Dr Mike Gosling is a third generation Fijian from the celebrated family that formed one half of the Williams and Gosling freight forwarding company, which has become one of Fiji’s largest and now employs around 300 people. He wrote to Grubsheet in response to our article this week quoting the former vice president, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, as saying that race relations in Fiji had never been better. We think it’s well worth publishing as a separate posting. It’s an illuminating and heartfelt insight into what it means for one Kai Valagi to be recognised as a Fijian for the first time. It is certain to resonate with all Fiji-born Europeans.
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Since first being referred to Grubsheet several months ago, I have felt profoundly shaken reading in the comments to your site the level of hatred some contributors hold toward Prime Minister Bainimarama personally. At the same time I feel justly proud that Frank Bainimarama has stood his ground and moved our country forward despite the unjustified nonsense from detractors and the Australian and New Zealand governments, which, in my view, have in recent years maintained opposition to Bainimarama’s regime for their own domestic political considerations with less regard for the needs of the people of Fiji.
To hold the Bainimarama government to deleterious sanctions for not meeting Australian standards of ‘democracy’ is woeful politics by the Australian government. And the Australian Leader of the Opposition is equally culpable with his silence on support for the Fiji regime.
I completely agree with you, Graham, that the attempt by Prime Minister Bainimarama “to create one Fijian identity has been the most daring of the regime’s initiatives and the most noble”.
Like you, I was born in Fiji – a 3rd generation Fijian. Whilst my grandfather was born in the UK he spent most of his life in Fiji and began, with his father-in-law, one of the most successful companies still in existence in Fiji today, which still bears his name. My father was born in Suva and served in the Royal Fiji Military Forces in World War II alongside his fellow Fijians. He supported Fiji cricket and rugby, and helped many Fijians throughout his life. For some years I have been working towards returning to live and work in Fiji, the place I call home. Being known as ‘kai valagi’ has never been a problem for me – but now being known as ‘Fijian’ is even better. Why?
Because during the 12 years I lived in Singapore I always had goose bumps every time I watched the National Day Parade each year on August 9, in commemoration of Singapore’s independence from Malaysia in 1965. It is a massively popular event in the lives of every Singaporean. It’s on a scale worthy of all races, as they come together in celebration of their heritage as citizens of Singapore. It binds Singaporeans to a common goal – the achievement of a successful and prosperous nation for everyone, regardless of race or religion. As I watched these spectacles, I realized that I had never experienced anything like this in Fiji and that was sad, as Fiji has been so divided along race lines, including the political groupings.
When I visited Fiji for the Royal Suva Yacht Club 75th Anniversary in 2007 I had the opportunity to ask Prime Minister Bainimarama personally if it were true that he was going to make it possible for former citizens like me to take up Fiji Citizen again. He told me quite forthrightly that it was already being formulated. He is a man of his word – I am proud to say that earlier this year I once again applied for and became a Fiji Citizen. That we are now all ‘Fijian’ is a seminal step in the journey back to a successful and prosperous future for us all. And let’s have a huge celebration each October 10th Independence Day to reinforce our one Fijian Identity.
On another visit back home in 2010, to celebrate the Suva Grammar School 50th Jubilee, I travelled on a bus from Nadi to Suva. I sat next to an elder iTaukei gentleman who, as it happened, had known my deceased father. We chatted all the way and spoke of the changes going on in the country; in particular the sugar fields we passed that were lying fallow. He assured me that things were in play that would address these issues. But I saved my most daring question for him as we pulled up opposite Government Buildings in Suva, as I did not know how he would react.
I asked him, “What percentage of people did he feel supported Bainimarama?” His answer: “When Bainimarama came to power in 2006, 95% of the population was against him. Now, 95% of the people are for him.” “And why do you think this is so?” I asked. “Because people are getting the services they require from government, which they failed to get for so many years under previous governments.” Let’s give Prime Minister Bainimarama an A+ for uplifting the general level of happiness and functioning of government in Fiji! It is plain for all to see, especially the registration of electors for the forthcoming 2014 elections. And let’s give him an A++ for bringing us together as one people, one nation with huge resources and potential to make a difference in peoples’ lives.
