Maldives Calls for Re-establishment of Democracy in Fiji

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

The Maldives has called for the reinstatement of full participatory democracy and human rights in the Pacific Island nation of Fiji during a debate on the country’s human rights record at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The elected Government of Fiji was removed by the military in a 2006 coup. Since then, the human rights situation in the county has been severely criticised and Fiji has been suspended from the Commonwealth.
Speaking during consideration of Fiji’s report under the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) procedure, the Maldives Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, H.E. Ms. Iruthisham Adam, compared Fiji’s current difficulties with the Maldives recent past:
“As a Small Island States which has recently undergone profound political change, the Maldives understands the challenges and difficulties faced by Fiji and would like to strongly encourage the country to implement, speedily and fully, the reforms that it itself has admitted are necessary.
It is clear from the three reports that a lack of trust, both within Fiji and between Fiji and the international community, is a major barrier to progress”.
The Maldives also warned the international community that it must start from a position where it believes in and expresses support for democratic and human rights reform in Fiji. “Instead of condemning, the international community must extend assistance and work with Fijians to bring about the reforms that Fiji itself knows our necessary”, stated Ambassador Adam.
Since the election of the MDP-led Government in 2008, the Maldives has become an increasingly strong international advocate of human rights around the world. In 2010, the Maldives will stand for election to the Human Rights Council.

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