News Archive

U.S Report on Human Rights Practices in 2006 Blasts RFMF
Improve or return to the barracks

The U.S State Department report on Human Rights Practices in 2006 has taken a swipe at the RFMF for failing to meet the international standard for human rights abuse and torture.

In a strongly worded report, the US State Department blamed the RFMF Commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama for maintaining inadequate level of torture for political and non-political detainees and has asked the military to improve or return to the barracks if it is not up to the job.

”First of all, non of the detainees have any hood on while being tortured and from the information that we have on hand, it seems that there was absolutely no sexual torture and even if it happened where are the photos? It's a total shame that despite international news coverage and our effort and programs on torturing detainees in Iraq and Guantanamo it is just not being appreciated and effected by Fiji's military hierarchy,” a senior US State Dept spokesman commented after the release of the report.

However, the report was strongly criticized by the RFMF. According to the military spokesman, Major Neumi Leweni, the US Government has been seriously ill informed by its ambassador in Fiji and the governments of Australia and New Zealand.

“We would like to state that firstly the US government should not interfere into our internal affairs. And secondly, we are doing our best to match the torture standards and level of the US Government but lack of funding, military cooperation and aid has restricted our efforts in training our soldiers to match the standard set by the US Military and CIA officers,” Major Neumi Leweni stated in an emphatic tone.

Meanwhile, Fiji Women's Crisis Centre coordinator, Shamima Ali after receiving the U.S State Department's "Woman of Courage" award said, “I just wish that this award thingy was up for grabs back in 2000. Atleast I would have spoken up for the victims at Muaniweni.”