Rights and reconciliation in Fiji
Fiji is a society divided along ethnic lines and has experienced a constitutional crisis for over 20 years. Communal relations between the indigenous and Indo-Fijian communities have steadily worsened, and in December 2006 the military seized power from the elected government.
Presented as a social justice campaign to right the wrongs set in motion by a previous coup in 2000, the coup has had profoundly divisive consequences for Fiji and its active civil society.
Key national issues of land lease renewal, sugar industry reform and justice and reconciliation processes remain unresolved.
Our involvement in Fiji dates back to 1995, working with the newly formed Citizens’ Constitutional Forum (CCF). This dynamic national group is dedicated to preventing violent conflict and promoting human rights and democratization within the framework of Fiji’s 1997 Constitution.
CCF are working to promote a constructive return to democracy in Fiji, and also to raise awareness among ethnic communities of their mutual rights and interests. They act as public watchdogs, committed to taking legal action to ensure public officials and bodies comply with the Constitution.
