Intelligentsiya

Ratu Tevita Mara: The dictator Bainimarama threatens Namosi Land Owners with the military.

2012-02-02T13:00:00.000+12:00

A source from the PM’s office has revealed to me the details of the meeting that took place between the illegal ruler of Fiji and the Land owners of Namosi. In his opening address to the Land owners the illegal self appointed Prime Minister said “The last thing I want to see is this situation prolonged and having to send the military up there to sort it out”

Bainimarama announced to the country when he was on his last overseas jaunt he would take over the negotiations between the land owners and the Newcrest Joint Venture Company. We now know why. If any one else handled the negotiations the Land owners might get their way and deprive Bainimarama and Khaiyum of their big Mining payoff.

This is not negotiating as we know it. This is negotiating Dictator Style. This is where the dictator tells the rightful landowners of Namosi they have no say in the future of their province, because Bainimarama and his soldiers call all the shots. This is hard evidence that Fiji is ruled by the power of the gun.

I was sent the following from my source. “Dou ciqoma na veivakatorocaketaki e kauta tiko yani na matanitu, ena kalougata kina na nomudou vanua, vakavure cakacaka kei vakaduri bisinisi eso. Kena toso tiko ga na vakaduduile e sana keitou sana muri tale edua na gaunisala kaukauwa na matanitu. Nai otioti ni ka au via raica ke mani toso tikoga na leqa oqo keitou sana vakaqiqica yani e cake qori na mataivalu."

An English translation is below, “You people accept development this Regime is bringing to your province, your province will be blessed by it, and it will bring employment and business as well. If you continue with your indifferences against this regime, we will take a harder approach. The last thing I want to see is this situation prolonged and having to send the military up their to sort it out”

The land owners have nowhere to turn. The Government spin doctor Sharon Smith Johns is trying to portray Bainimarama as the saviour of the Fijian people. She is trying to tell us that he is the only prime minister who has ever worried about their development and invested in infrastructure in rural areas. That is patently not true and here in a closed meeting we learn the true colours of a dictator. “Do as I say and I will give you things. Don’t do as I say and I will give you a bullet.”

Bainimarama does not believe in land owners rights in Namosi. His puppet master Khaiyum has convinced him all minerals belong to the government and so the regime can do what it wants and to hell with the Namosi Landowners.

This is a very difficult situation for the Namosi Land owners. How do they save their province, how do they save their fields, how do they save their rivers, how do they save their way of life? If they try and they will be shot for their troubles.

Taking the dictators approach forward what does it say for the constitutional discussions that are supposed to happen this year? What happens when a participant pushes for something the Dictator does not want?

Bainimarama will use the same negotiating tactic. “Shut Up or I will send the military to pick you up and take you to the camp!”

People of Fiji understand there will be no free and fair elections in 2014. We have seen in January how the dictator manipulates votes and then if he does not get the right result he uses government backed institutions to punish the “guilty” party.

We see here how Bainimarama ~~negotiates~~ dictates an outcome. It will be the same in 2014 the negotiated constitution will be so in his favour the result is a foregone conclusion. And if by chance the result goes against Frank he will simply take over the country with the military once again.

Sacramento Bee: Russia-Fiji Meeting "Important and Successful"

2012-02-02T08:03:00.000+12:00

First-ever High-level Meeting Results in Several Outcomes
By Republic of Fiji
Published: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 - 4:11 am

NADI, Fiji, Feb. 1, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- "The Pacific region is today the priority of foreign policy for the Russian Federation," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a press conference following a half-day of talks with Fijian Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and Fijian Foreign Minster Ratu Inoke Kubuabola. "The key players are located here," he said.

The meeting in Fiji, the first high-level visit from a Russian official to the country, afforded the Russian Federation the opportunity to strengthen ties with Fiji, as well as meet with numerous other foreign ministers from the Pacific Island Countries. As Minister Kubuabola said during the press conference, "Fiji is the hub of the Pacific, but we are a part of the global community. We must expand our horizons to new friends and opportunities."

Conversations during the day covered a number of topics, from security to climate change. In response to a question about the new United States policy focus on the Asia-Pacific region, Minister Lavrov said: "The region is becoming the powerhouse of the world economy, and with economic influence comes political influence. And certainly the interests which we witness in this region create some risks to security"—referencing nuclearisation on the Korean peninsula among other issues. Minister Lavrov added: "We should all approach security in the region in an open way, on the basis of respect of each other" to ensure against "creating problems."

The economy was the central issue of discussions. "We've got the common understanding that the priority of the day are the programs and projects that will drive real growth and make the economies of the [Pacific] region even more independent," said Minister Lavrov.

Minister Kubuabola concurred: "By diversifying our relations with such countries as Russia, we are creating greater stability for ourselves. We hope to establish new lines of trade that help diversify the types of job opportunities there are for Fijians."

The meeting resulted in a number of outcomes between Fiji and Russia, including an outline of areas of economic cooperation in which "concrete" next-step proposals would be created, an accord to establish visa-free travel to promote tourism between the countries, and a look at how Russia can support Fiji's contributions to peacekeeping missions around the world.

The Russian Minister concluded by saying, "We seek to find partners in the region, and we would really like to cooperate in a mutually beneficial manner in order to promote our ties and improve visitation in the region. And let me say that we are not making friends against anybody."

Russia has accepted an invitation from Fiji to again meet on the ministerial level next September during the United Nations General Assembly.

SOURCE Republic of Fiji

Papua New Guinea Mine Watch: Fiji landholders not impressed by Newcrest spills

2012-02-01T15:11:00.000+12:00

Crrrrikey! No wonder landowners in Namosi have been up in arms over mining operations on their land.

The PNG Mine Watch blog has posted some evidence of the devastation to the natural surroundings that the Australian Company tried to cover up and is now trying to muzzle with the help of a broke illegal and treasonous military regime.

Someone's got to answer and pay for this disgrace and it sure as hell should not be the people of Namosi.

Fiji landholders not impressed by Newcrest spills

Namosi Joint Venture were warned by TNLC Monitoring team about these spills. NJV than decided to bury it. the first image shows what actually happened when they buried it.

Anyway the meeting with PM at 3pm today will focus on these photos. TNLC will focus on the breaches of SPL #1420. They will not want money. All they saying now is “NO MINING”….Fullstop.

RNZI: Fiji constitution-makers urged to address role of military

2012-02-01T13:09:00.002+12:00

Posted at 21:25 on 31 January, 2012 UTC

One of the architects of Fiji’s 1997 constitution, Bril Lal, says Fiji’s new constitution-makers must address the role of the country’s military in civilian life.

The Fiji interim government has promised that consultations for a new constitution will start in February in time for elections scheduled for 2014.

Mr Lal says the military is very much out in the community in Fiji and officers are serving in important civilian positions.

“And the question that has to be asked is what should be the role of a military force in a constitutional democracy? Should they be the servant of the state? Should they have a seat at the table of national decision-making? Should they have representation in Parliament?”

Brij Lal says unless Fiji people can speak freely during consultations, the issue will remain difficult to resolve.

Asked about the military’s role in the new constitution, Fiji’s Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has told Radio New Zealand International it is essential to get Fiji people’s views.

TVNZ: Fiji braces for new storm as death toll rises

2012-02-01T12:43:00.000+12:00

Published: 1:09PM Wednesday February 01, 2012 Source: ONE News

A second tropical depression is approaching Fiji and could form into a tropical cyclone within the next 12 to 24 hours.

This comes as the death toll in the nation's floods rises to seven.

ONE News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver tweeted: "Poor old Fiji - more rain has meant more flooding, evacuation centres are re-opening and another person has died taking death toll to 7."

FijiLive reports a Senior Meteorologist at the Nadi Weather Office said this morning the tropical depression was located 600km west of Nadi.

Amit Singh said if the depression turns into a tropical cyclone, the possibility of it affecting Fiji would be very low.

"It has no direct threat to Fiji but the indirect effect will bring heavy rain at times together with strong and gusty winds," he said.

Singh said Vanua Levu, Yasawa, Mamanuca, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands would face the full brunt of the adverse weather conditions.

He said as the tropical depression developed, the whole of Fiji group would experience heavy rain.

A flood warning was also in place for the Fiji group.

The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) was requesting people to evacuate to higher ground following reports of flooding of low lying areas in the Western Division, FijiLive reported.

Parts of Rakiraki and Tavua were flooded and closed to traffic following downpours.

The damage caused by last week's deadly floods is estimated at about $20 million after villages, settlements and suburbs in the western district were inundated.

Health officials on Monday said they had lost more than $151,000 in property, and needed about $103,000 for the clean-up campaign and to contain any disease outbreak.

The officials warned of a possible outbreak of water-borne diseases. In an attempt to tackle the problem, they had removed more than 15 tonnes of food items from more than 200 shops.

Divisional health inspector, western, Dip Chand, said their main task was to disinfect all evacuation centres, especially schools, to ensure they are free from health risks.

They were also focusing on a mass clean-up of mosquito breeding sources to tackle an increase in the insects, he said.

New Zealand made an initial $350,000 available to help provide immediate aid.

RNZI: Samoa PM stands by his comments about unlikelihood of Fiji elections in 2014

2012-01-31T11:42:00.000+12:00

Posted at 01:41 on 30 January, 2012 UTC

The Prime Minister of Samoa stands by his claim that there is no chance a general election will go ahead in Fiji in 2014.

A public relations firm hired by the regime, Qorvis, has complained to Radio New Zealand International about its reporting of Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi’s comments, saying the story was false and slanderous.

Fiji’s interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, reneged on a 2007 promise to hold elections in 2009, but has said since that elections will go ahead in 2014.

Tuilaepa says Commodore Bainimarama has taken no credible action to give the international community assurance that an election will take place.

“Instead he has recruited army people to occupy the administration’s ministries, he has again put in orders which restricted further freedom of expression, and he has done nothing to prepare the nation for general elections.”

Prime Minister Tuilaepa says Qorvis’ criticisms of his comments should be put into context.

Meanwhile, the interim Fiji government has selected a Canadian firm to conduct electronic voter registration in the country.

Washington Post: Fiji cleaning up after floods

2012-01-28T21:38:00.000+12:00

Fiji elections in 2014 'a pipe dream': Samoa PM

2012-01-28T21:33:00.000+12:00

(AFP) – 1 day ago

WELLINGTON — Samoa's prime minister on Friday accused Fiji strongman Voreqe Bainimarama of lying about his pledge to hold elections in 2014, saying his Pacific neighbour wanted to retain power "at any cost".

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said Bainimarama, who seized power in a 2006 coup, was leading the people of Fiji and the international community "down the cassava patch" with his pledge to hold a poll in 2014.

"Promises from the military regime of general elections in two years' time are a pipe dream," Tuilaepa said in a statement.

"It's just more deception and creating more false hope among Fiji citizens and the international community. It's synonymous of those who rule by the gun without a mandate from the people."

Bainimarama announced in January 2 that he would lift emergency laws in place since 2009, when a Fiji court ruled his coup was illegal, winning cautious prise from long-time critics of his regime Australia and New Zealand.

But days later he strengthened public order decrees to give the police and military sweeping powers, in a move Sydney-based foreign policy thinktank The Lowy Institute said amounted to "one step forward, two steps back".

Tuilaepa has long been the south Pacific's most outspoken critic of the regime in Fiji, which is the strongest economic power in the region.

Others, such as Kiribati President Anote Tong, have argued Fiji remains part of the "Pacific family" and its expulsion from international groupings such as the Pacific Islands Forum should be reversed to encourage dialogue.

Tuilaepa said Bainimarama, who has previously reneged on a promise to hold elections in 2009, could not be trusted.

"This is just the latest in what's become an endless litany of lies and excuses to hold on to power," he said.

The Samoan leader said Fiji's people were "gradually awakening" and Bainimarama could not suppress them indefinitely.

He accused Bainimarama of stacking the upper echelons of the public service with unqualified army colonels and said there was no room for military rule in the Pacific.

"It's extremely odd and embarrassing to see soldiers patrolling the streets of Suva with bazookas," he said.

"The Pacific Islands region is not used to seeing these frightening images of trigger-happy idiots in full war garb trudging up and down the road."

RFMF donates to Bainimarama's ailing flood appeal

2012-01-28T11:43:00.001+12:00

Isa. This would be a total gaff if it weren't so tragic.

While Kubuabola sucks up to Australia and lies through his teeth for favours, the illegal and treasonous military's favourite non-voting (read: irrelevant) and token Pacific US Congressman from American Samoa pitches in to help out.

Alas it will all come to nought. The donors have had enough of being conned, so they're diverting flood assistance directly to relief aid workers.

Bainimarama's boys come to their chief's rescue with their pitiful face-saving graciousness in the hope that they can stir up a flood of compassionate reciprocity from other sectors in the community (backed up no less with some good ol' boots on the jugular "motivation" to business houses).

Military gives $10K to PM's flood appeal
Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces has given $10,000 to the Prime Ministers Flood Appeal Fund.

Land Force Commander Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga presented the cheque to the Prime Minister yesterday.

Permanent Secretary for Provincial Development, Inia Seruiratu was also present at the cheque presentation. Donations to the Prime Ministers Appeal Fund can be made to the Bank of the South Pacific account number 4706578.

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation through its television and radio stations is supporting the Prime Minister's Flood Appeal Fund.

FNPF funds yanked from flood assistance

2012-01-27T17:01:00.000+12:00

As the country crawls out from the tragedy and domino effect of the recent floods, the pension fund guardians for the most common (and instant) financial access point of many pension fund owners, lock their coffers shut.

It is a complete about-turn from their 2009 "graciousness" (never mind that the money belongs to them anyway).

Contrary to the 2009 floods, the self-preservation stinginess of the pension fund is ludicrous given that those most affected are less in number and are probably worse off compared to the floods of two years ago.

No FNPF assistance for flood victims
Friday, January 27, 2012

The Fiji National Provident Fund will not be giving financial assistance to its members who were affected by the recent floods in the West.

FNPF media liaison officer Wainikiti Bogidrau confirmed this with FBC News.

This follows numerous enquires made to the FNPF offices in Nadi, Lautoka and Ba seeking help.

Bogidrau says the fund will only give financial assistance to Health, Education, and Housing.

In 2009, members were allowed to take $1,000 from their account to assist them rehabilitate after Fiji-wide floods.

However this year, as the flooding does not affect the whole of Fiji and as FNPF has revised its policies, there'll be no financial assistance to members who have suffered losses in the flooding.

Report by: Maca Lutunauga

Publication lodges direct complaint to the ICC against 21 members of the military regime

2012-01-26T13:14:00.000+12:00

Despite the illegal and treasonous regime's self-inflated and self-defensive moves to force approval of a new Constitution that will undoubtedly secure their freedom and liberty over ours, they remain very much unaware that citizen media and advocacy is already moving quickly.

A publication recently unearthed on the net by Intelligentsiya, showcases a forward-looking publication that already templates a lodgment of a direct complaint to the International Criminal Court of Justice and you can see (and if you wish, send your own with edits to names of 21 cited names) the complaint.

Furthermore the publication's web-site states that Mr Raju lost his father at the hands of the military.

We salute Mr Rahul Krishna Raju who in 2009 (?) published a book titled "The Death of Democracy in Fiji".

Mr Raju cites himself as someone who believes "in democracy, freedom and equality for all in Fiji. This is his first research book which took him on a journey of some six years of research in understanding as to why there is a leadership struggle in Fiji's Political landscape and in particular the Fiji Military Leadership survival which often projects the coup circle and culture in Fiji.

He has degrees in Human Resources Management and has research interests in Fiji's Political Leadership qualities, behaviour, attitude and styles in governance. He has suffered assaults, harassment, abuse and the sudden loss of his father at the hands of the Fiji Military and the Police agents as this manuscript was to be located. Till today there is no official investigation as to how and under what circumstances his father deceased. The manuscript has been taken by the Fiji Military and Police authorities twice in Fiji and thanks to Google document storage, the manuscript has been retrieved and re-composed into its original intend."

Mr Raji is "inspired by the will to tell the truthful events in the history of Fiji Islands as the concepts of Nation building was based on the total abuse of all national and international Human Rights covenants, obligations and policies in the 21st century right before the eyes of the International community and they all were powerless to do anything but to act as the toothless tigers, only to bark and see the sufferings of many thousands. To stop one Fiji from the path of this kind of destruction, the World will save many more Fijians all around the World.

The book Death of Democracy in Fiji is divided in the following seven chapters and explains as to why Fiji is at a cross road for political and military leadership survival and the coup circle and coup culture will continue in Fiji. Chapter One – The Perfect Crime, Chapter Two – The Perfect Plot, Chapter Three – The Death of Law & Order, Chapter Four – The Death of Justice & Judiciary, Chapter Five – The Death of Freedom of Expression & Media Freedom, Chapter Six – The Persecution, Fear, Abuse of Fundamental Human Rights & Extra Judicial Proceedings, Chapter Seven – The Promise of Election 2014 or Rule by Decrees.

The Book explains the untold truth about the innocent people of Fiji Islands, who have been forced, persecuted, prosecuted, assaulted, abused, harassed, condemned by death and a direct complaint against 21 named persons of interest to the International Criminal Court of Justice."

Tourism Fiji Hunts for Global Agency

2012-01-24T14:20:00.000+12:00

By Jessica Kennedy on 24 January 2012

Tourism Fiji is searching for a global advertising agency to lead, develop and implement a new global brand strategy with Australian based agencies amongst the preferred applicants.

The tourism body said agencies based in Fiji, Australia, New Zealand or West Coast USA will be preferred for “ease of communication” with incumbent agencies in those markets invited to take part.

North Sydney based agency PMA Communications Group is the Australian incumbent. A spokesperson for Tourism Fiji said PMA occasionally assists the body’s head office in Nadi.

Tourism Fiji’s New Zealand agency is Barnes, Catmur & Friends and US-based advertising is handled by American agency, Marques Communications.

It is the first time Tourism Fiji has hunted for a global ad agency.

The successful advertising agency will be charged with developing a new global master brand strategy which the body’s local ad agencies will then implement in their corresponding regions.

The new global agency will also be expected to execute targeted media campaigns in its local market.

The tender process will start with an initial credential pitch from which a shortlist of agencies will be drawn and then invited to participate in a full creative and strategic proposal.

Expressions of interest must be sent to Tourism Fiji before Wednesday February 8.

The tender process is due to be completed before June 2012.

Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum's ever changing views on the 1997 Constitution

2012-01-24T11:02:00.000+12:00

Despite the loud and dull protestations by the illegal and treasonous Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum on the supposed shortcomings of the 1997 Constitution, the internet always manages to shine a spotlight on our footprints.

For your viewing pleasure, we present here a letter by the then idealistic Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum slamming the Fiji Muslim League and giving his all in passionate defense of (you guessed it), the liberties and freedoms for all as enshrined 1997 Constitution.

So somewhere along the line, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, once a strong proponent of the 1997 Constitution, lost his way.

And we will make it out business to to find out exactly how that happened.

Letter: Critique of FML decision to make submission to Constitution Commissionby A S Khaiyum
(Letter from A S Khaiyum)

The claim by some executive members of the Fiji Muslim League ('League') that Muslims support a review of our Constitution and demand separate seats merely because the executive says so is a gross misrepresentation of the views of the everyday and majority of Muslims in our country.

The executive lack the mandate to speak as a representative body for Muslims since the League has been and is essentially an administrative institution managing and maintaining mosques, schools, orphanages, a sugar cane farm and real estate.

