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Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (Fiji)
Encyclopedia
The Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit or CRWU was the common name for the First Meridian Squadron, the unit's formal name, which had been disbanded in 2000. It was the only special forces group of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces
, and was the brainchild of former Military Commander and former Prime Minister
, Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka
.
The unit had gained notoriety in Fiji
for being involved in the Fijian 2000 coup d'état and the subsequent court martial of the renegade CRW soldiers involved
, as well as being accused for attempting to assassinate Frank Bainimarama
after he took power by overthrowing the illegal, civilian, Fijian government
that illegally took power from Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudry in the 2000 Fijian coup d'état. Its founding officer Ilisoni Ligairi had also gained notoriety alongside his unit for participating in the mutinies.
22nd Regiment Special Air Service
officer, Major
Ilisoni Ligairi BEM
, a retired SAS Permanent Staff instructor who, upon returning to Fiji
for retirement after serving a 20 year stint with the 22 and 21 SAS regiments in Great Britain in 1984, was called up for service at the request of Sitiveni Rabuka to form the elite unit in 1987.
and close protection mainly for Rabuka and visiting VIP personnel and intelligence gathering to specialist EOD
and counter insurgency work. He modeled the new group and its concepts around the selection criteria and other elements on the SAS.
As more interested soldiers applied for the challenging selection course, the unit evolved steadily under Ligairi's supervision from C.P group to C.R.W (Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit), trained with the latest techniques in Close Quarters Battle
and Counter-terrorism
, and tasked with being on 24-hour standby for any terrorist activity that posed a threat to the small island nation.
At one point, a review on the unit had recommended the dissolution of the CRW in 1995 as they acted like mercenaries instead of actually conducting their duties.
group. Their training and exercises were conducted in joint with U. S. Navy SEALs
and MI6
as well as operating as a member of the newly formed PASOC (Pacific Special Operations Command). After 12 years of nurturing the unit and introducing the concept of Special Warfare, Ligairi retired from the Fiji Military Forces in February 1999.
They have also trained with Australian, British and New Zealand special forces.
Mahendra Chaudhry
and his Labour-led coalition government of Fiji hostage
at the Parliament of Fiji complex led by failed business entrepreneur George Speight
and Ilisoni Ligairi. Reports have been said that the decision by Frank Bainimarama
to disband the CRW had also fueled the mutiny.
The mutiny that took place at Fiji's Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Suva on 2 November 2000, resulted in the death of four loyal soldiers. Five of the rebels were subsequently beaten to death after their capture over their involvement in the mutiny. A total of 42 soldiers from the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit were subsequently convicted of involvement in the mutiny.
After this incident, the unit was officially disbanded and its members dishonorably discharged. Many complained of not being paid properly by the Fiji Government for their service.
Lieutenant Colonel
Viliame Seruvakula of the Third Fiji Infantry Regiment in 2001 had said the creation of the CRW was not the right thing to do as the military was not trained to face their own kind.
The CRW was compared to the Praetorian Guard
, being used for a violent solution in case that anyone "tried to do to him what he did to the Bavadra and then Mara governments in 1987."
, a prominent and somewhat controversial entrepreneur of Indian
descent, has employed at least eight former CRW unit members as drivers and bodyguards. This has drawn the ire of the Fiji Military and Colonel
Pita Driti
, the Land Forces Commander, has warned Khan that if any of the soldiers cause problems for the government, the military will be "out to get him first". Some ex-CRWU operators were spotted in Papua New Guinea
conducting security work.
Six ex-CRWU officers were arrested and charged for plotting to assassinate Frank Bainimarama
with one of the accused not showing up himself in court.
Ligairi had created a security company called Ronin High Risk Company and had defended its establishment, saying that it doesn't threaten Fiji's national security.
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...
, and was the brainchild of former Military Commander and former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Fiji
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji is the head of government of Fiji. The Prime Minister was appointed by the President under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution....
, Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka
Sitiveni Rabuka
Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...
.
The unit had gained notoriety in Fiji
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...
for being involved in the Fijian 2000 coup d'état and the subsequent court martial of the renegade CRW soldiers involved
Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit Court Martial, Fiji
The mutiny that took place at Fiji's Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Suva on 2 November 2000, resulted in the death of four loyal soldiers. Four of the rebels were subsequently beaten to death after the rebellion had been quelled...
, as well as being accused for attempting to assassinate 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...
after he took power by overthrowing the illegal, civilian, Fijian government
Politics of Fiji
Politics of Fiji takes place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic. Fiji has a multi-party system with the Prime Minister of Fiji as head of government. The executive power is exercised by the government...
that illegally took power from Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudry in the 2000 Fijian coup d'état. Its founding officer Ilisoni Ligairi had also gained notoriety alongside his unit for participating in the mutinies.
Origin
Although Rabuka was mainly responsible for his initiating the unit's existence, it is widely regarded that the unit's founding father, organizer and director was former BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
22nd Regiment Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
officer, Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Ilisoni Ligairi BEM
British Empire Medal
The Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service, usually known as the British Empire Medal , is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown...
