested in developments in Fiji’’.

The arrests are understood to relate to “a question of whether there were permits given for a gathering at which some of these individuals were panelists,’’ he said.

“Anything restraining free speech would be a concern to the New Zealand government.’’

McCully said a lot of good things have happened since the disarray in Fiji after Bainimarama led a military coup in 2006 and “we want to keep encouraging those who move things in a good direction’’.

Key said New Zealand is closely observing what is going on and hoping it will remain calm.

“The Government won an election reasonably recently. We thought they’d just get on and run the country, they’ve got the support of the people so they don’t need to do anything particularly silly,’’ he said.

Before the forum wrapped up on Sunday Key announced a $10 million Pacific Sporting Partnerships programme aimed at getting more children in Pacific countries playing sports and being healthy.

“The long term benefits might also be that we’ll continue to have a great crop of Samoan players that can add to the mighty All Blacks from time to time,’’ Key joked to Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi.

The programme will initially focus on netball and rugby in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands.

Malielegaoi said all four nations were grateful for the support and hoped it would extend to include cricket in the future.

“Over 50 per cent of our population comprises of young people. Many are not employed but have talents in playing sport.

“Sport is no longer looked at as a leisure activity, it’s employment for our youths,’’ he said. </s> COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Police in the Maldives have arrested an opposition party leader on a charge of plotting to overthrow the government, a move the joint opposition condemned Friday as intensifying a crackdown on political opponents.

Jumhooree Party leader and lawmaker Qasim Ibrahim had signed an agreement with others last month to try to restore democracy in the archipelago nation, and the joint opposition said his arrest was aimed at obstructing the work of the alliance, which it said has threatened the power of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

Qasim was arrested Thursday evening on the charges of “attempting to influence no confidence motions against the Speaker of Parliament” and “plotting to overthrow the government,” according to the joint opposition’s statement.

The arrest of the tourism tycoon came days after the government defeated a no-confidence motion against the speaker and thereby prevented the opposition bid to take control of Parliament.

The opposition says the charges are “trumped-up” and demonstrate the willingness of Gayoom’s government to “subvert state institutions in order to pursue and persecute anyone to who attempts to hold him accountable.”

Spokesmen for the government and for police did not answer phone calls Friday seeking comment.

The opposition alliance includes the Maldives’ first democratically elected leader Mohamed Nasheed, its former strongman leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Qasim and another political party.

Yameen is a half-brother of Maumoon and became president in 2013 by defeating Nasheed. Since then he has been accused of using the judiciary, police and bureaucracy to crack down on opponents.

Nasheed, a vice president, a defense minister and another political party leader have been given lengthy prison sentences after trials on terrorism charges that were criticized for lack of due process.

The government also tightly controls public gatherings and recently enacted an anti-defamation law with hefty fines and jail terms for journalists and social media users. </s> Madagascar police fired teargas at opposition demonstrators protesting against new electoral laws they say are designed to lock out their candidate from a presidential election due later this year.

Supporters of Marc Ravalomanana, a former leader of the Indian Ocean island nation, say the new electoral laws are designed to prevent him running in the election. The opposition is also contending provisions on campaign financing and access to media in the laws.

Ravalomanana, who was deposed in a 2009 coup, has teamed up with the man who succeeded him, Andy Rajoelina, to oppose the laws pushed by President Hery Rajaonarimampianina.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in the centre of the capital early on Saturday to protest against the laws which were enacted by parliament earlier this month, before police fired dozens of teargas canisters at the crowd.

“Two people were injured. We are taking care of them now,” said Olivat Rakoto, director of the Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona hospital in the city. One opposition lawmaker accused the government of attacking opposition MPs while carrying out their work and demanded the president’s resignation.

“Hery Rajaonarimampianina has to resign, he attacks members of Parliament which are in the line of their duty,” said Paul Bert Rahasimanana who represents a constituency in the capital.

“We just wanted to do some report on the adoption of electoral laws and he sends us forces of repression.”

Police later retreated from the scene outside the mayor’s office, leaving about 1,000 opposition supporters protesting peacefully.

“We are here because we need freedom of speech and because we do not agree with the authoritarian government,” said Fafah Rasoanirina, a 24-year old protester.

The opposition says the law requires a presidential candidate to produce a report on all previous judicial convictions, which could be a disadvantage for their candidate. Ravalomanana was convicted by a court when he was in exile after the 2009 coup for a range of offences.

He has already said he will run in the election due before the end of this year though the precise date has yet to be set.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App </s> Two West Papuans have been charged with treason after being arrested by Indonesian police for staging a demonstration in Jayapura on Monday.

Photo: Supplied

The Jayapura demonstration was one of more than 14 rallies in Indonesian cities, calling for West Papuan rights to self-determination to be respected.

More than 500 people were reported to have been arrested for participating in the rallies.

While the vast majority were released later in the day, two arrested in the Papua provincial capital have been charged.

Photo: Supplied

Hosea Yemo and Ismael Alua are reportedly members of the West Papua National Committee, (KNPB), the pro-independence representative group which organised some of the rallies.

Papua provincial police said the two were arrested after allegedly inciting sedition or treason against the state, and provoking other participants of the rally to commit treason.

A treason charge could lead to a jail term of up to 15 years in Indonesia.

Photo: Supplied

Police said that from the Jayapura demo, they also found 1kg of hashish at the KNPB's premises, and confiscated a number of weapons from the crowd.

Law and order has been maintained in the cities and the situation was back to normal, according to police who said they avoided using excessive force in handling the demonstrations.

However, Jakarta-based human rights monitoring groups have condemned intimidation and violence by police officers in the Jayapura rally.

Photo: Tabloid Jubi

The Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy, and its local partner in Papua, Elsham Papua, said it condemned intimidation and violence by police officers against photographic journalist Whens Tebay during the rally.

Mr Tebay said police arrested, interrogated and hit him, later confiscated his camera and forced him to erase all photos taken during the rally. </s> Fiji's foreign minister Inoke Kubuabola, filling in for Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama at this weekend's Pacific Islands Forum in Micronesia, confirmed Saturday he has lost his job in a cabinet shake-up.

Kubuabola said he was told late Friday he had been moved to the defence and national security portfolios and Bainimarama would take over the duties of foreign minister.

"Cabinet positions are decided by the prime minister and it is his prerogative to allocate our responsibilities," he told the Islands Business magazine as he entered the forum leaders' retreat on Saturday.

Bainimarama refuses to attend the forum, a regional leaders' summit, because of New Zealand and Australia's involvement.

He blames the two regional powers for Fiji being suspended from the forum after he seized control of the island state in a 2006 coup.

Since Fiji was invited back into the forum after organising a return to democratic elections in 2014, Bainimarama has sent his foreign minister in his place.

Bainimarama said in a statement he wanted to "reinvigorate" his cabinet.

"This reshuffle will enhance our ability to continue to provide the high level of service that the Fijian people have come to expect," he said.

"I will be assuming the role of foreign minister in addition to my current duties as prime minister, minister for iTaukei (Fijian) affairs and minister for sugar."
Fiji authorities detain two opposition party leaders, a prominent trade unionist, and another opposition activist, following their participation in Wednesday's forum on the Pacific island's 2013 constitution. A police spokesperson told the Fiji Times that several people were being questioned about comments made at the forum that, "Could affect the safety and security of all Fijians."