- INTELLIGENT RESISTANCE -
Free. Fair. Fearless. Intelligentsiya is made up of Fiji Islanders who are libertarians in their own way and who cherish the free flow of news, ideas and information and will peacefully resist any attempts by the country's military rulers to stifle free speech. intelligentsiya will also bear witness, report and discuss human rights abuses by the authorities.
While the illegal and treasonous military regime celebrate their Chinese bauxite mining furore in Bua, the Chinese investors cast their beady eyes over what else they can grab since the bargain basement of Fiji is now open.
A new player has entered the timber industry in Fiji.
It plans to provide good competition for those who are already in the industry.
As part of its expansion in the Northern Division, Aurum Exploration Fiji Limited will now buy Fiji timber to be shipped to China.
Aurum Mining Fiji Limited is the company operating at the Nawailevu bauxite mine in Bua Province, Vanua Levu.
The company’s operation manager, Basilio Vanuaca, confirmed this to the Fiji Sun in an interview.
“I’ll soon be travelling to the provinces about our company’s proposal to buy local timber for our newly-acquired Savusavu timber mill,” Mr Vanuaca said.
He said they would buy timber and ship it to the parent company in China for processing.
When asked about the company’s expansion in the north, Mr Vanuaca said they were doing it because they wanted to help Fiji’s economy.
He said the company just brought in 15 10-wheeler trucks and they were now operating at the bauxite mine at Nawailevu.
Next to come will be two barges that can each carry 2000 tonnes of cargo.
These two barges will transport soil dug out from the bauxite mine to the ship.
The 70,000 tonnes company-owned ship, Mr Vanuaca said, was four times bigger than the inter-island roll-on, roll off ferry Spirit of Enterprise.
“The ship, because of its size, cannot berth at our new jetty at Navakasiga,” he said.
When asked about the expected arrival of the ship Mr Vanuaca said it would be when the first bauxite shipment was ready, which would be early next year.
The Permanent Secretary for Lands and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Kau, said they were happy with the developments that would be carried out by Aurum in the north.
Mr Kau said the company had agreed to help with the rural development in the areas where they worked.
“The company is interested in helping the rural population lift their lifestyle,” he said.
Mr Kau said the expansion would create jobs for the local people.
The company, he said, was ready to work with the rural people in terms of development.
Other chinese investors (and the Catholic Church for good measure) seeking to compete with locally owned businesses in the building/construction sector [and we hear good ol' James Ah Koy is in the mix here too], are going one further and grabbing raw materials at giveaway prices as well.
Limestone sites have been identified as possible supplies for the new Chinese-owned cement factory at Veisari.
“We have identified two limestone sites, one at Veisari and the other at Waiqanake,” the Permanent Secretary for Lands and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Kau said.
He said they had started negotiations with the itaukei landowners as limestone was an important ingredient of cement.
According to Wikipedia: “Cement is made by heating limestone (calcium carbonate) with small quantities of other materials (such as clay) to 1450°C in a kiln, in a process known as calcination, whereby a molecule of carbon dioxide is liberated from the calcium carbonate to form calcium oxide, or quicklime, which is then blended with the other materials that have been included in the mix.”
Mr Kau said Tengy Cement (Fiji) Company Limited had started work on the site at Veisari and clearing was about to be completed.
He said they had also been given a piece of land at Father Law Home by the Catholic Church in Fiji head, Archbishop Petero Mataca to construct the access road to the mataqali Natodre land, where the company would excavate about 300,000 cubic meters of soil for the factory site.
Negotiations for the cost of the total amount of soil excavated had ended and members of the mataqali Natodre would benefit financially from the excavation.
Compensation for the access road according to Mr Kau is $300,000 and they had already paid 75 per cent of the amount to the church.
On the limestone, Mr Kau said they needed to negotiate with the landowners to reach a settlement before the new cement factory began its work.
Tengy Cement (Fiji) Company Limited will be Fiji’s second cement factory and has been given a 99-year industrial lease.
A promised benefit of the investment is the reduction in cement prices as the monopoly on cement production is removed and prices become competitive.
The company is also scouting for possible sites for another factory to be based on Vanua Levu.
Now that the illegal and treasonous military regime's intentions for the Rewa Provincial Council meeting have been royally scuttled, they move to their next target of Cakaudrove and hope to keep them pliant as per their plans.
Cakaudrove Provincial Council members were updated on the status of development projects undertaken by the Government in the province last night.
When this edition went to press, Commissioner Northern, Lieutenant-Colonel Ilai Moceica and his divisional heads of departments were in a briefing with the council members.
The briefing is an informal one before this morning’s meeting proper.
Key issues at this morning’s meeting will include provincial council rates, effects of climate change on villages, the invasive American iguanas which have become a pest in the province and the fight against violence and abuse of children and women.
Roko Tui Cakaudrove Ro Aca Mataitini said a Government team from Vanua Levu arrived late yesterday afternoon on board the government vessel, MV Raiyawa.
The topic of discussions at the informal meeting was mainly on the Vanua Levu Development Plan.
“Commissioner Northern spoke on the comprehensive part of the Vanua Levu Development Plan and about tomorrow’s (today) meeting.
“The meeting delegation were given the time to ask questions or raise clarifications on Government services, projects and plans for the province,” Ro Aca said.
He said the question and answer opportunity was a positive way of promoting a cordial relationship between the leaders of the vanua and Government.
The meeting was followed by a church service attended by the Council members and government team.
Ro Aca said an informal meeting before the meeting proper was now the way to go in addressing issues related to Government services to the people.
“The meeting proper is a formal avenue and most Council members are not comfortable with asking questions relating to Government plans and services. Thus, the need for an informal meeting as such,” he said.
The Cakaudrove Provincial Council meeting starts at 9am.
Yep its on. The Australian Unions and Bosses are circling their wagons around the illegal and treasonous military regime as reported here by The Australian.
AUSTRALIA'S unions and bosses on Thursday formed a rare alliance to call on Fiji's military ruler Frank Bainimarama "to respect international labour standards governing union and employer rights."
The Fiji government recently imposed an Essential National Industries Decree which covers a range of industries including airlines such as Air Pacific owned 46 per cent by Qantas, 51 per cent by the Fiji government bans industrial action, and precludes unions from representing workers in collective bargaining.
It detained for a week Felix Anthony, the general secretary of the Fiji Trades Union Congress, before releasing him a week ago.
Ged Kearney, the president of the ACTU, and Peter Anderson, chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, released a joint statement calling on the Fiji government " to take immediate steps to restore workplace rights."
They said that "both the ACTU and ACCI have been increasingly concerned at the arbitrary detention, arrest and harassment of senior trade union figures in Fiji for exercising civil and labour rights which are norms of behaviour in Australia, and recognised internationally."
Mr Anderson, who is the employers' spokesman on the International Labour Organisation's Committee on Freedom of Association, said the ILO was asking the Fiji government to accept a mission to discuss these "flagrant breaches, which taint the good name and reputation of this beautiful country" and to compensate victims of "arbitrary arrest, detention, harassment and intimidation."
The ACTU is also launching a campaign to persuade Australians as they plan their Christmas holidays, to boycott Fiji.
And Ms Kearney said that she wants Australians to stop buying products from Fiji, including clothes.
Illegal and treasonous military regime spokesman cum errand boy on all things provincial, Neumi Leweni takes to the airwaves to attempt to firefight bad press (now that the threats levelled against the province of Rewa because they did not support the Charter have been made public), and promises that Rewa will continue to receive development assistance.
The sycophantic Leweni beats a hasty retreat after the paramount chief of Rewa reminded her province that they are rightfully due all manner of assistance because they have given, for the benefit of Fiji's development, their ancestral lands which includes the capital city of Suva.
Leweni is miserably inadequate in attempting to downplay the firm stand of Na Marama Na Roko Tui Dreketi, Ro Teimumu Kepa as a minority point of view.
The government has suspended the Rewa Provincial Council meeting.
Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni says there was some confusion on an agenda drawn up to determine the province's stand on government.
"There were comments made by the paramount chief of Rewa and some other delegates and the government officials present at the time decided it was time to make the government stand known, that was when the meeting was informed it was now suspended."
Leweni adds the decision does not mean the government will stop development projects in the province.
"We don't want members of the public to suffer just because of the decisions of some of those in the council meeting that think otherwise."
Leweni says development work for the Rewa province will now be implemented by the Provincial and Divisional development board.
Further to our update on the illegal and unjust muzzling of the Rewa Provincial Council yesterday, we post up here the english translation of the hard-hitting stand by Na Marama Na Roko Tui Dreketi, Ro Teimumu Kepa:
This is the translation of Ro Teimumu Kepa's closing address at the 2011 Rewa Provincial Council Meeting at Burenivudi, Lomanikoro
ADDRESS BY THE GONE MARAMA BALE NA ROKO TUI DREKETI - A CLARIFICATION OF REWA’S PERSPECTIVE REGARDING THE ILLEGAL OVERTHROW OF THE FIJI GOVERNMENT DELIVERED AT THE BOSE NI YASANA ‘O REWA, BURENIVUDI, LOMANIKORO, REWA – THURSDAY 16 NOVEMBER, 2011
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN MEMBERS OF THE BOSE NI YASANA, THERE IS NOTHING NEW ON EARTH ABOUT DIFFERENCES OF VIEWPOINTS WITHIN ANY MEETING, REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF MEETING. IN FIJI, THERE IS ALSO NOTHING NEW ABOUT DIFFERING VIEWPOINTS BETWEEN TRADITIONAL CULTURAL LEADERS AND THE PEOPLE OF THE VANUA.
1.2 WITHIN THE TRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS CULTURAL CONTEXTS THERE ARE VERY CLEAR DEMARCATIONS ABOUT THE RESPECTIVE ROLES WE ACQUIRE AT BIRTH SUCH AS THE DUTIES OF THE SAUTURAGA, THE DUTIES OF THE MATANIVANUA, AND THE DUTIES OF THE BETE, BATI, MATAISAU AND THE GONEDAU.
1.3 IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT DUTY OF ANY TRADITIONAL LEADER TO LOOK AFTER THE WELL BEING AND WELFARE OF THE VANUA.
1.4 THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE WELL BEING OF THE VANUA IS TO BE ACHIEVED BY ILL GOTTEN WAYS AND MEANS THAT MAY BE ILLEGAL BY THE LAWS OF MAN AND WRONG IN THE EYES OF GOD..
