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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000201 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2016 
TAGS: PINS CJAN PREL MARR PGOV PINR FJ
SUBJECT: FORMER FIJI PM RABUKA ARRESTED ON 2000 MUTINY 
CHARGES 
 
Classified By: Amb. Dinger.  Section 1.4 (B,D). 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary:   Former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has 
been arrested in Fiji and charged with inciting the military 
mutiny that took place in November 2000.  Rabuka has been 
released on bail and his case has been transferred to the 
High Court, where a preliminary hearing will take place June 
¶30.  The arrest was the culmination of a long-running 
investigation by the police and the Department of Public 
Prosecutions.   Opposition leader Chaudhry told us the arrest 
sent a much-needed signal that actions taken against lawfully 
elected governments will not be tolerated in Fiji.  End 
summary. 
 
Rabuka Arrested, Released on Bail 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C)  Sitiveni Rabuka was arrested on the evening of May 11 
after his return to Fiji from medical treatment in India.  He 
appeared in court on the morning of May 12 and was charged 
with fomenting the mutiny that took place at the Republic of 
Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) headquarters in November 2000. 
No plea was taken.  Rabuka was released on FJ$1,000 bail 
(about USD$580).  Rabuka was ordered to surrender his 
passport and report to his local police station twice a week. 
 A preliminary hearing will take place June 30 at Fiji's High 
Court. 
 
Chaudhry Hails Arrest 
--------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C)  Opposition leader Chaudhry told us May 12 that he 
was pleased with the arrest, which will send a strong signal 
to anyone contemplating taking action against the newly 
elected government.  The timing of the arrest, he concluded, 
could not have been better. The ruling SDL party has made no 
comment yet on the arrest. 
 
The Rabuka Saga 
--------------- 
 
¶4.  (C)  Rabuka led two military coups in 1987 and later 
served as Prime Minister until his SVT party lost the 1999 
general elections.  In the mid-1990s, he moderated his 
nationalist-Fijian views and collaborated with 
then-Opposition Leader Reddy to create Fiji's rather liberal, 
multi-cultural-oriented 1997 Constitution.  Such cooperation, 
which alienated an important part of Rabuka's ethnic-Fijian 
base, led to the smashing defeat of the SVT in 1999.  Rumors 
have suggested that Rabuka was involved behind the scenes in 
the 2000 ethnic-Fijian-led coup which removed then-PM 
Chaudhry and then-President Mara from office. 
 
A Long-Running Investigation 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C)  Senior police sources told us many months ago that a 
long-running investigation into the events of 2000 pointed 
toward Rabuka playing rolls in both the initial coup and the 
military mutiny which followed six months later.  That 
knowledge contributed to the U.S. declining to provide 
agrement in 2005 for the Fiji Government's proposal to send 
Rabuka as Ambassador to Washington.  (Note: PM Qarase has 
appointed several figures rumored to have been involved 
negatively in the events of 2000 to diplomatic postings 
abroad, notably UN PermRep Savua, High Commissioner to 
Malaysia Adi Samanumu Cakabau, and former High Commissioner 
to PNG, now to Tokyo, Ratu Inoke Kabuabola.) 
 
¶6. (C)  The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) confirmed 
to us several weeks ago that he was prepared to indict Rabuka 
on 2000-related charges, but that Rabuka had headed off to 
India for knee-replacement surgery.  The DPP speculated that 
Rabuka might stay away indefinitely, being aware the 
indictment was approaching.  We note that DPP decision-making 
regarding the case was slow.  Police sources had indicated 
privately many months ago that they had a good case against 
Rabuka that only awaited DPP endorsement. 
 
Bainimarama Vindicated? 
----------------------- 
 
¶7. (C)  RFMF Commander Bainimarama was badly shaken by the 
 
SUVA 00000201  002 OF 002 
 
 
November 2000 mutiny, which was engineered by elements of the 
Counter-Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) unit that Rabuka had 
established within the RFMF after 1987.  Mutineers came close 
to killing Bainimarama at the time.  Rumor has it that Rabuka 
was at the barracks that day, in his old uniform.  Having the 
prosecutorial system pursue the mutiny perpetrators has been 
a key Bainimarama demand ever since. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. (C)  The indictment in the midst of Fiji's national 
elections might suggest some sort of political calculation. 
Could the Qarase Government, wanting to energize its 
ethnic-Fijian base, see Rabuka's 2000-related arrest as a way 
to inflame passions and get ethnic-Fijian folks to the polls 
to endorse Qarase's SDL party which has, despite 
protestations to the contrary, taken a rather soft approach 
toward some other highly placed Fijians involved in 2000?  Or 
is the timing simply triggered by Rabuka's return, with an 
arrest order waiting?  We would not be surprised if the 
earlier delay in indicting Rabuka had a political tinge; 
however, our initial impression is that the timing of last 
night's arrest is explained by Rabuka's flight schedule home. 
DINGER