In addition to the lack of mandate the arguments and justifications espoused by the executive for a review and separate seats are flawed. They are flawed because our Constitution, in particular the Bill of Rights, namely sections 38(2) and 35 more than adequately guarantee and protect religious freedom and minority rights.

Indeed if an almost identical South African Bill of Rights provision protects the rights of the minority South African Muslims then what is so special about and differentiates Muslims in Fiji?

On the basis that last century the then nascent League made submissions on separate seats, it is argued today that so called Muslim rights will be achieved if these seats as submitted then are allocated now. To refer to a resolution passed some seventy years ago, in an era with its own specificities and dynamics, as justification for separate seats in today's Fiji illustrates a complete ignorance and denial of our political, social and constitutional history/experience as a nation-state.

Indeed if we were to hark back and uphold the standards of 1929 then commoner indigenous Fijians and women would not have the right to vote. Fiji and the rest of the world have moved along. Clearly such absurd referrals to the past illustrate an enormous vacuum in basic critical thinking and analysis, discourse and a general prevalence of obscurantism within the executive.

Furthermore, it aptly demonstrates a complete ignorance of contemporary developments in and interpretations of Islamic law and jurisprudence vis-a-vis constitutional, human rights and international law and conventions. More tragically, however, the opportunism of the executive displays the absence of and lack of belief in justice, compassion, selflessness and basic human decency.

Most Muslims in Fiji know that certain officials treat the League and its branches as their own little fiefdoms. Fiefdoms, where nepotism is known to be rampant at most times; where certain families and individuals have reigned as executives literally for decades; where children and families of well-to-do officials benefit from scholarships which were and are meant for poor students; where chairs of numerous committees are held by single individuals; where businessmen and business interests are over represented; where women, the youth, various provinces and other denominations are either underrepresented or not represented at all; where appeals to religious dogma and unity are utilized in response to queries of administrative/financial discrepancies and where certain individuals view the League merely as a means to acquire access to power, influence and ultimately money - all under the guise of "protecting Muslim interests."

Indeed the absence of proper representation, transparency, accountability and ultimately legitimacy also plague other local institutions in contemporary Fiji.

The executive of the League cannot and does not represent the political opinion, views, philosophies of individuals or the bulk of Muslims in Fiji. These self appointed guardians do not speak for the masses. Therefore, the current administration and all Fiji Islanders must understand and recognize the majority of Muslims who believe in basic human decency, justice, democracy and constitutionalism reject the idea of separate seats and/or a review of our Constitution.

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
sayedkha@hkusua.hku.hk

Samoa Observer: Enigma called Frank Baniamarama

2012-01-24T10:51:00.000+12:00

on 09-01-2012 08:14
Savea Sano Malifa

In the Weekend Observer, 7 January 2011, editorial, we wrote: “By today’s end we should know if Fiji’s unpredictable Prime Minister Frank Baniamarama, is a man of his word.”

We were referring to Baniamarama’s announcement made the previous day that the Public Emergency Regulations (PER) - also referred to widely as “Fiji’s martial law” - that he had enforced in April 2009 when he abrogated his country’s constitution, would be lifted the next day, Saturday.

As it happened, PER was lifted as promised, but then in a sinister twist; it was lifted in name only. On the same day, another law named the New Public Order Act 2012, in which most of the regulations in PER have now been incorporated, had become effective.

And the sinister part is that whereas “Public Emergency Regulations” had been “temporary,” the new law, which has since been revealed as the Public Order Act (Amendment Decree) 2012, is “permanent.”
Genius or deceit matters not.

And so in response to the prevailing uncertainty as to whether “Baniamarama is a man of his word,” the headline of the front page story in yesterday’s Sunday Samoan, which says “Baniamarama fools everyone, law takes over,” should erase all doubt.

According to the Fiji Village, the Public Order Amendment Decree 2012 dictates that:
* Any person who is found guilty of committing an act of terrorism is imprisoned for life;
* Any person who harbours or assists in committing an act of terrorism is imprisoned for life.
* Any person who knowingly provides a weapon used in an act of terrorism is imprisoned for life.
* Any person who knowingly takes part in an act of terrorism is imprisoned for life;
* Any police officer with reasonable suspicion that someone is a threat to public safety may arrest that person without warrant and detain him or her;
* No person shall be detained under the powers conferred by subsection (1) for a period exceeding 48 hours except with the authority of the Minister on whose directions such a person may be detained for a further period of 14 days if the Minister is satisfied that the necessary enquiries cannot be completed within 48 hours.
* Any member of the Republic of Fiji Military may perform all or any of the duties and functions of a prisons officer or police officer;
* Such a member of the RFMF shall have all the powers, privileges of a prisons officer and police officer.

Incidentally, no mention is made of the Media Industry Development Decree that previously empowered the censorship of news, punished journalists, prevented foreigners from becoming majority owners of media organizations in Fiji.

All we know is the assurance from Fiji’s Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, saying there were now “no government censors in the newsrooms …,” during his interview with Simon Lauder of Radio Australia. (Sunday Samoan, 8 January 2012.)

Judging from the new regulations though it seems they are all linked together by the common phobia called fear; it seems that the fear of terrorism posing a threat to personal safety has been the central motive behind these regulations.

According to Bainimarama though, these new regulations “are a modern version of the 1969 Public Order Act,” but then who needs any “version” of a public order if there was uninhibited freedom unshackled by man-made laws?

Perhaps Baniamarama should be told that with freedom, military decrees and dictatorships are irrelevant, worthless.

But then so what? Why should we worry about what’s going on in Fiji when we should be concerned instead about pertinent issues closer to home?

But how can we not worry when we are all sharing the same Pacific Ocean which is sometimes nourishing, other times brutally punishing, and yet in the most challenging of times it is forgiving, reassuring, loving.

The bottom line is clear: the free and peaceful Pacific should allow military dictator Frank Baniamarama to see only that part of its mind it wants him to see.

And the other part? At this point in time it’s forbidden to him. He has to earn the right to see it, even if it means getting someone like him to show him how to do it.

Sacramento Bee: Fiji Selects Canadian Firm to Assist with Electronic Voter Registration for 2014 Elections

2012-01-24T08:33:00.000+12:00

By Republic of Fiji
Published: Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 - 5:09 am

SUVA, Fiji, Jan. 23, 2012 -- SUVA, Fiji, Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Republic of Fiji today announced its selection of the Canada-based firm CODE Incorporated to conduct electronic voter registration (EVR) in preparation for Fiji's upcoming Parliamentary elections. CODE was chosen based on its experience, accuracy and transparency in assisting developing nations with logistically challenging terrains—a factor important for Fiji, given that its population is spread over roughly 110 islands.

"As the next step on the path to Fiji's 2014 elections, selection of a highly-respected international partner such as CODE Inc. will ensure all segments of the Fijian population are properly registered to vote," said Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. "For the first time in Fiji's history, the 2014 elections will feature true universal suffrage—one person, one vote, one value—and it is critical we get it right."

The Fijian Government chose CODE from among 11 proposals, consisting of four Fijian firms and seven international firms—from Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Spain, and two from the United States. The decision process took more than three months, with presentations and extensive question and answer sessions.

The Ottawa-based firm further distinguished itself through its cost proposal and by offering local knowledge transfer, through which they will educate Fijians on best practices for voter registration. The EVR process will cost approximately FJ$4 million.

Over the past 20 years, CODE has worked with more than 65 countries worldwide to deliver support of their registration programs. CODE recently completed the registration of more than 800,000 voters in Gambia in preparation for the country's 2011 Presidential Elections, and the successful registration of 1.5 million Kenyans at 1,600 registration sites in 18 of Kenya's 210 voting constituencies.

Fiji's projected voter base is approximately 660,000 voters, aged 18 and up. The Attorney-General says the lowering of the voting age will ensure the young adult population has a say in the upcoming Parliamentary elections.

In choosing to use EVR, Fiji is following recommendations made by the European Union's report on Fiji's 2006 elections, which cited irregularities with voter registration and voting practices, such as 101% voter turnout in one constituency, and the disenfranchisement of certain voter groups.

Fiji has sent out invitations to the international community to participate in the EVR process by way of financial assistance; however, so far no countries have opted to participate.

SOURCE Republic of Fiji

Radio Australia: Fiji defends raising departure tax

2012-01-23T22:23:00.000+12:00

Once again the illegal and treasonous military regime, their cohorts and spineless groupies continue to rain down on Fiji more desperate acts of economic sabotage.

The lame justification that the hiked departure taxes will bring in extra dough for infrastructure upgrades rings kind of hollow seeing as the regimes grand machinations to float more junk bonds domestically for the same objectives have obviously fizzled out before it even started.

Now that we recall it all, as far back as February 2007 we had exposed all these big ideas such as culling of over-55ers; civil service pay cuts; reduced subsidies to provinces, religious bodies, social and sports bodies, USP, schools; rented properties AS WELL as the their mulling over departure tax levies, were already being bandied about. And the discussion revealing these strategies was held in the presence of public sector unions.

Updated January 23, 2012 18:22:15

The Fiji government is defending the lifting of the tax levied on departing visitors.

It's gone up from 100 Fiji dollars to 150.

That's prompted one major travel company, Flight Centre in New Zealand, to offer customers who've already booked a holiday in Fiji the chance to switch their deposits to another vacation destination instead.

Fiji's permanent secretary for Tourism, Elizabeth Powell, says the increase is not that much really, and Fiji needs the money to maintain things like roads and bridges.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Fiji's permanent secretary for Tourism, Elizabeth Powell
Listen here.

POWELL: There's been a lot of work undertaken on the roads and bridges and electricity, water supply, all sorts of utilities and facilities, public facilities that the government has been investing in and there's evidence of it everywhere that the roads have improved, still got a ways to go yet, but certainly you'll see huge differences. There has to be money to pay for this from somewhere. In order to make sure that we enhance our visitors experience of our country, we've got to make sure that the facilities are there to cater for their transportation and stay while they're here. So in order to do that we've got to raise the funds and this is where some of this money is going to. So it's to improve their quality of the experience while they're here in our country. From $100 Fijian, while that sounds rather large to anyone. When you translate that into local money, like in Australia and New Zealand and in New Zealand, for instance, I understand is around 60 odd dollars which is about 30 dollars for each flight, each way, which is really not that big a contribution or an increase. And in actual fact Bruce, a couple of years ago, I think there was another increase in the departure tax. It's once you get to that triple digit, I think people start reacting very strongly.

HILL: Well, there has been some reaction already. Flight Centre in New Zealand is quite upset by this and they're actually offering their passengers who prebooked flights and holidays to Fiji the chance to transfer the deposits to other destinations in the Pacific. Are you concerned about that kind of reaction?

POWELL: I am concerned about it. I mean we are concerned, but it's a matter of curiosity, because it seems like an emotive reaction. Flight Centre's attempting to perhaps sway the decision of peoples destination choice. If the value of Fiji to a New Zealand visitor is $60 difference, then certainly I'm sure they will be swayed. But our doors are open and we're continuing to welcome our New Zealand friends and neighbours to our country and bringing this down to this amount of money is really interesting to me on a sort of business level. I think also that it's curious that a couple of years ago Bruce, we increased the departure tax and there wasn't a word from anyone. Why now that this is that Flight Centre particularly there hasn't been any comment as far as I know from anyone else and certainly no such severe response except for Flight Centre's New Zealand and I'm sure they have their reasons and we respect that, but we also have to be pragmatic. I mean sure that what we're offering our visitors is a quality product.

HILL: Do you think the increase in the departure tax would cause tourists or potential tourists to Fiji to look elsewhere or do you think that it won't have any real affect on their decision?

POWELL: I would be surprised if it did have such a severe affect. Like with anything, I think initially people are a little concerned when there is a price increase. We're all like that. I mean I am if there's a price increase of something that I use. I think the thing is that it could be a concern if you haven't budget for it in terms of the notice may be could be the concern, but there are ways of getting around that as well. I don't think it's such a huge amount to really make a huge impact. It could be that it's now reached a three digit number in terms of local Fijian currency, which as I said before is not in terms of New Zealand or Australian currency that much of a difference.

Dr Wadan Narsey: FNPF Transition Decree: last nail in the FNPF coffin

2012-01-23T21:39:00.000+12:00

The illegal President has signed the unlawful “Fiji National Provident Fund Transition Decree” which trashes lawful contracts between FNPF and pensioners, takes away their basic human rights to personal property, and removes their basic human right to take their just FNPF grievances to court (while it shamelessly claims that no one’s human rights are adversely affected by this Decree).

The FNPF Transition Decree claims in Part 2, that

“the principal object of this Part is to ensure that the arrangements for the provision of annuities by the Board are sustainable, non-discriminatory, and do not involve cross subsidy of one group (pensioners and annuitants) by another (FNPF members).”

Such phrases are also in the draft FNPF Act, and the drafters have no idea (or they don’t care) how internally inconsistent all these phrases are even within their Decrees (elaborated below).

The Decree makes a pathetic attempt to justify itself by referring to IMF, World Bank, ILO and “actuarial experts” who we know all recommended reductions of future annuities, but none recommended the breaking of lawful contracts and basic human rights to property nor of denying recourse to justice for existing pensioners.

These agencies need to be publicly challenged as to whether they lend their support to this unlawful Decree which undermines laws of contracts and fundamental human rights of pensioners in Fiji.

The Decree has five Parts:

Part 2: Terminates the current pensioners’ claims

Part 3: Share investment scheme (not commented on here)

Part 4: Protections (what a farce).

Part 5: Regulations (not commented here)

Part 2: Trashing lawful contracts

Despite the FNPF CEO’s strange claim that pensioners do not have a “contract” but an “agreement”, the facts all suggest that pensioners do have lawful contracts approved by the elected Fiji Parliament:

I remind again, Article 4 of the FNPF Act states that the FNPF Board shall be a body corporate and shall, by the name of "The Fiji National Provident Fund Board", have perpetual succession and a common seal .... The Board may sue and be sued in its corporate name and may enter into contracts.

(a) the contracts were freely offered by a corporate body, FNPF, on the OP-9 form all of which were signed by pensioners and accepted by FNPF.

(b) On Form 9-OP, the FNPF informed the retiree that if he chooses to take the pension options, he will receive exactly this or that annuity (annual sum of money in dollars, and exactly this or that precise percentage of his final balance) payable for his lifetime (single pension) and the lifetime of his last surviving partner (in the case of the lower double pension). The FNPF warned pensioners “Once you have made your choice it is final and cannot afterwards be changed or revoked.” The pensioners had entered a legal contract which could not be changed by them.

But the FNPF and the Military Regime clearly think that they can do whatever they want.

Part 4: Protections: Stealing pensioners’ lawful property

Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) says “Everyone has the right to own property” and “no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property”.

Have a laugh if you thought that Part 4 of the Transitional Decree titled “Protections” was about protecting you, the pensioners and your property.

Do you really believe Subsection 11 (2) of the Transition Decree which brazenly claims “the relevant provisions are not to be taken to provide for a deprivation of property of anyone”. What a farce.

By all relevant criteria, the current pensioners’ FNPF annuities are real financial property, guaranteed by a lawful contract guaranteed by elected Fiji parliaments.

Yet for virtually everyone currently receiving more than $300 per month, their entitlements are going to be drastically reduced – by between 30% and 54% of their lawful property. i.e.

The total loss to existing pensioners, in present value terms, will amount to more than $150 to $200 millions in aggregate (I roughly estimate).

Given that Australia and NZ do not recognize the Military Regime or its unlawful decrees, FNPF pensioners who are being adversely harmed might think about suing FNPF in Australia or NZ where FNPF has investments.

Part 4 “Protections”: Denying Human Rights of Access to Justice

Clause 11 of the Regime’s Transition Decree shamelessly states the following, straight out of Animal Farm: (1) “The relevant provisions are not to be taken to be inconsistent with a human right or a similar right of any person”. What a farce.

i.e. the Military Decree assures you, in legal gobble-de-gook, that your human rights are not being harmed. What a farce.

Article 8 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states “Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law”.

Article 10 of the UDHR “Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations...”.

But Subsection (3) of Part 4 of the Regime’s Transition Decree states: “No court, tribunal, or other adjudicating body has jurisdiction or power to accept, hear, determine or in any other way entertain any challenge by any person, or to grant any remedy or relief to any person in respect of” (a and b) the validity of the Decree and (c) “any loss or damage suffered by any person...” as a result of the provisions in the Decree.

(4) states if there is any relevant claim before any court, “the presiding judicial officer, without hearing or in any way determining the proceeding of the application, shall immediately transfer the application to the Chief Registrar of the High Court for the termination of the proceeding or the application...” and “a certificate to that effect shall be issued by the Chief Registrar of the High Court”.

(5) states if any relevant proceeding has already been started but not determined, that proceeding is also terminated.

(6) in case some brave judge thinks otherwise, the Transition Decree sternly warns that any court that is currently hearing such a proceeding, “must, on application by the Attorney-General ... issue a certificate to the effect that the proceedings .... have been wholly terminated..”.

And under (7) Such terminating certificates cannot be challenged in court.

Bottom line: the judiciary will not be allowed to hear your case, even though it involves a lawful legal contract entered into between FNPF and pensioners (backed by elected Fiji Parliaments), your basic human right to personal property, and your human right to go to court with your just grievances.

Tough luck for the Burness/Shameem case, eh?

The very fact that this Military Decree stops all legal challenges is clear evidence that the Regime knows that the FNPF case will not stand up in court.

Why else would they have Part 4 in this Decree, alleging “Protections” – yeah, protection of the Military Regime against legal action.

So much for the separation of the judiciary from the State.

Part 2 of Decree: False claim Number 1

Part 2 of the FNPF Transition Decree claims that the lumps sums the pensioners left in the Fund and the investment income thereupon (allegedly amounting to $310 million), cannot meet the present value of the future liabilities owed to current pensioners ($565 million).

This statement totally ignores that

(a) there was a Pension Buffer Fund specifically set up for this very purpose by the Fiji Parliament;

(b) that Pension Buffer Fund (which had lump sums paid into it and pensions paid out) was not credited with the interest which it was entitled to,

(c) that this Pension Buffer Fund would have accumulated to more than $850 million by now- ie $300 millions more than the $565 million that is admitted (for the first time), to be the present value of liabilities to current pensioners.

Part 2 of Decree: False Claim 2: the Board will be non-discriminatory.

Part 2 of the Transition Decree claims that the FNPF Board will be “non-discriminatory”.

Yet Clause 8 (titled “Top ups”) is all about arbitrarily discriminating between different classes of retirees- whether they are currently receiving less than $100 per month, receiving between $100 ands $300 per month, and more than $300 per month.

Subsection 8 (2) states that for those pensioners currently receiving less than $100 per month, and who wish to convert their lump sum to the new annuities offered which will of course be less than $100 per month, the Board will arbitrarily offer $100 per month.

i.e the FNPF now will become a welfare organization, (with whose permission?) subsidizing current low annuity pensioners at other pensioners’ expense. So cross-subsidization will continue, whatever the Decree claims.

I will also bet you, that the over-paid drafters of this Military Decree have never thought about those retirees who might currently have an annuity less than $100 per month, only because they took a partial lump sum upon retirement.

Subsection 8 (3) states that if any pensioners are currently receiving more than $100 (bad drafting- it should really be stating that if a pensioner is receiving between $100 and $300 per month) and they leave all their lump sum entitlement with the Fund and take the new annuities being offered, then they will receive either their current annuity or $300, whichever is the lesser.

i.e. those pensioners currently receiving between $100 per month and $300 per month will be left alone.