1.5 IN MY POSITION AS THE ROKO-TUI DREKETI AND AS THE LEADER OF THE VANUA OF REWA, I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT I FEAR MORE THE GOD I WORSHIP, THAN THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT TO THE EXTENT THAT I WOULD ATTEMPT BEFORE GOD TO JUSTIFY AN ILLEGAL ACT SUCH AS A COUP.
1.6 I COMMEND TO YOU THAT WE GIVE THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE THROUGH FORMAL AND INFORMAL EDUCATION.
1.7 I ASK YOU AS MEMBERS OF THE BOSE NI YASANA, WHAT IS THE ROKO TUI DREKETI AND MEMBERS OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL TO SAY IF THERE IS ANOTHER COUP TOMORROW? WILL WE THEN BE SUPPORTING THE NEW REGIME? I ASK YOU TO LOOK AT THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE WAY IN WHICH THE LIVES OF COUP SUPPORTERS HAVE ENDED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. HAS ANYONE OF THEM EVER COME TO THE END OF THEIR LIFE IN A QUIET AND PEACEFUL MANNER?
1.8 THIS IS A QUESTION WE WILL HAVE TO REFER TO THE MEMBERS OF OUR RESPECTIVE TIKINA.
1.9 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ON THIS ISSUE THE GREAT COUNCIL OF CHIEFS HAS BUT ONE POSITION ON THIS ISSUE. AT THEIR MEETING IN DECEMBER, 2006, AND AGAIN IN APRIL 2007 THE GCC STATED THAT WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE RULE OF LAW ABD ABIDE BY THE 1997 CONSTITUTION. ALSO THE SUPREME COURT RULING IN 2009 STATED UNEQUIVOCALLY THAT THE 2006 COUP WAS AND IS ILLEGAL. THEREFORE WE THE PEOPLE OF REWA CAN REST ASSURED THAT WE STAND ON THE CORRECT AND RIGHTFUL LEGAL AND MORAL GROUND AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE GUIDED BY OUR GOD TO PROVIDE US THE WAY OF LIFE AND TRUTH.
2.0 THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF REWA’S DIVISIONAL PLANNING OFFICER
2.1 YESTERDAY WE WERE ADVISED BY THE DIVISIONAL PLANNING OFFICER THAT REWA WOULD BE DENIED DEVELOPMENT FUNDING AMOUNTING TO $3 MILLION DOLLARS IF WE DO NOT SUPPORT THE MILITARY REGIME.
2.2 HE ALSO INDICATED THAT FUNDING FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROVINCIAL OFFICE AND ITS WORK PROGRAMME AMOUNTING TO SOME $315,115.00 COULD ALSO BE WITHDRAWN BY THE REGIME SHOULD WE MAINTAIN OUR OPPOSITION.
2.3 ADDITIONALLY WE AS A PROVINCE WOULD ALSO BE DENIED SHARE DIVIDENDS HELD IN FIJIAN HOLDINGS AND YASANA HOLDINGS VALUED AT $1.3 MILLION DOLLARS OR SOME 547,000 SHARES.
2.4 WE HAVE BEEN DENIED DEVELOPMENT FUNDING UNDER THE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE SCHEME TO THE TUNE OF SOME $100,000.00 ANNUALLY USED FOR BUILDING VILLAGE PATHWAYS, BUYING BRUSH CUTTERS AND ASSISTING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF OUR COMMUNITY HALLS.
2.5 IF SOME OF THESE POINTS ARE TO TRANSPIRE WE WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE ALL OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROGRAMME EXPENSES AND THUS I STRESS TO YOU THE IMPORTANCE OF MEETING OUR TARGETED PROVINCIAL LEVY. (SOLI NI YASANA)
3.0 THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
3.1 MAY I SHARE WITH YOU THAT IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WHATEVER GOVERNMENT IN POWER TO LOOK AFTER THE WELFARE OF ALL ITS CITIZENS.
3.2 YESTERDAY WHEN THE DPO SAID ONLY REWA REMAINED IN OPPOSITION, I WANTED TO SHOUT WITH JOY.
3.3 WHETHER A GOVERNMENT IS ELECTED OR NOT, IT MUST LOOK AFTER THE WELFARE OF ALL ITS CITIZENS WITHOUT FAVOUR, WHETHER WE SUPPORT OR VOTED THAT GOVERNMENT IN OR NOT, THE GOVERNMENT IS OBLIGED TO LOOK AFTER ALL OF US IN THE SAME WAY.
3.4 THE FACT THAT SOME VILLAGES HAVE BENEFITTED FROM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES WHILE OTHER HAVE NOT IS SOLELY DEPENDENT ON HOW GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTS ITS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES.
4.0 NATIONALLY COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE ENDLESS
4.1 AS RECIPIENTS OF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES WE MUST ALSO REALISE THAT NO ONE PERSON OR COMMUNITY IS EVER COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH ALL THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN AND NO GOVERNMENT CAN EVER FULFILL ALL OUR WISHES.
4.2 HOWEVER A SINGULAR TRUTH I WISH TO SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT IT IS ONLY GOD’S KINGDOM THAT CAN EVER COMPLETELY FULFILL ALL OUR NEEDS AND GIVE US PEACE.
5.0 THE DEFINITION OF GOVERNMENT
5.1 YESTERDAY WE HEARD FROM THE DPO THAT WE DO NOT SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT SO I WANT TO ASK JUST WHO IS OR WHAT COMPRISES GOVERNMENT? THE EASY ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION WOULD BE THE GOVERNMENT CONSIST OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR IT, THE CIVIL SERVANTS. THIS IS BECAUSE IT’S THE CIVIL SERVANTS WHO VISIT US AND IMPLEMENT THE PROJECTS WE REQUEST.
5.2 THEREFORE I MUST ASK, DO WE NOT LOOK AFTER THE CIVIL SERVANTS WHO COME TO WORK AMONGST US TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES, DO WE NOT COOPERATE WITH THEM AND GIVE THEM FOOD AND SHELTER. AND WHEN THEY RETURN TO THEIR OFFICES DO WE NOT GIFT THEM WITH TOKENS OF APPRECIATION.
5.3 WE HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED FRIENDLY AND CORDIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL OF THE CIVIL SERVANTS SENT TO WORK WITH US AND THEY HAVE ALWAYS EXPRESSED THEIR GRATITUDE AS THEY ARE SIMPLY IMPLEMENTING THE WORK FOR WHICH THEY ARE PAID.
6.0 REWA’S CONTRIBUTION TO GOVERNMENT RESOURCES
6.1 WE CAN SEE THAT WHILE GOVERNMENT HAS ITS ROLE, WE AS CITIZENS ALSO HAVE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES. IT IS ALSO INCUMBENT ON US THE PEOPLE OF REWA TO WORK HARD TO PAY OUR PERSONAL AND OTHER APPLICABLE TAXES LEVIED WITHIN OUR PROVINCE SO THAT GOVERNMENT IS ABLE TO COLLECT REVENUE TO DEVELOP OUR PROVINCES.
6.2 WE ALSO PROVIDE OUR ANCESTRAL LANDS TO GOVERNMENT TO ENABLE IT TO DO ITS WORK, IN PARTICULAR WE THE PEOPLE OF REWA HAVE GIVEN THE LAND ON WHICH THE CAPITAL CITY IS SITUATED. WE THE PEOPLE OF REWA ENABLE GOVERNMENT AND BIG BUSINESSES TO CREATE COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND LARGE SUMS OF MONEY. IT SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN THAT THIS IS WHAT THE PEOPLE OF REWA HAVE GIFTED TO OUR BELOVED FIJI.
7.0 WE DO NOT HATE CIVIL SERVANTS OR THE GOVERNMENT
7.1 IT MUST BE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THAT WE DO NOT HARBOUR ANIMOSITY TOWARDS THE CIVIL SERVANTS WHO GIVE OF THEIR TIME AND RESOURCES AND WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE OUR VERY BEST TO MAKE THEIR TIME OF SERVICE WITH US AN ENJOYABLE AND MEMORABLE OCCASION BY GIVING OF OUR HUMBLE BEST.
7.2 WE ALSO DO NOT HARBOUR ANY ANIMOSITY TOWARD ANY GOVERNMENT THAT HAS COME INTO POWER ELECTED OR OTHERWISE AS LONG AS THAT GOVERNMENT HAS FULFILLED ITS BASIC DUTY OF SEEING TO OUR WELFARE AND BY PROVIDING SOUND ADVICE AND LEADERSHIP TO US ALL.
7.3 NEVER BEFORE IN OUR HISTORY HAS A CIVIL SERVANT FROM ANOTHER PROVINCE PUBLICLY BERATED US IN OUR OWN PROVINCIAL COUNCIL MEETING. PERHAPS IT IS A SIGN OF THE CHANGING TIMES THAT HE NOW SEES IT FIT TO GROSSLY OVERSTEP THE BOUNDS OF TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL PROTOCOL AND BEHAVE IN SUCH AN APPALLING AND BOORISH MANNER IN OUR PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
8.0 WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF COUPS
8.1 OUR COUNTRY HAS SUFFERED MANY COUPS AND WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE SUCCESSIVE COUPS. PERHAPS THE ONE CLEAR THING WE HAVE LEARNED AFTER ALL THESE COUPS IS THAT A COUP WILL ALWAYS HINDER PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT.
8.2 AT THIS POINT IN OUR HISTORY WE CAN SAY WITH CERTAINTY THAT COUPS CONTRIBUTE NOTHING POSITIVE TO OUR SOCIETY AND WILL ALWAYS RESULT IN IMPEDING PROGRESS.
9.0 THE BASIS OF OUR OPPOSITION
9.1 THE REASON WE ARE OPPOSED TO THE REGIME AND THE COUP IS BECAUSE WE CAN SEE NO GOOD CAN COME OF IT, ONLY GRAVE DIFFICULTIES. THEREFORE WE CAN SAY THAT WE NEVER WANT TO EXPERIENCE ANOTHER COUP IN FIJI.
9.2 IF IT FALLS ON REWA TO EXPRESS THIS OPINION TO THE CURRENT REGIME LEADERSHIP, SO BE IT. LET THERE BE NO CONFUSION, REWA IS OPPOSED TO ANY COUP.