The recent capitulation by the Australian and New Zealand governments to engage again with the Fijian government is further evidence that the political nonsense of recent years is finally over and the people of Fiji – the Fijians – can really take their place in the world, alongside Singaporeans, Australians, New Zealanders and other regimes who each espouse different perceptions of democracy and how it should function in their own cultural context.
Congratulations on this article and many other fine pieces of reporting on Grubsheet and for the courage you have shown on behalf of many of us who have remained quiet in the background but are wilfully willing you on. Thank you for taking on the detractors and clearly, succinctly and honestly reporting on the true situation in Fiji to help make Fiji again – the way the world should be!
I hope the racists at coup 4.5 can take note of this. Idiots like Mark Manning, a carer at old peoples home in Sydney with no education, should stay out of our affairs.
Fiji was hailed as the future Singapore of the Pacific till 1987 when one Rabuka decided that Little Africa of the Pacific is more suitable as little Singapore of the Pacific would mean Little India of the Pacific. For this person to be prepared to leave one of the finest countries of the world ( President of Singapore and several ministers are Indan) to move back to FIJI is remarkable. SIR TO YOU -GOD BLESS!
Unfortunately once Frank is gone- the main question remains -Lets have Africa of the Pacific by the Taukei politicians and all could go haywire again.
The Taukei politician will easily play the race card AND FIJI WILL BE BACK TO SQUARE ONE.
In Singapore , citizens are proud of multiculturalism. They want the Indian population to play its part. ANYONE wanting to play the race card DOES NOT STAND A CHANCE AS ALL CITIZENS KNOW SINGAPORE HAS GROWN TO WHERE IT IS THRU RESPECT OF ALL CITIZENS. Absolutely no favouritism whether your ancestor came first or last!
Imagine if in 1987 the taukei accepted election results and gave Bavadra the support,?
YES FIJI WAS HEADED TO BE AND WOULD NOW HAVE BEEN A LITTLE SINGAPORE OF THE PACIFIC
All high sounding A+ but the question for Mike Gosling is what passport he held all these years until the one he purchased for $3850 dollars – if he so dearly loved Fiji, why didnt he have Fiji passport and permanent residency in which ever country he had been hiding until the Citizen Decree? Or not another one?
“Passport Officer”, you are clearly nothing of the sort or you’d know that the current fee for reacquiring Fijian citizenships is $3385. Unless the extra $500 is what you’ve been used to charging as a small “consideration” to fast track applications.
You appear to be a typical member of the old order who thinks that non indigenous people who were born in Fiji don’t have the same citizenship rights as you do. There’s no other way to explain your obsession with such a non-issue.
If you check with your superior, you’ll find that we do and there’s nothing you can do about it except fulminate anonymously in cyberspace. So go ahead and fulminate.
Which passport Mr Gosling held has nothing to do with you.
And why Mr Gosling did not have Fiji passport? The major reason would be- uneducated people like you !
Mr Davis
I do apologize for the error but you nor Gosling have answered my main question – why this man never took out a Fiji passport and on it held permanent residency permit in it. That money of yours and others is not coming to our coffers but going towards the expenses of Frank and his family on overseas tours
Graham, you, Gosling, Thompson, Nandan, Nair, Lasl (Victor and Brij), Narsey, Samy et al will always remain foreigners in our eyes, as Rabuka had made it clear in his takeover speech. Frank will soon, along with Khaiyum, be buying a new passport from your countries of residence.
“Our” is you, brother, and your fellow racists.The dregs of the old order. You can simmer in rage at the level playing field that Bainimarama has introduced but that’s all you can do. Impotent and irrelevant. We don’t have to answer to you about anything.
Passport officer-WHO GIVES TWO HOOTS WHAT THAT IDIOT RABUKA SAID.
In your eyes if humans settled on the moon, only Neil Armstrongs family are moonies- the rest born on the moon hundred years later are foreigners?
You are entitled to your opinion- NO ONE IN THE WORLD SUBSCRIBES TO YOUR NONSENSE!
Rabuka is a proven idiot He gets calls from GOD more than the pope!