Subsection 8 (4) then states amazingly, that if you are currently receiving more than $300, ands leave all your lump sum entitlement with FNPF and take the new annuity rates that apply to you, then you will arbitrarily have your lump sum increased by $10,000 or 25% of your existing lump sum, whichever is less.

Why are they giving this small “bonus” lump sum option rather than just raising the annuity rates? Because they want future retirees to receive the lower annuities.

They will give a small lolly to existing pensioners, whose contracts they know they are breaking.

So for any particular retirement age in the past, pensioners will lose a higher proportion of their annuity, the higher was the lump sum they left in the Fund: i.e. the more you trusted the Fund, the bigger is the percentage you will be losing.

For a lump sum of $100,000 you will lose 36% if you have just retired, the loss increasing to 50% if you are age 66, and then decreasing to 46% if you are about 72 years old now.

How astonishing for a Decree that claims that the FNPF will be non-discriminating!

This Transition Decree, contrary to its claims, is discriminating between all kinds of retirees, discriminating by age and by lump sum originally left in the Fund.

The Military Regime and the FNPF Board have set themselves up as redistributing agencies between pensioners or all kinds.

And how do they intend to make sure that future pensioners and future contributors are not discriminated between?

Aaaah. You do not need to be an Albert Einstein to figure this out, do you? Just as they allegedly eliminated discrimination between past pensioners and current contributors.

What of the future?

Many current and future pensioners are asking what they should do

Should they take the lump sum being offered, or the new annuity rates?

Sorry, but all current and future pensioners have to answer this question themselves.

But there is a quiz in the previous article which current pensioners can rack their delicate or tired brains over, if that’s any help.

Dominion Post opinion piece by aiyaz sayed khaiyum

2012-01-19T22:27:00.000+13:00

The spinners up at Qorvis must be really earning their keep. Now they've managed to needle the illegal and treasonous ~~fashionista~~ aiyaz sayed khaiyum into coughing up an Op-Ed piece that as per usual massages bainimarama's ego (read: Qorvis wrote it, aiyaz plonks name to it).

What is equally revealing is that Qorvis have now set themselves a new target battleground of Australia and New Zealand in the naive hope that if they can convince them to have a change of heart toward the regime, they will in turn move the USA (and therefore the world) to welcome with open arms the fascist and unelected "rulers" we reluctantly have before us.

As of right now there are only 4 comments in response to aiyaz's spun out of control lies (which in itself is very telling), and you can set the record straight by making your own views known.

Fijians control own destiny under Bainimarama
AIYAZ SAYED-KHAIYUM Last updated 12:29 19/01/2012

OPINION: The Dominion Post can make outlandish claims and offer distasteful descriptions of the Fijian government (Commodore's foot still on Fiji's throat, January 10) but what it always fails to do is ask the simple question of what the Bainimarama government has done while in power? Wild accusations overwhelm any desire to examine what is actually happening in Fiji.

To begin, the government has strengthened the Fijian economy and created jobs. Standard & Poor's recently upgraded Fiji's sovereign debt rating. We have a net deficit position of 1.9 per cent (ahead of the IMF's recommended target of 2 per cent). And we have even sought to creatively align ourselves more closely with free market principles, including cutting or eliminating taxes for 99.4 per cent of taxpayers (putting about $53 million back in the pockets of Fijians) and significantly cutting taxes across the board for businesses to promote investment.

A "Social Responsibility Levy" has further been applied to the top 1 per cent of taxpayers to help fund new social welfare programmes, and all of the existing ones have either continued or expanded this year to serve the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women, school children and squatters.

The government is also providing real and tangible services to Fijians: new roads, electricity, clean water, subsidised bus fares, unrestricted internet access – including free internet tele-centres – most of which is being brought to places that never had it before. There's also unprecedented investments in healthcare and education, with new programmes to provide practical skill training for rural and maritime Fijians to better compete with their urban peers.

In fact, according to the United Nations second National Millennial Development Goals Report 2010, Fiji has already made significant progress in universal primary education "through strong and effective education policies".

Enabling our government to deliver to our citizens is our focus on eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Our government unreservedly ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in 2007, for which Fiji has volunteered and undergone peer reviews by countries such as the United States and France.

Anti-corruption practices have angered many who benefited from the old system, but these new ways have encouraged trade and investment – which we have seen from Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United States, among other countries.

New and further transparency rules will soon be put in place to ensure all government officials properly disclose their assets and investments.

MOST importantly, however, the Bainimarama government has undone decades of institutionalised racial and religious discrimination, and created a common and equal citizenry. All citizens of Fiji are now "Fijians". This was never the case before.

Critics in New Zealand and Australia may decry our process of establishing a path to true democracy, but what has enabled Fiji to get this far were the Public Emergency Regulations, which curbed self-interested individuals, religious groups and self-serving unionists – all of which would have prevented the passage of such decrees as anti-discrimination laws, the codification of equal rights for women, child welfare laws, and the equal distribution of land lease monies, among many other basic rights that previously did not exist.

Those emergency restrictions are now gone, and while Fiji welcomes statements of support from the international community, we do recognise that many in this group for decades either directly or implicitly supported Fijian governments that were corrupt, that relied on ethnic categorisation and discrimination, and that maintained only a thin veil of democracy.

As obviously bears repeating, Fiji has never had "one person, one vote, one value". Yet the international community never required that to offer its backing to previous governments. They just needed hollow elections, which in Fiji merely concealed the turmoil of pre and post-colonial strife – which led time and again to destabilising events, coups and terrorism.

Fiji will, however, be a true democracy in 2014 – consisting of an equal and common citizenship, access to substantive justice, and true universal suffrage. We will soon commence consultations for the formulation of a new constitution that will guarantee these universally accepted principles and values.

Foreign media such as the Dominion Post and its columnists may make pointed threats and bluff with scorn, but Fiji is working diligently to define a new future for itself, one that provides Fijians with control of their own destiny.

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is the Attorney-General of Fiji.

4 comments
moo #4 04:52 pm Jan 19 2012
Thank you for including the line at the end of the article.

ahem! #3 04:51 pm Jan 19 2012
Slight correction the budget deficit for 2011 was in fact -3.5% ,similar to previous years, the figure Mr Khaiyum is referring to is forecast for 2012.Actual economic growth since 2006 has been marginal if not negative. This is typical of the spin Khaiyum has become notorius for.

Tafa #2 04:05 pm Jan 19 2012
I agree with what the current Fijian Govt has done for the commoner in Fiji. For the first time as a middle class income earner it is possible for me to build a house in Suva, the economy is taking a step in the right direction and measures have been put in place to kerb corruption. Considering the current state of world economy I think Fiji is coping very well, I am sad to say this was not the case under the democratic govt. Those who are really upset and against the govt are the ones who can no longer fill their pockets at the expense of poor.

An example would be that FIRCA is now put in place a policy to combat tax evasion, where by companies who are not paying taxes do not get a tax exemption certificate, it is definite these companies will cry foul but now it requires companies doing payments to companies without a tax exemption to first pay the tax component to FIRCA first then release the remainder of the payment. This ensures that the govt get the revenue it deserves and doesn't go into someones pocket, while they reap all the benefits.

As a citizen of Fiji if I am given an option to choose between this (as some would say "illegal govt") and the past democratically elected governments, I would chose Franks team any day of the week.

moo #1 12:51 pm Jan 19 2012
It might have been helpful to include that Mr Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Anti-Corruption, Public Enterprises, Communications, Civil Aviation, Tourism, Industry and Trade in Fiji.

http://www.ag.gov.fj/?page=attorneyGeneral

Papua New Guinea Mine Watch: Tikana Namosi Landowners Committee tells Newcrest ‘no mining on our land’

2012-01-19T15:06:00.000+13:00

JANUARY 18, 2012

“THANK GOD MEN CANNOT FLY, AND LAY WASTE THE SKY AS WELL AS THE EARTH.” ~HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Formation
The formation of the Tikana Namosi Landowners Committee (TNLC) in 2009 eventuated as a result of the landowner’s frustration in the manner in which our previous landowner’s committee and Newcrest were colluding to ensure that prospecting works were conducted unhindered on our land. It was formed to ensure that landowner’s rights are respected, that developments on our land are sustainable in nature and importantly to ensure that our prestigious environment be preserved as has been by our fore fathers.

Concerns
The Issue of the Prospecting License (SPL 1420) was done without our knowledge and consent and is seen to be one of the main causes of the recurring differences between Newcrest and landowners.

In addition, unresolved grievances and the unethical approach by Newcrest over the years has been a major concern for landowners especially since work is still in the prospecting stage and therefore gives us great concern should the mining license be granted.

Misinformation is a common strategy used not only to mislead the landowners but most recently the Fiji Public as evident in its newsletters, media releases and project information pamphlets.

We are deeply concerned about the repercussion of this works to those villagers living downstream in the provinces of Naitasiri, Tailevu and Rewa.

We are also concerned with the manner in which Newcrest is advocating the EIA when in fact most of environmental impacts of their prospecting works in Namosi remains unresolved and is still a major concern for landowners. It seems like the EIA is the solution to all queries raised by landowners and we have been informed to await its outcome.

We have seen and experienced the impacts of prospecting works on our land for over 40 years and we feel that it is enough for us in terms of the environmental and social impacts on our people whatever the EIA outcome might be.

Costs and Benefits
We acknowledge the benefits received so far in terms of Employment opportunities, Education assistance, Community assistance etc and we understand its benefit to Fiji if the project is approved. On the contrary, we value our environment and our future generation more than the current and future benefits from this project.

Involvement of NGOs
We wish to clearly state that the involvement of NGOs is in no way related to our objective in our initial formation that there be no mining on our land. It is an insult to landowners that NGOs be implicated to be responsible for our actions with regards to opposition to the project on environmental grounds. It is our land and we are very much capable of speaking for ourselves, we the landowners are very much responsible for our actions and Newcrest should be bold enough to face us and our grievances rather than diverting the attention from the real issue.

In fact we had been requesting for more than two years that there be awareness on the impacts of mining as Newcrest is only informing the people of the benefits of mining but this did not eventuate. Thus, the decision to seek assistance from NGOs to enlighten the people on the impacts of mining, they were also requested to provide current updates on the impacts of mining from all over the world and our pacific neighbors as well.

Decision
We have reached a stage where we are so frustrated with NJV and its activities on our land and we have come to a decision to let our intentions known to the whole of Fiji and the rest of the world in that we do not want our land to be mined. Our decision today is based on our experience of over 40 years of exploration on our land and also taking into consideration the plight of our relatives in the provinces of Naitasiri, Tailevu and Rewa who will be affected by whatever decision we make today.

We will be seeking an audience with the Honorable Prime Minister to voice our grievances and the decision we’ve reached communally and we also extend our invitation to interested parties and individuals and all those who are not landowners but will be directly affected by this project to accompany us on the day.

“WE ABUSE LAND BECAUSE WE REGARD IT AS A COMMODITY BELONGING TO US. WHEN WE SEE LAND AS A COMMUNITY TO WHICH WE BELONG, WE MAY BEGIN TO USE IT WITH LOVE AND RESPECT.” ~ALDO LEOPOLD.

More Govt bonds sales to prop up Fiji's flat-lined economy

2012-01-18T18:46:00.005+13:00

It's all coming full circle now.

The illegal and treasonous regimes wrongly aligned fiscal policies for economic recovery year after year are coming to fruition. Sadly, while the generations to come are unjustly yoked by the burden of this regimes debts, they carry on with their habitual frenzy of spending what they don't have, while obnoxiously frittering away what little they do.

And as with all of the regimes unoriginal 'cut & paste' approaches, to help prop up their 2012 election budget they once again turn to the sale of ~~junk~~ bonds, domestically.

FIJIAN GOVERNMENT TO COMMENCE ISSUANCE OF FIJI INFRASTRUCTURE BONDS TOTALLING $195 MILLION
Jan 18|15:34 pm

The Fijian Government will be issuing its new bond, called the Fiji Infrastructure Bond (FIB) in the domestic capital market from February 2012.

Government plans to raise a total of $195 million in 2012 through the issuance of the FIB, with maturities ranging from 2 years to 15 years.

The objective of the bond is to fund Government’s capital infrastructure programs that are outlined in the 2012 National budget.

The bonds will be used entirely for key capital projects to be implemented this year, including the:

construction and maintenance of roads,
upgrading of ports and jetties,
continuation of the rural electrification projects,
upgrading of school buildings and classrooms,
upgrading and maintenance of hospitals around the country; and
purchase of new medical machines and equipments as well as Divisional developmental projects.

Ministry of Finance permanent secretary Mr Filimone Waqabaca said the new FIB will replace the existing Fiji Development Loan bonds. Mr Waqabaca said the change reflects Government’s commitment to its citizens and portrays its willingness to develop Fiji’s infrastructure which will promote economic growth and development, improve connectivity and minimize rural-urban migration.

This investment opportunity is open to the general public including individual retail investors, Tikinas, Provincial Councils as well as institutional investors.

The issuance program, along with copies of the FIB prospectus and application forms are available from the Ministry of Finance at Level 6, Ro Lalabalavu House and from the Domestic Markets Unit, Tower 2, Reserve Bank of Fiji Building. Electronic copies of the aforementioned are also available online at either www.finance.gov.fj or www.rbf.gov.fj

Islands Business Viewpoint: National Unity Government way forward for Fiji? (Jioji Kotobalavu)

2012-01-16T04:40:00.000+13:00

Jioji Kotobalavu

The commitment by Fiji’s interim government for a list proportional representation method in the new parliament is welcome news for everyone.

Also encouraging is the news that the Fiji Government intends to review and change the country’s system of elections to the party provisions in the 1997 Constitution relating to the formation of government.

This is to enable political power sharing by all communities in a National Unity Government, led by an executive President, who will be directly elected by the people, and with the ministers in cabinet drawn from all political parties represented in Parliament and in direct proportion to the number of their elected MPs.

Party list proportional representation
Evidence drawn from New Zealand’s application of the closed party list proportional representation method (with the whole of New Zealand as a single national electorate) in its Mixed Member Party electoral system has clearly proven that PR (Proportional Representation) produces three very good outcomes.

Voting results are fairer than under the “winner takes all” method of determining voting outcome. There is a better representation of all communities and women. And voting for the party list is based on one person, one vote, and with each vote bearing approximately equal value. For Fiji, there are two further advantages.

The PR system is easy for the people to understand and, very importantly, it will make it possible for Fiji to move away from the ethnic-based communal system of representation and voting, which the country has had since independence in 1970, and which has directly led to politically divisive ethno-centric extremist and confrontational politics and political instability.

It has created mono-ethnic political parties whose sole interest is to appeal to the primordial instincts of communal loyalty for voter support. It is also the main contributory cause of the disappearance of multiracial parties like the Alliance Party under Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, which provided a stable government for Fiji for close to 17 years after independence.

The Fiji Labour Party was an integrated multiracial party when it was formed in 1985. But it has since veered towards the Indo-Fijian end of Fiji’s political spectrum, pulled in that direction by the political dynamics of ethnic-based representation and voting.

Indigenous Fijians or i-Taukei, now comprises more than 57% of Fiji’s total population and this was projected in the 2007 Population Census to increase further to 68% by 2030.

The census also projected that by 2030, indigenous Fijians will also be the numerical majority in provinces like Ba and Macuata. With this absolute numerical majority, indigenous Fijians no longer need political protection in the form of guaranteed communal-based representation.

Fijian political leaders had insisted on reserved communal seats in the lead-up to independence in 1970 because at the time, the i-Taukei were a minority, making up only around 45% of Fiji’s population. But this is no longer the case.

As long as indigenous Fijians are politically united and turn out to vote at election times, they can expect to win majority representation in Parliament in future elections and provide national leadership and control of government.

However, what we have also learnt from our political experiences since 1970 is that a numerical majority government that is confined to only one or two of Fiji’s ethnic communities has not really been able to win and enjoy the confidence of the people.

And, by “the people”, I mean not just individual citizens but more importantly all of the country’s communities. So for Fiji, the critical challenge in constitutionally rebuilding our country is to move towards a system of elections and formation of government that will politically integrate and bring together the people, both as individual citizens with equal fundamental rights and also as communities with equal opportunity to be represented and to participate in cabinet in governing the country.

The consociational power sharing through the mandatory multi-party cabinet arrangement under section 99 of the 1997 Constitution was an attempt to bring the communities together but it was politically unworkable in the long run because it gave no real political advantage to the entitled party.

And further, since only parties that win at least 8 seats can qualify to be invited, the minority communities of the General Electors with their allocated three seats and Rotumans with one seat in Parliament were discriminated against as they would never qualify as an entitled party to be in cabinet in their own right.

A government of national unity
The adoption of the proportional system of representation is, therefore, a very important positive first step in moving Fiji towards a system of political power sharing in the form of a voluntary coalition government of all willing parties represented in Parliament. It would be a Government of National Unity [GNU].

This is the only form of government that would genuinely enjoy the confidence of all communities in Fiji. It is also the only realistic, effective and efficacious way of promoting national unity and solidarity in Fiji.

In other countries with multicultural civil societies, parliamentary elections and the formation of democratically elected governments take place within the framework of an integrated homogeneous polity or political society founded on individual citizens endowed with equal fundamental human rights.

Fiji, however, as a polity, is uniquely different from these other countries. This is because right through from Fiji’s colonial period with the British Administration’s governing strategy of “divide and rule”, and then continuing on after independence in 1970, Fiji has always been constituted not as a single integrated political society, embracing all of its citizens as individuals, but as separate communal political enclaves.

Under the 1970 Constitution and continued under the 1997 Constitution, Fiji, politically, was divided up into the Fijian, Indian, General Electors and Rotuman communal enclaves. So long as we continue this political separation, we can never achieve national unity and solidarity in Fiji.

For this reason, the undertaking by the Interim Government for new constitutional arrangements is to be welcomed. In this regard, we need to encourage the government to adopt a roadmap that will ensure genuinely free, fair and openly competitive elections, the preparation and promulgation of new constitutional arrangements in a manner that will ensure their legal validity and political legitimacy, and also to use this opportunity to lay a more secure and enduring foundation for the long-term success of constitutional democracy and long-term political stability in Fiji.

On this last point, we need to encourage the Interim Government to lead the people of Fiji in also considering other new constitutional arrangements that would better suit our country in addressing its long term need for political stability and national unity and solidarity.

In the new elections system, adopting the PR on its own is not enough. The new electoral regulations ought also to include the requirement that all political parties that want to take part in the elections must present a multiracial slate of candidates, reflecting the multicultural character of our society, and a fair number of women candidates.

In the formation of government, this is an opportune moment to discard the numerically based “majoritarianism” principle and provide for voluntary power sharing through a voluntary coalition of all parties in Parliament; in effect, a Government of National Unity (GNU).

And for the GNU to be workable as a broadly representative, i0ncl usive, united, and stable government, there are two crucial ingredients.

Elected executive president
Firstly, it has to be centred in, and led by, an executive President combining the two positions of Head of State and Head of Government. The incumbent would be elected directly by the people. However, once elected, the executive President would draw Ministers for the GNU Cabinet from all willing political parties in Parliament directly in proportion to the number of their MPs.

This would be a hybrid presidential and parliamentary system. Neighbouring countries such as Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and Nauru have adopted variations of this hybrid presidential/parliamentary system of government in their constitutions.

Secondly, decision making in the GNU cabinet is to be strictly by consensus in accordance with the customary norms and values that normally guide the Great Council of Chiefs [GCC] in its proceedings.

Samoa practices the same traditional customary approach in its cabinet decision making processes and it is this which explains why it has enjoyed political stability and why we do not see in this country the kind of politically divisive and destabilising “votes of no confidence” against the incumbent government, which has become a regular occurrence in some of the countries in the region.

