The United States has criticised Fiji's post-coup governance in its annual human rights report on the country, citing widespread abuses, judicial and media interference and corruption, reports The Age.

Fiji's interim government, formed after the military seized power in a bloodless coup in December 2006, came under fire in the US Department of State report issued on Wednesday reports Pacnews.

"There were numerous reports of abuses by security forces during the year.

"Military personnel detained numerous persons without warrants for interrogation and intimidation and, in some cases, brief incarceration.

"In most cases the interim government took no action against military or police personnel alleged to have committed abuses against coup opponents and pro-democracy activists," the report said.

It mentioned reports from non-governmental groups that numerous people who had been abused were unwilling to make formal reports to the Fiji Human Rights Commission for fear of reprisal in a climate of intimidation.

The document also questioned whether the interim government would hold elections in the first part of next year, as promised by the nation's self-appointed Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.

It noted that while Commodore Bainimarama had committed his country to returning to democracy "his rhetoric continued to create uncertainty about the firmness of his commitment to that date".

The US report said while the government did not commit any politically-motivated killings, security forces were implicated in three deaths.

It said the interim government tried to send suspects in two of the killings out of the country on peacekeeping duty.

The interim government's treatment of judges also was criticised by the US.

"During the year the interim government interfered with judicial independence in practice," the report said.

It noted widespread criticism of the appointment of Anthony Gates as chief justice, after suspending former chief justice Daniel Fatiaki.

The US noted that while there were no reports of political prisoners in Fiji, human rights activists, lawyers, journalists and others had been briefly detained and sometimes beaten for making statements against the 2006 coup of the interim government.

It also found that while independent media were active, most practised self-censorship, and had been warned against making inciting comments.

Internet freedom was another area criticised in the report, after the military moved to censor or shut down a number of anti-government weblogs.

A businessman accused by the military of involvement in a blog was detained and verbally and physically abused, the report said.

"Several other individuals suspected of maintaining blogs or posting on blogs were threatened or intimidated," it said.

Government corruption remained widespread in Fiji, despite measures introduced by the interim government to combat the practice.

Fiji Times