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Fiji military leader considering lifting state of emergency

Fiji's military leader said yesterday he was withdrawing troops sent into the streets during a coup more than three months ago, and he might lift a nationwide state of emergency if the security situation remained calm.

Armed Forces commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama said troops are "slowly withdrawing ... from the streets ... at checkpoints round the country" that were put up as he seized power on Dec. 5 from the democratically elected government.

Fiji police will have a greater presence at checkpoints, and backup by troops will be provided to police when requested, Bainimarama said in a statement.

Total withdrawal?

The military-installed government will review its state of emergency decree at the end of the month "with a view of total withdrawal ... should the security assessment be positive," Bainimarama said.

It was the first indication of a relaxation of tight security imposed at the time of the coup.

Bainimarama's announcement comes three days after South Pacific nations demanded Fiji return to elected civilian rule within two years -- and gave the nation three months to take the first steps away from military control or face unspecified consequences.

A military spokesman on Friday said Bainimarama would respond to the 16-nation South Pacific Forum's request once he had studied its statement.

Bainimarama ousted elected Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and banished him to a remote northern island, closed the parliament, imposed a state of emergency and took control of the police force.

Civil investigations

He said yesterday that the military has no role "in civil case investigations as these are matters for the police, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and judiciary to handle."

He also reaffirmed an earlier commitment that all cases involving abuse of human rights would be investigated by the police and Fiji's Human Rights Commission.

The commission has recorded at least 200 cases of such abuse made against troops who have been accused of beatings and intimidation of coup opponents in recent months.
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