22 Apr 2009

Fiji movement denounces UN stance as hypocrisy

1:58 pm on 22 April 2009

A Fiji democracy movement in Australia has condemned the United Nations for continuing to employ peacekeepers from Fiji.

The Fiji Democracy and Freedom Movement has praised Australia and New Zealand governments for criticising the ongoing participation of Fiji soldiers in UN peacekeeping operations.

Its president Usaia Waqatairewa has attacked the UN for allowing this to continue.

He says the income of soldiers triples when they serve with the UN and it must stop this flow of funds that props up the interim regime.

"The United Nations is practising the highest form of hypocrisy by condoning a military force that has raped the democracy in their homeland and yet are being used by the United Nations, the world body that we all look up to, they are using this same military force to be deployed in other flashspots around the world to try and maintain the peace."

Usaia Waqatairewa says he's hopeful Australia will change its mind on widening sanctions on Fiji, which the Foreign Minister Stephen Smith ruled out yesterday.