9.3 WE CAN NOW SEE THAT OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO FACE EXTREME DIFFICULTIES IF WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT COUPS AND A COUP CULTURE.
10.0 LET US ALWAYS SUPPORT THE TRUTH
10.1 THIS MORNING I WISH TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT IT IS OUR MORAL DUTY TO SUPPORT THE TRUTH AND THAT WE DO NOT EVER WANT TO SEE THE OVERTHROW OF A GOVERNMENT LEGALLY ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE.
10.2 IF WE SUPPORT THE 2006 COUP, IT IMPLIES THAT IN THE FUTURE IF ANYONE DOES NOT LIKE THE LEGALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT, WE WILL AGAIN HAVE ANOTHER COUP.
10.3 WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN AND FUTURE GENERATIONS THAT A COUP CULTURE IS WRONG, IF WE DO NOT EXPRESS OUR HONEST OPINION AND EARNEST OPPOSITION TO COUPS.
10.4 WE DO NOT HATE THE GOVERNMENT PER SE, BUT WE ARE TRULY SICK AND TIRED OF COUPS AND CAN NO LONGER MEEKLY FOLLOW ALONG.
11.0 MISTAKES THAT COMMENCED IN 1987
11.1 WE WILL LEAD OUR CHILDREN AND FUTURE GENERATIONS ASTRAY IF WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT COUPS. I WISH TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS MORNING THAT WE STARTED TO GO ASTRAY AS A COUNTY IN 1987. MY YOUNGEST CHILD IS 25 YEARS OLD AND WAS BORN IN 1986, AND SHE HAS KNOWN NOTHING BUT THE COUP CULTURE. WE MUST STATE NOW AND FOR ALL TIME THAT THE COUP IS WRONG AND CAN NEVER BE MADE RIGHT SO THAT WE DO NOT CONTINUE ALONG THAT PATH
11.2 IT IS TIME TO TELL THIS GOVERNMENT THAT WE ARE OPPOSED TO THE COUP AND OUR SOLDIERS MUST GIVE THEIR SOLEMN OATH TO THE VANUA THAT THEY WILL NEVER EVER IMPLEMENT ANOTHER COUP IN FIJI.
11.3 TOGETHER WITH THE LEADERS OF THE REGIME WE MUST RENEW AND CLEAR OUR INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE IN ORDER TO AGREE ON A PROCESS TO RETURN OUR NATION TO A GOVERNMENT LEGALLY ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE.
11.4 LAST BUT NOT LEAST I HAVE A PERSONAL REQUEST – “IF YOU COME TO ARREST ME, DON’T COME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, I AM AN OLD WOMAN, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL ME OR SEND ONE PERSON. YOU DON’T HAVE TO SEND 16 MILITARY AND POLICE PERSONELL TO ARREST ME.”
11.5 TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, I MERELY WISH TO RESPOND TO THE DIVISIONAL PLANNING OFFICER REGARDING OUR POSITION – THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
Croz Walshe (as usual) blogs in support of Vodaphone's ridiculous claims of piousness but what is most revealing is the email exchange as posted by Croz, and why as Radio New Zealand's story points out, Croz should be anywhere near this private email exchange between a journalist and a telco (and most certainly why Croz got the replies but the journalist did not).
From Croz's blog:
This is the latest exchange on the phone tapping allegation:
RNZINewsShare
To: 'ligavatu.gukisuva@vodafone.com'"
RE: Tevita Mara claims
Hi,
I would just like to clarify something. Has Vodafone ever been ASKED by the military, police, or Fiji Intelligence Service, to intercept phones (landlines or mobile phones) or the internet?
Our discipline forces have requested for this (mobile phones records) few years back for criminal investigation and we have informed them that we do not have the capabilities as mentioned below to facilitate their requests. Our position is still the same until today.
Fiji police has asked, as they do now and in the past, for call detail records for criminal investigations and done so with search warrants . Fiji Military has never requested for records or interception or monitoring .. they all know we don't have the capability ... so what's all these fuss about? RadioNZI are being taken for an wild goose chase !!
TheMax has left a new comment on your post "On the Alleged Phone tapping: Some Facts at Last":
Croz, I'm currently working in one of these phone service providers and have been employed in this industry for a little more than 20 years.
No one is tapping anybody's phone and that's a bare fact. But what the service providers can do, and is always part of the phone service, is record the call details such as the CLI, CLID, time and duration, and date. The actual conversation is not recorded.
Some people are always in the knack of spreading false information by merely assuming it's being done in Fiji. The law in Fiji doesn't allow phone tapping and that's it. End of story.
Radio NZ International has posted an outstanding follow-up expose to hollow promises by Vodafone Fiji's repeated over and over and over and over again about client confidentiality.
The moral of the story is that customer perception is everything, and their plea's feigning innocence will be enough to make concerned consumers take their business elsewhere.
Vodafone Fiji says client confidentiality is a number one priority for the company and denies ever allowing private phone conversations to be tapped.
A former Fiji army colonel however says that’s a lie and says he was present when senior members of the regime read over phone conversation transcripts.
He says people have lost their jobs as a result of phone tapping.
A former Fiji army colonel Ratu Tevita Mara, who fled Fiji in May while facing sedition charges, says phone and internet tapping started in early 2007, under the interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
Ratu Tevita says Connect and Vodafone are involved, with the latter the main offender.
He says during his time, the company would simply require a request from above.
“I know every time that the military or the police would want phones tapped they’d want a written authority from the legal regime, regime would write a directive to Vodafone to tap his phone.”
Ratu Tevita says he believes Vodafone wanted the written directives so that the company could cover itself if future cases were brought against them under a democratically elected government.
Vodafone strongly denies the phone tapping claims, saying it doesn’t have the technical capability.
But Ratu Tevita says IT technicians from India came in and he believes that technicians from China are also assisting.
A leading trade unionist, Daniel Urai, who has been charged with urging political violence has backed Ratu Tevita’s claims.
Mr Urai, who was released on bail last week, says he’s heard from a government minister that a team in the military works full time on tracing calls.
“The military army’s hiring in equipment assisted by the Chinese Government to be able to tap into phone calls for people who are marked by the state.”
An official from the Chinese Embassy in Fiji says China doesn’t have that kind of co-operation with the relevant Fiji department.
She says there is no connection with the regime to support it in this area.
An associate professor for Information Science at the University of Otago, Hank Wolfe, says it’s not difficult for phone companies to tap into phone calls.
“It’s the flip of a switch at the phone company, at the main exchange they can cut in there, they don’t have to do anything to tap they can do it right there at the main exchange for landlines. For cellphones it’s a little different and all you need is a stingray two and a laptop computer and you can tap into a cellphone.”
Mr Wolfe says China and India have the technical expertise to carry out such surveillance.
Vodafone Fiji say no military personnel in the history of the company has ever been permitted to enter its exchange nor monitor calls, but didn’t want to speak about it on tape.
It says client confidentiality is a priority for the company, yet questions sent by Radio New Zealand International in emails to Vodafone about the issue, have appeared on a blogsite, including supposed responses from Vodafone, which were never received by Radio New Zealand International.
The blogsite operator, Crosbie Walsh, says he received the private emails from Vodafone.
Vodafone has refused to say why it has sent emails to a blogger.
Meanwhile Ratu Tevita says people who are seen as not toeing the regime line are targets of phone tapping.
He says he was present when transcripts of phone conversations of people criticising the way the Government was being run, were presented to the military council and Commodore Bainimarama.
“Not malicious but saying how they disagreed with the Government and that’s been used against them. That’s had CEOs removed, it’s even had people who work in Government removed.”
Ratu Tevita says they also read transcripts where people had criticised Commodore Bainimarama’s appointment of his brother-in-law in a key military position.
We post here the speech from the Roko Tui Dreketi, Ro Teimumu Kepa which is in the Fijian language.
The no-holds-barred statement delivered yesterday is most probably the reason for the rapid clamping down and silencing of the Rewa Provincial Council meeting today by Bainimarama's hatchet boy, Leweni, as we alluded to.
We hope to be able to post up a translation in the english language soon.
NA NODRA VOSA NA GONE MARAMA BALE NA ROKO TUI DREKETI
VAKAMATATATAKI NA RAI ME BALETA NA VUAVIRITAKI NI NODA MATANITU.
Bose ni Yasana ‘o Rewa, vakayacori e Burenivudi – 16 ni Noveba, 2011.
1.0NA KENA I KAU
1.1KEMUNI NA TURAGA KEI NA MARAMA NA LEWE NI BOSE, E SEGA NI KA VOU ENA VURAVURA QO NA DUIDUI ENA LOMA NI DUA NA MATABOSE, SE MATABOSE CAVA GA. E SEGA TALE GA NI A VOU E VITI NI DAU TU ESO NA GAUNA E KOTO NA DUIDUI NI RAI MAI VEI IRA NA VEILIUTAKI VAKAVANUA KEI IRA ESO NA LEWENIVANUA.
1.2NA NODA BULA VAKAITAUKEI E DUIDUI SARA GA NA I TUTU KEI NA I TAVI EDA DUI SUCU KAYA MAI. E TU GA NA I TAVI NI SAUTURAGA, NA I TAVI VAKA-MATANIVANUA, BETE, BATI, MATAISAU KEI NA GONEDAU.
1.3E DUA NA I TAVI LEVU NI VEILIUTAKI VAKAVANUA ME RAICA NA NODRA TIKO VINAKA KA LIUTAKA VAKAVINAKA NA NODRA LEWENIVANUA.
1.4E SEGA NI KENA I BALEBALE ‘OYA ME RA TIKO VINAKA KA LIUTAKI VINAKA ENA SALA CALA KA SEGA NI DODONU ENA MATAI VURAVURA KEI NA MATA NI KALOU.
1.5ENA NOQU I TUTU VAKA ROKO-TUI DREKETI KEI NA NOQU I TUTU VAKA VEILIUTAKI ENA VANUA OQO, AU SA VIA TUKUNA VEI KEMUNI NIU SA REREVAKA VAKALEVU CAKE NA KALOU MAI NA NOQU VIA SAGA MEU VAKALOMAVINAKATAKA NA TAMATA, ME RAWA NIU TUKUNA KINA VUA NA NODA KALOU NI SA DODONU NA VUAVIRI.