By the way Lutunasobasoba the first Taukei did not fall off the back of Noahs ARK-Like Indians they also came from another country (AFRICA). Also Do not forget the Taukei are NOT the first inhabitants of Fiji-the Lapita people were!
Mr Gosling or Patel or Wong or anyone born in Fiji is a Fijian . Dont like it? BAD LUCK! Go kick the post office or have a dive into Rewa river-This right sanctioned by the UN will not change SO GET YOUR EYES CHECKED
@ Passport Officer
So who then will take over from Frank as PM after he and AK have taken up a foreign passports?
Im thinking it cant be Qarase coz he now baking bread at Korovou.
I just read Victor Lal’s “Tagi ni Taukei” crap – yes, we will never surrender to his Indo-Fijian people. What he and others could not obtain through those shipment of arms to kill us, they and you, Graham, are trying to kill us through the buying of Fiji passports, given to you by Aiyaz – you will never be masters or equals on our soil, Never.
Listen up, buster. In every other country in the world, if you’re born there, you’re a citizen. What makes you so special that you think the i’Taukei can make an exception in Fiji? Come out from behind your coward’s cloak and put a real name to this drivel. You won’t do it because you’re just another liumuri lamusona who’s totally deluded to boot.
I suspect you don’t even live in Fiji and skulk in “Valagi” with your other supremacist rejects waiting for the revolution that will never happen. And I also suspect that you enjoy the taxpayer-funded social services and privileges there that you won’t extend to others in your homeland. Sick of your racism, hypocrisy and insults. Now bugger off.
Arre Chutia, get a life.
Love your neighbour and thy fellow countryman like thyself.
Prepare for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and cast aside hatred from your heart.
@ Ram Sami
Calling him a ‘chutia’ ia a great call. You should also add Ben Chod!
I would not worry about them Graham ……i would not worry about barking dogs on the neigbhohood is i wal down the street…….of our Viti..
@ Passport Officer
Gosling’s father fought the Japs in the Solomons with other Fijians, while your lamusona father was hiding under the bed…….
….drau sa veiucui vinaka kei tamamu lamulamu
Vinaka vakalevu, Graham
Passport Officer’s racist agenda is gone out of the window. I wont call Victor Lal’s conspiracy in those tons of arms (if he was involved) a plan to kill Passport Officer and others – the weapons, we are told, was a balance of terror against Rabuka and the racists like PO above. Yes, bugger off, you need some rest to claim benefits from social office. Go and cry elsewhere – and stop blaming Indo-Fijians and Kai Valagis for your plight – blame Rabuka and other racists for driving Indo-Fijians and other non-itaukeis out of Fiji. We will, and are returning, as full citizens. Bugger off if you cant stand us. Vinaka, brother Graham for putting PO in his place. Keep up the fight, and we need to counter POs on all fronts
Graham… just do not waste your energy replying to Paasport Officer. He is none other than LQ jnr in the USA. I have known him to be far-right racist scoundrel who doesn’t even have the decency to show any sort of respect to the i-taukei’s here in Fiji.
Ooooops !!!!! Maybe it’s not LQ jnr………………….. but shim surely is a loser……. and a bloody idiot faggot.
Passport Officer is a SHIM. No wonder shim’s got a very fast mouth. I like his mouth, anyway.
I remember growing up in Tavua we I-Taukei used to speak to each other in Hindi and so did the kailomas. Indians from outer island used to speak to each other in Fijian. Since these morons from Lau and Cakaudrove started to push their racists agender and push their way into leadership,they divided Fiji. Lau and Cakaudrove should join Tonga so rest of Fiji can live in peace and progress.Kepa can go and live in Tonga as well.
Passport Officer, go apologize to us – follow Taniela Tabu:
Nationalist apologize before Commission
13:01 Today
Former nationalist– Taniela Tabu.
Taken from/By: FBC News
Report by: Vosita Kotoiwasawasa
Former nationalist Taniela Tabu hopes that the new constitution will protect the rights of all races in Fiji.
Tabu who for most of his life was considered an extremist lobbying for the iTaukei to have preferential treatment, says it’s now his mission to right the wrongs of the past.
