STOP PEACEKEEPING FOR FIJI'S ABUSIVE MILITARY

Dear UN Security Council members,

We the undersigned hereby write to request your attention on the issue of the UN's continuation to utilize the services of Fiji's abusive military in UN Peacekeeping missions overseas. Since Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama's coup of December 5th, 2006, Fiji's military has been involved in the abuse of human rights in Fiji ranging from numerous arbitrary arrests, detention and torture resulting in three deaths of innocent citizens of Fiji including 19 year old Sakiusa Rabaka.

 http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=57762

On February 9th, 2010, in Geneva, the UN Human Rights Watch had called upon UN member states "for corrective action to deal with Fiji's abusive emergency regulations, impunity of security forces for human rights abuses, and censorship in the country's newsrooms since Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama seized power in a December 5, 2006 coup." Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch further stated: "Because Fiji contributes many troops to global UN peacekeeping efforts, both the UN and member countries should be concerned about the deployment of abusive Fijian troops to UN operations."

 http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/02/09/un-rights-council-demand-end-fiji-a

 At the moment, we're currently witnessing how Gaddafi is utilizing his military power against his own people. How different is Gaddafi's actions from Commodore Bainimarama and his regime's actions on the innocent people of Fiji? Three deaths and numerous abuses, as in the cases of Ben Padarath and Sam Speight recently are three and more too many. When will this end? Who will be there to defend our human rights?

 http://fdnblog.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/was-this-the-result-of-minimal-violence/

 http://www.amnesty.org.au/news/comments/24916/

 Re-assessing Fiji's UN peacekeeping participation should no longer be on a case-by-case basis. How many more cases of human rights abuses, torture and deaths does the UN need in order to play a more proactive role in our plea for justice, peace and democracy in our island nation?

We know that the only reason Fiji's military is denying us our freedom and democracy is because while our island nation continue to languish under their rule by decrees, the Public Emergency Regulation, high inflation, high unemployment and a debt ridden future for our children, Fiji's military continue to enjoy a bloated budget for equipment they say is needed in their Peacekeeping missions and their consistent employment by the UN for UN peacekeeping.

 http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2010/12/fijis-2011-budget-oscars-burdening-future-generations/

Therefore, we urge the UN to please, take note of our plea, and for now to stop all current and any new missions for Fiji's abusive military because it is just not right for them to be allowed to abuse our rights at home while wanting to defend others' rights overseas.

 Lastly, on the UN Peacekeeping website, a question asked by the UNP reads: What are you doing for peace? We, the undersigned would like to ask the UN the same question too: What is the UN doing for peace for Fiji's citizens in Fiji?

 http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/

Thanking you in anticipation for your time and consideration in paying attention to our letter for the betterment of our country and especially for Fiji's children.