1.6EDA NANUMI IRA VAKALEVU NA KAWA KEI REWA NIKUA KEI NA SIGA NI MATAKA – NA CAVA EDA VAKAVULICA TIKO VEI IRA NA GONE E VALE NI VULI VAKABIBI ENA TAUDAKU NI KORONIVULI?
1.7KEMUNI NA LEWE NI BOSE, NA CAVA ENA TUKUNA NA ROKO TUI DREKETI KEI NA BOSE NI YASANA KEVAKA E SANA DUA TALE NA VUAVIRI ENA MATAKA? EDA SANA BACI TOKONA TALE? NI RAICA NA I CAVACAVA NI NODRA BULA NA DAU VUAVIRI KEI IRA EDRA DAU VEITOKONI? E BAU DUA VEI IRA E CAVA VINAKA?
1.8‘OYA NA TARO MEDA QAI LAKI SAUMA VEI IRA NA LEWE NI NODA TIKINA.
1.9KEMUNI NA TURAGA KEI NA MARAMA, E DUA GA NA VANUA E TIKO KINA NA BOSE LEVU VAKATURAGA - ENA BOSE KA YAVAKAYACORI ENA VULA O’ TISEBA, 2006, KA VAKA KINA ENA EVERELI, 2007 – “ME RAVITA TIKO GA NA LAWA NI 1997. MEDA TOKONA GA NA LAWA”. NA VAKATULEWA NI MATAVEILEWAI LEVU ENA 2009, E TUKUNA VAKADODONU NI CALA VAKALAWA NA VUAVIRI NI TISEBA 2006. EDA YALO VAKACEGU NA KAI REWA NI DONU VINAKA TIKO NA VANUA EDA TIKO KINA KA DA SA RAI TIKO GA VUA NA NODA KALOU LEVU NI SA I KOYA GA NA SALA, NA BULA, KEI NA DINA (DODONU).
2.0NA RARAWA NI VAKAILESILESI – DPO E REWA
2.1SA TAU ENA SIGA E NAKAVIRI E VICA NA MALA NI VOSA KA SA VAKA ME TUKUNA VAKAMATATA VEI KEDA NI KEVAKA EDA SEGA NI TOKONA NA MATANITU EDA SANA VAKUWAI ENA ILAVO NI VEIVAKATOROCAKETAKI KA $3 NA MILIONI NA KENA LEVU.
2.2SA VAKA E VAKARAITAKI VEI KEDA NI RAWA NI TAROVI NA I LAVO KA SOLIA TIKO MAI NA MATANITU ME BALETA NA QARAVI NI NODA VALE NI VOLAVOLA NI YASANA KA $315,115.00 NA KENA LEVU.
2.3NA TUBU NI NODA SEA KI NA FIJIAN HOLDING KEI NA YASANA HOLDING KA RAUTA NI 1.3 NA MILIONI NA SEA NA KENA LEVU, E SA TUKUNI TALE GA NI RAWA NI DA NA VAKUWAI KINA.
2.4EDA SA VUKUWAI ENA I LAVO NI VEIVAKATOROCAKETAKI – NA DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE SCHEME KA $100,000.00 NA KENA LEVU ENA DUA NA YABAKI. OQO NA I LAVO KA SAUMI KINA NA I KOTI NI CO SE NA BRUSH CUTTER, BULI KINA NA SALA ENA NODA LOMANIKORO NA FOOTPATH, TARA KINA NA VALE NI SOQO SE A COMMUNITY HALL.
2.5KE SA YACO KECE NA VEIKA OQORI, EDA SANA SAUMA GA NA KAI REWA NA CICIVAKI NI NODA YASANA KA VAKA KINA NA NODA VAKATOROCAKETAKI. SA KA BIBI KINA MEDA RAICA TIKO NA BIBI KEI NA NODA RAWATA TIKO VAKAVINAKA NA NODA SOLI NI YASANA.
3.0NA I TAVI NI MATANITU
3.1IA, AU GADREVA MEU TUKUNA MADA VAKAMATATA VEI KEDA NI SA I TAVI NI MATANITU CAVA GA E VEILIUTAKI ME CAKACAKATAKA “NA TIKO VINAKA KEI NA LIUTAKI VINAKA NI LEWENIVANUA KECE.”
3.2E TUKUNI ENA KAVIRI NI SA VO GA ‘O REWA – VAKARE KAILA!
3.3NA VEIQARAVI NI MATANITU YADUA, DIGITAKI SE SEGA NI DIGITAKI, ME VEIQARAVI RARABA VEI KEDA KECE NA LEWENIVANUA. E SEGA NI VEIQARAVI GA VEI IRA GA ERA TOKONA NA MATANITU SE VEI IRA GA ERA DIGITAKA NA MATANITU. E VEIQARAVI RARABA VEI KEDA KECE NA LEWENIVANUA.
3.4IA NA CAKACAKA NI VEIVAKATOROCAKETAKI E SA QAI VAKATAU SARA GA ENA I TUVATUVA NI VEIQARAVI - ESO NAKORO E SEGA NI SE RAICA E DUA NA VEIVUKE NI MATANITU ENA LOMA NI VICA NA YABAKI, IA, E SO NA KORO ERA SA RAICA ESO NA CAKACAKA NI VEIVAKATOROCAKETAKI.
4.0ENA SEGA NI OTI RAWA NA GAGADRE NI TAMATA
4.1E DUA TALE GA NA KA ME MATATA TIKO VEI KEDA NI SEGA VAKADUA NI NA OTI RAWA NA VEIKA EDA GADREVA NA TAMATA ENA VURAVURA QO, KA SEGA NI DUA NA MATANITU ENA RAWA NI CAKACAKATAKA NA VEIKA KECE EDA VINAKATA NA LEWENIVANUA.
4.2E DUA GA NA DINA AU VIA TUKUNA VEI KEMUNI ENA MATAKA EDAI, SA I KOYA NI MATANITU GA NI KALOU EDA NA SEGA NI NA QAI VINAKATA TALE KINA E DUA NA KA . EDA NA KUNEA GA KINA NA BULA VAKACEGU.
5.0O CEI SARA MADA NA MATANITU?
5.1E TUKUNI TIKO E NAKAVIRI NI DA SEGA NI TOKONA NA MATANITU. IA, AU VIA TAROGA MADA VEI KEDA, SE O CEI SARA MADA NA MATANITU? NA I BALEBALE RAWARAWA NI VOSA OQO NA MATANITU, NI SA IRA GA NA VAKAILESILESI NI MATANITU KA RA DAU SIKOVI KEDA MAI, ERA MAI CAKACAKACAKATAKA NA VEIKA EDA GADREVA.
5.2E SEGA LI NI DA QARAVI IRA TIKO VAKAVINAKA NA NODA I VAKAILESILESI? EDA SEGA LI NI DA VAKANI IRA TIKO VAKAVINAKA NI RA MAI CAKACAKATAKA NA VEIKA EDA GADREVA? E SEGA LI NI DA VAKARAUTAKA NA KEDRA I VAQA LESU SE NA I VAKASOSO NI WAQA NI MAI CAVA NA NODRA VEIQARAVI?
5.3EDA SA DAU VAKARAITAKA ENA VEIGAUNA NA NODA MARAUTAKA NA VEIKA ERA MAI CAKACAKATAKA VEI KEDA BALETA NI KAUTA MAI VEI KEDA NA VEISAU, KA RA VAKACEGU TALE GA BALETA NI RA MAI QARAVA TIKO GA NA NODRA I TAVI KA RA SAUMI KINA.
6.0EDA VAKAITAVI TALE GA NA KAI REWA ENA RAWA I LAVO NI MATANITU
6.1KEMUNI NA LEWE NI BOSE, EDA NA RAICA NI TIKO NA I TAVI NI MATANITU, E TIKO TALE GA NA NODA I TAVI NA LEWENIVANUA, KA TIKO TALE GA NA I TAVI NI KAI REWA MERA CAKACAKA VAKAUKAUWA ME RA SAUMA NA NODRA I VAKACAVACAVA KA VAKA KINA NA I VAKACAVACAVA NI VEIBISINISI ENA LOMA NI NODATOU YASANA, KA VAKASOKUMUNI NA IVAKACAVACAVA KECE SARA ME RAWA NI DA MAI VAKATOROCAKETAKI TALE KINA NA LEWENIVANUA.
6.2EDA SOLIA TALE GA NA NODA QELE ME RAWA KINA NA VEIQARAVI NI MATANITU
IO, EDA SOLIA NA KAI REWA, O KEDA NA LEWE NI YASANA KO REWA - ME MAI DABE KINA NA VALENIVOLAVOLA NI MATANITU KEI NA BISINISI LELEVU ENA NODA VANUA, KA RA RAWA I LAVO ENA VUKU NI NODA QELE NA KAI REWA. OQO NA CAU LEVU NI NODA YASANA KI NA NODA VANUA LOMANI KO VITI.
7.0EDA SEGA NI CATA NA VAKAILESILESI NI MATANITU SE NA MATANITU
7.1E SEGA NI DA CATA NA I VAKAILESILESI NI MATANITU, EDA MARAUTAKA NA NODRA DAU MAI VAKAITAVI VEI KEDA KA DA DAU TOVOLEA NA NODA I GU MERA MARAUTAKA TALE GA NA NODRA MAI TIKO ENA NODA VEI KORO, KA DA DAU SOLIA NA VEIKA VINAKA VEI IRA.
7.2EDA SEGA NI CATA E DUA NA MATANITU. NA MATANITU CAVA GA E MAI VEILIUTAKI, SE MATANITU DIGITAKI SE MATANITU VUAVIRI, E QARAVA GA NA NONA I TAVI – KO YA ME CAKACAKATAKA NA NODA TIKO VINAKA KEI NA NODA LIUTAKI VINAKA NA LEWENIVANUA.
7.3AU VIA TUKUNA TALE GA NI SEGA NI SE BAU DUA NA GAUNA E LIU ME MAI VOSATAKA E DUA NA GONE MAI NA DUA TALE NA YASANA NA VEIKA E BALETI KEDA NA KAI REWA ENA LOMA NI NODA MATABOSE. DE SA VEISAU BEKA NA GAUNA, IA, AU TAROGA SE MAI SIKA VAKACAVA NA NONA WELI ENA LOMA NI NODATOU MATABOSE?