For Fiji’s GNU, it would be prudent not to adopt the mutual veto decision making procedure in the power sharing cabinet in New Caledonia. It has led to much political instability there.

Finally, whilst the GCC no longer has a role in appointing the President, it can be assigned a constitutional role as advisory to the executive President and a guardian role for the welfare of all communities in Fiji.

If the Senate is to be maintained, it can be reconstituted as a representative chamber of communities, with members appointed by the GCC and cabinet.

Ideal system for Fiji
A GNU-led by an elected executive President would, I believe, be ideal for Fiji. It would be politically workable and bring all the communities together. It is the best way of forming government that would enjoy the confidence of the people and, therefore, lead to long-term political stability.

This is what Fiji needs for inter-racial harmony and national unity, and in creating an environment conducive for economic growth and development.

For the presidential elections, it is expected that a i-Taukei would be elected. But all candidates would have to appeal across all communities for voter support.

Since the executive President would be empowered to appoint his or her Vice President from Parliament, there would be very good prospects for the appointment of someone from the minority communities.

With all ministers drawn from Parliament, one would have to be assigned to serve concurrently as Leader of Government Business [LOGB] in the House of Representatives and another in the Senate.

For the first time in its history, Fiji would have an executive government that is truly representative of the people in its broadest sense. And because it will have the confidence not only of the majority of individual citizens but also of Fiji’s communities, the GNU will have the highest degree of political legitimacy.

Political dialogue and public education
To ensure the validity and legitimacy of the 1997 Constitution review and reformulation process, the most crucial step would be the convening of a Political Dialogue, comprising the Prime Minister and other representatives of the Interim Government, and parliamentary representatives of the three political parties that won seats in the May 2006 elections: the SDL (Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua, the FLP (Fiji Labour Party) and the UPP (United Peoples Party).

As the convenor, the President may wish to consider on the advice of the Prime Minister and cabinet the appointment of an independent chair. Here, taking advantage of offers of assistance from Fiji’s overseas friends will greatly facilitate international acceptance of the consensus outcome of the Political Dialogue and with that, their lifting of current embargoes against Fiji’s membership of the Forum and the Commonwealth, and their removal of restrictions on development assistance and entry into their countries.

In their meetings last year, I have noted that both the Forum Leaders and the Commonwealth Heads of Governments publicly expressed a readiness to provide all needed assistance by Fiji in facilitating this political dialogue process and the implementation of its consensus agreement.

Donors have also stated their willingness to work with local NGOs, if supported by the interim Government, to promote awareness and understanding among the general public on all relevant governance issues.

What I sincerely hope the Political Dialogue will achieve as a consensus agreement is a roadmap focused on four key objectives.

Firstly, interim and transitional constitutional arrangements, without expressly or explicitly amending or replacing the 1997 Constitution, to incorporate and to try out the new system of elections and the proposals for a GNU centred in a directly elected executive President and with Ministers drawn from Parliament under a hybrid presidential/parliamentary constitutional framework.

Secondly, the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections which will be free, fair and openly competitive.

Thirdly, that simultaneous to the implementation of the new arrangements, government and the NGOs will carry out a comprehensive public awareness and education programme to embed in the people a thorough understanding of the new arrangements and generally of constitutionalism, democracy, justice, human rights, and the principles of solidarity and duty of care.

Fourthly, that after an appropriate period of trying out the new arrangements, the executive government and parliament will then mandate and carry out the preparation of a new substantive constitution to succeed and replace the 1997 Constitution, drawing from the success of the new arrangements and from the good provisions in the 1997 Constitution such as its Bill of Rights.

I believe that adopting this pragmatic and longer term approach and enabling the full participation of the people will enable us all to lay a stronger and enduring foundation for constitutional democracy and political stability in Fiji.

Adopting this two-stage approach also gets around the legal hurdles which Justice Gates, now Fiji’s Chief Justice, had given clear warnings about when delivering his judgements in the Prasad [2000] and Koroi [2001] cases in the High Court.

Commenting on the purported abrogation of the 1997 Constitution in 2000, Justice Gates said that a country’s Constitution promulgated by its Parliament as the representative body of the people is immutable and indestructible. It is not possible for any man to tear up the Constitution. The Constitution remains in place until amended by Parliament in accordance with the Constitution’s own amendment provisions.

These statements by Justice Gates clearly have a bearing on the de jure status of the 1997 Constitution in light of its purported revocation on 10th April, 2009 and it would be wise to take them fully into account in devising Fiji’s roadmap for returning the country to constitutional legality and democratically elected government.

• Mr Jioji Kotobalavu is a former CEO in Fiji’s Public Service.

Islands Business: (Fiji) Pensioners Beware (Dr Satish Chand)

2012-01-16T04:33:00.000+13:00

Dr. Satish Chand

....Pensioners beware!
It is time to be prepared and not to panic. If you are formally retired or likely to do so in the next few years, then some caution with your finances are warranted.

Pension funds have historically delivered dividends upwards of six percent. These returns are unlikely to be delivered in 2012. Consequently, the payouts from your pension fund could be trimmed back. Particularly worrying are the cases of pension funds already in financial strife.

The case of the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) is instructive on this count. FNPF is slipping into insolvency (i.e. where the value of current liabilities exceeds the value of assets).

It needs an injection of around half a billion Fijian dollars to make it solvent. Finding this sum in the current uncertain environment will be costly.

FNPF is in the process of trimming down pension payments from the prevailing 15 percent of equity to 8.7 percent which is to take effect from March 1, 2012. This amounts to a drop in income of a retiree dependent on FNPF of 42 percent. It will hurt, particularly in a climate of high inflation and in a situation where there are no other sources of income.

The capacity to replenish income falls with age and when medical expenses are likely to rise. So pensioners, beware!...

Infowars: Fiji gov’t bans NON-FLUORIDATED toothpastes, threatens legal action against anyone who violates law

2012-01-16T04:28:00.000+13:00

Ethan A. Huff
Infowars.com
January 13, 2012

Health freedom in the South Pacific nation of Fiji has taken an extreme turn for the worst with newly enacted government legislation that has banned the market and sale of any toothpastes that do not contain added fluoride chemicals. TheFiji Timesreports that, effective January 1, 2012, fluoridated toothpastes will be the only toothpastes allowed on the market, and that anyone caught selling fluoride-free toothpaste will be prosecuted.

Fiji’s “First Toothpaste Standard,” which is part of the country’s Trade Standards and Quality Control Decree of 1992, purports that high rates of dental cavities among Fiji’s children can be remedied through the use of fluoridated toothpaste. But rather than give residents and citizens the option to choose for themselves how to brush their own teeth, the government is using flawed and tired science to push its own totalitarian agenda.

“The First Toothpaste Standard for Fiji implies that all toothpaste sold in Fiji must have fluoride,” said Fiji Ministry of Health spokesman Peni Namotu concerning the new rules. “It includes all imported and locally-manufactured toothpaste. Toothpaste without fluoride will be removed from the shelves by health inspectors. Some companies have already removed their products but our inspectors are carrying out checks at supermarkets and shops.”

According to reports, the Fiji Pharmaceutical Society, along with the Ministry of Trade and Commerce, the Fiji Dental Association, the Consumer Council, and Fiji National University held “extensive talks” with one another to establish the new toothpaste standards, which greatly inhibit individual health freedom. But the reasoning for the ban seems more aligned with trying to “keep up” with developed nations like the US that also force fluoride on their citizens, rather than with upholding sound science.

In an interview, Ministry of Health head Dr. Neil Sharma responded to inquiries about the toothpaste rule by asking the question, “If the developed nations are doing this, why can’t we do it in Fiji?” Dr. Sharma is apparently unaware of the fact that practically the whole of developed Europe is fluoride-free, or that in all developed nations, consumers have to option to purchase fluoride-free toothpaste if they so choose (http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=152924).

Nevertheless, Mr. Namotu in another recent interview cryptically stated that, “If anyone does not comply with the legislation, then there are legal actions to be taken, but I can’t specify the penalty now.”

Sources for this article include: http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=190451

This story was originally published on Natural News.

SMH: Fiji dictator leads Newcrest talks

2012-01-16T04:25:00.000+13:00

Barry Fitzgerald
January 16, 2012

MELBOURNE'S Newcrest will now have deal directly with Fiji's military dictator Frank Bainimarama on negotiations for the development of its $1 billion-plus Namosi copper and gold project.

Commodore Bainimarama has announced that he will be taking ''over responsibility for overseeing talks and negotiations related to the Namosi joint venture mining project in Waisoi area'', which is 30 kilometres west of the capital, Suva.

The move appears to be a response to anti-mining non-government organisations agitating in the Waisoi area for opposition to the project on environmental grounds.

Newcrest is the manager and 69.94 per cent owner of the Namosi joint venture, home to the Waisoi deposit and other copper/gold targets. The Waisoi deposit ranks as one of the world's biggest undeveloped copper/gold deposits, with Newcrest last estimating a total resource of 7.9 million tonnes of copper and 7.7 million ounces of gold.

Had it not been for Fiji's political turmoil, stronger copper and gold prices would have made the deposit a real development candidate.

A Fiji government website said that as a ''result of some people seeking to politicise the project for their own benefit by spreading misinformation, the Prime Minister wants to personally ensure all relevant parties' voices continue to be heard - in particular those of the landowners''.

The Namosi project is the subject of an environment impact assessment and Newcrest has said previously that it expected to complete a feasibility study into the development by June.

The website statement said Fiji was ''committed to maintaining a pristine environment in Namosi and throughout Fiji''.

''It is imperative to be forward looking to ensure a clean environment for future generations while trying to gain maximum benefit for landowners - as has been done successfully throughout the world,'' the statement said. Newcrest could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Hopes that development may proceed have risen since an address by Commodore Bainimarama, in which he said that emergency powers in place since 2009 would be rescinded and a new constitution was in the works. But that was followed by laws allowing for the arrest and detention of citizens without access to the courts for 14 days, said to have the purpose of preserving peace and public safety before the national elections in 2014.

Commodore Bainimarama seized power in a 2006 coup, the fourth since 1987. The fallout from the 2006 coup did not scare Newcrest away from pursuing Namosi's potential: its entry into the joint venture with Japanese partners occurred in July 2007.

Papua New Guinea Mine Watch Blog: Fijian villagers send a clear visual message to Australian miner Newcrest

2012-01-16T03:35:00.000+13:00

JANUARY 15, 2012

Photos from a recent meeting at Namosi village where Newcrest Mining is leading a consortium hoping to build a gold and copper mine.

All photos courtesy S Pareti – Islands Business Magazine

Papua New Guinea Mine Watch Blog: Fijian villagers continue to say no to Newcrest Mining

2012-01-16T03:26:00.001+13:00

JANUARY 12, 2012

In another unprecedented meeting that took place yesterday in Waivaka Village, Namosi, government officials led by the head of Mineral Resources Department (Malakai Finau), got gob-smacked by very clear, strong and bold Namosi landowners.

Having prepared for the meeting by putting their daily chores on hold, the entire Waivaka village of some 200+ waited patiently for the arrival of the MRD delegation to start the meeting at 10am (time set by the visitors – who arrived after 11.45am). Present at the meeting were – MRD (Malakai Finau), Lands, Fiji Police Force, Provincial Council, PWD Engineers and the Villagers of Waivaka. The visitors were met by the community protest banners flying proud and high in their village – ‘NO MINING’, ‘SAVE OUR PARADISE’.

The agenda was set by MRD on the behest of global mining giant Newcrest under Namosi Joint Venture – the issue: the blocking of access to NJV by the landowners pending grievances that have not been resolved over the past 12 months. The community hall was packed to capacity with men, women and youth (and children) ready to hear from MRD With regards to the lifting of the ban, and why it is important for landowners to play ball – by letting NJV continue access for their work. What happened was nothing short of awesome and inspiring on the part of the non-formally educated landowners who took the delegation to task from the word go – literally.

In a tag-team effort, the landowners intercepted the agenda, hijacked it and left the delegation looking askance and uncomfortable – again.

First off, the spokesman, demanded to know why the delegation was late. That as villagers, there is a lot to do in a day rather then sitting around waiting for a delegation who set the meeting time and they were told that if they say 10am then be there at that time and have some respect for the villagers.

From the response of the engineer who was there (the bridge that they crossed needed surveying) the agenda was thrown out the window and the landowners had a field day dictating the direction of the meeting. Not happy with the response from the engineer, the spokesman then turned to the Provincial rep berating him for jumping to NJV’s whining while it is them who have the real greviances. The Provincial rep was asked ‘who do you work for?’ to which he of course, hung his head in shame. At this point, the Hall began emptying with villagers not wanting to waste anymore time listening to flimsy excuses and further lies from those who are now seen to be doing NJVs’ bidding.

In an attempt to salvage their meeting agenda and one supposes, their collective pride, the delegation then handed over the meeting to the police rep (who hid his badge number) for him to bring out the main gun – lift the ban or be taken to jail. It was noted that the police rep spoke strongly about the illegality of the ban put in place by the landowners. But he was speaking strongly to a steadily emptying community Hall.

The final comment of the day came from the Turaga-ni-Mataqali or the clan headman, an old catechist with a lot of passion and growing confidence who straightened himself up to sitting position, looked coldly at the police officer and said to him ‘I am the landowner, are you threatening me? If you want to remove the ban, then you remove it. But hear me today – we are not going to remove the ban and allow access, not today not ever. You want to take us to jail, go ahead and take all of us. You say that what we are doing is illegal – what about what NJV is doing to us – their lies, their illegal activities that has breached our agreement; is that legal? Why are you not arresting them, why do you come here to us?’.

After this statement to which he needed no response, the old man stood up and left the meeting Hall to go and have lunch.

And here is the kicker – in a Fijian village, the visitor is hailed and feted and if they are from Government, the more effort is put in. Yesterday, Malakai Finau, Head of MRD in Fiji was made to look a fool with his Government friends. At the end of the meeting, all that was left in the previously filled Hall were the Government delegation and two school-boys who were kind enough to stay and taki their kava. The rest of the villagers – having waited and heard nothing but threats and more NJV strong-arming, went back to their homes and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon.

Overheard by one villager was the NJV rep asking the police rep, on their way out, about the success of the delegation in getting the Company access again. The villager overheard the police rep saying ‘no, not now’.

The war rages on.

The Canberra Times: False Dawn: Fiji’s long road back to democracy (Prof Brij Lal)

2012-01-16T03:21:00.000+13:00

BY ANU ACADEMIC BRIJ LAL
14 Jan, 2012 01:00 AM

The recent announcement by Fiji's interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama that the Public Emergency Regulations would be lifted from January 7 was welcomed cautiously by people in Fiji and by the international community as the first step in what will inevitably be a long and difficult road back to parliamentary democracy in that ill-fated Pacific Island nation.

The wariness was a response to what the lifting might actually mean in practice, and how serious the military regime was in preparing the space for free speech. The answer came soon enough. On the eve of the lifting, Commodore Bainimarama announced the imposition of a revamped Public Order (Amendment) Decree the overall effect of which on the conduct of public discourse would be no less chilling. ''We will not tolerate an iota of disruption to the peace, safety, stability and common and equal citizenship we now enjoy,'' the Commodore thundered. There was good reason for the initial scepticism.

The Emergency Decree, promulgated soon after the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution in April 2009, was initially intended as a short-term security measure but was extended month after month by the military regime uncertain of the extent of the support it enjoyed in the country and unsure of its hold on power. But it proved brutally effective in silencing dissent. The media was completely muzzled, military censors were placed in all the newsrooms, and any semblance of editorial independence vanished overnight. Fiji truly became an area of darkness for news and free flow of information. In the absence of a free and vibrant media, blogsites mushroomed, spreading suppressed and uncomfortable information about what was happening in the country and, sometimes, deliberate, opportunistic misinformation too.

Potential sources of opposition, such as the once-active trade union movement, were effectively disabled, their powers curtailed to the point of impotence. The decrees passed by the regime could not be challenged in the courts. The independence and impartiality of the judiciary was called into question amidst swirling accusations of political interference. There was no accounting for the way in which the public purse was disbursed. Astonishingly, ministerial salaries are still not public knowledge in Fiji, and, despite repeated requests, the Auditor General's reports have not been published for several years. The regime's favourite consultants secured lucrative government deals for large undisclosed sums of money, and former Fiji citizens returned to offer a helping hand, some on unconscionably exorbitant packages. Those who dared to question the narrative weaved by the regime's spin doctors often found themselves ''interrogated'' at the military barracks, their houses and cars stoned in the middle of the night. No one was ever arrested for these ''incidents'' while former evangelizing Police Commissioner Esala Teleni proudly pronounced one town after another completely ''crime free''.

Fiji found itself to be a pariah in the region where it had once been an acknowledged and respected leader, a principal founder of the Pacific Islands Forum, for example, and excluded from the councils of the Commonwealth. China became an opportunistic (and resource hungry) friend. Fiji was not backward in playing the ''China card'' to put pressure on Australia and New Zealand, in particular, to retract their opposition. Its supporters overseas agitated for immediate engagement, but on what terms and conditions and for what purpose remained unsaid. The regime's modus operandi was monologue rather than dialogue, and so it remains.

The relaxation of the Emergency Regulations will not change things overnight in Fiji or even in the medium term. The culture of silence and self-censorship, the climate of fear and intimidation, of the last three years have inflicted deep wounds on the country's psyche that will take a very long time, perhaps a generation or more, to heal. All the freedom-restricting decrees are still intact, and there is no sign yet of the soldiers voluntarily heading back to the barracks any time soon.

On the contrary, Bainimarama's military is effectively in control of the country. Strategic positions in the public service and in district administration are staffed by military personnel and other loyalists riding a gravy train from which they are in no mood to dismount any time soon. Others are busy making hay while the sun shines, advancing their personal and financial agendas, securing lucrative contracts, settling old scores. Still, the military knows where power resides in the country, where all the guns are. Its senior officers accordingly regard the emergency regulations not only as unnecessary but actually counterproductive, something which earns them and the country a bad reputation without any tangible reward. They are therefore happy to see it go because they know they can return any time they want to.

The lifting of the Emergency Regulations also coincides with the promise by the military regime to hold widespread consultations about a new constitution expected to be in place by the end of this year. We know little beyond generalities about what the consultation process will entail, who will be tasked to carry it out, how open and transparent it will be. Will it simply be a rubber-stamping exercise (as was the case in 1990), or will the new constitution be the outcome of a genuine process of dialogue and discussion among the citizens of Fiji, including political parties at present out of favour with the regime in power, and whom the military would actually like to exclude from the political process altogether?

''The new Constitution must establish a government that is founded on an electoral system that guarantees equal suffrage - a truly democratic system based on the principle of one person, one vote, one value. We will not have a system that will classify Fijians based on ethnicity,'' Bainimarama said in his New Year's address. This is an important commitment to be welcomed because an obsession with the politics of ethnicity has been a serious obstacle to Fiji's progress as a multi-ethnic nation in the past. The sooner it is done away with the better. For far too long, every aspect of public life in Fiji was seen and assessed through the prism of race.

The ironic thing about this is that it was the Fijian leaders themselves who adamantly opposed the introduction of even a limited non-racial system of voting in the past. In the 1990s, one of the fiercest advocates of complete racial representation in parliament was Ratu Inoke Kubuabola. In 1987, he was a self-confessed architect of the military coup of that year, and a founding member of the nationalist, violence-threatening Taukei Movement. He is now Commodore Bainimarama's Foreign Minister. Sitiveni Rabuka has apologised often enough for his past misdeeds, apparently to little effect, but Kubuabola is in a special category of his own, unapologetic, unremorseful, infinitely malleable. The presence in the present regime of people like him detracts from its claim as the champion of the multiracial cause.

