Angie Heffernan
Encyclopedia
Angenette Heffernan is a Fiji
an human rights and democracy activist and Executive Director of the Pacific Centre for Public Integrity (PCPI). Prior to PCPI she was a prominent regional environmental political campaigner for Greenpeace Australia for eight years. She established the Pacific Centre for Public Integrity with Suliana Siwatibau
and social justice campaigner Aisake Casimira to combat perceived corruption and bad governance in the Pacific region, She is known for her strong stance against political and state corruption and recently for her outspoken opposition to the coup d'état
carried out by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces
on 5 December 2006.
(FHRC) Director Shaista Shameem
for failing to oppose the coup and human rights violations allegedly committed by the country's military rulers. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=53535 On 28 December, she called on Shameem to resign, claiming that the FHRC had done nothing to help six activists who claimed to have been detained and assaulted at Suva
's Queen Elizabeth Barracks
in the early hours of 25 December. http://www.fijilive.com/news/show/news/2006/12/28/Fijilive01.html On 4 January 2007, Heffernan condemned a report written by Shameem excusing the Military for overthrowing a government that was "illegally constituted." http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=54602
Heffernan also voiced fears that the country could be slipping into dictatorship, the Fiji Times
reported on 16 December. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=53607
On 20 December, she spoke out against granting immunity to Military officers and soldiers, saying it would set a dangerous precedent that would legitimize Military coups. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=53831 On 21 January, she criticized President
Ratu
Josefa Iloilo
for granting immunity to the Military Commander, Commodore
Frank Bainimarama
and all others associated with the coup and with the interim government formed in early January, saying that the President had acted unconstitutionally, the Fiji Sun
quoted her as saying.
Heffernan also condemned the suspension of Chief Justice
Daniel Fatiaki
and the appointment of Anthony Gates
as Acting Chief Justice, saying it had brought disgrace and dishonour to the judiciary. "We do not recognise the appointment of (acting CJ) Anthony Gates, we are very disappointed at his decision to accept a shoddy and illegal appointment given his unblemished professional record," she said.http://www.fijilive.com/news/show/news/2007/01/21/21fijilive01.html
, the PCPI chairperson, said that Heffernan had been threatened and that the Military was looking for her, http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=55815 which Land Force Commander Colonel
Pita Driti
confirmed. Heffernan and fellow-activist Laisa Digitaki
had been making "inciteful" comments, he claimed. http://www.fijilive.com/news/show/news/2007/01/25/fijilive02.html Later that day, Heffernan said she feared for her life and that of her three children, and had gone into hiding. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=55866
The police announced on 28 January that they had begun an investigation into Heffernan and Digitaki on the basis of a formal complaint from the Military. http://www.fijivillage.com/artman/publish/article_35447.shtml
Heffernan was arrested by soldiers in civilian clothes http://www.fijilive.com/news/show/news/2007/01/30/30Fijilive04.html at a Sigatoka
hotel on 30 January. Apprehended at the same hotel was another government critic, Tupou Draunidalo
, Vice-President of the Fiji Law Society
. http://www.fijiworldnews.com/news/publish/News_1/Activists_Caught_-_Digitaki_Sought_for_Statement.shtml Both women were taken in for interrogation by the Military and police. http://www.fijivillage.com/artman/publish/article_35509.shtml Police Director of Uniform Operations Jair Khan said that Heffernan could be charged with breaching the Public Order Act.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an human rights and democracy activist and Executive Director of the Pacific Centre for Public Integrity (PCPI). Prior to PCPI she was a prominent regional environmental political campaigner for Greenpeace Australia for eight years. She established the Pacific Centre for Public Integrity with Suliana Siwatibau
Suliana Siwatibau
Suliana Siwatibau is a Fijian political activist, who serves as the Chairperson of the Pacific Centre for Public Integrity as of January 2007...
and social justice campaigner Aisake Casimira to combat perceived corruption and bad governance in the Pacific region, She is known for her strong stance against political and state corruption and recently for her outspoken opposition to the coup d'état
2006 Fijian coup d'état
The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 occurred as a continuation of the pressure which had been building since the military unrest of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état and 2005-2006 Fijian political crisis....
carried out by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces
Military of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
on 5 December 2006.
The 2006 coup
On 15 December 2006, Heffernan strongly criticized Fiji Human Rights CommissionFiji Human Rights Commission
The Fiji Human Rights Commission was created by presidential decree in 2009, succeeding the entity of the same name established as an independent statutory body under the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of the Fiji Islands.- The 1997 Commission :...
(FHRC) Director Shaista Shameem
Shaista Shameem
Shaista Shameem, a Fijian lawyer of Pakistani and Indian descent, was director of the Fiji Human Rights Commission from 2002 to 2007, and its director and chairperson from 2007 to 2009...
for failing to oppose the coup and human rights violations allegedly committed by the country's military rulers. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=53535 On 28 December, she called on Shameem to resign, claiming that the FHRC had done nothing to help six activists who claimed to have been detained and assaulted at Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
's Queen Elizabeth Barracks
Queen Elizabeth Barracks (Fiji)
Queen Elizabeth Barracks is a Fijian Army base, located in the suburb of Nabua, in Suva. It is the national headquarters of the military.The barracks, commonly known as QEB, was the scene of an unsuccessful army mutiny on 2 November 2000...
in the early hours of 25 December. http://www.fijilive.com/news/show/news/2006/12/28/Fijilive01.html On 4 January 2007, Heffernan condemned a report written by Shameem excusing the Military for overthrowing a government that was "illegally constituted." http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=54602
Heffernan also voiced fears that the country could be slipping into dictatorship, the Fiji Times
Fiji Times
The Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
reported on 16 December. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=53607
On 20 December, she spoke out against granting immunity to Military officers and soldiers, saying it would set a dangerous precedent that would legitimize Military coups. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=53831 On 21 January, she criticized President
President of Fiji
The President of the Republic of Fiji is the head of state of Fiji. The President was appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution. The Great Council of Chiefs is constitutionally required to consult the Prime Minister, but...
Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Josefa Iloilo
Josefa Iloilo
Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda, CF, MBE, MSD, KStJ was the President of Fiji from 2000 until 2009, excluding a brief period from 5 December 2006 until 4 January 2007 . He held the traditional title of Tui Vuda, the paramount chief of the Vuda district in Ba Province on Fiji's northwest coast...
for granting immunity to the Military Commander, Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Frank Bainimarama
Frank Bainimarama
Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...
and all others associated with the coup and with the interim government formed in early January, saying that the President had acted unconstitutionally, the Fiji Sun
Fiji Sun
The Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji. Owned by Sun News Limited, it was first published in September 1999. An internet edition is also published....
quoted her as saying.
Heffernan also condemned the suspension of Chief Justice
Chief Justice (Fiji)
The Chief Justice is Fiji's highest judicial officer. He or she is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, who is required by the Constitution to consult the Leader of the Opposition. This does not give the Leader of the Opposition a veto, only the right to be consulted. ...
Daniel Fatiaki
Daniel Fatiaki
Taniela Vafo'ou Fatiaki CF was the Chief Justice of Fiji from 1 August 2002, when he succeeded Sir Timoci Tuivaga, till 5 December 2008. As Chief Justice, he presided over both the High Court and the Supreme Court, but is constitutionally barred from presiding over, or even sitting on, the...
and the appointment of Anthony Gates
Anthony Gates
Anthony Harold Cumberland Thomas Gates is Acting Chief Justice of Fiji.-Early life:Gates was born in the United Kingdom and is a graduate of Cambridge University, and holds Australian citizenship. He had served as a volunteer teacher as a VSO in Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka...
as Acting Chief Justice, saying it had brought disgrace and dishonour to the judiciary. "We do not recognise the appointment of (acting CJ) Anthony Gates, we are very disappointed at his decision to accept a shoddy and illegal appointment given his unblemished professional record," she said.http://www.fijilive.com/news/show/news/2007/01/21/21fijilive01.html
Into hiding
On 24 January 2007, Heffernan announced that threats from the Military had led to the closure of the PCPI office for one week. http://www.fijivillage.com/artman/publish/article_35344.shtml The next day, Suliana SiwatibauSuliana Siwatibau
Suliana Siwatibau is a Fijian political activist, who serves as the Chairperson of the Pacific Centre for Public Integrity as of January 2007...
, the PCPI chairperson, said that Heffernan had been threatened and that the Military was looking for her, http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=55815 which Land Force Commander Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Pita Driti
Pita Driti
Lieutenant Colonel Pita Driti is a Fijian soldier. As of January 2007, he serves as the Land Force Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, the third most senior position in the Military...
confirmed. Heffernan and fellow-activist Laisa Digitaki
Laisa Digitaki
Laisa Digitaki is a Fijian businesswoman, originally from Moala Island in the Lau Archipelago.-The democracy shrine:Digitaki came into the public eye in December 2006 when she converted her office building into a pro-democracy "shrine" in the wake of the military coup which deposed the elected...
had been making "inciteful" comments, he claimed. http://www.fijilive.com/news/show/news/2007/01/25/fijilive02.html Later that day, Heffernan said she feared for her life and that of her three children, and had gone into hiding. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=55866
The police announced on 28 January that they had begun an investigation into Heffernan and Digitaki on the basis of a formal complaint from the Military. http://www.fijivillage.com/artman/publish/article_35447.shtml
Heffernan was arrested by soldiers in civilian clothes http://www.fijilive.com/news/show/news/2007/01/30/30Fijilive04.html at a Sigatoka
Sigatoka
For the banana disease, see Black sigatoka.Sigatoka is a town in Fiji. It is found on the island of Viti Levu and is situated at the mouth of the Sigatoka River, after which it is named, some 69 kilometers from Nadi. In Fiji's last census the population of Sigatoka was at 9622...
hotel on 30 January. Apprehended at the same hotel was another government critic, Tupou Draunidalo
Tupou Draunidalo
Tupou Draunidalo is a Fijian lawyer. On 9 September 2006, she was elected Vice-President of the Fiji Law Society, defeating Rajesh Gordon. -Political activism and arrest:...
, Vice-President of the Fiji Law Society
Fiji Law Society
The Fiji Law Society is the official body that registers and regulates the activity of all lawyers in Fiji. Devanesh Sharma was elected to replace Graeme Leung as President of the Fiji Law Society on 9 September 2006, and as such he holds membership ex officio on the Judicial Service Commission...
. http://www.fijiworldnews.com/news/publish/News_1/Activists_Caught_-_Digitaki_Sought_for_Statement.shtml Both women were taken in for interrogation by the Military and police. http://www.fijivillage.com/artman/publish/article_35509.shtml Police Director of Uniform Operations Jair Khan said that Heffernan could be charged with breaching the Public Order Act.