8.0EDA SA VUSEKA KA CATA NA VUAVIRI
8.1SA YACO E LEVU NA VUAVURI ENA NODA VANUA. EDA SA VULI SARA VAKALEVU ENA VEIKA E KAUTA MAI VEI KEDA NA VUAVIRI, EDA SA KILA VAKAMATATA NI SA VAKADREDRETAKA VAKALEVU NA NODA TOSO KI LIU NA VUAVIRI.
8.2ENA GAUNA OQO EDA SA KILA NI SEGA NI DUA NA KA VINAKA E KAUTA MAI NA VUAVIRI. E KAUTA GA MAI NA DREDRE KA VAKATARABETAKA NA NODA TOSO KI LIU.
9.0NA USUTU NI VEIKA EDA CATA
9.1OQO GA NA USUTU NI VEIKA EDA CATA. EDA SA CATA NA VUAVIRITAKI NI NODA MATANITU. EDA SA RAICA NA DREDRE LEVU…… EDA SA TUKUNA TIKO, NI DA SA SEGA NI VINAKATA MENA VAKAYACORI TALE VAKADUA NA VUAVIRI ENA NODA VANUA.
9.2KEVAKA SA I LESILESI NEI REWA ME TUKUNA NA VEIKA OQO KIVEI IRA ERA SA LEWA NA NODA MATANITU ENA GAUNA QO, IA, MEDA SA TUKUNA SARA YANI VAKAMATATA.
9.3EDA SA RAICA RAWA NI RA NA SOTAVA TIKO GA NA NODA KAWA ENA VEIGAUNA MAI MURI NA REVUREVU NI VUAVIRI KEVAKA EDA NA TOKONA TIKO GA NA CAKACAKA NI VUAVIRI!
10.0MEDA SA TUTAKA NA DINA
10.1AU SA VIA TUKUNA VEI KEMUNI ENA MATAKA EDAI, NI SA NODA I TAVI MEDA NA TUTAKA NA DINA OQO. NI DA SEGA NI TALEITAKA, NI DA CATA KA SEGA NI TOKONA NA VUAVIRITAKI NI MATANITU E SA DIGITAKA NA LEWENIVANUA.
10.2KEVAKA EDA NA TOKONA NA VUAVIRI NI 2006, SA KENA I BALEBALE NI BACI DUA TALE E CATA ENA MATANITU DIGITAKI, ENA BACI VAKAYACORA TALE NA VUAVIRI!
10.3EDA SEGA NI NA VAKAVULICI IRA NA LUVEDA KEI IRA NA NODA KAWA NI CALA NA VUAVIRI, KEVAKA EDA SEGA NI TUDEI KA TUKUNA VAKADODONU NA LOMADA NI DA SA CATA NA VUARIRI..
10.4EDA SEGA NI CATA NA MATANITU, EDA SA WALE GA ENA LEVU NI VUAVIRI, KA SA DODONU GA MEDA SA TUKUNA NA LOMADA, KA KAKUA NI VAKAMUMURI VOLI GA.
11.0EDA SA TEKIVU CALA MAI ENA 1987
11.1ERA NA VAKACALAI KEDA NA LUVEDA KEI IRA NA NODA KAWA KEVAKA EDA VAKADONUYA TIKO GA NA VUAVIRI. AU VIA TUKUNA VEI KEDA ENA MATAKA EDAI, NI DA SA TEKIVU CALA MAI ENA 1987 – NA NOQU I TINI E SUCU ENA 1986, NA KA GA E KILA ENA GAUNA NI NONA BULA NA VUAVIRI, SA VA NA VUAVIRI, SA YABAKI 25 NIKUA. KEMUNI NA TURAGA KEI NA MARAMA, KEVAKA EDA SEGA NI TUKUNA , SE BACI TUKUNA TALE NI CALA NA VUAVIRI, EDA SANA CALA YARAYARA TIKO GA
11.2SA KENA GAUNA OQO MEDA SA TUKUNA KI NA MATANITU NI DA SEGA NI DUAVATA KEI NA VUAVIRI KA MERA SA YALATAKA NA LIGA NI WAU NI NODA VANUA NI SEGA TALE NI RA NA VAKAYACORA NA VUAVIRI ENA NODA VANUA.
11.3SA DODONU MEDA SA VAKASAVASAVATAKA NA YALODA, KA MERATOU VAKASAVASAVATAKA TALE GA NA VEILIUTAKI TIKO ENA NODA MATANITU NA YALODRATOU, KA MEDA SA DUAVATA NI SA CALA NA VUAVIRITAKI NI NODA MATANITU, KA MEDA SA DUAVATA TALE GA ENA VEITARATARAVI NI VEIKA ME VAKAYACORI ME VAKALESUI NA LIUTAKI NI NODA MATANITU KI NA MATANITU E DIGITAKA NA LEWENIVANUA.
11.4E DUA GA NA NOQU KEREKERE – “JUST CALL. DON’T COME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITH 16 MILITARY/POLICE PERSONNEL”. DOU QIRITI AU GA MAI, DOU KAKUA NI LAKO MAI ENA LOMA NI BOGI LEVU KEI NA 16 NA LEWE NI MATAIVALU KEI NA OVISA.
11.5NI MAI TIKO KINA NA LEWE NI BOSE, AU VIA VAKADODONUTAKA TIKO NA RAI NI VAKAILESILESI ENA VUKU NI NODA I LE, SA VAKA TIKO QO NA KENA LEVU.
He's required to be around and "manage" the Fijian provinces. Just like he managed the Lau Provincial Council meeting and stacked it with one of their own illegal and treasonous members like Filipe Bole when the contentious issue of the unpopular Charter came up.
Now Leweni, like the good little obedient attack dog that he is, has been set on the Rewa Provincial Council meeting, most probably because their unwavering stand on the Charter will not change anytime soon.
All Rewa Provincial Council meetings have been suspended until the government decides to call the next meeting for the provincial council.
This is after the provincial council meeting yesterday where some members of the council were continuing to push for the provincial council to oppose the government’s People’s Charter and other initiatives.
Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni said only a few people were pushing their agenda in the meeting.
Lieutenant Colonel Leweni said the provincial council which is funded by the government has been advised that there will be no more meetings for now based on what transpired yesterday.
But he stressed that some tikinas in Rewa have fully supported the government’s initiatives and they will continue to be assisted.
Lieutenant Colonel Leweni said further decisions will be taken soon.
Stay with us we will have more on the Rewa Provincial Council in the next hour.
Yes taxpayers budget day approacheth and so a little fudging here, there and everywhere is in order in order to once again cook the books.
It's also an opportune time Bainimarama and his illegal and treasonous military regime to do away with secondary schools and they have Laucala Bay Secondary School (LBSS) firmly in their sights.
Filipe Bole would do well to state for the public record how this shabby idea does not conflict with another shabby idea of his on school zoning where students living near the vicinity of LBSS are to enrol at schools nearest to them in order to manage the "free busfare" idiocy (another brainless idea of his btw).
We would be surprised if the closure of LBSS and the education of these future taxpayers is not the sacrificial lamb for the Fiji Sports Council's visions of grandeur to acquire that prime piece of real estate.
It is understood that parents of LBSS are organising themselves to get Bainimarama to reconsider these draconian moves.
The point here however is that the regime is quite happy to keep a bloated military force and throw the future of students of LBSS under a bus.
Intelligentsiya has previously stated that the regime also has Queen Victoria School in their sights for defence purposes and we will watch these latest machinations very closely.
Government is looking at recommendations to close State-owned schools.=
Minister for Education Filipe Bole revealed this to Fiji SUN yesterday but said no immediate action would be taken.
He said this was part of Government’s effort attached to the reforms carried out by the Public Service Commission (PSC).
“There are only 12 Government schools out of the 1000 or so in the country. The move is part of cutting down on the expenditures,” Mr Bole said.
However, he said, there were special considerations for prominent schools with historical background like Adi Cakobau School, Queen Victoria School and Ratu Kadavulevu School.
“For these schools with history attached to them, there will be discussions and consultations on how we will handle them,” Mr Bole said.
Laucala Bay Secondary School has been the first Government school to be earmarked for closure by next year.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has agreed to the request by the board of Adi Cakobau School to renovate the school when he visited ACS yesterday.
While there to launch the bus e-ticketing system, he agreed that engineers from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) would renovate three damaged wooden buildings which were formerly used as classrooms and dormitories.
This is to cater for the increasing number of boarders.
The renovation will be funded by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Media freedom still has a long way to go in the Pacific, as governments struggle to understand the role independent media can play in national development.
The Pacific Journalism Review's annual report says Fiji has the most obvious problems, however Vanuatu's lack of media freedom is cause for concern as well.
Even without official censorship, media outlets in Vanuatu continue to face "blatant intimidation".
Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Alex Perrottet, Pacific Media Centre, New Zealand
Listen here.
PERROTTET: Across the Pacific you have a huge range and a huge diversity of different countries, different approaches that governments take to their media. You have very, very small countries, you have a country like Nauru, which virtually doesn't have a media apart from what's run by the government and the outside world can't really get an idea of what's going on there. You have a more developed country, which is the crossroads of the Pacific, which we know is Fiji. But of course that has its own problems doesn't it with a system, a military government in place and a system of organised and censorship which is in place and is in place with a decree that's been passed. So you have a huge range of different issues across the Pacific, and of course experiences by people in the media are wide-ranging as well. And you mentioned Vanuatu, which doesn't have any formal censorship, but you have people in the media there who are intimidated, and only this year were beaten up by people even in the government. So you have quite a serious issue there of restrictions on media freedom, even without a proper system in place by the government.
COUTTS: Well you're talking of course about Marc Neil-Jones, the editor of the Vanuatu Daily Press in Port Vila in Vanuatu, where it was very hard to bring those aggressors to court, and when they did their fine was minimal, laughable perhaps. What does the Pacific Journalism Review's annual report say about that? Why aren't governments getting onboard and protecting their media?
PERROTTET: Well you have a situation in these countries of course, they're very, very small, and compared to a country like Australia or New Zealand obviously the connections between people are much closer, the degrees of separation, the vested interests that people might have. So if you're going to take a brave stance of running a newspaper, like Marc Neil-Jones has done, and you're going to take an aggressive stance and perhaps an approach that we're more likely to understand from a western democracy point of view, you're going to run into trouble, there's no doubt about that. You're going to make people very unhappy.
