UPSC Prelims 2007 Q36: Current Affairs – International Organisations & Groupings
Near the end of the year 2006,
which one of the following countries was suspended from the Commonwealth after a military
coup?
- (a) Kenya
- (b) Myanmar
- (c) Fiji
- (d) Tanzania
Answer: (c) Fiji
Explanation
Commonwealth suspension, end of 2006
| Country | Suspended from Commonwealth after a coup, late 2006? |
|---|---|
| Kenya | No |
| Myanmar | No — not even a Commonwealth member (left in 1948) |
| Fiji | Yes — suspended after the Dec 2006 coup |
| Tanzania | No |
Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth following the December 2006 military coup led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama, which overthrew PM Laisenia Qarase's government.
Answer: (c) Fiji.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Kenya was not suspended from the Commonwealth at this time.
- (b) Incorrect. Myanmar is not even a Commonwealth member (it left in 1948), so it could not be "suspended".
- (c) CORRECT. Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth after its December 2006 coup.
- (d) Incorrect. Tanzania was not suspended from the Commonwealth at this time.
Key point
Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth after its December 2006 military coup.
Remember
Commonwealth suspended Fiji after its December 2006 coup.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting that Myanmar isn't even a Commonwealth member, making it an easy elimination.
- Confusing Fiji's 2006 coup-related suspension with Pakistan's separate Commonwealth suspensions (for different reasons/years).
- Mixing up the exact timing — late 2006 — with Fiji's earlier 1987 and 2000 coups.
Exam tip
Fiji has a repeated history of coups and Commonwealth suspensions — the Dec 2006 Bainimarama coup is this specific instance.
Sources
- Commonwealth Secretariat — Statement by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) on Fiji, December 2006
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Fiji