“I have an issue I wish to address to this forum as my duty and obligation as a Christian which is to apologize to the Indian communities both here and abroad for the great wrong that I have done in pursuit of nationalistic goals which I came to know as a Christian was really wrong.”
Tabu adds he has approached the Methodist church to lead a nationwide apology to people of Indian ethnicity.
“Furthermore, I have taken up this idea with the leadership of the Methodist church to lead a nationwide move to seek God’s forgiveness on the sins of the I Taukei in the 1987 and 2000 coups which led to the beatings and inhumane treatment of all Indians. And also for the i Taukei to apologize to them.”
Meanwhile the Constitutional Commission chairman Professor Yash Ghai says the turn-out has been encouraging as they hope more people will turn up today.
Multiracialist,
if someone has the decency to apologise, please accept with good grace and humility rather than gloat; reflect on our own conduct to see if we too might have transgressed; empathise with the other parties and try to understand what their issues might be rather than adopt a self-righteous stance because none of us are perfect.
Passport Officer, go apologize to us – follow Taniela Tabu:
Nationalist apologize before Commission
13:01 Today
Former nationalist– Taniela Tabu.
Taken from/By: FBC News
Report by: Vosita Kotoiwasawasa
Former nationalist Taniela Tabu hopes that the new constitution will protect the rights of all races in Fiji.
Tabu who for most of his life was considered an extremist lobbying for the iTaukei to have preferential treatment, says it’s now his mission to right the wrongs of the past.
“I have an issue I wish to address to this forum as my duty and obligation as a Christian which is to apologize to the Indian communities both here and abroad for the great wrong that I have done in pursuit of nationalistic goals which I came to know as a Christian was really wrong.”
Tabu adds he has approached the Methodist church to lead a nationwide apology to people of Indian ethnicity.
“Furthermore, I have taken up this idea with the leadership of the Methodist church to lead a nationwide move to seek God’s forgiveness on the sins of the I Taukei in the 1987 and 2000 coups which led to the beatings and inhumane treatment of all Indians. And also for the i Taukei to apologize to them.”
Rabuka mulls over 2014 election bid August 04, 2012 04:39:06 PM A+ A- | print | email | mobile Bookmark and Share 0 inShare Follow @ Twitter Former Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is contemplating to contest in the 2014 general elections. Rabuka revealed this at the Citizens’ Constitutional Forum workshop in Suva last week with a theme ‘Fiji Together- Addressing Inclusivity in Constitution Making’. “I would come back to tell the people in Fiji that there is hope for us to be together as one,” he said. Rabuka said a leader must have the abilities to lead which he defined as someone hard working, has the confidence of the electorates, be a role model, and must have ‘mana’. He said if leaders have this, people will have confidence in them. “If someone does not have the ability in charisma or ‘mana’, then he cannot be a good leader.” Unfortunately, he said many leaders in Fiji have been colored by the coup. “The removal of the aspect of traditional leadership has affected respect for the traditional tribal system.” Nowaday, he said leaders have evolved from strong leaders to a weak one. Rabuka said there is a need for prerogative traditional leaders to be replaced by meritorious chiefs, people who are elected by the tribe. “This leader should function alongside elected members of the tribunal.” He said people need to contribute as well in order to make a law. Rabuka is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999. He later served as Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs, and is currently Chairman of the Cakaudrove Provincial Council, a position he has held since 24 May 2001.
Read more at: http://fijilive.com/news/2012/08/rabuka-mulls-over-2014-election-bid/46351.Fijilive
Copyright 2012 © Fijilive.com
Same old politicians reycling themselves for a place at the trough in 2014.
Thats Fii’s problem
Sorry, Victor, like other posts, I had kept this one from 2006 on me as collector items – if only Rabuka had been brought to justice. God help we dont see him back in 2014? Now, there is no Constitution, I wonder if his immunity still stands?
Treasonous Fiji coups and international criminal law
By VICTOR LAL
On 27 November 1998, a short letter was published in the London newspaper, The Guardian, which read as follows: “The Cambodian couple in my next street can’t wait for Henry Kissinger’s next visit.”