COUTTS: Well actually in Marc Neil-Jones defence he's just fed up with being beaten up, this is not the first occasion?
PERROTTET: That's right, he's been deported before, he's written an article against the police themselves and as a result was beaten up by the police. This latest one in March this year was an expose on an issue where the Public Works Minister Henry Iauko was implicated, and he proceeded to take six or seven thugs with him into the actual offices, very blatantly into the offices of the Vanuatu Daily Post and proceeded to beat up Marc, who's the publisher. So that's right, it isn't the first time, and he's not exactly an outsider, he's English by birth but he's been there for a good 17 years and is married to a native ni-Vanuatuan. So he understands cultural issues in the country, and I suppose his approach is very dogged, he's someone who doesn't take a backward step and doesn't give up, but at least he shows what you're likely to run into if you're going to take I suppose a western rigorous approach to holding power to account in some of these countries.
COUTTS: But if you're getting an independent media one of the practices in Vanuatu, we'll stay in Vanuatu for a moment, has been in the past for the government and government officials to take an active role in naming the boards that run the radio and television there, in fact some of them have had positions on it?
PERROTTET: That's right, and once again this is just another, I suppose it's an understandable situation where you have a small country you have an even smaller amount of people that are in charge of running the country in those positions of power, and this is the sort of thing that's going to happen. And from a western I suppose point of view, we're not used to that sort of arrangement, we're used to having lots of checks and balances on our democracy. Their cultural approach is not so much that approach, and also it's hard to achieve that sort of approach when as I said you've got such a small amount of people to draw from. So we're talking about very, very different cultures. I think it's quite important that people like Marc Neil-Jones and people that run newspapers like that do take the approach they're taking, because it's a good direction those countries have to go in. But as they forget their way forward obviously we're going to have some of these terrible instances where people take the law into their own hands and react in such violent ways to I suppose the workings of a fledgling democracy.
COUTTS: And a good number of Pacific Island nations, they don't call it censorship of the press, but in practice that's probably what it is, where media outlets accept without challenge press releases that the government puts out, and just reprints them like I say without challenge or even finding out what's behind it?
PERROTTET: That's right, one issue against with the media in the Pacific is education and the training of journalists. A lot of these people go straight into positions at newspapers, and quite frankly work very, very hard and do quite a sterling job for the amount of training they've had, the amount of time they've in the industry. And we can look in our own backyard and see how many people might get press releases off the fax machine and put them straight into the newspaper. I'm at Auckland University of Technology here and there's been copious amounts done by students in communication departments are many universities studying the newspapers of our own countries and how much of it is actually PR. We're looking at a situation where people aren't even trained and they're working in newspapers again with tight deadlines, without being paid too much, it's no surprise there that the press releases and of course coming from the government go straight into the newspapers. You have a situation once again where there's not a lot of resources and people are facing the typical deadlines that you and I face in the media.
COUTTS: But it makes it easier for the media to be under the thumb of the governments if you take that approach?
PERROTTET: Absolutely, and not just under the thumb of the governments, but the sort of conflicts and the in-fighting that you have even within different media organisations is amazing. You have very small media organisations and perhaps it's natural that in that sort of context you have a lot of competition. And going back to Marc Neil-Jones late last year he applied for a radio license, and it was argued by the actual media body, which really I suppose should be representing him, that's the Media Association of Vanuatu, they were arguing that he shouldn't be allowed a radio license as they wanted to protect the indigenous culture in Vanuatu, and thought that Marc Neil-Jones being an outsider of sorts, having a radio license would somehow affect the cultural landscape of Vanuatu and affect the indigenous culture there. And so they opposed his application for a radio license. So you have these conflicts as well where even within the very, very small fledgling media bodies that are operating in these countries.
COUTTS: Well Fiji and PINA, the Pacific Island News Association, did the Pacific Journalism Review's annual review look at that situation and it remaining in Fiji given the extent of the media censorship there?
PERROTTET: We did, that is also a constant issue of conflict within media personnel in the Pacific. We've had people resign from positions in PINA over the years as they stay in Fiji, and obviously there are conflicting issues about really what is the purpose of PINA? I mean it came out of the, as the main media body representing media personnel in the Pacific for the last couple of decades. But since the last coup, the major coup in 2006 in Fiji, it has decided and it's taken a course of action that it's going to say in Fiji. And I think quite admirably to try to teach the military regime that in any democracy that might come about in the next few years that media is certainly something that has to be looked after and given independence. And they've taken that approach with dialogue with the regime. Now that's the one track that you can say is admirable. Many people have argued that no, it's not, and if you're going to represent media well surely you have to stand up for media freedom, and if a country's not going to give you that, well then you have to operate outside the country. John Woods who runs the Cook Islands News for example was the Vice President, he resigned, and he now forms part of a new media organisation that started in August last year called PasiMA, which is the Pacific Islands Media Association, another one of these media bodies that keep popping up in the Pacific representing different interests. And they're based in Apia in Samoa. So you have this scattering of media people and different media bodies that are rising up, and definitely people fairly disenchanted with the approach of PINA. But as I said, if you're taking it from the approach of the current President Moses Stephens of PINA, what they're trying to do is really to salvage what they can of the media in �
COUTTS: And also self-preservation, but we're running out of time, can I just ask you Alex if you could just summarise then what your recommendations are?
PERROTTET: Well the recommendations would be for media groups to keep lobbying governments and to dialogue with them and to teach them that media freedom is essential. Obviously West Papua would be the worse one because there's actually been killings and abductions and assaults, much more than there are in Fiji and Vanuatu, that's obviously a huge issue. But we will be recommending that media people really I suppose are appreciated firstly for the hard work they do, particularly in some of these countries as they tow the line between different types of censorship. But the governments really do realise that no matter what type of democracy or government that you might have, a free media is absolutely essential to the proper running of a country.
Not only has the Waila City hype fizzled out, but Malaysian company Naim Holdings seems to also be hitting road-bumps with their road project.
It would not surprise us at all if the recent news broken by fellow blogs C4.5 and Torture Watch in relation arbitrary arrests and torture by PWD workers is directly linked to Naim Holdings.
Equally concerning is how the government arm, the Public Works Department, that is mandated to carry out carry out routine and urgent maintenance and rehabilitation and upgrading works to all public buildings owned by Government, can afford to be outsourcing in this depressed economic climate.
Naim Holdings Bhd has denied a newsreport from Fiji that its two road projects there have run into problems due to issues with suppliers.
When contacted, Naim head of construction and engineering Sivakumar Ramasamy was surprised by the Fijian newsreport as the firm’s subsidiary Naim Engineering Construction (Fiji) Ltd was ready to hand over one of its highway projects next month.
“We are scheduled to hand over the Kings Road from Waito to Wailatoa before Christmas to the Fijian Public Works Department (PWD) as the construction work has been completed and we’re now in the final housekeeping stages.”
The newsreport on the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation website quoted its Works Transport & Public Utilities divisional road engineer west, Apisai Ketenalagi, as saying Naim Engineering has encountered supplier problems, which is causing the delay.
"I think it is to do a lot with the supplier of their material that’s what they are having difficulty that’s basically affecting the implementation program," the Fijian engineer reportedly said.
Sivakumar refuted the claim. “When Fijian Minister for Works Transport & Public Utilities Colonel Timoci L Natuva visited the highway last month while I was there, he was very impressed with what Naim has accomplished with the local contractors.
“He said Naim had managed to complete what many previous contractors were unable to deliver, exceeding standards set by his ministry.”
Sivakumar also said there were no supplier problems as claimed by the newsreport as Naim operated its own quarry and premix plants in Fiji, which were set up by the firm and involved an estimated F$10 million (RM17.5 million) investment.
Further, he said Naim had exceeded the minimum 30% Fijian participation in the project as only 30 to 40 Malaysians were employed among the 250-odd staff involved in the project.
On the 106km Nadi Back Road currently being rehabilitated, which the newsreport said would be delayed as well, Sivakumar explained that only 50km had been handed over by the Fijian PWD so far under the contract.
“Work on the first 50km is being done in phases and the first three phases have been completed, with another few more than halfway done. We are waiting for the Fijian PWD to hand over the rest of the road for us to work on.”
The newsreport had stated that the US$40 million (RM million) project funded by the Export-Import Bank of Malaysia is to be completed in two years and was unlikely to be delivered by next August.
For those who wish for a peaceful and internal solution to Fiji’s problems, a painful puzzle to understand is why so many “good” people have supported the illegal coups of not just 2006, but also 1987 and 2000, despite all the resulting evils, and how to encourage them to change peacefully.
How do we convince those currently supporting the Bainimarama Regime to return to lawfulness and good governance, with the full restoration of basic human rights currently denied us by the Military Regime?
This kind of a problem applies to other Pacific countries like Solomon Islands and Tonga, and many other countries, which have been plagued by coups and sectarian violence, with systematic evil being done or supported by otherwise good people.
Although the economic implications of military coups and sectarian violence are horrendous, economics provides little guidance on such difficult questions.
Far more useful is the field of psychology and, here I draw on the work of Philip Zimbardo, an eminent StanfordUniversity psychologist, who gave a brilliant set of lectures at HarvardLawSchool, titled “The Lucifer Effect”.
While Zimbardo’s focus was on trying to explain why “good” people do “evil” things, he also suggests how to encourage ordinary individuals (not the Mahatma Gandhis or Mother Theresas or Nelson Mandelas of the world) to do good, even if they are currently doing wrong things.
So we do not talk at cross-purposes, let me first outline what I see as the “evil” consequences of the 2006 coup for Fiji (with clear similarities with the consequences of the 1987 and 2000 coups).
