The Real Survivor Fiji - Plots Alleged

2007 Pacific People - Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama - Interim Prime Minister Government of Fiji -- B. 27 April 1954 VILL. Kiuva, Tailevu HS Marist Brothers High School UNIV. Fiji Institute of Technology, Second Mate Qualification; Junior Command and Staff College, RNZAF CHURCH Methodist EXP. Joined Royal Fiji Military Forces Naval Division 1975; Appointed Commander Officer Fiji Navy 1988; Chief of Staff Republic of Fiji Military Forces 1997; Commander of Fiji Military Forces 1999. BOARDS Fiji Rugby Union HOBBIES All sports especially rugby union and athletics, military history, current affairs. SPOUSE Maria Makitalena CHILD 6 -- Caption & Image Credit: Pacific Magazine

The Real Survivor Fiji - Plots Alleged

When someone takes over a country by force one might expect that others who do not agree with this action outside of democracy … resort to the same tactics in removing an illegal leader from power.

Paranoia strikes deep in a regime that takes power without the consent of the people and the rule of law. The longer this military dictatorship remains in power … the more paranoid this leadership will become.

Commodore Frank is unable to distinguish between what is good for Frank and what is good for democracy.

At this rate, this leadership-by-paranoia style of Commodore Frank means that Fiji will not be able to expect to see elections anytime soon … especially by 2009!

Heaven forbid that ANY tourist happens to voice an off-the-cuff opinion about democracy verses forced military rule in a mixed crowd of Fijians … one might just find themselves hurt because they - - (quote excerpted from AP article) suffered "minor injuries'' when he resisted arrest!

This item excerpted from the Associated Press via the Guardian Unlimited (UK) -

3 Charged in Plot to Kill Fiji Ruler
By PITA LIGAIULA - Associated Press Writer - Monday November 5, 2007 12:01 PM

SUVA, Fiji (AP) - Authorities said Monday they have arrested 16 people and charged three of them with treason in an alleged conspiracy to assassinate Fiji's military leader, while Australia and New Zealand angrily rejected suggestions they were involved.

The 16 people were arrested over the weekend in what police said was a foiled plot by dissident troops and others against army chief Commodore Frank Bainimarama. The military leader seized power in a bloodless coup in December and declared himself interim prime minister of the Pacific island nation.

Police commissioner Esala Teleni declined to identify the three charged Monday with treason, inciting mutiny and conspiracy to murder. He said a fourth man, New Zealand businessman Ballu Khan, also would be charged in the plot when he is released from a hospital.
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"We have successfully blocked any threat to the government, the community and the safety and well-being of tourists in this country,'' he said in a statement. The island chain is a popular tourist destination.

Teleni said Sunday that the alleged plotters included local politicians who wanted to foment an insurgency. He pointed to possible involvement of "foreign governments" - likely meaning Australia and New Zealand - and suggested that money was funneled to plotters through private aid groups.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer called the allegations "completely absurd."

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark rejected Teleni's suggestions as "wild statements" and said the plot allegations were a pretext to round up Bainimarama's opponents.

Western nations have urged Bainimarama to restore Fiji's democracy after he imposed a monthlong state of emergency in September. Fiji has a history of turbulent politics, including two coups in 1987 and another in 2000.

Bainimarama blamed the latest plot, allegedly involving arms and explosives, on "disgruntled groups'' affected by the government's anti-corruption program.

"Such people have the potential to go to extremes in undermining the work which the interim government has been mandated to undertake," he said Monday.
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Is the crackdown on "disgruntled groups" - as Commodore Frank calls them - or is the government anti-corruption program effort really an anti-democracy program?

The Real Survivor Fiji – A Neighborly View

“My hand was forced,” says Commodore Bainimarama. “In November, when I was in New Zealand, three high commissioners and ambassadors went up to the [army] camp to convince my troops and senior officers to stop following my orders - they were inciting mutiny. If they were successful, we would be fighting one another in the camp. But my troops knew what action they must take. They warned me immediately.” - Interim Prime Minister of Fiji, Commander Frank Bainimarama. Image Credit: Dev Nadkarni

The Real Survivor Fiji – A Neighborly View

The United States, much like Fiji, has a lot of problems. Our nation states are suffering from a force of insurgency.

