(Note: This commentary originally appeared in the May 2009 edition of the Far Eastern Economic Review. )

HONOLULU (May 7) - In recent weeks Fiji’s political turmoil has taken an ominous turn, with a harsh crackdown on all forms of political dissent. What began on Dec. 5, 2006 as a preannounced and generally peaceful military takeover led by Commodore “Frank” Bainimarama is fast becoming a more complex conundrum for Fiji’s military, citizens and the international community. More than ever it appears that the regime, in the face of resistance and setbacks, is responding by becoming increasingly oppressive.

Political repression and reports of human-rights abuses come in the wake of a court of appeals decision on April 9 stating that President Josefa Iloilo’s actions in establishing the interim government and making promulgations after the coup were unconstitutional. As the fa