The evil consequences of the 2006 coup
The evil consequences (which many Bainimarama supporters in Fiji and abroad totally refuse to question their coup heroes on) include the following:
the horrendous crime of treasonous removal of a lawfully elected government, which is the peaceful, co-operative foundation, however imperfect, of democratic freedoms and basic human rights, and good governance.
the abuse of hundreds of millions of dollars of tax-payers’ funds and FNPF funds and the suppression of all auditor general’s and other reports which outline the financial abuses;
the arbitrary sacking of hundreds of employees and board members without natural justice;
the passing of military decrees which prevent grievances being taken to court, expropriation of private property, and breaking of legal contracts;
the draconian media censorship and severe curtailment of basic human rights such as freedom of expression, assembly and association;
the draconian destruction of legitimate trade union rights and breaking of ILO conventions
the complete lack of accountability for deaths of persons in the custody of the security forces, and arbitrary differential application of the law to Regime supporters and opponents;
the gross misuse of Fiji National Provident Fund without the approval of the fund-owners, and a refusal to change the governance structure to make the Board accountable to the Members;
the unaccountable and non-transparent purchase and sale of public assets and entering of legal agreements;
the destruction of long-standing useful links with traditional donors and governments;
the callous insistence on retaining power, despite the billions of dollars of lost national income and resulting increases in poverty, and other social evils.
the total trashing of public service finance rules by illegally paying Bainimarama and other senior military officers for decades of back-pay;
the total subversion of Ministry of Finance rules by paying current Ministers in the Military Regime, unknown salaries through a private accounting firm owned by a relative of the illegal Attorney General.
These have never been disputed by the Regime.
So why have “good” people supported and continue to support the 2006 coup perpetrators, just as many other good people also in 1987 and 2000 coups?
Zimbado’s three sources of evil
Zimbardo was trying to make sense of horrifying events such as the torture and killings of prisoners by American servicemen at GuantanomoBay and the Abu Ghraib prisons.
His findings also enabled him to understand better the killing of six million Jews by ordinary Germans; the mass suicide of hundreds of men, women and children belonging to a religious cult; and many other horrifying situations.
Search on the Internet with the words “Philip Zimbardo Lucifer Effect Youtube”.
Watch all the eleven video clips that pop up. Be prepared for some shocking images and disturbing scientific findings about how ordinary people like you and I can be “good” or “evil” in different circumstances.
I apply Zimbardo’s ideas to Fiji, with some additional elements which explain our predicament better.
Zimbardo saw evil actions arising from three sources.
First and obvious, evil may be done by people with inherent “evil dispositions”- but Zimbardo argues that most people are not inherently evil.
More important was the evil that can result from ordinary “good” people being corrupted or misled by the evil situations they find themselves in- good apples being corrupted by bad apples.
And third and even more powerful was where individuals found themselves part of an entire system (legal, political, social) in which doing the “evil” actions was seen as being “normal” or doing the right thing. ie the system itself (the barrel) made the good apples bad.
Coup supporters may not be “evil”
If we list the coup collaborators and supporters for each of the 2006, 2009 and also the 1987 and 2000 coups- the lists will be very long indeed.
There have been prominent legal and academic minds, leading politicians and political parties, prominent chiefs and their organizations, former Commanders of the Fiji Military Forces; religious and social leaders of all denominations (Methodist, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim etc), civil society institutions, long standing civil servants, experienced bureaucrats and former citizens; and even the British monarchy in 1987.
We will have virtually included most of those in the upper echelons of Fiji society for the last 25 years (while I name people because I expect better from them, my legal adviser says don’t name people)..
Most would be considered “normal” people, and in their own social groups, they may even be considered to be doing “good”.
So how could they support or tolerate all the evils I have listed at the beginning?
Zimbardo explains that there is good and evil in all of us, like “yin” and “yang” (no surprise to many religions). Zimbardo (and other psychologists like Millgram) discovered through their objective scientific experiments that evil deeds can easily result when individuals uncritically allow themselves to be dominated by situations or systems at large, and obey the orders of “evil” others, who knowingly use their power for unjust reasons.
The Milgram Experiments
Zimbardo explained how American psychologist Stanley Milgram showed this result decades ago- with all kinds of ordinary people, in all kinds of different environments, with experiments which might seem simplistic, but with incredibly powerful results.
In one experiment, the human “guinea pig” is shown a vertical line, alongside a group of three other lines, of which only one has the same length as the first one.
The guinea pig (and others in the group who are “actors in the know”), are asked to choose which one out of the three lines has the same length.
The actors, after giving the correct answer for a few questions, then all deliberately start giving the wrong answer.
Milgram found that most “guinea pigs”, who gave the right answers at the beginning, begin to give the obviously wrong answer- just to fit in with the others who he did not know were deliberately giving wrong answers.
The psychologists found that conforming with the group, whether right or wrong, is the norm for most human beings not the exception- even if they end up doing horrifying things, as the next experiments shows.
The electric shock and the prisoner/guard experiment
One psychology experiment was absolutely horrifying.
A “professor” (in a white uniform) asks the guinea pig to administer a multiple choice question to a “student” (who is really an actor) out of sight in another room. If the student got the answer wrong, he/she was to be given a bigger and bigger electric shock, supposedly to help the student learn faster.
The experiment was rigged to ensure that the students kept giving occasional wrong answers, and every guinea pig was asked to increase the electric shock, even if the person in the other room was screaming in pain, right up to the 400 volt plus point where it could prove fatal.
Time after time, with all kinds of guinea pigs, men and women alike, people of all ages, of all races, would keep obeying the “professor” in increasing the electric shock, until the “erring student” in the other room appeared to be given a fatal level of shock and went totally quiet. Only a tiny proportion of guinea-pigs stopped before the fatal level of shock.
In another early experiment by Zimbardo, ordinary students were randomly designated by academic researchers to act as “guards” while others were designated to act as “prisoners”.
Not only did the “guards” become dehumanized and brutal, but the prisoners also became so dehumanized and traumatized, that Zimbardo was forced to stop his experiment short.
What these psychologists established (please do watch the Youtube video clips) was that most ordinarily “good” people will obey whoever they perceive as “authority” even if what they end up doing is morally and ethically wrong or “evil”.
Remember the disturbing book Lord of the Flies where ordinary children stranded alone on an island, suddenly become savages and even killers.
The Abu Ghraib and GuantanamoBay prisons
Zimbardo went into all this analysis because he had been asked to defend American soldiers charged with torturing prisoners at the GuantanamoBay and Abu Ghraib prisons, suspected to be terrorists.
Zimbardo found to his amazement that the accused soldiers were quite “normal” decent persons- with no “evil” characteristics in their psychological make-up.
He discovered instead that that American military rules of conduct had been changed by the highest political and military authority in United States to implicitly allow torture, sadism, cruelty, even murder of prisoners, even if these acts negated the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners.
Most of the American guards thought that they were doing the “right thing” in their “war against terror” because they thought that that was what the “authorities wanted them to do. Just as many decent Germans did in killing the six million Jews, or the Al Qaida terrorists did in bombing the TwinTowers.
At the American prison camps, it was only when one soldier rebelled because of his conscience that all the abuses came to light. That soldier and his family eventually had to be given military protection for years, to protect them from attacks by their colleagues who felt betrayed by the “whistle blower”. Whistle-blowing is incredibly dangerous.
So how does all this help us understand Fiji today?
Zimbardo’s ten stages and the Fiji Coups
Zimbardo’s analysis led him to outline 10 steps or stages whereby normally “good” people are slowly pulled into doing “evil” and find themselves unable to stop or extricate themselves.
I apply them here, with some modifications for Fiji.
1. There is always some “ideology” to justify the actions.
In Nazi Germany it was “the creation of the Aryan Master-race by cleansing the Fatherland of these hateful Jews”. In the US military prisons, there was the “Need for War Against Terror”, supported by most Americans and politicians.
In the Rabuka/Mara coup of 1987 and the 2000 coup, the ideologies were “Fiji for the Fijians”, “no Indian should be Prime Minister”; Fiji’s Development Plan will be the Blueprint for “Affirmative Action for indigenous Fijians”. These coups were supported by most Fijians and Fijian institutions like the GCC and MethodistChurch.
Bainimarama claimed his 2006 coup was to remove corruption and corrupt politicians, and create a racially equal society, with electoral reform and a “one man one vote”, all to be guided by the new Charter and Roadmap. This coup was supported by most Indo-Fijians, many kailoma and kaivalangis, and their respective institutions like the Hindu, Muslim, and Catholic religious organisations.
2. The “the end justifies the means” and we have to have “some necessary evils”
The argument goes that you have to restrict some of your rights, like freedom of speech, if we are going to unite the whole country and not be destabilized by a few disgruntled critics with their own agendas.
People are told- don’t just stand on the sideline and criticize. Join the Government, the Boards, the NCBBF, the Constitution Review Commission, etc if you want to save the country, you have to be “inside” to make a difference. The country will be worse if you don’t join the gang.
Think back to 1987, 2000, and 2006. There are far too many examples.
3. The evil deeds slowly become bigger and clearly wrong, but people can say nothing.
Hark back to 1987 when the coup was presented as a “bloodless coup in paradise” –the international journalists’ ultimate holiday.
But coup opponents like Anirudh Singh and Som Prakash were abducted and tortured (Anirudh Singh has still not received justice from the courts); others were imprisoned; many Indo-Fijian civil servants (like John Samy) lost their jobs and were discriminated against in all kinds of ways. Government Development was refocused on indigenous Fijians, although all races were equally poor.
Hark back to 2000 when Chaudhry and other parliamentarians were held hostage for 57 days; when shops and houses were looted and burned, some planned deliberately by coup conspirators, but much also done by ordinary “decent” Fijians.
From moderate amounts of military over-expenditure in 1987, there were massive misuse of funds in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Small assaults became bigger with people losing their lives. Lack of accountability became widespread, with massive amounts of tax-payers’ money being lost.
Without any public emergency, a Public Emergency Decree is passed every month banning freedom of assembly. There is total media censorship at newspapers, radio and television stations. Long held basic human rights of workers and their unions are arbitrarily trashed.
There are deaths and violence in military custody which the police will not investigate.
The “good” people are now totally quiet.
4. There appears to be a “lawful authority” which must be obeyed.
In 1987 Ratu Penaia Ganilau was removed as Governor General but then quickly accepted the position of “President” in the new Republic, from which “authority” then flowed all other legal changes- including changing the constitution to make it more pro-indigenous Fijian.
In 2000 when the Chaudhry Government was held hostage in Parliament, Ratu Mara stated on TV that Chaudhry could not return as Prime Minister; Bainimarama assumed Executive Authority after asking the President Ratu Mara to “step aside”; he then appointed an illegal Interim Administration led by Qarase (without the ruling FLP Coalition) which then ruled the country as the “lawful authority”.