Bainimarama himself is a rather late convert to the idea of non-racial voting, no doubt influenced in this thinking by the stark demographic fact that indigenous Fijians are now nearing about 60 per cent of the population and Indo-Fijians around 34 per cent. The 2006 coup was supposedly a ''clean-up campaign'', (about which for good reason not much is heard these days), and not about a fair electoral system. Nonetheless, this is good thinking in the right direction and he should be encouraged to pursue this non-racial path. Whether he will be allowed to by those around him with interests of their own to protect is another matter.

But an electoral system, while obviously important, is one among many important issues that the new constitution will have to consider. Will it provide for a free and unfettered parliament and not a pliant one? Will it provide for a nominal head of state (as in the Westminster system) or an executive head with extensive powers? What about the independence of the judiciary, the protection of human rights, observance of international conventions to which the country is a signatory?

Perhaps the most important question before the drafters of the new constitution will be the role of the military in the new governance structure. The brutal truth must be faced: that the principal cause of Fiji's political problem in the past two decades (admittedly with the nod and wink of important civilian players behind the scenes) has been the military. As long as there is a large standing army - some 3000 strong at the moment - in an unstable environment repeatedly scarred by military coups, the thought of another military intervention will inevitably loom large in the public mind. There will always be a wayward colonel or a deluded commodore who might see himself as the saviour of the nation from the clutches of corrupt politicians, someone indispensible to its destiny, an instrument of divine intervention. Fiji has seen all this drama before.

In the past, when the demographics were different, the military was seen as the ultimate bastion of indigenous Fijian power, the fighting arm of the Fijian establishment. The 1987 coup partly manifested this thinking. Bainimarama's 2006 coup pitted a Fijian army against an indigenous Fijian-led government. The military has come to fill the vacuum left by the departure of paramount chiefs (such as Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau or Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara) who once commanded respect and carried influence among their people. With the experience of peace keeping in the Middle East behind them, Fijian soldiers fancy themselves as better managers of the state's affairs than politicians. Restoring a proper balance in civilian-military relations in Fiji will be no small challenge for the country's future rulers.

The military regime has promised to hold national elections in 2014. There are some who doubt this commitment, unwittingly encouraged by contradictory pronouncements from Fiji itself. In July last year, Commodore Bainimarama said: ''If we move to 2014 and we are not ready because of constant interfering, we are not going to give up government to a political party that is not prepared.'' And the blame predictably was laid at the door of Fiji's neighbours. ''I'm thinking we might not be really ready come 2014 for elections if we don't get any assistance from Australia and New Zealand.''

But Fiji cannot afford to renege on its promises - not yet again. It has everything to lose and nothing to gain by delaying elections indefinitely. The regime should be taken at its word, be given the benefit of the doubt. Elections don't solve problems, regime supporters say. That is common sense. Elections provide the legitimacy, rooted in popular will, for tackling problems. The real issue is not whether elections will be held in 2014, but what kind of elections will be allowed. Bainimarama says, ''I want to rid politics from decision making that has an impact on our economy, our future.'' And he is adamant that deposed prime minister Laisenia Qarase will return to parliament ''over my dead body''. So will there be a screening process for candidates wanting to contest the elections? What kind of people would want to put their hand up for politics or public service in this kind of environment anyway? Who will do the vetting? And a question prompted by Fiji's recent troubled history will have to be asked: will the verdict of the ballot box be respected if it goes against the wishes of the military?

A large part of Fiji's problems over the last half century has been caused by a deep unwillingness among its people to confront the truths of its history and, conversely, to trumpet mindless feel-good slogans from rooftops about ''Fiji: The Way The World Should Be''. The reality on the ground was different: a deep and persistent division among its various ethnic groups about virtually all matters of public policy, indeed, about the nature of the polity itself which empowered some and disempowered others, founded as it was on assumptions and understandings which actually subverted the democratic values it purported to uphold. Issues surrounding the causes of the first coup in 1987 were swept under the carpet in the name of ''reconciliation'' and ''nation building'', doing things the ''Pacific Way'' of avoiding confrontation and sharp debate, of losing face. There was no inquiry of any sort into why that fateful event had occurred, who had instigated it, who benefitted from it, what damage it had done.

Unsurprisingly, other coups followed, and more will assuredly follow the latest one unless its causes and consequences are investigated openly and impartially to promote healing and national reconciliation. A thorough soul-searching exercise is absolutely necessary for Fiji to break the shackles of its past. An immediate start should be made with the investigation of abuses of human rights under the Public Emergency Regulations and the perpetrators brought to account by a judicial system free of political interference, its independence and integrity fully restored. The regime owes at least that much to the hapless citizens of Fiji who have suffered much over the years through no fault of their own. Poverty rates have risen sharply and the future looks bleak in an economy registering negative growth for most years since 2006, for example -0.4per cent in 2010.

The response of the international community to the latest announcement from Fiji has been cautiously welcoming, and understandably so: Fiji's recent past is littered with broken promises and dashed hopes. Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma welcomed the lifting of the Emergency Regulations as a ''positive step that was long overdue'', hoping that the promised consultation process ''will be fully inclusive and time bound and that they will lead to a genuine national consensus on the constitution, clearing the way for credible elections and the return of a democratically elected government without further delay''. Tough ask, but sound advice from a concerned friend.

Australia would do well to heed this wise advice. Its aid budget to Fiji this year will be doubled from around $18 million to $36 million, which is welcome news. The message there is that Australia does not have a problem with the ordinary Fiji citizens who have suffered enough already. It has issues with a regime founded in illegality and ruling without proper constitutional or any other authority except the force of arms and the quiet acquiescence of a cowering populace. It should welcome all genuine offers of engagement from Fiji provided they are backed by evidence of tangible moves towards greater openness and transparency. Perhaps the place to start might be for Commodore Bainimarama to re-open full diplomatic relations with Australia without preconditions. After all, it was the regime which summarily expelled the Australian high commissioner in 2009 in the first place. That would be a good start to 2012.

Brij V.Lal is Professor of Pacific and Asian History in the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University, and the author of many works on the history and politics of Fiji, from which he was expelled by the military in November 2009 for his opposition to the military coup there.

No Right Turn: Fiji: A fragile ego

2012-01-16T00:34:00.000+13:00

Friday, January 13, 2012

An example of how fragile the ego of Fiji's dictator is: having failed to win a TXT-poll for "personality of the year", Voreqe Bainimarama forced the offending media organisation to change the result and declare him the winner. And now, he's using his cronies in the Commerce Commission and Media Development Authority to punish them for giving offence.

I just hope no-one has been dragged to camp and tortured over this. But its an example of the sheer pettiness and narcissism of Fiji's dictator. What next? He'll be entering the Olympics, and threatening to beat people if they don't let him win?

Otto Limmput: Frankie Bananas’ Week 14th January 2012 (Satire)

2012-01-16T00:32:00.000+13:00

Dear Dairy, (Ever since Aunty Nur creamed (do you get it) off all that money from Rewa Dairy I keep I can’t spell Diary. Aunty Nur looks like all the other cows at the Diary.)

Anyhow where were we?

Dear Diary,

My friend, Tina from Qorvis, told me she would make me the most popular man in Fiji. Basically the way this goes I will make all the big announcements and then if there is a problem, I leave the country pretty damn quick and leave it to Lickmyarse to take all the blame. Apparently as I get more popular Lickmyarse gets more unpopular so he will never be able to be my rival. He is clever though, He can explain things.

So to make me popular I announced I was going to end PER. Everybody loved me. Even that horrid woman from Australia Julia Gullible said I was making a step in the right direction. Little did she know I didn’t mean it.

Just before I removed PER I announced the Public Order Act Amendment Decree. That was fun everybody got all angry with me because it was the same as PER but we changed a few letters. Immediately after I announced it, I kept quiet and let Lickmyarse speak to the media and answer their questions. He is good he can answer questions. Me, I can read what he writes so long as he uses big letters and they are not joined up. But when they ask questions I get confused. That was one of the reasons for censorship so the media couldn’t ask me questions and make me look stupid. Do you know the American ambassador once told me I reminded him of George Dubwa Bush that was nice of him wasn’t it.

The other thing Tina helped me with over New Year was the Fiji TV poll. When my insider in Fiji TV told me I was coming second to some nitwit Indian woman, we came up with this plan which would get me voted the winner.

I told all the boys in camp vote for me and I would give them a pay rise. Some were a bit over enthusiastic and voted more than 20 times but that sort of loyalty does get rewarded.

Anyway Fiji TV spotted the obvious vote rigging and pulled the plug. But never fear that does not stop me or Lickmyarse. We quickly made up a new rule that Fiji TV had broken and them took them to the New Media Authority.

We realize now that we will need to make an amendment to the Public Order Amendment Act Decree. We shall decree that I must win every poll in Fiji from now on.

I wonder what I will say when I win the forthcoming vote for Women’s Beach Volley Ball Player of the year.

Anyway I have to fly to Abu Dhabi now. Tina told me it is time to leave before the Shit hits the fan. I am going to some conference about renewable energy. I don’t care what it’s about because now Tina is with me she makes sure I am properly looked after wherever I go. This time I have asked for a crate of Johnnie Walker. But I have stamped my feet and said I want all the black and the red ones removed because I only like the Blue ones.

I got a call from the Police commissioner Ioane NoValourHere. He told me that some land owners in Namosi are trying to stop the mine. Don’t they understand what MINE means. It’s mine not theirs. So that means I am the landowner and they can stay in the village for as long as I will let them. But that’s not for long because their village is where NoMore mountainCrest want to put the waste pipe.

Got to dash Mary is calling me. She has finished doing her duty free shopping at Nadi and we have held up the plane for long enough. I don’t know why she was doing shopping in Nadi when we can shop at Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Korea. - Note to self: make sure Mary and me are exempt from the new Credit Card Tax.

Otto Limmput: Bainimarama's draft speech from 6th January 2012 (Satire)

2012-01-07T20:28:00.000+13:00

An insider was able to give me Bainimarama’s draft of his speech dated 6^th January. His draft was then sent to Qorvis who turned it into the speech we all heard on Friday 6^th. Bainimarama’s draft paints a truer picture of the situation in Fiji.

My humble servants: As I told you in my New Year’s address the Public Emergency regulations will be lifted tomorrow. Now I will tell you what will really happen; I did not want to tell you before because I did not want to ruin the good will on the first day of 2012.

This marks an important step toward the informing, you my humble servants, about the new constitution under which a truly democratic election will vote me in as President and Khaiyum, He is the one with his hand up my arse, as Prime Minister.

No modern state, especially one created by an act of terror wishes terror upon itself. I am sure you understand, my humble servants, that it is important for the well being of my family that I take a lead from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Equatorial Guinea and Bahrain to name a few of Qorvis’s more enlightened truly democratic clients.

In Fiji we have experienced terrorism. I should know because I was the ring leader. Qarase will never forget the terror of having armed soldiers at his door. President Iloilo would always shake when he signed any document I asked him to sign.

We must never allow this to happen again because that would remove me from power. Therefore I will crack down on anyone who threatens my authority and my wife’s shopping trips.

In the UK a person can be detained for 14 days on suspicion of terrorism. My friend Robert Mugabe tells me that is nothing and he can detain people for as long as he wants. Now that’s sensible. He has been a dictator as long as anybody and he knows what he is doing. The USA has Guantanamo Bay and detains all terrorists offshore. That is a great idea and we are going to close Rotuma to all civilians and turn it into a massive detention centre.

Mugabe also tells me that any vilification of the Zimbabwe’s Supreme ruler and family even on the internet has been criminalized. Any blog site that shows another picture of me and my son in the back of a limo will be exterminated. I have found the people who hacked the Government website this week and they are now working for me at the high speed internet cell at Naboro.

We have had such safeguards in Fiji under the PER. However, I removed it in a shameless attempt to garner international support and to pretend we will have consultations on democracy. However as my puppet master informed me we need to ensure that MY rights are protected and so we have updated the Public Order Act.

Over the past few years I have brought in a number of changes. We have sought to empower my family and modernize us. Well at least all my grand children have iPads and I have an iPhone. My new friend Kim Jong-un, the Supreme Commander of North Korea gave me a new app for my iPhone for Christmas. It is called iDictate and a lot of the new Public Order Act came directly from the App. (Note to self. Make me Supreme Commander at first available opportunity)

My Government has been very successful and we have achieved an overall decrease in the crime rate because nothing that I, my ministers and members of the military do can be a crime.

Under past governments corruption prevailed and the economy was mismanaged. (Apparently they had something called economic growth, I have no idea what that is) But anyway the problem with their corruption was that it did not include me, Khaiyum or Aunty Nur. I feel sorry for Aunty Nur because she is so ugly and she says she needs all this money for major plastic surgery. She was given a quote the other day and it will cost over $10m USD to make her into a decent looking woman.

Now my Government, with the help of corruption and has made sure that all the money coming into Fiji goes through Aunty Nur and Khaiyum. They then give me a cut he tells me it is the biggest cut because I am the dictator and I trust everything Lickmyarse says.

Over the past few years here is a list of my Governments achievements.

Implementation of a common and equal citizenry – We have all read Animal Farm and some citizens, namely myself are more equal than others.
Outlaw of institutionalized racism and other discriminatory practices – Just look at the military, we are an institution, we have racism and we are outlawed by the rest of the world.
Codifying equal rights for women – Aunty Nur gets an equal share
Creation of FICAC – That’s a godsend for making sure all the corruption comes my way. If you don’t send the cash to my Swiss bank account then you go to Prison.
Creation of the Independent Legal Services Commission – That is answerable to Khaiyum
Instituting a Child Welfare Decree – If I had not increased poverty we would not have needed this.
Putting in place a new Crimes Decree – That gives me total control
Creating a transparent and sustainable provident fund – Well I will have a pension that will keep me and Mary in the way we have become accustomed
Equal distribution of land lease monies – Half for all the owners and half for me
And Restructured Fiji Sugar Corporation and the Sugar industry – Vaniqi tells me we have had a run of record years. He said “Lowest production ever”
Getting better returns for landowners and providing security for tenants – As Khaiyum and I are now the biggest landowners it is imperative we get bigger returns and also we need to make sure our Chinese tenants are well looked after.

Under me Fiji has managed to do great things and these include:

We have made unprecedented investment in technology and communications. How else do you think we read all emails and listen to those Vodafone mobile calls?
We have invested greatly in rural areas. My new farms are doing very well and supplying food to my new mines.
We have increased poverty so more people need free food, textbooks etc.
We have increased our diplomatic ties, especially with those countries whose concept of democracy is as flawed as my own.
We have brokered many successful partnerships. Aunty Nur with Rewa Dairy, Aunty Nur, with 100 sands Casino, Aunty Nur with…. She is good about sharing the wealth
We have given impetus to the private sector – And that is why they are all investing overseas
We have been able to cut taxes – I have found that if you keep the money offshore in Switzerland or the Caymans you don’t pay tax at all.

But none of this could have been successful if the normal checks and balances of a democratic system had been in place.

We would not have been able to move forward if democracy had kept us in the past. The freedom blogs have not seen the light and with my new iDictate app they will be destroyed.

There is nothing more I want than a Fiji which has me as Supreme Commander for life…..

Unfortunately the rest of the speech was unreadable as there was a large Johnny Walker Blue Label stain.

New York Times: Fiji Lifts Martial Law, but Installs New Regulations

2012-01-07T20:17:00.000+13:00

By MATT SIEGEL
Published: January 7, 2012

SYDNEY, Australia — Fiji’s military rulers on Saturday lifted a state of martial law that has been in place since 2009, setting the stage for public deliberations on a new constitution and a promised return to democratic elections within the next two years.

However, even as the lifting of martial law was being touted in the capital, Suva, the country’s current leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama announced on Friday a raft of new regulations and restrictions that have led to concerns that his government will pursue the sheen of legitimacy while continuing to silence its critics through force.

Fiji, a former British colony made up of roughly 330 islands in the central Pacific Ocean, has been under military rule since a 2006 coup led by Mr. Bainimarama. The emergency regulations that ended Saturday had greatly expanded police powers, placed government censors in newsrooms and curtailed the rights of nongovernmental organizations and religious organizations to hold meetings.

In his speech on Friday, Mr. Bainimarama announced the official lifting of the emergency laws, which were enacted after a decision to abrogate the constitution led the courts to declare his government illegitimate. He said that the emergency powers had given his government time to stabilize the country, which has been wracked by political and ethnic tensions for decades. His opponents, however, accused the military junta of using their powers to crush dissent and hobble civil society.

“There is nothing more I want than a Fiji with a truly democratic government, one representative of all Fijians. For the first time in our history, we are on the path to making this a reality,” Mr. Bainimarama said in the speech.

Since gaining independence from Britain in 1970, Fiji has lived under four military juntas. But the latest coup and subsequent crackdown by the regime greatly isolated the island state, which is a member of the British-led Commonwealth of Nations. Australia and New Zealand have imposed tough unilateral sanctions and the country had its membership in the Commonwealth suspended in 2009.

The governments of both Australia and New Zealand cautiously welcomed the decision to lift the emergency regulations, although they said that any discussion of an end to sanctions or to the country’s regional isolation would be contingent on measurable progress in the arena of human rights and democracy development.

While life will be easier for opposition groups, there is still a strong possibility that speech considered inflammatory by the government could still be punished, says Jenny Hayward-Jones, a regional expert at The Lowy Institute, a research organization based in Sydney.

“It seems likely that organizations who were the targets of the Public Emergency Regulations — mostly NGOs, the Methodist Church, prominent individual critics and media outlets — will need to continue to be cautious in whatever comments they make about government in the public domain, because they still stand to be punished under the additional decrees,” she said.

In his speech on Friday, Mr. Bainimarama compared the new regulations to anti-terror legislation in The United States and hate crimes legislation in The United Kingdom and Australia that forbid inflammatory public rhetoric.

Toward the end of the speech, however, he clearly stated that no attempts to destabilize the elections or constitutional consultations would be allowed.

“Know that elections cannot be held in an environment devoid of social cohesion and economic stability. Know that those who seek to destabilize society only do so to serve their own interests. They do not serve you,” Mr. Bainimarama said. “Also know that we will not tolerate an iota of disruption to the peace, safety, stability and common and equal citizenry we now enjoy.”

Michael Field: Bainimarama always breaking his word

2012-01-07T20:13:00.000+13:00

Michael Field

“We will not tolerate an iota of disruption to the peace, safety, stability and common and equal citizenry we now enjoy….”
Voreqe Bainimarama, speech to Fiji, 6 January 2012.

Those of us who were there that damp Suva Sunday evening remember much of the strangeness. The empty swimming pool covered in plywood, the piss stench from dozens of men who had drank way too much kava and impeccably dressed George Speight.

It was 9 July 2000, at what we all came to know as “Iloilo’s House” in Maunikau. Down the road, Speight and his thugs held the government hostage, coming up to 58 days. Earlier attempted deals had failed, but this one was different because Inoke Takiveikata, the Qaranivalu of Naitasiri, was involved.

This led to the Maunikau Accords to release the hostages and for the rebels to return the military arms to the barracks. There was a conditional amnesty, which Bainimarama, as martial law administrator, signed on the covered pool, a stupidly self-satisfied Speight standing beside him.

