March 27, 2008

Let’s have a Protest March—Virtually—flowing on from So Kon Po

In case you thought we had Closed Shop, we haven’t.

But we do pay homage to all the bloggers out there who have continued to maintain the pressure…you know who you all are and we salute you!

We also thank the many emails and comments of concern about our silent blog presence. We’ve always been here, and are very much still kicking.

For us here at Intelligentsiya, it took this u-tube video





to revive our patriotism (even though we are sure that many of us STILL don’t know where this country is headed) and get the good ol’ “intelligent resistance” juices flowing again ;)

There have been thoughts floating around the blogosphere about protesting against this Junta and taking it to the streets. However, as everyone living in Fiji is aware, there are safety issues to be considered.

So that got us at Intelligentsiya HQ thinking….why not a Virtual Protest March? The outcomes being like any protest march, placards and numbers from everyone who cares about what’s happening in our beloved country.

Given Fiji’s knuckle-rapping yet again in Auckland, the Junta has promised to appoint an Elections Supervisor in a week’s time. We are upping the ante once again (even though we are cynical about the public promises that elections will happen) via this virtual protest march.

Make your virtual presence felt when Fiji kick’s off in Hong Kong and email us (intelligentsiya@gmail.com) your pictures (cropped and touched up if you’re in Fiji to remove any inkling of identification) or u-tube footage and we’ll post up your physical being against your placard in protest against the Junta…we’re making this protest march virtual and we want it viral.

In your emails let us also know where you’re “protesting” from e.g. Suva, Sydney, LA, Auckland, Kadavu, Tailevu etc. and we’ll post them up on Jokes on the Junta (jokesonthejunta.blogspot.com).

Even group shots with your placards around the tanoa while watching the Sevens are welcome.

This march is going to keep going and going and going until we have Elections—which if you haven’t noticed is our un-shifting goal post. And we can just forget about the sham of a Charter.

As for all aspiring candidates preparing themselves for Elections in the first quarter of 2009…we wish you all well, but be very aware that the blogosphere will be scrutinizing every detail of every public utterance against “action”—past, present and future. Be sure that your manifesto’s have the fullest consultative process available with us, the people. We’ll let you figure out how that’s going to be done.

So get to it peeps…Go Fiji Go and Forward March!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

From the botttom of our hearts, all here at FDN want to say how wonderful it is to see you back. This our take on the Auckland meeting yesterday.
Like most people of Fiji, we welcome the undertaking made yesterday by the Fiji delegation to the Pacific Forum ministers meeting that a detailed timetable for election preparations would be provided to Forum members next month. But no one, it seems, is dancing in the streets.

We also warmly welcome the firm wording of the meeting outcome statement and its clear message to Fiji’s military-backed regime that nothing short of an election by March next year will do.

We are in no doubt that yesterday’s outcomes will not provide much comfort to the likes of Voreqe Bainimarama, Mahendra Chaudhry and other prominent members and supporters of their disastrous experiment with dictatorship.

Indeed, the prospect of surrendering power in one short year’s time and facing the consequences of their actions since December 2006 must nauseate them.

That’s why we are in no doubt that they will be doing their level best to frustrate the process of returning to parliamentary democracy.

Only 16 months ago they were foolish enough to think that they were justified in overturning a democratically elected government and seizing power at the point of a gun. Where’s the evidence that, over such a relatively short space of time, they have suddenly become wiser, more gracious, more civilised and more respectful of the wishes of the general populace?

Sorry, but the disturbing signs that they plan to carry out their own, completely different, agenda are all there. By that we mean the way they constantly spruik their hastily conceived and unrepresentative people’s charter, t heir continuing efforts to muzzle the media and the concerted push to restructure of the GCC, just to mention three ongoing indicators.

And then there’s the “restructuring” of the nation’s judiciary and the yet-to-be- announced verdict in the Qarase redress case. Or the complete absence of any sensible explanation as to why Bainimarama torpedoed the all-parties meeting with Sir Paul Reeves at the last moment. Yes, all the warning signs are there for all to see.

But, certainly, the outcomes of yesterday’s Pacific Forum meeting is wonderful news.

So, how focused on those outcomes will the regime be? Not as much as they might be is our guess. Their penchant for taking their eyes off the doughnut were clearly demonstrated by yesterday’s statement by the Fiji delegation to the Auckland meeting.