In 2006, an illegally appointed Acting Chief Justice legitimated the 2006 coup for three years, also illegally appointing Iloilo as President, who then illegally authorized the Bainimarama Government to initiate the NCBBF, the Charter etc. etc which all the coup collaborators then followed as “the President’s Mandate” for this or that. Yet the 2009 Appeal Court judgment ruled that it was all illegal and treasonous.
Iloilo was eventually replaced by Epeli Nailatikau first as Acting then later as full President, who then signed and still signs today, all kinds of Military Decrees which are enforced by the judiciary as the “law of the land”.
Zimbardo observed that military soldiers, whose wearing of uniforms made them anonymous, were particularly vulnerable: “higher authority” MUST be obeyed, or the solider would be charged with sedition or mutiny. Witness the supreme irony of an illegal treasonous Military Regime wanting to charge Ratu Tevita for sedition!
Soldiers and civil servants cannot question whether orders from “above” are lawful or not: all must be followed blindly.
5. The “once compassionate and principled” leader becomes authoritarian and dictatorial, and his supporters cannot handle the change.
Look at the stated objectives of Bainimarama when he did the coup in 2006; look at what he has become after five years.
Most initial coup supporters who established, justified and strengthened Bainimarama in the first place, have not been able to publicly disagree and/or retract their support.
6. The rules are changing, and often unjustifiable.
Look no further than the Regimes “Military Decrees” expropriating private property, and denying residents the fundamental human right to take the Military Regime to court over perceived injustices.
Look at the military decrees which will be used to reduce pensions of existing pensioners.
Look at the decrees severely restricting the rights of unions, and the rights and freedoms of NGOs.
7. Victims are made out to be evil, the evil deeds and persons are made out to be good.
Look at the illegal Regime’s condemnation of the lawful stance of Australia, NZ and the EU.
Look at their prosecution for “sedition” of former soldiers and coup supporters like Ratu Tevita Mara, unionists Daniel Urai and Felix Anthony- what supreme irony from a totally treasonous government.
Look at the Military Regime constantly preaching about legality, accountability and good governance, to the Fiji Law Society, the Accountants Congress, or Chambers of Commerce, while totally ignoring all its own terrible breaches of these same principles.
8. Socially important people publicly “legitimate” the illegal authority.
Public support is given by senior members of the judiciary, and institutions like the Human Rights Commission; prominent political parties join in support; (Alliance in 1987, SVT in 2000, FLP in 2006); the traditional chiefs support the coups; the heads of religious organizations (Methodists in 1987 and 2000, the others in 2006) institutions like CCF take part in the NCBBF and Charter processes; stalwarts of Transparency International collaborate with the Regime.
Business tycoons of all races, heads of business and professional organizations such as Chambers of Commerce, Hotel Association of Fiji, Accountants Congress, and universities all prominently recognize the illegal and Interim “Presidents”, “Prime Ministers”, “Attorney Generals” and Ministers of the Military Regime.- not to do so would jeopardize their businesses and assets, and their daily bread.
Even organisations like the IMF, WB and UN give full recognition and legitimacy to the Regime, while some even praise their policies.
Who can blame ordinary poor powerless members of the public for also recognizing the illegal Regime as lawful?
9. Some internal dissent is allowed but overall authority must not be challenged.
Look no further than the mild criticisms of the Bainimarama Regime by organisations such as CCF, ECREA and Transparency International. One cleric trying desperately to enforce Wages Councils, in frustration accuses Bainimarama of “being like every other Prime Minister”, yet still recognizes him as the legitimate Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
10. There is no easy exit for the followers
Once people join the illegal bandwagons, they cannot get off. Many who supported the 1987 and 2000 coups later changed their minds, as have some who joined after the 2006 coup.
Those who have grave doubts after witnessing the growing list of evils (listed at the beginning of this article), cannot criticize because of media restrictions, and cannot see any exit strategy. A few opponents escape overseas, like Jone Baledrokadroka and Ratu Tevita Mara.
But to explain Fiji’s coups, we need to add three other important catalysts to Zimbardo’s analysis, that encourage “good” people to support or do evil: revenge, self-interest, and “doing good”.
The “revenge” factor
Revenge is an easily understood very human emotion, as a powerful motivating factor for doing evil.
Many Indo-Fijians who suffered in the 1987 and 2000 coups, initially chuckled over the 2006 coup and the “same medicine” being meted out to those who supported the 1987 and 2000 coups. They still chuckle today despite the devastation of the Indo-Fijian community in Fiji. Being allowed to call themselves “Fijian” is not going to feed the stomachs of the sugar cane farmers.
Several prominent persons ones, denied national or international opportunities by previous racist governments, jumped in to “help” Bainimarama with his alleged objective of creating a racially equal society.
Everywhere in world, conflicts have flared for decades, fueled by the desire for revenge based on memories of injustice done to them decades or even centuries past. All ignore the saying that “two wrongs do not make a right”.
Financial self-interest
In every Fiji coup, it has been difficult to separate “self-interest” from ideology as motivating factors, when certain groups and individuals have always gained:
After every coup, senior military officers were promoted to top civil servant positions way above that of their military ranks and salaries, while even the rank and file gain in salaries and perks, while other civil servants stood still.
Former politicians who had no alternative jobs and incomes, jump in to allegedly “help” the country return to “normalcy”.
Powerful corporate persons jump in to support, while getting special concessions from an economically ignorant Military Regime desperate to encourage economic growth as a sign of their success as a “government”.
Select civil servants are promoted rapidly, enthusiastically supporting whatever was the dominant ideology of the coup leaders: “Fiji for Fijians” or “Affirmative Action for indigenous Fijians” or “People’s Charter and racial equality”.
Prominent individuals sidelined by previous governments are ready to jump on the new band-wagons, not just Indo-Fijians but also indigenous Fijians, kaivalagis and kailomas, many with nothing better to do.
Many former Fiji residents made buckets of money by coming back as consultants and advisers to the Military Regime. Many have disappeared now, but will no doubt reappear for the next Bainimarama act- a new Constitution for Fiji promises more glory for some, and buckets of money for consultants.
The “doing good” factor
When one examines the many Regime supporters there are many decent citizens among them, who clearly are trying to “do good”.
There are many people who trying to help without any pecuniary benefit for themselves: in using Wages Councils to raise the incomes of workers not protected by people persons or squatter housing; or improve the electoral system; or reconciliation; or better governance of the country by serving on Boards and Councils; or serving on Commerce Commissions to try help the poor through price control (whether it works or not).
Some of these individuals may have been resentful because they may have been denied these opportunities by previous governments and now they have a public platform for their activities.
“Doing good” is a powerful motivating factor which often makes people blind to the greater evil that they may become part of, especially when the good is very easily seen, while the evil effects are far more nebulous and out of sight, and easily ignored.
Lessons for Fiji: Zimbardo’s 10 steps and the Power of One
While all these coups have resulted in enormous evil for Fiji, these large groups of coup supporters cannot be described as intrinsically “evil”: they are just ordinary people who have taken a wrong turn in life, because others in their social reference group were taking that turn.
The real challenge is how we get ordinary “good” people to stop supporting “evil” actions and oppose the evil?
Zimbardo observed that while “evil” has been extensively studied, as well as outstanding good individuals like Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela or Mother Theresa, there have been few studies of ordinary people who do “good”, often heroically “against the tide”
Zimbardo pointed to the many psychology experiments where hundreds of people would pass by an obviously sick or injured person lying in the street and not intervene. But the moment one individual did stop to help, then numerous others also rushed in to help.
Zimbardo suggested ten steps that ordinary people could take to resist mass pressure to do unethical “evil” deeds and withdraw if they have been already been pulled in (these apply equally to Fiji).
Admit mistakes, apologize and seek forgiveness.
Given the numbers and groups who have supported coups since 1987, Albert Park would be full and totally multi-racial, unlike the last unilateral Qarase attempt after the 2000 coup. There are few groups left in Fiji who can claim that they are “without sin” and can “cast the first stone”).
Be critical of those in authority.
Only accept just authority: reject and expose unjust authority
Take personal responsibility for your actions- stop using the excuse “I was only following orders”.
Avoid being stereotyped by the “gang” mentality: assert your individuality.
Do not compromise personal morality and ethics especially when leaders demand that you “must be a team player”.
Be aware of social manipulation, especially through the media.
Never sacrifice real personal and civic freedoms, for the illusion of current or future security. Be wary of leaders who ask that individuals must sacrifice their basic human rights “for the greater good”.
Oppose unjust systems not just as an individual, but also in co-operation with others who have similar principles and vision as you, because there is greater safety and effectiveness in numbers.
Be aware that the present MUST one day pass, and the future will hold you accountable for your actions.
Moving out of Fiji “boxes”
Of course, it will be incredibly difficult for our people to follow these ten steps, when for more than a century, Fiji’s citizens have stayed in our “boxes”, small reference groups, our comfort zones, our own communities narrowly defined usually by ethnicity, culture or religion, our old school affiliation, our social and sports clubs, our grog gangs.
We do not see people in “other boxes” or “other communities” as legitimate parts of one’s own society, with everyone to be treated equally, and subject to the same rules.
Our people forgive anything wrong originating from within our own “boxes”, even it seems, serious crimes punishable by death, such as treason, while we so easily recognize and respect unlawful authority associated with our “gang members”. Respect for the rule of law is not just extremely fragile in Fiji, but I fear, it is non-existent.
These required changes in behavior cannot be achieved by violence against the Regime (as anonymous bloggers often advocate) nor by Bainimarama’s soldiers with guns, even if they genuinely believed in these objectives.
It is sad that Fiji’s different communities will have to take their own initiatives independently of this illegal Military Regime, and not wait for the alleged Nirvana in 2014.
We have to battle the Media Censorship and Military Decrees which have taken away all our basic human rights of freedom of speech, assembly and association.
We must state publicly and under our own names that an illegal Military Regime has no lawful authority to tell Fiji people by what date (2014?) they are going to “restore” basic human rights to us, when they had no authority to take away these rights in the first place.
Fiji would be greatly helped if the “good” people supporting the “evil” Military Regime were to join hands with those who wish to peacefully restore basic human rights and freedoms in Fiji immediately.
Good people do not have to continue to be party to evil.
