VZCZCXRO0073
OO RUEHPB
DE RUEHSV #0477/01 3092351
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 052351Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY SUVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3412
INFO RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 1341
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY PRIORITY 0941
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0014
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 1126

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000477 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ROME PASS TO HQ MFO SINAI AMB. LAROCCO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016 
TAGS: PREL MARR ASEC CASC FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI MILITARY CASTS BLAME ON AUSTRALIA AND NEW 
ZEALAND; COUP PLANS REPORTEDLY CONTINUE 
 
REF: A. SUVA 471 (AND PREVIOUS) 
 
     ¶B. USDAO SUVA 051844Z NOV 06 
     ¶C. SUVA 393 
     ¶D. SUVA 401 
 
Classified By: Amb. Dinger. Sec. 1.4 (B,D). 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1. (S) With RFMF Commander Bainimarama's return to Suva, the 
Fiji Police reportedly have indications that coup planning 
continues.  RFMF senior officers are directing media attacks 
at Australia, New Zealand, and Police Commissioner Hughes. 
Vice President Madraiwiwi counseled dialogue in a Remembrance 
Day address.  A Great Council of Chiefs meeting is scheduled 
for Thursday.  The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) was preparing 
a Forum Ministers meeting for Friday until Qarase scuttled 
that today.  If a coup is to occur, timing remains unclear, 
and we would not expect such an event to be directed against 
U.S. citizens and interests.  Bainimarama reportedly remains 
unhappy with Amb. Dinger for speaking publicly in late 
September to correct a misimpression the Commodore had left 
with the media about the U.S. military view of proper 
civil-military relations.  Our Aussie and Kiwi colleagues 
continue to query whether we will cancel the PACOM invitation 
for Bainimarama to attend the CHODS in KL.  End summary. 
 
Bainimarama returns 
------------------- 
¶2. (C) Commodore Bainimarama arrived back in Fiji early 
Saturday morning, Nov. 4.  He has been meeting with senior 
RFMF leaders, but he has made no public statements since 
then, leaving the media to the RFMF Deputy, Capt. (N) Teleni 
and Land Forces Commander Lt.Col. Driti. 
 
Raising doubts about Aussies and Kiwis 
-------------------------------------- 
¶3. (S) It appears a concerted effort is under way to divert 
media attention away from the RFMF and against New Zealand, 
Australia, and Police Commissioner Hughes (an Aussie).  Both 
Australia and New Zealand sent small contingents of security 
personnel into Suva late last week. The Aussies sent about 
ten, mostly from the military; the Kiwis sent four from the 
police.  In public statements, the RFMF has accused the 
newcomers of bringing in suspicious containers and evading 
customs.  In a press event on the weekend, Driti reportedly 
suggested Australia is thinking of invading.  He suggested 
Australia "wants Fiji to fail and become a failed state so 
that they can come in and dominate us."   But, he said, the 
RFMF will not accept any foreign intervention.  We will stop 
them."  Driti said "it will be insane of them and will be 
like declaring war." 
 
Anger at Police Commissioner; request to resign 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶4. (S) Per Ref B, Bainimarama reportedly returned to Suva 
angry at Commissioner Hughes and the police for investigating 
him and for going public about the RFMF's removal of a 
container of ammunition from the Suva wharf without a permit. 
 Hughes has said he will invite Bainimarama to a one-on-one 
session this week to discuss the police investigations 
against the RFMF and Bainimarama in particular.  The RFMF's 
Teleni has said publicly that the military will cooperate. 
Actually, behind the scenes, Teleni sent Hughes a letter on 
Nov. 3 asking him to resign, since, in the RFMF view, there 
is no way Hughes, with first loyalties to Australia and with 
prejudices against the RFMF, can conduct a fair 
investigation.  Teleni accused Hughes of bringing "ridicule" 
to the RFMF. 
 
Coup planning reportedly continues 
---------------------------------- 
¶5. (S) Reportedly Commissioner Hughes told a good source 
today that police sources have indications RFMF coup 
preparations continue, and several prominent persons have 
been approached to take cabinet portfolios in an interim 
government.  Timing reportedly remains unclear.  We continue 
to expect that if a coup occurs it will not be directed 
against U.S. people or interests in Fiji. 
 
VP counsels dialogue at Remembrance Day; senior RFMF absent 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
¶6. (U) During a Remembrance Day ceremony in downtown Suva on 
Nov. 6, Vice President Madraiwiwi acknowledged the current 
 
SUVA 00000477  002 OF 002 
 
 
tensions, urged all sides to recall lessons from the events 
of 1987 and 2000, and counseled that dialogue is the 
preferred course.  He endorsed the Great Council of Chiefs 
meeting scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 9.  Police Commissioner 
Hughes was in attendance, but senior RFMF officers were not. 
 
Fiji puts off PIF Ministerial meeting 
------------------------------------- 
¶7. (U) We are told that the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) 
Secretariat today heard from PM Qarase that he is not 
 
SIPDIS 
prepared to seek a Forum Foreign Ministers meeting at this 
time under the auspices of the Biketewa Declaration (see ref 
A) to discuss the Fiji situation.  The PIF was gearing up to 
host that meeting on Friday, Nov. 10, but has now stood down. 
 
The Commodore and the Ambassador 
-------------------------------- 
¶8. (S) In a recent Bainimarama conversation with the DG of 
MFO Sinai (reported to us by e-mail) the Commodore reportedly 
"railed" against Amb. Dinger, relating back to an incident in 
late September (see refs C and D).  At the time, the 
Ambassador publicly corrected the record on U.S. views re 
civil-military relations when Bainimarama reportedly told the 
media he had been motivated to return to public criticism 
against the Qarase Government by a U.S. military request at 
the Pacific Armies Management Seminar (PAMS) for frank and 
open discussion in that forum. 
 
CHODS invitation: continued queries 
----------------------------------- 
¶9. (C) Our Australian and New Zealand colleagues asked again 
today if the USG has decided on whether to rescind the PACOM 
invitation for Bainimarama to attend the CHODS conference in 
KL.  He is scheduled to depart Fiji Saturday, Nov. 11. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶10. (S) It remains possible that the reports of coup planning 
are an elaborate RFMF information operation intended to 
pressure PM Qarase to withdraw controversial bills and clean 
up alleged corruption.  Unfortunately, the Fiji Police, at 
least, seem to believe the more likely explanation is that 
the coup planning is for real. 
DINGER