The letter was published two days after the landmark first decision of the Judicial Committee of the British House of Lords, ruling that the Chilean military dictator, the former president and senator for life, General Augusto Ugarte Pincohet, was not entitled to claim immunity from the jurisdiction of the English courts in respect of a Spanish extradition request to face criminal charges for torture and other crimes against humanity, while he was head of state in Chile.
The Guardian letter regarding the former US Secretary of State Kissinger, and the Pinochet judgement, a leading British human rights lawyer Phillips Sands later pointed out, were based on a theoretically simple – but politically explosive – premise: no rule of international law existed to prevent the arrest in London (whether for the purposes of prosecution before the English courts or for extradition to a third state) of an American or Chilean national for acts occurring outside the UK and involving no real connection with the territory or nationals of the UK.
Pinochet was seen as an evil military dictator of Chile. In order to understand him, and others described as dictators, I recently finished reading a book by Diana Law titled The World’s Most Evil Dictators – The Lives and Times of History’s Worst Tyrants (Emperor Caligula, Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Pinochet, Saddam Hussein, Robert Mugabe etc).
According to her, “Dictator, the very word conjures up images of a fearsome being, an absolutist or autocratic ruler who assumes sole power over the state or country of which he is in charge. We visualize human rights abuses, murder, torture, genocide, poverty, and mass graves”. The dictator, according to her, is virtually impossible to remove, all opposition is eliminated, and attempts at democratic elections are rigged.
They are the epitome of evil, ruining their countries and, with them, the lives of their peoples. According to Diana Law, almost all dictators have a compulsive need for enemies. They create lists of people they believe are against them and their regime and then begin a process of eliminating them. This continuously reinforces the “state of emergency” within the country thereby keeping them in power and in control. Modern dictators have often come to power in times of crisis or emergency. Frequently they have seized power by coup.
A decade before Pinochet’s arrest in London, Sitiveni Rabuka, with the prodding and nodding of certain high prominent Fijian chiefs, had executed a blatantly racist military coup, and went on to cling to power until the 1999 general elections. The only serious challenge he faced was from Jo Kamikamica for the prime ministership in 1994 but the leader of the FLP Mahendra Chaudhry came to his rescue by giving his party’s votes to Mr Rabuka.
When Mr Chaudhry was asked if he had done “a deal with the devil?” he responded: “No, there was no deal; the fact is we laid down conditions.” Relishing his role as a king-maker, he commented on the irony of supporting Mr Rabuka whom a vast majority of Indo-Fijians saw as an evil racist dictator. “Oh, yes,” Mr Chaudhry said of the irony, “we hope we can enjoy that type of irony, which does not happen very often”.
On 3 July 1997, the Constitution Amendment Bill, was passed by Parliament, unanimously. Two years later, in 1999, Mr Rabuka, Mr Chaudhry and other politicians began preparations for a general election under a new, non-racial 1997 Constitution.
Another preparation of sorts was also in process, preparations to bring Mr Rabuka to trial anywhere in the world, based on the Pinochet precedent, in the event of the father of the coup, losing the 1999 general election. On 6 May 1999, the Daily Post carried a front-page article under the title, “Why must Rabuka win this election?”
In that article, the paper quoted me as follows: “Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka must be returned to office to escape the likelihood of being prosecuted overseas on charges related to his two military coups in 1987. If he loses the elections next week and the prime ministership, he may well be advised to stay put in Fiji. The two most likely charges that can be laid against Mr Rabuka and his co-conspirators are that of high treason and torture and kidnapping of the Fiji military’s opponents between 1987 and 1992.”
I had likened Mr Rabuka’s case to that of Pinochet. I said that one of the laws that was counting strongly against Pinochet’s attempt to beat a Spanish application for extradition was the 1984 Torture Convention. I pointed out that legal similarities could be drawn between Pincohet’s case and that of Mr Rabuka, even though Mr Rabuka enjoyed immunity in Fiji.