As Bainimarama signed, he said, in a barely audible voice, that it was “the beginning of a long journey” and added, “let us unite as one people for the sake of our beloved country.”

Even as I watched the signing, I believed the Accord was a set up. Surprisingly Speight felt it had moral authority. After all, he could say, Bainimarama had made promises. I was not alone in wondering at the worth of a promise made under duress.

Speight held an “open day” at Parliament to hand back the arms. He strolled up to me for a chat. I did say to him that he faced arrest. He did not see it at all that way; he believed in Bainimarama’s signature.

All this is not to say I feel some sympathy for Speight – he got everything he deserved.

I was not at all surprised when on 26 July 2000, the military grabbed Speight, and next day went into Kalabu and seized 369 coup plotters. While Speight and gang may have felt they had a piece of paper – but what they had not realized was that Bainimarama was not then, and has not been since, a man of his word.

He nearly paid for that little fact on 2 November 2000; the people he had betrayed at Maunikau tried to kill him.

In the only combat action of his entire military career, Bainimarama ran and tumbled down a steep bank as his own men shot at him. He extracted brutal revenge.

The central point though is that the events occurred because Bainimarama promised one thing, and did another.

It is this that makes him impossible to work with seriously – there is no way of knowing whether what he says on Day One is going to be the same as on Day Three. How can anybody do serious business with a man like that?

Jump forward to his second coup, that of December 2006 (his first was 29 May 2000).

Oddly, he promised to stage the coup and kept to his word; illustrating that when something is good for him, he will do it.

In 2007, he then went to the Pacific Forum Summit in Tonga. There he promised to the leaders that he would hold elections by March 2008. Later he denied he made any such promise, but it stretches credibility completely to imagine that he was right and 15 other leaders were wrong.

No, the truth was that as at Maunikau, Bainimarama is simply incapable of keeping to his word. It is impossible to work with him.

I had a good off-the-record relationship with the late New Zealand Governor-General Sir Paul Reeves. Sent to Fiji by the Commonwealth he tried to negotiate a return to some kind of democracy. He was never in any doubt that so long as it was Bainimarama who he was negotiating with, nothing would happen.

Reeves bemoaned how difficult it was to even talk with Bainimarama, how he would launch into bombastic speech even when in a room with a handful of people. Reeves kept trying, but he quickly warned me once not to expect anything: “he is impossible”.

The gap between the promise and the break can be short.

On 1 January 2012, he gave a New Year speech he announced that his latest three year long bout of martial law would cease on 7 January 2012. He said nothing about new rules to come but much of the region took him at his word. His statement was welcomed by the United Nations, the Commonwealth and assorted leaders in the region. Australia and New Zealand were urged to ease sanctions.

He had created the expectation of change, an implied undertaking, if not an actual promise.

Again, he has duped everybody and come out with the Public Order (Amendment) Decree. It breaks that implication of just six days earlier.

Deception taints all Bainimarama’s decisions. He cannot be trusted, but he expects everybody else to trust him.

The latest address is a tour d’force in hypocrisy.

“No modern state wishes anarchy upon itself,” he said.

Of course, no modern state would wish to see a military commander with wrap around glasses and some PLO scarf on his neck, charging into the business district during peak hours. No modern state would wish to have soldiers firing mortars at imagine enemies sailing into Suva harbour at midnight.

Bainimarama did all that.

“In Fiji, we too have experienced terrorism such as the events of 2000, during which government members were held captive by terrorists for close to two months.”

In December 2006, we watched Bainimarama’s men charge into the same Parliament and drag away politicians and staff; one was terrorism, the other was not.

Again, how to deal with a man who has this view of the world?

He talks of the ransacking of Suva and Muaniweni as terrorism; no mention is made of the seizing of people in the streets of Fiji, the random beatings and the occasional deaths.

That in 2000 was terrorism; in 2006/7 it was keeping order and stability.

His order and stability.

Bainimarama has taken a parliamentary act passed at independence to enrich his power. He has decided to “effectively address terrorism, offences against public order and safety, racial and religious vilification, hate speech, and economic sabotage”.

He is quite right to say that other countries have similar legislation, but he misses the point that these laws came only after a democratic process in which parliaments and courts, along with major public inputs, came up with “anti-terrorism” laws. If citizens of those other states disagree with the anti-terrorism acts, they can always vote politicians out of office. No chance with Bainimarama.

In Fiji, Bainimarama just dreamt the decrees up.

No one was asked, although the likelihood now is that the almost entirely passive Fiji public, all their inputs heavily censored and deeply controlled by the military, would have said yes … and gone off to the opium of rugby sevens and beauty contests.

He is entirely disingenuous in saying that a person can be only detained for 48 hours before further detention requires the permission of the police commissioner for another 14 days. He says it as if the commissioner is some kind of objective independent figure with free will and the right to make his own decision. In fact, he is a lower ranked military officer who follows orders from Bainimarama.

He also gives the impression that he is generous in that he says Fiji will not allow “tracking devices” to be installed on individuals. Are Fijians supposed to be grateful? Will it stop soldiers showing up at houses in the dead of night to haul critics up to the barracks?

Bainimarama says that under his regime there has been “an overall decrease in the crime rate”. He is making that up, there is no statistical basis to that at all.

He can take credit for the big fall in the convictions for treason, misprision of treason and swearing false oaths. Since 2006, there has been absolutely no conviction of any of these. Wonder why?

There have been no arrests either (thus order exists) for unsolved murders committed on 2 November 2000, nor has anybody been prosecuted for threatening an entire population with bloodshed and terrorism by marching an army down the main street of Suva.

There is order, and there is order.

Bainimarama says martial law bought “order”, but he fails to state that order existed and had been handed down by the Court of Appeal in 2009. They said he had broken the law and that his government was illegal.

So there has been an “overall decrease” in the crime rate – easy to do if you do not prosecute those who break the major laws?

He lists “reforms and changes”. They can be read in his speech; but the simple, overwhelming fact is that there is no consensus or public approval for any of these reforms or changes – they were simply imposed by Bainimarama and his military council. Some, undoubtedly, are good measures and may even survive past the regime itself.

On 1 January, Bainimarama scrapped martial law that came with tough censorship. Six days later he broke that promise: “Negativity would have been further exacerbated by the media bias in particular of the Fiji Times and Fiji TV. Media is undoubtedly powerful and critical for a well-informed public. However, personal, political and racial agendas cannot be allowed to take precedence and continue behind the façade of a free press.”

How can the public be well informed when it is the military deciding what they can read?

Actually there will be no media freedom in Fiji. Bainimarama has created a clever little control regime, by decree again, in which a committee of quislings including journalists turn on each other and ensure that readers will never really read the truth.

Sadly, in Fiji today, no one knows the truth at all.

To complete the shattered promises, Bainimarama brings out the fist: “Know that those who seek to destabilize society only do so to serve their own interests. They do not serve you. Also know that we will not tolerate an iota of disruption to the peace, safety, stability and common and equal citizenry we now enjoy.”

Thanks to Bainimarama, Fiji is a sadly perverted place in which the expression “Fiji the way the world should be” is turned on its head and it is now “Fiji, the place the world can no longer figure out…”

Or trust or do business with.

7 January 2012

The Spoof-dot-com: Fijian Dictator wants to become King

2012-01-06T16:30:00.000+13:00

Monday, 2 January 2012

Commodore Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama, supreme leader and overlord of the South Pacific island nation of Fiji, has indicated that he is unhappy with his hands-on role of governing the popular tourist destination.

"When I took charge in glorious honour back in 2006, I never assumed that I would have to work as hard as I have. Do you think that these people torture themselves?" CDRE Bainimarama mused during a sedate Kava ceremony/press conference.

CDRE Bainimarana has long been known for having arguably, the most ridiculous headdress of any world leader - which has become a sore point for the burly leader.

"On reflection, it might have been a little short-sighted westernising my name as Frank and then wearing a beret." he stated. "However, I must admit I have had enough of the shouts of "ohh Betty" from my late colleagues."

CDRE Bainimarama then outlined his plan to relinquish the office he has held for almost six years, upgrading his trademark beret to a crown.

"From now on, I will be your King." Bainimaram decreed. "I can finally retire the beret!"

The beret will be auctioned so that the economy will not dip into recession when the new letterheads are printed.

King Frank I is set to be crowned at a time of his choosing.

Michael Field: Bainimarama imposes new order rules

2012-01-06T16:27:00.000+13:00

Michael Field

Six days after announcing the end of martial law, Fiji dictator Voreqe Bainimarama has came up with a new military decree controlling public order.

In the face of severe international criticism, Bainimarama on New Year’s Day announced his three year old Public Emergency Regulations (PER) would be lifted tomorrow.

Today he unveiled a military decree amending the country’s Public Order Act.

That act passed in 1969 ahead of Fiji’s independence so that any dissent could be controlled during the transition period.

Bainimarama said he was modernising it to provide stability.

“This modernization is necessary to effectively address matters such as terrorism, offences, offences against public order and safety racial and religious vilification, hate speech and economic sabotage," he said.

Since seizing power in 2006, Fiji has had no parliament and all laws are set up a military council through decrees.

Bainimarama said he imposed martial law in 2009 to bring stability. He did not say that this occurred because the country’s Court of Appeal had declared his government illegal and as a result he scrapped the constitution.

"We have sought to empower Fijians, modernise our country and strengthen our economy. We have sought to rid our institutions of behaviour and practises that discriminate - that spread prejudice and misinformation."

Bainimarama attacked the Fiji Times, the country’s biggest daily, and Fiji TV, saying they had shown “outright bias” against him.

This was why PER included censorship.

“Media is undoubtedly powerful. Personal, political and racial agendas can be allowed to take precedence behind the facade of a free press."

Bainimarama has retained the right to keep people in detention for up to 14 days without being taken before court.

"Know that we will not tolerate an iota of disruption to the peace, safety and stability and common citizenship we now enjoy. I caution those individuals and organisations who intend to abuse these freedoms, as they have done previously."

The new decree deals with a wide range of public gatherings and public order.

It also outlaws malicious rumour and inciting racial antagonism.

His move to scrap martial law will end the role of military censors in newsrooms from tomorrow, but Bainimarama has set up a Media Industry Development Authority which has strong powers over all Fiji media.

The authority’s deputy chairman Matai Akauola says they will be monitoring news items in print, broadcast and television media.

“We should be glad that censors are being removed but in saying that, we are not out of the woods yet,” he said.

“It is just that according to the goodwill of … Bainimarama the PER has been removed.

“In removing the PER, the democratic process hasn’t kicked in yet. … The democratic process will only be up and running when we have general elections in 2014. From now until then, whilst the PM has announced the removal of PER, for the media, it is a matter of adhering to the code of ethics,” he said.

Fiji's Public Order Act 1969

6 January 2012

Michael Field: Top NZ lawyer heading to Fiji over jailed grandmother

2012-01-02T21:48:00.000+13:00

Michael Field

Prominent Auckland QC Peter Williams is heading to Fiji to act for a 74-year-old grandmother who is in military regime custody and will face charges that she tried to overthrow dictator Voreqe Bainimarama.

Her detention since Friday coincided with Bainimarama yesterday announcing he would on Saturday end martial law imposed over two years ago when the country’s Court of Appeal ruled that his 2006 coup was illegal.

On Friday the police seized businesswoman and former MP Dr Mere Samisoni and three others.

They have been interrogated in custody, without lawyers, since then.

This afternoon the military regime said Samisoni, Mataiasi Ragigia, Apete Vereti and Semisi Lasike would be charged “with the offence urging political violence,” contrary to a military decree passed in 2009.

“The four, between the months of September and December 2011, in Suva in the Central Division intentionally conspired to overthrow by force of violence the Government of Fiji,” the Ministry of Information said this afternoon.

“They are to appear at the Suva Magistrate Court tomorrow morning."

Williams, who has a 50-year record of involvement in New Zealand criminal courts and acted for some of the biggest names in court history, left for Fiji this afternoon to act for Samisoni.

Her British based family fear the grandmother of 11 would be one of the last to be prosecuted under martial law.

Samisoni, who founded the popular 30-store Hot Bread Kitchen chain before turning to politics where she won the Lami Open ward for the party of prime minister Laisenia Qarase, has been held in Suva's infamous Central Police Station over the long New Year's weekend.

Daughter Vanessa Charters, speaking on the family's behalf, said they had been told that Dr Samisoni had allegedly made a confession.

“At this moment in time we aren’t sure what this alleged confession relates to but we do know for a fact, we have had it independently verified, that mum's lawyer was not present at the time of this so-called confession,” she said.

Yesterday in an address to the nation Bainimarama said the lifting of the Public Emergency Regulation on January 7 would lead the way to a discussion on a new constitution – the fourth since independence in 1970.

Martial law, introduced in April 2009, banned any public meetings and imposed tight censorship on all media. It gave the military and police to detain people for days without charge and in some cases to take people to the military barracks near Suva where they where physically and mentally abused.

Bainimarama gave no details of what will replace martial law, but in the case of the media the regime has already created a state controlled media council with tough powers to control what is printed.

Bainimarama, who seized power in a military coup in 2006, says he will hold elections in 2014.

He claimed that the existing voting system was racially based with indigenous Fijians having greater voting power than the ethnic Indians who make up around 35 percent of the 900,000 people.

He said Fiji had been mismanaged and hindered by greed and selfishness.

“You and I must not allow a few to dictate the destiny of our country for their own selfish needs,” he said.

He warned features of a new constitution will be non-negotiable.

“The constitution must establish a government that is founded on an electoral system that guarantees equal suffrage – a truly democratic system based on the principle of one person, one vote, one value.

“We will not have a system that will classify Fijians based on ethnicity….”

Consultation would begin next month: “To facilitate this consultation process, the Public Emergency Regulations will cease from 7 January 2012.”

Under martial law people are not allowed to gather without authorization and all media faces tough censorship.

But its been revealed that in the Namosi highlands west of Suva villagers have protested against a planned gold and copper mine operated by Australia’s Newcrest Mining Ltd.

The protest on December 14 was not reported at all in Fiji but witnesses say the people of Namois “staged a quiet protest against the proposed mining project on their land…

“(The) women and children sat outside holding banners calling for their land to be left alone. Witnesses say some women were crying as they sat outside.”

So far the regime has not responded to requests for comment on Samisoni, or the mining protest.

Meanwhile the Fiji Government’s website - www.fiji.gov.fj – last night published Bainimarama’s statement, but since then has been hacked into and cannot now be reached.

2 January 2012

Michael Field: Fijians protest against miners, despite martial law and censorship

2012-01-01T22:46:00.002+13:00

Michael Field

These pictures are astonishing - people are finally protesting in Fiji.

They are ignoring martial law and the brave journalist who got them to the outside world, has broken Fiji's tight censorship. This is the message that came with the photos - the author can reveal him/herself if they wish, I will not:

"Something you won't see in Fiji's mainstream media ... On December 14, 2011, the people of Namosi staged a quiet protest against the proposed mining project on their land at Waisoi. Representatives from Namosi Joint Venture (NJV) turned up for a meeting with the villagers in the area where the landowners are worried about the potential environmental effects and the loss of mataquali (landowning unit) lands.

"The project is in the wish environment impact assessment stage.

"While the men sat in the hall with representatives of NJV, the women and children sat outside holding banners calling for their land to be left alone. Witnesses say some women were crying as they sat outside. The villagers appear to want the developers to slow down and not make hasty decisions regarding the project, but the regime is keen for companies to start mining. Reports and photographs on the December 14 meeting have been censored."

Word of what has happened is known in high places, and the regime controlled i-Taukei Land Trust Board (it used to be the Native Land Trust Board) is now saying they are powerless in land issues involving mining.

Board manager Alipate Qetaki told military controlled Fiji Broadcasting that they are not involved in mining negotiations and that the interests of land owners are protected by the Mineral Resources Department.

He admitted Naitasiri landowners are wondering why the board is not involved in the mining negotiations underway there.

What is more striking is that military dictator Voreqe Bainimarama, who is pushing the mining, has completely overlooked what happened to his Melanesian Spearhead brotherhood in PNG when mining was pushed through against the wishes of the traditional landowners: it was the Bougainville civil war.

30 December 2011

Michael Field: Samisoni accused of inciting violence

2012-01-01T22:31:00.000+13:00

Updated: 2.30 pm 31 December 2011
Michael Field

A leading Fiji business figure is in custody over allegations she is inciting political violence against the country’s military regime.

The seizure last night of Mere Samisoni, 74, coincided with the leaking of photographs of a rare protest by Fijians against military leader Voreqe Bainimarama, who seized power in a coup in 2006.

Other unspecified people have also been taken in and are being held.

Samisoni, who runs a nationwide chain of bakeries, was a member of Fiji’s last democratically elected parliaments.A longtime critic, she has been threatened with arrest before (earlier reports).

Family sources say Samisoni was taken into custody yesterday after she returned from Lau Islands, her home.

Bainimarama operates under martial law and anybody can be held for up to seven working days without charge.

Samisoni is being questioned by police in custody over what they say is her "incitement to political violence".

It is far from clear what is going on as she has not been particularly prominent in dissent recently although the regime did act and detain a number of trade unionists last month.

By taking her into custody on a long weekend, police can extend the time they can hold her.

Suva social worker Peter Waqavonovono spoke with police at midday Saturday with an Inspector Ropate confirming Samisoni had been detained over allegations of "incitement and cyber activity trying to bring government down".

Ropate told Waqavonovono that they could do nothing about her age: "We cant do much, call coming from the top, there are other people here too, they all arrested with Mere."

Under Fiji’s martial law people are not allowed to gather without authorization and all media faces tough censorship.

But its been revealed that in the Namosi highlands west of Suva villagers have protested against a planned gold and copper mine operated by Australia’s Newcrest Mining Ltd.

The protest on December 14 was not reported at all in Fiji but witnesses say the people of Namois “staged a quiet protest against the proposed mining project on their land…

“(The) women and children sat outside holding banners calling for their land to be left alone. Witnesses say some women were crying as they sat outside.”

So far the regime has not responded to requests for comment on Samisoni, or the mining protest.

31 December 2011

Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center: CHIEFLY CLANS IN FIJI RENEW BLOOD TIES

2011-12-29T23:11:00.000+13:00

Valelevu delegation visits Bau to rekindle ties with Kubuna

By Jona Bola
SUVA, Fiji (FijiSUN, Dec. 28, 2011) – In Fiji, the iTaukei tradition of ‘carasala’ or renewing blood ties was re-enacted last Saturday at the chiefly island of Bau.

This was when members of the Mataqali Valelevu (chiefly clan) of Lomanikoro, Rewa, paid a courtesy visit to the chiefly household of Kubuna.

Led by the Roko Tui Dreketi (the paramount chief of Burebasaga) Ro Teimumu Kepa, the delegation from Rewa went across to Bau to rekindle family ties between the two chiefly households.

Upon their arrival at Bau, Ro Teimumu paid a courtesy visit to Vunivau, the residence of the Tunitoga, the Vunivalu’s herald.

The Tunitoga, in turn, later escorted the Rewa delegation to Mataiwelagi, the residence of the late Vunivalu of Bau, Ratu Sir George Cakobau.

Ro Temumu was received by Ratu Sir George’s son, Ratu Epenisa Cakobau, and the current Roko Tui Bau, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi.

Also present were the Na i taukei Naua, Ratu Jope Seniloli, and Ratu George Kadavulevu from the Muaidule household.

Ratu Jope is a former Vice-President of Fiji.

Ro Teimumu and her delegation presented gifts and other traditional items to Ratu Epenisa’s household. She was also accorded a traditional ceremony of welcome and was also presented gifts.

