Arms shipment worries Fiji opposition

SUVA – Fiji’s opposition has called on the government to reveal the contents of an “unauthorised military shipment” arriving in the capital, Suva, from Russia.

Opposition Whip Ratu Isoa Tikoca, of the Social Democratic Liberal Party (Sodelpa), has speculated that the shipment contains small arms, ammunition, two trucks and a helicopter.

Tikoca said the transaction is illegal as it did not go through parliament for approval.

He said a private security firm barred police from inspecting the 20 containers, a claim rejected by the Acting Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho.

Qiliho said he is well aware of the arrival of the containers, and said there is “nothing illegal about it”.

Qiliho said the Fiji Police Force gave approval for the consignment and police officials had been part of its planning and were included in the reception team.

But Tikoca told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat the operation “has taken the country by surprise”.

“The covertness of getting this across without notifying the public, without notifying parliament. This is not an issue that was even raised in the committee that looks after foreign affairs and defence,” he said.

“We, as taxpayers, know $75 million of our own budget is being used to set up another military camp in the Western Division.

“We’ve shown our concern that another camp is an establishment for the political gain of the existing political leadership – so it’s the political army rather than the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF).”

Last year, Russian media reported Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had signed a deal with his Fijian counterpart to supply weapons and machines for Fiji’s army.

Tikoca said the secrecy surrounding the shipment was suspicious.

“I demand that the government, the prime minister, the commander of the RFMF open those consignments and reveal what it is,” he said.

“We have no enemy as such to be worrying about that sort of number of weapons.

“We belong to a military assistance programme that engages Australia, the British, New Zealand, the Americans – we are part and parcel of the security interests of our Pacific region.

“But it looks like the building up of these arms and ammunition could certainly be what the prime minister has been trying to do to control the south-west Pacific, specifically controlling the Melanesian Spearhead Group and actually bringing his will over the Pacific Island Forums as well.” - ABC