, a retired SAS Permanent Staff instructor who, upon returning to Fiji
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...
for retirement after serving a 20 year stint with the 22 and 21 SAS regiments in Great Britain in 1984, was called up for service at the request of Sitiveni Rabuka to form the elite unit in 1987.
Formation
On 15 May 1987, Ligairi, given the temporary rank of captain at the time, began working on the selection of a tightly knit Close Protection Group (CPG) for tasks ranging from bodyguardBodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
and close protection mainly for Rabuka and visiting VIP personnel and intelligence gathering to specialist EOD
EOD
EOD may refer to:* Explosive Ordnance Disposal, the disposal of bombs* End Of Day, a financial markets term* Evolve Or Die, A Political Party, started in Montana, with the beliefs that humanity must move forward or die out...
and counter insurgency work. He modeled the new group and its concepts around the selection criteria and other elements on the SAS.
As more interested soldiers applied for the challenging selection course, the unit evolved steadily under Ligairi's supervision from C.P group to C.R.W (Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit), trained with the latest techniques in Close Quarters Battle
Close quarters battle
Close quarters combat or close quarters battle is a type of fighting in which small units engage the enemy with personal weapons at very short range, potentially to the point of hand-to-hand combat or fighting with hand weapons such as swords or knives...
and Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
, and tasked with being on 24-hour standby for any terrorist activity that posed a threat to the small island nation.
At one point, a review on the unit had recommended the dissolution of the CRW in 1995 as they acted like mercenaries instead of actually conducting their duties.
Operations
Most of their operations were kept a closely guarded secret. As their responsibilities increased so did their roles. By 1997 the CRW's size had increased twofold and Ligairi introduced new troops into the squadron, Air and Boat. The unit also changed its name : First Meridian Squadron. It was now a small fully fledged Special ForcesSpecial forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
group. Their training and exercises were conducted in joint with U. S. Navy SEALs
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
and MI6
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
as well as operating as a member of the newly formed PASOC (Pacific Special Operations Command). After 12 years of nurturing the unit and introducing the concept of Special Warfare, Ligairi retired from the Fiji Military Forces in February 1999.
They have also trained with Australian, British and New Zealand special forces.
Mutiny
The unit continued to function in its primary roles, their secrecy and professionalism shrouded in an aura of mystique common in special forces worldwide until on 19 May 2000 they hit the local and world news headlines when a number of their members took the new ethnic Indian Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Fiji
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji is the head of government of Fiji. The Prime Minister was appointed by the President under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution....
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
and his Labour-led coalition government of Fiji hostage
Fiji coup of 2000
The Fiji coup of 2000 was a complicated affair involving a civilian putsch by hardline Fijian nationalists against the elected government of a non-native Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority on 27 May, and...
at the Parliament of Fiji complex led by failed business entrepreneur George Speight
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000...
and Ilisoni Ligairi. Reports have been said that the decision by 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...
to disband the CRW had also fueled the mutiny.
The mutiny that took place at Fiji's Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Suva on 2 November 2000, resulted in the death of four loyal soldiers. Five of the rebels were subsequently beaten to death after their capture over their involvement in the mutiny. A total of 42 soldiers from the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit were subsequently convicted of involvement in the mutiny.
After this incident, the unit was officially disbanded and its members dishonorably discharged. Many complained of not being paid properly by the Fiji Government for their service.
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Viliame Seruvakula of the Third Fiji Infantry Regiment in 2001 had said the creation of the CRW was not the right thing to do as the military was not trained to face their own kind.
Criticism
Critics have said that the CRW was formed to be loyal to its commanding officers instead of being loyal to the military and the country.The CRW was compared to the Praetorian Guard
Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard was a force of bodyguards used by Roman Emperors. The title was already used during the Roman Republic for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC...
, being used for a violent solution in case that anyone "tried to do to him what he did to the Bavadra and then Mara governments in 1987."
Post-CRWU disbandment
Ballu KhanBallu Khan
Ballu Khan is an Indo-Fijian businessman . His company, Tui Management Services, is the joint owner with the Vanua Development Corporation of Pacific Connex , which sells SAP software and has sought to enter the 3G mobile telephony market in Fiji. VDC is the commercial wing of the Native Land...
, a prominent and somewhat controversial entrepreneur of Indian
Indians in Fiji
Indo-Fijians are Fijians whose ancestors came from India and various parts of South Asia, South-East Asia and Asia itself. They number 313,798 out of a total of 827,900 people living in Fiji...
descent, has employed at least eight former CRW unit members as drivers and bodyguards. This has drawn the ire of the Fiji Military and 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...
, the Land Forces Commander, has warned Khan that if any of the soldiers cause problems for the government, the military will be "out to get him first". Some ex-CRWU operators were spotted in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
conducting security work.
Six ex-CRWU officers were arrested and charged for plotting to assassinate 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...
with one of the accused not showing up himself in court.
Ligairi had created a security company called Ronin High Risk Company and had defended its establishment, saying that it doesn't threaten Fiji's national security.