Later in the day Ro Teimumu visited Ratu Epenisa’s mother the Radini Levuka, Lady Lelea Cakobau and Adi Kaunilotuma, Ratu Epenisa’s younger sister and presented them with gifts.

Lady Lelea was visibly elated with the visit as she and Ro Teimumu shared some light moments with other women present.

The chiefly guests of the day at Bau were later treated to lunch of which sea delicacies were the main course.

The day ended with merrymaking and dancing by members of the two chiefly families.

Ro Teimumu had, earlier in the year, paid a courtesy visit to her relatives at Ucunivanua in Verata to consolidate the relationship between their chiefly families.

Radio Australia: Pacific Beat's Bruce Hill looks at 2011 in Fiji.

2011-12-29T22:42:00.000+13:00

Print Email
Updated December 29, 2011 17:48:28

This year marks the five year anniversary of the military coup in Fiji.

Commodore Frank Banimarama overthrew the democratically elected governnment of Laisenia Qarase on the 5th of December 2006.

Most Australians probably know Fiji as a pleasant place for a holiday.

But increasingly Australians have been affected by what's happening in the South Pacific nation.

Radio Australia's Bruce Hill reports.
Listen here.

Song - "Fiji Coup", performed by the Rodgrigo Brothers.

BRUCE HILL:
They are indeed having a coup in Fiji, but as for there being nothing we can do, lets not be so sure.

Certainly the people protesting outside Fiji's diplomatic missions in Sydney and Canberra earlier this year felt this was an issue Australia should take a stand on.

Paddy Crumlin, President of the International Transport Workers Federation, addressed a rally outside the Fiji Consulate in Sydney, and he was passionate in his denunciation of what he saw as the coup installed military government's crackdown on union rights.

PADDY CRUMLIN:

BRUCE HILL:
So why would people in this country get so worked up about events in Fiji?

Australia may be a middle ranked power by world standards, but in the Pacific it's a giant.

Especially when the region's other developed country, New Zealand, is included, which in the Pacific it almost always is.

After the coup, Canberra and Wellington imposed what they call "smart sanctions" targeted at members of the regime and their families, preventing them from travelling through either country.

With air links in the Pacific set up the way they are, that's a major inconvenience.

Trade and aid has not been interfered with.

Still, the travel bans clearly irritate the authorities in Suva, with interim Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khayum saysing the country is ready to work with Australia and New Zealand... once they treat Fiji as their equal.

He says he's frustrated with Australia and New Zealand... and will only work with them if their attitudes towards Fiji change.

FIJI ATTORNEY GENERAL: AIYAZ SAYED-KHAYUM.

BRUCE HILL:
The Australian government has stuck firmly to its guins over Fiji for the past five years, but as time has gone on there's been more and more activity aimed at Fiji by non government groups, unions, churches and the legal profession.

That's actually the real story about the impact the Fiji cioup has had ion Australia and New Zealand - it's provoked much more engagement and activity from civil society and individuals than from governments.

Several groups of Fiji emigres living here and in New Zealand have been formed to agitate for a swift return to democracy.

They have not be very effective, partially because they can't agree among themselves what they want to achieve.

At one stage it was grandly announced that a coalition of pro-democracy griups had been formed, but that collapsed when one of the groups named, the Fiji Freedom and Democracy Movement based in Australia, insisted they had nothing to do with it..

Its' president, Suliasi Daunitutu, says there was a meeting of several organisations in Auckland during the Pacific Island Forum leaders meeting, and there were arguments about the idea of forming a government in exile.

SULIASI DAUNITUTU:

BRUCE HILL:
Along with emigre pro-democracy groups squabbling among themselves, Australia has also seen attempts by individual Fiji citizens living in Austraoia trying to stay, on the grounds that they would face persecution if they returned home.

One of them, Inoke Qarau, reportedly went on hunger strike while in Sydney's Villawood detention center, insisting that he'd face problems if he were deported to Fiji because he talked to the Australian media about treatment he says he and others received at the hands of the authorities after the 2006 coup.

A Fijian pastor assisting him, Livai Leone, described Mr Qarau's reaction to the deportation order.

PASTOR LIVAI LEONE:

BRUCE HILL:
That caused some political fallout, with a Green Party Senator sayng she wants to make sure Fijians applying for asylum in Australia are being treated properly.

Sarah Hanson-Young says Mr Qarau's case concerns her, and she wants to know if authorities have up to day information about Fiji to help them decide whether or not to let people stay in Australia.

THE GREENS SENATOR SARAH HANSON-YOUNG.

BRUCE HILL:
A particular bone of contention between the Fiji interim government and the Australian and New Zealand governments has been a crackdown on Fiji's trade union movement.

Fiji introduced an Essential Industries Decree this year, which severely curtails workers rights and makes it almost impossible for trade unions to operate effectively in many industries declared economically vital.

Fiji's unions responded by working closely with their international counterparts to get a campaign against the regulations going, including organising Australian and New Zealand Unions to put pressure on the tourist industry by asking people in those countries not to travel to Fiji for holidays.

The authorities in Suva subsequently arrested senior union leaders, including Fiji Trades Union Congress President Daniel Urai and Secretary Felix Anthony.

That triggered a strong response from the internatiional trade union movement, with the Australian Council of Trade Unions leading the change by urging Australians to boycott Fiji's tourist industry

ACTU President Ged Kearney says unionists in this country are particularly concerned about what's happening in Fiji.

GED KEARNEY:

BRUCE HILL:
The Australia government added its condemnation of Fiji interim Government and maintained its targetted sanctions this year. The Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, speaking at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting Perth, defended fiji's ongoing suspension of Fiji from the Commonwealth.

KEVIN RUDD & RICHARD MARLES.

BRUCE HILL:
Again, it wasn't just governments that responded to the issue.

People attending the Rugy World Cup clash between Fiji and South Africa in New Zealand were urged to show solidarity with trade unions in Fiji by wearing white armbands.The call from from human rights organisation Amnesty International, whose New Zealand CEO Patrick Holmes said sometimes sport and politics do mix.

PATRICK HOLMES:

BRUCE HILL:
But the Fiji government insists that Fiji Trades Union secretary Felix Anthony has been simply misrepresenting the situation in the country to overseas unions.Fiji attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khayum accuses Mr Anthony of disloyalty to the country, and potentially endangering Fiji's economy and threatening jobs.

AIYAZ SAYED-KHAYUM :

BRUCE HILL:
As well as trade unions, the Fiji interim government this hear also came down hard on the influential Methodist Church, which a majority of the country's indigenous Fijian population belong to. It cancelled their annual conference, and forbade it from holding any sort of meeting other than normal Sunday worship services.That sparked a backlash here, with Reverend Dr Kerry Enright, National Director of Uniting World, the Uniting Church in Australia's international section, condemning the move, but admitting the power of international churches to influence Fiji is limited.

REVEREND DR KERRY ENRIGHT:

BRUCE HILL:
But not all groups in Australia and New Zealand have taken an antagonistic stand
Business leaders have come out in opposition the the trade union movement's campaign to persuade Australians not to travel to Fiji or buy garments made there.

Frank Yourn, executive director of the Australia-Fiji Business Council, says such a boycott would only end up hurting the very Fiji workers the unions say it wants to help.

FRANK YOURN AUSTRALIA-FIJI BUSINESS COUNCIL.

BRUCE HILL:
But there are other views within the business community about what's best for Fiji.

The International Labour Organisation has condemned the actions of the interm government and wants to send a delegation there.

This was backed by the Australia delegation at the ILO's regional meeting in Japan, which included Peter Anderson from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who says this is not simply a trade uion issues.

PETER ANDERSON, ACCI.

BRUCE HILL:
This year saw the coup installed military government of Fiji crack down on almost all elements of civil society.

Unions, the Church, academics, the media and the legal profession were all affected.

Their counterparts in Australia and New Zealand reacted by stepping up their campaigns against what's happening.

But as the British writer George Orwell once observed, such governments can withstand moral pressure until the cows come home - what they really fear is physical force.

And no one in Australia and New Zealand is advocating that.

Huffington Post Blog by Anna Lenzer: "Team Fiji" Co-ops the 99%

2011-12-29T22:32:00.000+13:00

Anna Lenzer
New York-based journalist
Posted: 12/23/11 09:13 AM ET

The Huffington Post ran a celebratory item last week announcing the Occupy movement's most exotic and far-flung victory yet. In a piece titled and tweeted by HuffPost as "A Win for the 99 Percent," the head of Fiji's military junta and self-appointed Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, wrote that "the '99 percent' have called and we have heard them." Bainimarama's inaugural HuffPost blog announced his alignment with the Occupy movement via the promised reduction of taxes on 99% of Fijiian taxpayers, a temporary "Social Responsibility Levy" on the top 1%, as well as a business-friendly climate for foreign investors. He even bothered to respond in the comments section. HuffPost readers could be forgiven for not noticing that the piece was written by an unelected dictator under targeted military sanctions by the United States, who has placed Fiji under martial law and outlawedfreedom of speech, press, assembly, and association. Nothing in the post even hints at Fiji's nightmarish human rights conditions or the writer's status as an international pariah, though his bio does contain his curiously long list of additional titles including also being Fiji's self-appointed Minister for Information and Minister for Finance.

Political dissidents in Fiji are regularly kidnapped by the military and taken to barracks to be beaten or otherwise tortured, where some have died; US Embassy cables released by Wikileaks even detail witness reports that Bainimarama himself beat his critics. Still, the junta leader brazenly declared on HuffPost, "since 2007, my government has enacted critically important political reforms that promote transparency and accountability." In reality, Bainimarama has enforced his rule with a sophisticated surveillance and censorship apparatus through which phone calls and the internet are tightly monitored -- I was arrested in Fiji after the police intercepted my emails, and threatened with rape and indefinite detention. As Minister for Information, Bainimarama has placed government censors in all newsrooms and only allows what the junta has called the "journalism of hope" to be published. Fijians have started dozens of protest blogs detailing the junta's abuses while their media remains censored.

The glowing HuffPost World item certainly appears to be a coup for the DC public relations firm Qorvis Communications, which has been under fire this year for its roster of despotic anti-Arab Spring clients from Bahrain to Yemen to Saudi Arabia. HuffPost itself has done excellent investigative pieces exposing Qorvis' odious clients. The Fijian junta hired Qorvis in early October on a $40,000 per month contract -- the same as its rate for Bahrain -- to burnish the regime's fraying reputation. Fiji's censorship and propaganda-running Ministry of Information announcedthat $1 million Fijian dollars (about $550,000 USD) had been set aside for Qorvis in its 2012 budget. Bainimarama explained in his budget address that Fiji had hired Qorvis "to assist with training and support for our Ministry of Information" on social media and the internet, and that "they will also help coordinate external communications."

Qorvis director Tina Jeon (whose Twitter bio notes that she's a "Yalie") has issued a series of tweets since the firm's contract began about her time in Fiji, noting her excursions to Bainimarama-led events like the big opening of a Chinese bauxite mine. The most stunning such tweet contains a picture of a young woman sitting on a yacht, typing into a smartphone as Bainimarama stands beside her: "No better place to write a press release.. #Fiji," the tweet reads.

Bainimarama's HuffPost debut follows the Fijian junta's exploding internet and social media presence in the weeks since Qorvis began its work: Fiji, Bainimarama, and his draconian decree-drafting Attorney General have since sprouted new websites, Twitter accounts, and YouTube pages, and a steady stream of PR Newswire alerts about the military's excellence have appeared.

Qorvis declined to answer any questions about the work that its "Team Fiji" -- as one Qorvis employee called it -- has done so far. Qorvis partner and former State Department official Matt Lauer told me that "we do not discuss the intricacies of the consulting work we do on behalf of clients," and directed me to the company's Foreign Agent registration for Fiji, which contains no specifics other than boilerplate language about issuing material to the news media. Even though Qorvis was specifically hired to facilitate such news placements and has done so for its other autocratic clients -- such as when the firm placed an article by the President of Sri Lanka in the Philadelphia Inquirer -- HuffPost's blog editor told me that Bainimarama's post came directly from the junta's head office.

"Team Fiji" exemplifies the closed-door work that corporate lobbyists do to promote brutal regimes around the world, at cross-purposes to the State Department's own efforts. Hillary Clintonreferred to Bainimarama's government earlier this year as the "dictatorial regime that unfortunately is now in charge of Fiji," while Qorvis works to give it a makeover and outlets like HuffPost provide it with a global platform on which to spread its propaganda. Qorvis itself, as well as a Qorvis "senior strategist" named Pablo Manriquez who is also a HuffPost blogger, promotedBainimarama's "Win for the 99 Percent" pitch on their own Twitter accounts.

HuffPost Senior Editor Marcus Baram detailed Qorvis' tactics on behalf of other regimes, and explored the firm's unsavory client list, in revealing posts earlier this year. Baram reported that the firm's representation of rogue regimes, especially Middle Eastern autocrats trying to fight off the Arab Spring, was a big reason that more than a third of the firm's partners had quit over a two month period. "I just have trouble working with despotic dictators killing their own people," a former Qorvis insider told HuffPost, adding that "you take a look at the State Department's list of human rights violators and some of our clients were on there."

Harper's contributing editor Ken Silverstein took the Qorvis dissection to the next level earlier this month, when he detailed for Salon what he called this new "meta-lobbying" approach to public relations. Silverstein noted that a Qorvis employee had blogged on HuffPost in defense of the Bahraini regime while his company was retained by it. Qorvis even distributed a statement on the government's behalf blaming Doctors Without Borders for lacking the proper permits after the group was notoriously raided by security forces for treating wounded protesters.

The Fijian junta's cooptation of the 99% meme as it outlaws and brutally punishes any form of protest is a meta-lobbying joke well-played on HuffPost readers. Rather than champion the 99%, as his post claims, Bainimarama has, since seizing power in his 2006 coup, displayed utter contempt for all of the values that the Occupy movement has been fighting for. He has shunned western democracies while accepting hundreds of millions of dollars as well as military aid from China, where he has said that he'd like to see the United Nations moved. Local Fijian councils who don't support the regime just announced that Bainimarama is threatening to withhold money from their regions if they don't fall into line.

Bainimarama's war on the 99% is perhaps best epitomized by his escalating attacks on Fiji's unions and persecution of the country's union leaders, through draconian decrees, denying permits for meetings, detentions and beatings. Last week he denied increasingly alarmed international union observers entry into the country. (New Zealand press reported this week that police were evenpresent against union wishes at a meeting a few days ago in which Fiji Water laid off a third of its workforce.) Union leaders have begged the international community not to give Bainimarama a microphone for his propaganda. In October, the general secretary of an international information, communication and technology union representing more than 3 million workers wrote a letter of protest requesting an emergency meeting with a Swiss conference that had invited Bainimarama to speak: "We protest that the ITU [International Telecommunication Union] is showcasing the leader of an illegitimate regime. A leader who has no democratic mandate but took power by force. Fiji is a country which is acting in fundamental breach of the UN's Human Rights policy and in contradiction to the ILO [International Labour Organization] Core Labour Standards." The letter concluded by noting that "the invitation to the Commodore brings shame on the ITU by giving a public and global platform which he is now using to legitimate his regime."

In the comments section of Bainimarama's HuffPost blog, International Trade Union Confederation General Secretary Sharan Burrow noted that "since Commodore Bainimarama seized power in a 2006 coup, Fiji has been sliding ever closer to absolute dictatorship, and no matter how much the regime invests in public relations, that simple fact remains."

Ratu Tevita Mara: Truth For Fiji reveals the truth about the Casino.

2011-12-28T14:53:00.000+13:00

Truth For Fiji reveals the truth about the Casino.

The dictator endorsed a pack of lies when he launched the casino with 100 ~~Lies~~ (Oooops! my mistake) Sands Casino Fiji Ltd. Firstly I am going to look at the announcement and explain why it does not add up. Then I am going to reveal the true money grabbing plan revealed to me by a mole inside Aliz Pacific Nur Bano Ali’s corrupt consulting firm.

Larry Claunch announced 100 Sands were going to build a casino, hotel and conference centre costing $290m USD. It was going to have nearly 200 rooms, 500 slot machines and 64 gaming tables. The ground breaking will start in March 2012 and the casino will be finished 18 months later. Larry said they were partnering with Snoqualmie Tribe. The Casino will not be open to locals.

Let’s look at this piece by piece

$290m hotel.
This will make it the most expensive hotel ever built in Fiji. This is nearly $600m Fijian which dwarves the $300m+ FNPF sunk into Natadola. The FNPF as we all know had to write the value of the hotel down to a mere $80m. The most expensive hotel on Denarau cost less than $100m FJD. A hotel costing this much will never make a return on investment even with a casino.

Massive Casino.
The closest casino of a similar size to the one planned by 100 Sands is Sky City in Auckland. But the amount of people that Sky City has to draw on is far bigger. New Zealand has more tourists in a peak month than Fiji has in a whole year. Similarly with Business visitors. Additionally it has the population of Auckland to call on and that is bigger than the total population of Fiji. For those of you who have not visited Sky City the Downstairs is full of the urban poor, mainly Polynesians gambling with their last few dollars. It is not a pretty sight.

So with only the tourists from Denerau and Nadi and a few expats a total of about 7,500 how on earth is Larry going to fill his casino? Obviously he is not. Every punter will have the choice of 3 empty roulette wheels or 100 slot machines to play on. I know why they are calling it 100 Sands: because it is going to be DESERTed.

Larry Claunch
Larry is a man of mystery prior to coming to Fiji. The only thing we really know about him is that he is rich, he has lived in Fiji for about 10 years and he has failed to develop his one property project in Fiji. He has no personal experience of running a casino. One thing he has learnt is that in today’s Fiji it is who you know that matters and he has paid to know the right people as I will show below.

Snoqualmie Tribe.
They borrowed $385m USD in 2007. This money was used to build their first casino. Unfortunately for them it was not a success and actual revenue was one quarter of the projections. They have had to restructure their debt. They are in n position to borrow any more money and what profits they make on their current gambling operations are going to service their existing debt. There is no money for this investment coming from the Snoqualmie Tribe. Their casino expertise only goes back 5 years so they are mere beginners in this complex and difficult business. Added to which their track record is not good and they have had to give their first CEO a payoff of $14mUSD to get rid of him.

These are the experts that Bainimarama has invited into to Fiji to steal from the poorest Fijians. In exchange for what, a nice Indian Chief’s head dress. Most of us grew out of dressing up games when we were kids but Frankie loves dressing up as a builder or an Indian Chief. Just as an aside he has the makings of being a one man Village People.

Not Open to Locals
Larry says the casino will not be open to locals. He then goes on to say he will open a smaller operation in Suva. Last time I looked I could count the number of tourists in Suva on one hand. Larry’s casinos will be open to the Locals.

As you can see this casino operation does not add up and just as worryingly there are no successful casino operators involved.

Now for the real story as revealed from within Aliz Pacific.

I mentioned Larry understood it was all about who you know. Well he hired Aliz Pacific, Dr. Nur Bano Ali’s money laundering consultancy firm. He has paid over $1m in consultancy fees which Aunty Nur shares with her nephew the AG and shares a bit with his puppet. The AG approved the license with Larry and off we go.

However the true plan involves an investment of only a few million and building a new entrance to the upstairs at Port Denerau.

$290m Hotel = Renting upstairs space at Port Denerau.

Larry is building nothing more than a glitzy entrance to the casino that will operate in “office space” above the shops and restaurants of Port Denerau.