In the United States, the insurgency takes the form of twelve to twenty million people who are not here under a process of legal assimilation. This has the effect of hijacking the sense of fairplay and the dilution of the rule of law our country is known for. This problem also may result in our country becoming less safe from the threat of terrorism.

In Fiji, the insurgency takes a more sinister form in that the country has already lost its Government. The military hijacked any sense of fairplay and the rule of law through its “bloodless” coup when it ousted the freely elected democratic Government of the people. As for the threat of terrorism? ... the terrorists are already in charge!

In both cases, a minority illegally holds the culture and processes of the rule of law hostage to their selfish demands. The main difference here, however, the United States still has its Government (barely) whereas Fiji has lost any of its Governmental legitimacy through the demands of one headstrong military leader.

This view from the neighboring nation of New Zealand -

The Mapp Report: The Fijian Banana Republic
Friday, 15 June 2007, 5:04 pm - Press Release: New Zealand National Party

The coup in Fiji continues to cause problems, which is not surprising. Let's be clear; the current regime in Fiji is not a legitimate interim government, it is a military dictatorship.

And of course, they are acting just like military dictatorships always do. They rule by decree; they use fear and intimidation. The so called 'chats' with pesky journalists at the Queen Elizabeth barracks do not involve cups of tea and cucumber sandwiches; beatings and abuse are more the order of the day.

Military dictatorships hate hearing an opposing view to their own; that not everyone is actually keen on the end of democracy, freedom of speech and the ability to hold the government to account.

The New Zealand Parliament – on a fully bipartisan basis – is united on this issue. We want to see the end of Bainimarama's dictatorship, and the return to democracy. Because, as Winston Churchill said, "No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise.

Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." The Fijian dictatorship is certainly demonstrating the truth of that proposition.

They claim to have taken power to end corruption, rebuild the economy and protect the constitution. It really is a bizarre claim – the rule of the gun to protect constitutional government!

There does appear to be an element to all of this that we may be missing in New Zealand. The ostensible reasons for the coup simply do not stack up on any objective assessment. Normally when such coups take place, there is some desire on the part of the coup makers to ensure some level of normality is restored. But that is not happening in this case. People continue to be arrested and taken to Queen Elizabeth barracks.

The coup leaders seem quite enthusiastic to deliberately irritate the major countries in the region. They have been resistant to the efforts of fellow Pacific Island countries to defuse tension, and restore normality. There would seem to be other factors not readily apparent that are keeping tension at a high level.

But at some point Fiji will have to return to constitutional government, and this is clearly in our interests as well as Fiji's. New Zealand will always want a good relationship with Fiji, but it is not unconditional. The Fijian regime needs to understand New Zealand will not just look aside, irrespective of the actions of the coup leaders.

When they want something from New Zealand; be it aid, transit visas, support in the UN; then the rules of good governance are among the tests we should apply.

Right now Fiji is failing those tests. The Fijian interim government needs to start thinking about how to yet again re-establish itself within the Pacific family of nations.
Reference Here>>

The Real Survivor Fiji - Human Rights Or Human Writes

Winston Raymond Peters (born April 11, 1945) is a New Zealand politician and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, outside cabinet. He is also the leader of the New Zealand First political party. Image Credit: Wikipedia (smh.com.au)

The Real Survivor Fiji - Human Rights Or Human Writes

The country of New Zealand has a problem. They are giving support to the nation of Fiji and some of its support money is going to support the Fijian government's Human Rights Commission.

The problem comes, now that the Fiji Government is a ruling military junta, the Human Rights Commission believes it has the right to "write" recent historic events as it sees fit. In other words ... A Military Coup Is Better Than The Rule Of Democratic Law!

This from Radio New Zealand -

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says a Fiji human rights booklet appears to have been perverted by a change in its language.
Radio New Zealand - Posted at 9:08pm on 14 Mar 2007

The New Zealand government aid agency, NZAID, had been financially backing the booklet from the Fiji Human Rights Commission but has asked for the latest version to be withdrawn because it implies a recognition of the coup last December.

Commission director Shaista Shameem says its contract with NZAID does not extend to determining content.

Mr Peters says the booklet was a good idea at the time of a democratically elected government but the new version contains clear implications of support or endorsement for the military regime.