The next day, on 7 May, the executive secretary of Mr Rabuka’s SVT party, Ema Druavesi replied: “SVT: Rabuka is no Augusto Pincohet.” She said, “With the exception of perhaps Victor Lal in the shelter and cocooned academic environment of Oxford, I do not think any Fijian or Indian overseas will want to waste his or her time and money trying to take Mr Rabuka to court. No Indian in Fiji has taken any reprisals against Mr Rabuka. I doubt there is any one overseas who wants to do that”.
Druavesi had failed to mention that the huge shipments of arms, dubbed “The Guns of Lautoka”, had been shipped by some Indo-Fijians to violently confront Mr Rabuka and his military-cum civilian racist regime.
On 8 May my lengthy legal treatise on Pinochet-Rabuka connection was published. Meanwhile, all the legal papers had been put in place, with the help of some sympathetic international human rights lawyers, to nab Mr Rabuka if he lost the elections, and later travelled abroad. As we know, he did lose the 1999 general elections to Mr Chaudhry’s Peoples Coalition but was never arrested.
It was not that we had lost interest in him but that we were persuaded that it would be better if we helped “Fiji move forward”, and gave him an opportunity to prove that he was now a genuinely committed multi-racialist. When Mr Laisenia Qarase nominated Mr Rabuka as Fiji’s ambassador to the United States, we revived our quest to bring him to justice for his 1987 crimes, to ensure that his arrest might break the coup culture in the country.
In the end, he never made it to United States. The most recent consideration to get him arrested was when Mr Rabuka travelled to India for a knee operation. There was a general consensus to have him arrested there but once again other factors intervened; this time I had been tipped off that Mr Rabuka would be facing inciting mutiny charges on his return from India. It was again agreed to let him go. In other words, it was felt that he should be tried in a Fijian court, and as we are aware, Mr Rabuka was subsequently acquitted.
Just because Mr Rabuka has never been arrested outside Fiji does not mean that his acts flowing from the 1987 coups have immunity.
The views expressed are those of Victor Lal and not those of the Fiji Sun.
@ Anonoymous
True bro, all these use by date politicians want to do a comeback by apologising or pretend to have changed their ways and are embracing multiculturalism.
As the saying goes a dogs tail will come back to its original shape when left on its own.
Let’s get some new faces with new ideas and a passion for inclusive politics. As for LQ, love to see a photo of him in a ¾ orange pants and orange shirt, hope some officer from korovou coup post it on this site.
Cheers
@ Vinny
Rabuka claims to have been told to coup in 1987 by God who did not like the idea of another commoner Fijian in the form of Timoci Bavadra unseating a chief of Ratu Mara’s stature. And many taukei believed him at the time.
Rabuka now believes in a multiracial Fiji. This guy is dangerously unpredicatable. I think he is mentally unstable.
Whats to say that he will again be visited by “God” to organise another coup to put the ethno-nationalists back in power in a re-run of 1987?
Very dangerous
Rabuka realised long ago he was used.
He has apologised for the coups many times.
Unfortunately many people can’t let go.
It is, understandably, hard.
But for how much longer can we keep dragging up 1987 coup corpse?
Remember Rabuka was also behind the ’97 multiracial constitution.
His party formed a coalition with NFP.
Unfortunately 1987 coup was dragged up as part fo election dirty tricks.
The coalition lost.
We ended up with rotton leadership.
Suffered 2000 coup, then 2006 coup.
Even 1987 coup victim Prof Saten Nandan has made peace with Rabuka. So have others directly harmed by the 1987 coups.
Time for the rest of us to look ahead, not back.
Learning from the past is one thing.
Letting it get in the way of future progress is another.
@ Indo-Fijian,
Thanks but I beg to differ.
Of course one must look ahead and “move on” but one must not forget the past for it to be repeated in future. As the Israelis would say, forgive is ok but to forget at your own peril.
Don’t forget Rabuka has not yet named the Business men who supported his coup and lets not be hoodwinked by his apology…..he is a military thinker and this is why we must not forget…
Suppose his coalition with the NFP was just a cover by the business men…me thinks just suppose……and we need to get to the bottom of this….
I remember the military escorting one business man to and from his shoe shop next to the old Narseys building..along the creek….oh yes I will NEVER forget that face…never ever (and I think he is in NZ now)….these guys need to be accountable and you will be found….