Massive Casino = 50 Slot Machines and 7 gaming tables in rented office space in Port Denerau

Larry Claunch = Con Artist who has built nothing in Fiji and has no intention of doing so.

Snoqualmie Tribe = Clincher with the PM.

They will provide no money and no expertise. Just a fancy head dress for little Frankie dressing up cupboard. The irony of the Native Americans selling their land to the white man for a few beads now buying the gambling rights of Fiji for a few feathers and head dress.

Not Open to Locals = Let’s have open house for the locals.

Larry has dressed this up as saying he is totally non discriminatory and he does not feel comfortable not allowing Fijians to enter their own casino. What he means is he can’t wait to get his hands on the local money and make himself rich at our expense.

Overall Larry is going to invest a few million dollars, not build anything and rip off the people of Fiji. There is not $290m USD investment, there will only be a few slot machines flown in.

People of Fiji understand the Dictator is endorsing this scam. Ask yourself why? Is he getting a pay off? Or is he just too stupid to see the real situation? Either way Bainimarama is not fit to run Fiji

Once again we can see the Fijian people are being manipulated by the evil Khaiyum and his wicked witch Aunty Nur Bano Ali.

2012 is the year Fijians will wake up and overthrow dictatorship.

Thumbs up for Democracy!

Military regime gambles Fiji's future away

2011-12-23T11:09:00.001+13:00

Intelligentsiya has not forgotten who the people of Fiji should hold responsible for pushing for gambling/casino in this country.

Meanwhile the illegal and treasonous military regime go all gaga over gambling ventures being touted as the next best thing since sliced bread by a supposedly big-time investor, Larry Claunch.

FIJIAN GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE FIRST-EVER EXCLUSIVE GAMING LICENSE
Dec 21

The Fijian Government has decided to grant the nation’s first-ever exclusive gaming license to One Hundred Sands, Limited.

Once commenced, this project will include a $290 million 5 star luxury casino resort located on Denarau Island.

The first phase of development will see 190 luxury rooms and suites, three restaurants, and a sports grille, with the second phase of development to include added accommodations, nightclub, and other entertainment venues. There will be 500 slot machines and 54 table games in the casino, while the 1500 seat convention centre will feature fully equipped banquet and catering capabilities, and provide ample space to accommodate corporate retreats and conventions, popular entertainers, sporting events, international awards shows, and more.

“It is important with all new investment projects – both internal and international – that we protect the rights and interests of Fijians, and provide for the prosperity of our nation”, stated Fiji’s Prime Minister Bainimarama at today’s announcement ceremony.

The Prime Minister added, “[This project] provides a malleable fusion between the Western ideals of casino gaming with the strong cultural virtues of tribal and community life. This fusion is what we seek…considering our own national pride in, and respect for the value of the unique, yet united cultures present among all Fijians.”

“This undertaking is a union of both economic and cultural endeavors,” shared Larry Claunch, Chairman of the Board of One Hundred Sands, Limited. “One Hundred Sands has taken care to strategically partner with the Snoqualmie Tribe from Washington state and Seventh Generation LLC, a Native American company with demonstrated excellence establishing new casinos and affiliate entities around the world while maintaining the integrity of the environment, and supplementing – not supplanting – the existing economy.”

Consistent with the Bainimarama Government’s efforts to bring dynamic investment to its quickly modernising nation, this exclusive gaming license will further invigorate the Fijian economy; produce upwards of 800 jobs for local residents; add another segment to successful tourism industry; and increase Fiji’s capacity to welcome guests to visit the country.

The groundbreaking for the gaming facilities, new convention centre, and luxury hotel is tentatively set for March of next year.

The reality back home in the lauded heartland of the "malleable fusion between the Western ideals of casino gaming with the strong cultural virtues of tribal and community life" is very much moulded by ground truths such as the GFC and plain ol' human nature (read: greed). So much so, that other "tribal casinos" all over Washington are no longer being punted on.

Big payoff eluding troubled tribe

Casino Snoqualmie was supposed to launch the tribe's approximately 600 members to long-awaited economic prosperity, but instead it is bringing in only about a quarter of the revenue projected. And the tribe is hobbled in tackling its problems because of internal political turmoil.
By Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times staff reporter

The Snoqualmie tribe last November opened a showpiece casino a half-hour from downtown Seattle — and took on $375 million in debt — amid high hopes.

The casino was supposed to launch the tribe's approximately 600 members into long-awaited prosperity. Instead, it has been bringing in only about a quarter of the projected revenue to the tribe.

The tribe, which just regained federal recognition in 1999, has been faced with budget cuts and layoffs, according to a June memo written by Henry Flood, a grant and contract administration consultant, to the tribal council and administrator.

"The adopted budget for 2009 ... has proved to be wildly inaccurate. Gaming revenue is $250,000 a month instead of $1,000,000 a month," said the memo, obtained by The Seattle Times. "A combination of cutbacks and loan funding is imperative to avoid financial collapse."

And, for the second time in as many years, the tribe is in political turmoil, too.

In April 2008, the tribe banished nine of its members, in part over a disputed election the previous May. As a lawsuit slowly worked through the courts, the banishment weighed on the tribe until a federal judge partially overturned it earlier this year.

And today, as the tribe meets to reconsider that banishment, it also must consider ways to restore its leadership after another falling out. The tribal council, mired in disagreement over the May 2008 elections, was so severely divided it would not meet regularly to conduct business.

Troubled finances
Flood's memo pointed out a host of problems in need of attention — what he called "The Big Fix" project. He noted unresolved federal audit findings questioning costs dating back to fiscal year 2004 that could potentially exceed $1 million. But until the tribe completes the audits, it can't know what, if any, liability it's facing.

The tribe is working with old overhead rates on contracts, which hurts cash flow, Flood noted. He also found the finance office is not staffed to handle the volume and complexity of transactions it sees, and the staff lacks training.

Flood determined the tribe was not keeping current on reimbursements on some contracts and grants, had advanced "large sums of money" without getting paid back, and that inaccurate record keeping made getting paid more challenging. Flood also found the tribe has "major problems" organizing, tracking and monitoring its awarded contracts and grants, and that financial reports on many grants and contracts are delinquent.

"The result is inefficiency and confusion, disorganized and lost paperwork, delayed payments, suspensions and negative compliance reviews."

Who's governing?
But the tribe can't tackle The Big Fix without a functioning government — and it's been plagued by infighting.

"They were a split council and would not come together for joint meetings off and on since May," said Judy Joseph, superintendent for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Puget Sound Agency in Everett.

"To maintain a government-to-government relationship, they have to be a viable tribal government," Joseph said. "If there is any question about that, it causes red flags to go up, and they were split, they were not meeting."

In August, the tribe's administrative offices were padlocked and some of its federal funds frozen. Elders stepped in to dissolve the council and take charge until new elections could be held — but they had no constitutional authority to do that.

Tribal administrator Matt Mattson wrote to tribal staff on Sept. 1, according to an internal e-mail, explaining the tribal council and government "are in turmoil amid an internal rift ... I have closed the tribal center and central records facility to allow all parties to think about their options."

He called it a "terrible situation" and said the tribe was facing the prospect of the U.S. government assuming administrative control of the tribal government. "This is not in anyone's interest. At the moment that step is not imminent, but it is real and possible," he wrote. He did not return telephone calls from The Times requesting more information.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs offered mediation this month. Two days of talks at a Seattle law firm — paid for by U.S. taxpayers — resulted in reinstatement of the council that was in place before the disputed May election.

The tribe's general membership will meet this morning in Monroe. After taking up the banishment question, tribal members also will be asked to consider election procedures and set a date for a new council election.

Still in business
Through it all, tribal clinics and the casino have continued to function.

Susan Arland, spokeswoman for the state Gambling Commission, which licenses Casino Snoqualmie, said the political dispute has not, "to the agency's knowledge," affected the orderly and lawful operation of the casino, so it has not affected the tribe's gambling license.

Joseph, at the BIA, said her agency stepped in reluctantly. "It is not very often that we have to do this, and it is not a good thing," Joseph said.

Tribal administrative offices were reopened Sept. 15. Joseph said she also has authorized unfreezing federal funds.

How lasting the mediation will prove is yet to be seen. "Part of the meeting Saturday is to discuss that very issue, whether they accept the pre-May council as their council," Joseph said. "They could decide they don't go with the mediation. Then who's the council? You are right back where you started."

It's been a painful chapter.

"Especially when it comes to a casino tribe, you are walking a thin line there when you have put the money up for a multimillion-dollar casino," said Joseph, a member of the Yakama nation. "There are always people who want to see you fail. A lot of this is new-tribe growing pains."

Gabriel de los Angeles was elected to the council in May as an alternate. He said his council position is "off in the ether at this point." Angeles, 30, said he was thrilled to go to work for his tribe, bringing a master's degree and a range of experience with nonprofit groups. Now, he doesn't even want to go to the general membership meeting.

The feuds at tribal government were frustrating, he said. "It has been very difficult, to deal with this thing, it has been so confusing, so back-and-forth — here is a decision, and a protest to that decision, and another protest to the decision. It makes it difficult for anyone to get any work done."

Lynda V. Mapes: 206-464-2736 or lmapes@seattletimes.com

(Sri Lanka) Daily News: Dr. L. M. Jayaratne: legal-lion-heart

2011-12-20T23:23:00.000+13:00

And here we have it folks. It will become harder and harder for Qorvis and all their Twittering Twits to keep doing damage control for the illegal and treasonous military regime, for the knock-on effects are too widespread to manage.

For as long as we've cautioned, the Sri Lankan imports (especially in the legal fraternity) have been cause for concern.

It is now crystal clear that the legal imports have themselves been under immense pressure by the regime to rule a certain way.

What is even more interesting is that among Sri Lankans, their influx is causing their own citizens to question the how's and why's.

Tuesday, 20 December 2011

Justice Jayaratne is a bold one, who has the heart of a lion. He is a man who is outspoken and vocal about his achievements. He began his career as a proctor and became a lawyer, judge, scholar, writer and a Provincial Governor of Sri Lanka in 1994. I think the following poem written by Jayaratne will give the reader an idea of the man.

"Blessed is the court
Bathed with justice
Virtually called the Temple of Justice
Where none can
Escape the legal hand
When crossed with the
Law of the land"

He was former High Court Judge of Sri Lanka and also for some time served as Justice of High Court of Fiji. Indeed it would be correct to say that Jayaratne received his baptism of fire in Fiji where he ran great personal danger to himself and his wife. Jayaratne heard a certain case in Fiji, where the Attorney General's department accused 18 Fiji- born Indians of a coup against the government. Consequently Jayaratne's car was wrecked.

School days
"I heard that case. I did not treat it as a very special case. I considered it a normal murder case or treason case or whatever in the High Court. From the evidence there was no proof of treason, far from it. In my opinion, binding law was enough. Apparently the Army was annoyed because they wanted the charge of treason," said Justice Jayaratne.

Jayaratne attended Ahangama Dharmarama College down South and reminisced on his old school days. At that time they used the slate and slate pencil.

They also went barefooted to school because that was the custom and not because they were not rich. In the third standard he was sent to Mahinda College Galle and then from there to St. Peter's College where he did his Senior School Certificate.

"I tried to enroll myself to more prestigious schools like Royal College but they rejected me. No problem, I got a place at St. Peter's and after that joined Law School. Nothing spectacular but generally that", said Jayaratne.

Jayaratne graduated from the University of London with an L.L.B. degree and then joined the Inns of Court, Inner Temple London and passed out as a Barrister and was called to the English Bar in 1969.

Murder case
"We followed lectures and studied very hard. Finally, you are given four shies. I failed twice. I was also a bit frightened because if you fail the last one you are chucked out but nothing happened like that, but I was in great fear that it could happen to me," added Jayaratne.

Jayaratne who started practising as proctor was keen to point out that he was a lawyer who never practised under a senior. "I never had a senior. I never studied under a senior; I was by myself, right from A-Z. I did very well, I think. As a proctor I appeared in the Supreme Court. When I got re-enrolled as an advocate I appeared in many cases and then became a judge and magistrate," stated Jayaratne Jayaratne commenced research for his Ph.D. degree under the guidance of Professor G.L. Peiris , then Professor of Law at the University of Colombo.

Asked what he recollected about that experience, Jayaratne had this to say: "He was very erudite and knowledgeable. What he imparted rarely escapes your mind. It was very clear and the lectures were to the point. You could easily absorb them and digestion was very easy and uncomplicated," said Jayaratne. Another important occasion in Jayaratne's life was the Sadaam Hussein trial which he attended and was allowed to enter because of his reputation.

"I didn't attend the full trial, it went on for months. I was keen to see the trial going on at the Hague. The trial was not like it is in a court house where you can sit and watch. The judges sit on the bench and you can see the inside of the court. When the sitting commences, a big screen appears and the court is closed. Outside there are two big television sets and you can see everything that happens inside. Sadaam Hussein looked rather annoyed," explained Jayaratne Jayaratne, when asked about his recollections of any particular case or cases, spoke about the Dickwella murder case which was a sensational murder case because the man involved was a businessman.

"A prominent bus owner was involved in that murder. There were a string of lawyers to defend him and it was hotly contested. As it was a shooting case the then judge , Justice Gratien wanted to visit the scene because of the angle of firing" elaborated Jayaratne.

Judicial review
Jayaratne is the author of the book: 'Judicial Review of Commissions of Inquiry' which was published in 1995. In this book, he makes an incisive analysis of Commissions of Inquiry with regard to their utility value, their relations to the rights of the individuals and the extent of their amenability to judicial review. Through his analysis of Commissions of Inquiry in various countries, such as, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and the United States of America, he has demonstrated the enlargement of the frontiers of natural justice.

We also touched on the domestic side of Jayaratne whose wife passed away recently . "Mine was not a love marriage. It was the normal custom-type approach to marriage. But I must say with great pride and respect that she was very helpful to me with guidance. She was actually a very good lady," said Jayaratne.

Ishara2982@yahoo.com

RNZI: Fiji offered help to fulfil promises to end human rights abuses

2011-12-20T10:04:00.000+13:00

Posted at 17:15 on 19 December, 2011 UTC

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Pacific region has offered to help the Fiji interim government with fulfilling commitments it made in Geneva last year.

Fiji accepted 97 out of 103 recommendations in a United Nations human rights review of the country, including lifting the Public Emergency Regulations.

The Office’s Pacific representative, Matilda Bogner, says Fiji is yet to lift the emergency regulations and stop its human rights abuses.

“We’ve offered to support them to set up a working group to look at what progress has been made so far and meant to coordinate both government and non-government in Fiji to make further progress on those commitments.”

Matilda Bogner says her office has also offered to assist Fiji with ratifying all core human rights treaties.

Dr Wadan Narsey: Inaccurate News On Fiji Life Expectancies

2011-12-20T09:58:00.000+13:00

11:09 December 19, 2011

By Dr Wadan Narsey

Fiji’s media (Fiji Times, Fiji Live) quoted a recent Fiji Islands Health System Review by the Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Polices (authored by Dr Graham Roberts and Fiji National University) that Fiji’s Life Expectancy had “declined from 72.9 years to 67.8 years from the year 2000 to 2005”- a very large five year drop!

The story was picked up by Pacific Beat of Radio Australia in an interview given by Dr Roberts, and also run by regional news organisations like PINA.

Life expectancies falling by 5 years within a 5 year period would be shocking news for any country, if it were true. But it is fortunately not true for Fiji.

Such misleading media interpretations of available data have to be corrected.

If such statements are later shown to be blatantly wrong (as they are), then as with the boy too often crying “wolf”, the public can be desensitized to what is really a very serious development problem for Fiji- that life expectancies are stagnating and may even be declining for some ethnic and gender groups.

Severe discrepancies in data

“Life expectancies at birth” are composite statistics based on rates of mortalities at all the different age groups- usually grouped into infant mortality, child mortality, and adult mortality.

Life expectancies at birth cannot decline dramatically by 5 years within 5 years unless something absolutely catastrophic is happening (like raging AIDS epidemics).

It would seem that the Graham Roberts/FNU study quoted a dubious Ministry of Health statement in its 2005 Annual Report, and the media pounced on this rather than the other many sensible messages in that Report.

However, a most recent paper published by Dr Karen Carter and others (academics at the University of Sydney and Fiji Ministry of Health officials) in theAustralian and NZ Journal of Public Health, points out the many serious discrepancies in life expectancy estimates for Fiji.

The paper argues that many reports on Fiji’s life expectancy values (including some by the Fiji Ministry of Health) have not been based on sound methodology, and show great unrealistic variation.

When the Carter study “filtered” out all the unreliable reports, they were left with estimates that indicate that since the late 1980s, life expectancies in Fiji have been stagnating at 64 years for males, and 69 years for females.
Such results have been known in Fiji since the 1996 census results came out (see my Fiji Times article of 21 January 2001 “Till death do us part”).

Based on sound methodology, this latest paper by Carter and others confirm the bad news that the stagnation in Fiji life expectancies has continued to as recently as 2005, and possibly, beyond.

But nowhere do they imply that life expectancies in Fiji have fallen by five years from the high figure of 72.9 years, as the media has recently publicized.

Media misled

It would be a pity if the international media run with a story like this, inaccurately imputing this to be one of the damaging impacts of the Bainimarama 2006 coup.

For instance, the ABC Pacific Beat interview with Dr Graham Roberts focused very much on the possible impact on life expectancies of military coups (by implication also the Bainimarama coup), with Dr Roberts emphasizing all the resulting hardships and increasing poverty and stresses in life.

Dr Roberts in his ABC interview rightly focused on the impact of modern diets and non-communicable diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Dr Roberts also told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat that no single factor can be blamed for the dramatic fall. “It’s the fact there’s been multiple transitions going on,” Professor Roberts said.

“We’ve got urbanisation, we’ve got changes in dietary patterns, we’ve got political instability. We’ve got large proportions of the population moving into poverty, we’ve got a significant proportion of the population living in squatter settlements with inadequate water and sanitation. And these are symptoms, once again, [of] the hard times.”

All correct. These impacts are well documented not just in Fiji but elsewhere in the world. And of course, military coups can have an impact on life expectancies through these factors.

Except that the actuaql impacts of military coups on life expectancies have yet to be scientifically quantified.

And there is definitely no credible evidence of Fiji’s life expectancy falling from “72.9 years in 2000 to 67.8 years in 2005”.

The study by Dr Carter and others made no statement about the impact of the 2006 Bainimarama coup on life expectancies over the last five years.

The only reliable numbers suggest that there has been a disturbing stagnation of life expectancies in Fiji, and the possibility of decline amongst some vulnerable groups.

This can be seen in the graph here, based on World Bank data.

Interesting questions are posed for demographers. Why has Tonga’s life expectancy, which has been much higher than Fiji and other Pacific countries, been leveling off in recent years?

The graphs for PNG and Solomon Islands (the bottom two graphs) are extremely disturbing, and hopefully partly a statistical problem. But are they also indicative of the political and economic instability that these two countries have gone through?

Why is it that life expectancy in Vanuatu, in contrast to other Melanesian countries, indicates a slow but steady growth, now surpassing Fiji? Is it a coincidence that Vanuatu has enjoyed reasonably good health policies and stable governments?

Let us hope that Fiji’s 2007 Census results, long overdue, can reveal more accurate information on the latest developments in life expectancies amongst Fiji’s groups, and more scientific studies that can separate out the impacts of various factors, including perhaps, the impact of coups.

Until then, the media should correct the false impressions created by the recent incredible story that Fiji’s life expectancy has dropped by 5 years in 5 years. That is not the case.

ENDS