"We cannot support an endorsement of a military junta, an undemocratic unmandated regime by - of all people - a human rights commission," Mr Peters said.
Reference Here>>

We at MAXINE believe - Fiji Human Rights Commission director Shaista Shameem ought to just take a load off and go fishing at a neighboring island ... or neighboring island nation.

The Real Survivor Fiji – Military, And The Human Toll

Japanese tourists from left Nanako Ota, Megumi Fukaya and Matko Yamazaki enjoy their stay in Nadi yesterday. Tourism in Fiji is far from normal, warns stakeholders. Image Credit: Fiji Times Limited

The Real Survivor Fiji – Military, And The Human Toll

Let’s see, what are the positives of the coup? Increased military checkpoints equal reduced crime – that’s good for tourism, right?

The large tourist developments that congregate around the airport are isolated from the rest of the civilian life activity – that hides some of the ugly side of running a military rule country, right?

Most of the touring world located in Europe and North America haven’t plugged into the political issues that are stifling the island nation – so ignorance is bliss, right?

Well in a country the military has taken over since December 5th, things are grinding to a halt and it doesn’t look good for future either. The human toll under the present set of circumstances is increasing and it doesn’t look like it will get any better soon. After all, the innocent citizens of Fiji will not even be able to have a say (vote) until 2010 if the Commodore is to continue to have his way.

Excerpts from the New Zealand’s National Business Review -

Commodore country
By Nevile Gibson, Editor-In-Cheif – National Business Review (NZ) 1-Mar-2007

The holiday conundrum: Fiji Island resorts allow you to get away from the everyday environment of work, household duties, telephones, television, even newspapers.

Yet since the December 5 coup, Fiji’s resort holiday business has nosedived. And personal experience over the past weekend indicates nothing has changed for the holidaymaker.
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Patrols concentrate on gatherings of young people, who are leading suspects for street crime, burglaries and drug abuse. A new crime in the statistics, threats and swearing at military officers, has boosted the number of arrests to 1200 from Dec 5 to February 15.
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Monday’s editions of both papers this week led with the story of the death of a 19-year-old, who had been assaulted by soldiers and police a month ago when taken into custody. The Times reported this was the second such death and the story is attracting international attention.

The Times also reports an unnamed organisation has documented 200 cases of official human rights abuse while the Fiji Human Rights Commission has 20.

No doubt some heavy-handed treatment is being handed out but the media reporting, particularly in the just-mentioned report, shows a heartening degree of robustness.

Fiji has a five-star holiday industry grafted on to a third world economy.
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The main source of tourists is Australia and New Zealand, where news of the coup has been widely reported and where the governments have imposed travel bans.

But elsewhere in the world, I was told, the news has not filtered through, mainly because little of note has occurred and perhaps there is a greater tolerance of these tourists to hot country politics.
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But the industry is far from healthy and it will fall well short of its aim this year to exceed $F1 billion in turnover. Hotels Association president Dixon Seeto was quoted at the weekend as saying, “We have to face the reality here that things are not normal.”
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The effects on employment are palpable, as full time workers were still on reduced hours and casual staff are jobless.
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A costly coup

While the day-to-day impact of the coup is largely invisible to visitors, the economic impact is already considerable, if not as bad as previous ones.
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Latest Fiji Reserve Bank forecasts show negative economic growth of 2-4 per cent in 2007, mainly from the decline in tourism. RBF governor Savenaca Narube also confirmed in his latest statement that the key industries of sugar, fishing, forestry, agriculture and mining were also faring badly.

Government budgets are being shrunk and each day brings news of sackings from the public sector. But the finance minister, Mahendra Chaudry, who was himself overthrown as PM in a previous coup, is using the crisis to create a new future for Fiji based on an open economy.

At the weekend, he revealed a programme to remove all state business monopolies, notably in aviation, electricity, telecommunications and television. The companies affected are Telecom Fiji, Fiji Electricity Authority, Fiji Television and Air Pacific.

Quoting from the Rogernomics textbook, he promised a better deal for consumers from greater competition and choice. This is radical stuff for a nation in the Pacific, where land ownership remains largely communal and therefore is unlikely to attract the kind of investment or productivity that can take agricultural output to its full potential.
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