If we are to follow whatever model for prosperity, then we must also follow the Israeli mode to “hunt” those who brought misery to all peoples of Fiji and not just focus on the military coups….that is my take….or forever live in misery.
@ Indo Fijian
I agree with chand.
Remember that saying?: those who forget the lessons of history will be bound to repeat it.
Like it or not, the coup of 1987 was a ‘critical historical juncture’ that cannot be easily consigned to the dustbin of history just because you dont agree with its narrative.
As Chand rightly points out there still remains many unanswered questions.
Sure Rabuka has publicly apologised – he seems to do so every year. But he has yet to come clean and name all those who were behind him.
Thus his apology is a qualified one. It is not an unconditional apology, which is what is needed if Fiji is to learn from the 1987 experience.
Rabuka owes it to the people of Fiji to do so. Otherwise his (tedious) annual apologies will be seen as being insincere.
Do you have ANY evidence that ANY businessman asked Rabuka to take over?AND WHY? You must be the typical Chorwa Mahen supporter dumbass! How can Rabuka name any businessman if no such thing occured? Yes he has named names- MARA. RT Mara instantly got a court order shutting up Rabuka.
Maybe you would like to throw some light- WHY WOULD ANY businessman approach RABUKA IN 1987 TO OVERTHROW AN ELECTED GOVERNMENT AND THAT TOO AN INDIAN MAJORITY ONE? Seeing the Army providing businessmen security after all the rukus IS NO EVIDENCE . To even think such nonsense is amazing!
If you believed that chorwa in 1987 then you would believe in 2000 once again Guju businessman asked Speight to execute a coup!
WHY- They dont want to pay tax hahahahah! DID THE TAX DEPARTMENT CLOSE heheheh? Stupidity MUST have limits!
Yes there is one a AND ONLY ONE Indian who supported a coup. His name is Mahen Pal Chaudary- WHY?- to hide his millions of which the ruling SDL party had mentioned in Parliament of an investigation of a member stashing millions abroad!
This guy even joined the Coup Government and within days announced AN AMNESTY for tax dodger!!! ( 2+2=4 get it?)
@ Manny,
Oh yes stupidity does have its limits and so does ones warped logic and mathematical imputation….oh yes it does.
And one who only lives by the shallowness of his own belief system will never understand the depths of issues that presents itself….whose vision barely goes beyond his nose.
Analytical ability is beyond him and thus the only tool availabe is letters and numbers and that again, to make a muted point captalizes it.
And sadly so he believes in the unknown unknowns and the streetwise garbage that, having put two names to an issue becomes his lifelong mantra. This he intends to use as his contents for a debate.
Rabuka is the only guy on earth to have a direct vodaphone like to God!
God has called him more than the POPE! I suspect its the OTHER GUY calling him but as far as Rabuka is concerned GOD HAS HIS NUMBER!
Bula folks,
I’m Chinese by birth in Fiji and having read all the various comments on the Fiji citizen issue, I consider myself first and foremost a human being of God’s creation with all the attributes of love, respect, tolerance and above all service to the people on this earth through God’s grace. I see no color or creed distinction in the people I come to relate to and that is the spiritual way that our creator has instilled in us. Any deviation from that which distorts our vision subjugated with evil intent is the trademark of Satan and his followers.
I hold no malice for the wrong-doers of this earth and until we have God’s spirituality in us, we will always struggle with the error of our ways and need God’s grace to fulfill our lives. To this debate of Fiji citizenship, I salute all the good work done by Frank Bainimarama as he is simply inspired by God’s grace and bless the people of Fiji who support him all the way through.
Rabuka had coups and people supported him, Speight a coup andopeople supported him. After these cops Indo-Fijians left by the 100’s. No whinning no jumping up and down from them for Democracy and all the bull and shit that we now hearing. But when Voreqe had a coup it was the iTaukei that took off , question is WHY? After all weren’t the iTaukei the lovers of coups? Suddenly we all jumping up and down and crying for democracy and all the crap about Voreqe, well guess what people we had democracy, we had stability. Now the ones we see crying for democracy were the very ones that supported coups in the past eg Mere Samisoni, Rabuka, Kaitani, Qarase do i need to go on? Well we just tasted and eaten some bread we now actually baked oursleves called “coup bread” and it seems like we don’t like it -too damn bad! You baked it eat it-Voreqe is hear to stay, fact of the matter is the power base has shifted ain’ no one can do a bloody thing -Samisoni can keep baking that sour bread and we have no choice to keep eating it because we were the ones that planted, harvested and made the sour bread called ‘coup bread” or in drandpa’s lingo “sa veke’!!