Half of the statement was given over to whinging about travel sanctions and spruiking the people’s charter, two items that were not on the meeting agenda and were totally irrelevant to the purpose of the Auckland gathering.

What does that tell you? Well, it tells us that, in spite of yesterday’s meeting and the firm language of the outcomes statement, it’s far, far too early to be even contemplating dancing in the streets.
FDN

Anonymous said...

Intelligentsiya, great to have you back! All of us at FDN are chuffed that Intelligentsiya is back.

Here's our take on yesterday's meeting in Auckland of Forum Foreign Ministers.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like most people of Fiji, we welcome the undertaking made yesterday by the Fiji delegation to the Pacific Forum ministers meeting that a detailed timetable for election preparations would be provided to Forum members next month. But no one, it seems, is dancing in the streets.

We also warmly welcome the firm wording of the meeting outcome statement and its clear message to Fiji’s military-backed regime that nothing short of an election by March next year will do.

We are in no doubt that yesterday’s outcomes will not provide much comfort to the likes of Voreqe Bainimarama, Mahendra Chaudhry and other prominent members and supporters of their disastrous experiment with dictatorship.

Indeed, the prospect of surrendering power in one short year’s time and facing the consequences of their actions since December 2006 must nauseate them.

That’s why we are in no doubt that they will be doing their level best to frustrate the process of returning to parliamentary democracy.

Only 16 months ago they were foolish enough to think that they were justified in overturning a democratically elected government and seizing power at the point of a gun. Where’s the evidence that, over such a relatively short space of time, they have suddenly become wiser, more gracious, more civilised and more respectful of the wishes of the general populace?

Sorry, but the disturbing signs that they plan to carry out their own, completely different, agenda are all there. By that we mean the way they constantly spruik their hastily conceived and unrepresentative people’s charter, t heir continuing efforts to muzzle the media and the concerted push to restructure of the GCC, just to mention three ongoing indicators.

And then there’s the “restructuring” of the nation’s judiciary and the yet-to-be- announced verdict in the Qarase redress case. Or the complete absence of any sensible explanation as to why Bainimarama torpedoed the all-parties meeting with Sir Paul Reeves at the last moment. Yes, all the warning signs are there for all to see.

But, certainly, the outcomes of yesterday’s Pacific Forum meeting is wonderful news.

So, how focused on those outcomes will the regime be? Not as much as they might be is our guess. Their penchant for taking their eyes off the doughnut were clearly demonstrated by yesterday’s statement by the Fiji delegation to the Auckland meeting.

Half of the statement was given over to whinging about travel sanctions and spruiking the people’s charter, two items that were not on the meeting agenda and were totally irrelevant to the purpose of the Auckland gathering.

What does that tell you? Well, it tells us that, in spite of yesterday’s meeting and the firm language of the outcomes statement, it’s far, far too early to be even contemplating dancing in the streets.

Anonymous said...

I have seen you want posting to go on the Jokes on the Junta blogsite.

I have one that left me reeling in the isles.

Take a look at this transcript of Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum's recent press conference on the media.

I draw your attention to the last paragraph:

"If you read the Constitution there are certain restrictions placed on the media. Most rights are not absolute except perhaps the right to life and torture."

Under this government, I heartily agree.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back!

Now everybody get out the tissues whilst you read what this idiot had to say.


"Interim Foreign Affairs minister Epeli Nailatikau has said New Zealand is cutting them off from their children and grandchildren.
He said the simple fact is that many in Fiji have their children and grand children now residing in these countries or are citizens of these countries ..
Nailatikau added the acceptance of an appointment in the interim regime meant no visiting rights..."

Gee! I wonder which part of the travel sanctions he didn't understand before he prostituted himself before chaudhry the cheat so that he could get a jersey in the illegal junta's First XV?

Was it the bit that said that anyone who joined the junta wouldn't be allowed to travel to Australia and NZ?

He must be really thick if he can't understand that.

He obviously put his own ego and wallet before his need for family meetings.

Pathetic twit!

Anonymous said...

It's good to have you back on line! You're right on the song...i've found that out of all the songs being created this one is the only one that really depicts Fiji...i can't say much about the latest one which has some sort of "new day" theme in it - only one word describes it - pathetic!