5 Dec 2016

Rights group sees positive signs in Fiji

7:48 am on 5 December 2016

Amnesty International says there are positive signs that Fiji may be taking steps to end a culture of torture and brutality in the security forces.

The organisation released a report into several cases of torture and how justice is often delayed or denied to coincide with the ten year anniversary of Frank Bainimarama's coup.

Amnesty International's Pacific researcher, Kate Schuetze, said people are still being violently assaulted by security forces that act with impunity.

Video footage of a man allegedly being beaten by Fiji security personnel in 2012.

Video footage of a man allegedly being beaten by Fiji security personnel in 2012. Photo: RNZ

However, with the recent conviction of eight police and military officer for rape and an admission by the prime minister that there is a problem with torture, there are some positive signs.

"We have moved a long way from a couple of years ago, Bainimarama saying 'I stand by my men,' to a few weeks ago saying, 'look there is a problem within our security forces of resorting to violence and we do need to change that.'," she said.

"We are providing a roadmap essentially for [the] government to try and address some of these issues if it is committed to addressing torture and ill treatment."

However, Ms Schuetze said more serious reforms are needed to ensure that action follows the government's words.