Jason is true fellas. Rabuka is the only one in this planet who has GOD’S phone number.
If RABUKA aka rambo wants everyone to really forgive him and accept his apology as genuine, than come out of the shell and name everyone behind the 1987 coup, from the shadowy figures to the high chiefs and the business man, come out and tell the whole story from the drawing board to finance to execution.
Than his apology can be considered genuine, you cannot push the dirt under the carpet and assume things are ok and forgotten.
This may not lead to prosecution but at least people of Fiji will now the double faced , clean cloth wearing devils who have bible/gita/Quran in one hand and and a dagger in the other.
Genuine forgiveness and closer starts with telling the truth.
The whole truth, Rabuka, not a qualified piecemeal apology designed to protect those shadowy figures who were behind your act of treason in 1987.
Name them and tell us what their roles were.
You will not be fully cleansed until you do.
You cannot go preach at Butt Street Methodist Church every Sunday with this SIN still against your name.
The business house in Fiji is about money at any cost, they don’t care who runs the government as long as they can bribe and get things their way, so mr manning you are new to Fiji politics, the big wigs had monopolies in airports as well as rice and other very essential food items suppliers in Fiji under ratu Mara, when he lost election, lot of people became nervous as it was cheaper to investing couple of mills to finance a coup than pay tens of mills in unpaid taxes.
So the rest I am sure rabuka can tell u.
While it is heartening to hear instances of Fiji-born people returning to Fiji, what is most important is that these people return with a strong commitment to make a positive social and economic contribution in Fiji. I have personally heard from those who have returned that their sole purpose of returning is because of the lucrative business opportunities. They have no concern in having any social consciousness. In my last visit to Fiji, I was told that whenever charitable organisations approached shop keepers in Suva for donations, they were given a few loose coins and in some cases derided. Most businesses in downtown Suva are owned by a small minority within the Indian community and it is shameful. They bring so much discredit to the Indians in general. I suggested that all such charitable contributions should be publicised in the local newspapers, disclosing the names of the contributors even those who have refused. This will be an effective method of embarrassing them.
The other thing I would like to point out is that the local newspapers are full of pictures, almost exclusively, of one race only thus giving one the impression there is only one race in Fiji.
I was in one of Fiji’s largest resort island and observed that the taxis on that island were all either owned or driven by one race only. I was told that this was due to an agreement between the landowners and the hotels. Tourism is Fiji’s largest industry and yet, apart from the retail shop owners and the hotels, the distribution of income from tourism is very lopsided. Don’t the families of the other races in Fiji need to earn for their survival? Unless there is a genuine change of hearts, true assimilation will be extremely difficulty. I fervently hope that Mr. Bainimarama remains as Prime Minister of Fiji and that he remains steadfast in his belief in racial reconciliation and not be corrupted by politics.
As regards Sitiveni Rabuka, he is a chameleon who is attempting to recast himself as some sort of an elder statesman as a ruse to gain prominence in Fiji politics. He should be totally marginalised to the point that he becomes a political non-entity in Fiji. His gutter politics should have no place in the kind of Fiji Mr. Bainimarama is trying to create.
About three years ago Rabuka was invited to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. by a band of Republicans known as The Family. This organisation’s main purpose is to give total power to the rich and powerful. They purport to be non-political but they are far from being non-political. They have created mischief in some African countries viz. Uganda and I firmly believe they are mentoring Rabuka to introduce their brand of political extremism in Fiji.
For those of you who do not know about this organisation, I recommend you read a book titled “The Family” by Jeff Sharlet. The author planted himself inside this organisation and reveals their inner workings and their total dedication to gain absolute political power.