VZCZCXRO8428
PP RUEHPB
DE RUEHSV #0393/01 2672334
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 242334Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY SUVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3309
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1288
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0897
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1079
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000393 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2016 
TAGS: MARR PREL FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI MILITARY COMMANDER RESUMES OFFENSIVE V. 
CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT; REPORTEDLY ATTEMPTS TO INVOKE U.S. 
 
REF: A. SUVA 255 
     ¶B. SUVA 214 
     ¶C. SUVA 389 
     ¶D. SUVA 209 
     ¶E. SUVA 254 
 
Classified By: Amb. Dinger.  Sec. 1.4 (B,D). 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1. (C)  Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Commander 
Bainimarama reignited public conflict with PM Qarase's 
government during a speech last weekend.  In a follow-up 
interview that was headlined "Army outburst 'on US advice'" 
on the front page of the 9/25 Fiji Sun, Bainimarama 
reportedly said he drew motivation from the remarks of the 
Commander, U.S. Army Pacific, LtGen. Brown at the Pacific 
Regional Armies Seminar (PAMS) recently held in Fiji.  Most 
of Fiji's civilian leaders declined immediate comment. 
LtGen. Brown's remarks that complimented free and frank 
discussions within PAMS seminars on military topics were 
taken entirely out of context.  We have provided 
clarification to the media (see para 4).  Prods for 
Bainimarama's volatile remarks could have been that, as 
threatened before last May's elections, PM Qarase recently 
requested Fiji's President to seek clarification of the 
RFMF's constitutional role.  Qarase has also introduced 
controversial "land" bills in Parliament, against 
Bainimarama's advice.  Most people in Fiji have relished a 
period of calm since the elections and have been encouraged 
by efforts to find common political ground.  Bainimarama's 
remarks have set the public's nerves again on edge.  End 
Summary. 
 
Fiji military commander reignites civ-mil friction 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
¶2. (U)  During remarks at a secondary school's passing out 
parade for military cadets on Saturday, Sept. 23, the 
Commander of the RFMF, Commodore Bainimarama, harshly 
criticized the government of Prime Minister Qarase for 
advocating controversial legislation like a "qoliqoli" bill 
that has been proposed to clarify coastal land/fishing 
rights.  Bainimarama's remarks appeared to end an informal 
truce with Qarase after last May's elections returned the 
Qarase government to power (see refs A and B). 
 
Commodore reportedly inspired by U.S. PAMS comments 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶3. (U)  In a follow-up interview with the Fiji Sun newspaper, 
Bainimarama reportedly said he drew motivation from remarks 
by LtGen. John Brown, USARPAC, during the PAMS that took 
place in Fiji Sept. 11-15.  The Sun's front-page headline on 
Monday, Sept. 25, was "Army outburst 'on US advice'."  The 
article says Bainimarama was motivated to speak out by LtGen. 
Brown's "challenge" during PAMS that divisive issues "should 
not be faced with politeness but with honesty."  The article 
says that Bainimarama, in his closing speech to PAMS said 
that, "the military, as you (Gen. Brown) have suggested, 
cannot and should not be too polite in these areas and should 
deal with them with an attitude that is sincere, frank, 
direct, and truthful."  (Note: Bainimarama is currently 
visiting the UN with Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola to 
discuss PKO issues, per ref C.  We cannot confirm the 
accuracy of the statements attributed to Bainimarama in the 
article.)  The article reports that PM Qarase and a spokesman 
for the "opposition" Fiji Labor Party (FLP) declined comment. 
 Opposition Leader Mick Beddoes reportedly said U.S. generals 
have "no jurisdiction over Fiji." 
 
No relation to actual context: media correction 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶4. (U)  On seeing the article (which was not vetted with the 
Embassy), we contacted LtGen. Brown and confirmed that his 
comments were taken entirely out of context.  His reference 
to frank and direct discussion related to the excellent 
conversations that took place among the multi-national group 
of military attendees during PAMS seminars on 
military-related coalition-operations issues.  His remarks 
were not directed toward and were not intended to apply to 
civil-military relations.  The Ambassador held a media event 
on Sept. 25 and distributed the following statement: 
 
"The United States Government has a very strong belief that 
the military must be subordinate to the elected civilian 
leadership in a democracy.  We routinely convey that view 
during U.S. training events for foreign military officers, 
 
SUVA 00000393  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
and, as necessary, we make the point directly with foreign 
militaries. 
 
"A front-page headline in the Monday, September 25, Fiji Sun 
suggests that RFMF Commander Bainimarama took a different 
message from a statement by the Commander, U.S. Army Pacific, 
Lieutenant General John Brown, during the recent Pacific 
Armies Management Seminar (PAMS) held in Nadi, Fiji, for 
military leaders from 30 Asia-Pacific nations. 
 
"I have spoken with Lieutenant General Brown.  In his closing 
remarks to the PAMS, he complimented the "open, candid, and 
frank conversations" that took place in the PAMS seminar 
sessions, which were solely devoted to military discussions 
of military subjects related to peacekeeping operations. 
 
"Lieutenant General Brown's remarks were not in any way 
intended to suggest how military leaders in democracies 
should relate to their civilian governments. 
 
"In fact, Lieutenant General Brown emphasized to me the U.S. 
view, which is his view, that the military in a democracy 
must not attempt to involve itself in politics and must not 
give the impression it is seeking to usurp the powers of the 
elected civilian government. 
 
"In sum, the PAMS seminars and Lieutenant General Brown's 
remarks were solely focused on how military forces can best 
cooperate to implement international coalition operations." 
End statement. 
 
PM Qarase's effort to clarify RFMF roles 
---------------------------------------- 
¶5. (U)  In response to Bainimarama's Saturday speech, PM 
Qarase revealed publicly that he recently activated his 
pre-election threat to seek a definitive Supreme Court 
opinion on the proper role of the military in domestic 
politics in Fiji (Ref D).  Qarase said President Iloilo, who 
as Commander in Chief would be the proper authority to 
initiate a Supreme Court review, has the request in his 
in-box. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶6. (C)  Commodore Bainimarama's anti-government remarks 
Saturday at the school were deliberate.  We had heard just 
beforehand that he was going to deliver a controversial 
speech.  While we cannot confirm if the Fiji Sun interview 
was a deliberate attempt to tie the U.S. to his approach, we 
can confirm that Embassy Suva and U.S. high-level visitors 
have repeatedly made clear to Bainimarama and others in the 
RFMF leadership the U.S. view of the proper civil-military 
relationship. 
 
¶7. (C)  It appears the relative peace in Fiji's 
civil-military relations since the May elections were an 
anomaly, not the new norm.  Bainimarama's motivations could 
include: 1) an awareness that Qarase is following through on 
the request for a Supreme Court opinion and 2) unhappiness 
that Qarase continues to push for the qoliqoli and other 
controversial legislation.  We sense Bainimarama is swimming 
against a heavy tide of public opinion that has approved of 
the current, relatively cordial multi-party cabinet system 
(ref E), revels in the current less-confrontational politics, 
and wants past civil-military frictions to subside.  That 
said, the current political calm has been fragile in any 
case, as FLP leader Chaudhry is seeking to penalize several 
of his colleagues now in Cabinet who are actively seeking 
multi-party solutions to Fiji's major problems.  End Comment. 
DINGER