SUVA – A Fiji lawyer says he’s living in fear after receiving threats over his involvement in high profile sedition cases in the country.

Aman Ravindra-Singh is representing dozens of people who have been brought before the courts in recent months, some accused of trying to set up a sovereign Christian state in Fiji and others alleged to have taken part in a para-military style group.

The Lautoka-based lawyer says the threats have included three attacks, by men he believes are members of Fiji’s security forces, on people close to him in recent weeks.

One of the victims, Ravindra-Singh’s employee, was bundled into a car and driven into the bush where for two hours he was subjected to acts of torture including being stomped on, hit with a rod, pricked with pins, and injected with liquid.

Ravindra-Singh says “the men were in plain clothes and their faces were covered but he says they were evidently members of the security forces.”

“In all of these attacks the men had military boots on, they were well-trained, they were very fit.”

“Apart from that it was the way they spoke and it was the questions and also certain things such as, ‘why is he against the government’ and, ‘you can tell him this is going to happen to him’ and ‘we’re looking for him’,” said Ravindra-Singh.

Ravindra-Singh says he believes the aim of the threats is to stop him representing those accused in the sedition cases.

“In the last week I have been warned on a daily basis that my days are numbered. At the same time third parties have come out and said, ‘look we have certain people who are in the security forces, you need to watch your back and you need to be very careful, your office is under surveillance.’

“There is a high level of fear in my office right now and I’m very concerned and I’m very worried,” he said.

Ravindra-Singh says he and his staff are very fearful after three attacks but he says he will not be put off the cases.

Ravindra-Singh says he is also concerned at human rights abuses which are happening daily in Fiji and which he sees working as a lawyer in Lautoka.

“In police stations around the country Fiji citizens are slapped, punched, kicked, intimidated, threatened, co-erced into giving confessions, sometimes not fed. There are a litany of cases,” he said.

He says he has asked the UN Human Rights Office in Suva to observe what he sees happening in Lautoka but has been told they don’t have the resources.

“It’s absolute nonsense what the Fiji government says out there in support of human rights and it is absolutely a farce that the Fiji government receives praise from the United Nations and from the European Union.

“Because we are the ones putting up with the violation and breaches of human rights and I’m personally experiencing this on the ground,” he said.

A Fiji government delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Council in October last year outlined efforts the government was making in the area of human rights including police training.

After being urged to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture by several countries at the Universal Periodic Review meeting, the Fiji Parliament unanimously agreed to ratify the treaty in March this year.

Formal ratification of the treaty is still being awaited, though, and the government has indicated it wants several reservations placed. - RNZI

Manus Island detainees ask to be executed

CANBERRA – A disturbing letter, signed by 600 of the 900 Manus Island Aasylum seeker detainees, has asked Australia’s Prime Minter Malcolm Turnbull and Immigration MiinsterPeter Dutton to kill them.

The letter, published by human rights lawyer Julian Burnside on his website on Monday, describes the hopelessness Manus Island detainees feel about their situation and outlines possible avenues of mass killing for the Australian government.

“As the refugees and asylum seekers trapped in Manus Island detention we would like to request you something different this time,” the letter reads.

“We would like to give you some recommendations to stop the waste of this huge amount of money ruining Australian’s reputation and to keep the Australian borders safe forever.”

“1. A navy ship that can put us all on board and dump us all in the ocean. (HMAS – Her Majesty’s Australian Ship – is always available).”

“2. A gas chamber – government and defence contractor – will do it with a new contract.”

“3. Injection of a poison. IHMS – International Health and Medical Services – will help for this.”

“This is not a joke or a satire and please take it serious.”

“We are dying in Manus gradually, every single day we are literall tortured and traumatized and there is no safe country to offer us protection as DIBP (Department of Immigration and Border Protection) says.”

“Best regards, Merry Christmas in advance, Manus refugees and asylum seekers.”

The letter was verified by a journalist who contacted its author, known as ‘Mahmud’.

In an interview with Vice magazine over social media, Mahmud said the situation on the island had worsened recently.

“Medical illness due to stress leads to death. People here go insane. Hangings. Hunger strikes.”

VICE: Did others work with you on letter?

“Yes, especially the ways of killings. For example, one community was suggesting drowning and the other was saying gas chamber.”

VICE: What prompted this?

“Recently Immigration is telling us there is no country that will accept us on this planet. They are literally torturing and traumatising us with their system. So when we found out they will keep doing this and we will be experiencing gradual death for the rest of our lives in here why not ask them to execute us instead?

VICE: How do you think the Australian government will respond to this letter?

“We don’t know. Australians don’t respond to us.”

To organise the signatures, Mahmud said he smuggled the letter between the centre’s different compounds.

He said some of the men who signed the letter asked to be the first to die if the government granted their request.

- PNC