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Fiji at risk of becoming 'next Burma'
Australian Associated Press - April 13, 2009
Fiji is slated to become the Burma of the South Pacific, say regional experts who warn the troubled nation is now staring down the barrel at years of stifling military rule and financial destitution.
Regional commentators have labelled as an "outrage" the latest developments in Fiji in which the country's military ruler, Frank Bainimarama, returned to the leadership helm with more power than ever.
The actions stemmed from a court ruling last Thursday that found Bainimarama's regime, in power since staging a 2006 coup, was illegal under the country's 1997 constitution and could be replaced.
But in response, the country's ailing 88-year-old President Ratu Josefa Iloilo sacked the judges, dissolved the constitution, ruled out any election for five years and briefly removed Bainimarama before reappointing him to the top job.
"This was all a total charade, just a hoax that spits in the face of democracy," said Professor Brij Lal, a Pacific specialist at the Australian National University.
"The President is a senile old man, a puppet in the pocket of the military. "It was planned all along that he would look after Bainimarama and strengthen the regime and no justice would be done."
The actions, which include stringent media censorship, have been roundly condemned by frustrated world leaders who have long been calling for elections to return the country to democracy.
Bainimarama says the events give Fiji a "fresh start", but Lal says it is more akin to a big step backwards.
He said it was effectively a fifth coup for Fiji, which has had four governments illegally overthrown since 1987 due to ethnic tensions between Fiji's indigenous majority and financially powerful Fiji Indian minority.
"Fiji is in serious danger of becoming the next Burma, where the military has entrenched itself with a sham kind of parliament and pays no heed to international opinion over many, many years."
Fijians have not protested at the turn of events. Lal says people are either scared of retribution or are complacent after 28 months of military rule.
ANU academic Dr Jon Fraenkel said the military, with its harassment of the media, clearly feared some kind of popular reaction from Fijians hit hard by the new turn of events.
"So far, people in Fiji have had to put up with an attack on democracy," Fraenkel said.
"But now they're also likely to face severe deterioration in living standards and as the money runs out the state will no longer be able to pay public servants.
"Factories are closing, the reserves are falling, government finances are serious trouble.
"In other words, there are tough times ahead."
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