No Fijian with a pulse watching last night’s Trooping the Colour spectacle in London to celebrate the birthday of King Charles can fail to have been proud to see so many of our fellow citizens on parade – just some of the 1500 Fijians serving in the British armed forces.
They included the impressive sight of a Fijian on horseback – Corporal Isireli Waiseli – wearing the plumed helmet and armoured chest plate of the Household Cavalry, riding at the head of the Sovereign’s Escort.
As a nation, we have always been proud of Fiji’s military tradition – a brilliant record of fighting, whether in the Solomons campaign of World War Two or Malaya in the 1950s, and a brilliant record of keeping the peace as part of UN Peacekeeping efforts that continue to this day.
Our military heroes are etched in history – the big names such as Sefanaia Sukanaivalu, who was posthumously awarded Fiji’s only Victoria Cross for his bravery fighting the Japanese on Bougainville in WW2, and Talaiasi Labalaba, the Fijian member of Britain’s SAS who also lost his life in action in Oman in 1972 and whose statue stands outside the arrivals hall at Nadi Airport. Plus the real-life heroes who are still with us, such as the former president, Jioji Konrote, who was awarded a Military Cross for bravery as a UN Force Commander in Lebanon.
So it’s not hard to imagine the shock and sense of national shame that has accompanied the disaster of the Republic of Fiji Navy not losing anything in action but losing a brand new Australian-supplied patrol boat on its maiden voyage by crashing it onto a reef in Lau. The latest news of the RFNS Puamau is that it is slowly sinking beneath the waves at Fulaga Reef. And along with it, sinks the reputation of the Navy and of Fiji.
With the assistance of a local mainstream media that is perennially unable to ask the hard questions, the RFMF is doing everything it can to play down what has happened. We’ve had flowery media releases, one suspected of having been partly generated by Artificial Intelligence, emphasising what is being done to protect the environment around the reef. We’ve had expressions of relief that the crew members of the Puamau were all rescued and a Service of Thanksgiving for their safe return. But nothing can alter the fact that this has been an unmitigated disaster for the RFMF and for Fiji.
This wasn’t the Battle of Jutland or the sinking of the Bismarck. It was the branch of the armed forces meant to protect our interests at sea unable to make its way safely through a reef in Fiji waters. What confidence can we have in the competence of the Navy? Right now, none. At least not until we have a thorough and transparent investigation into what happened and a thorough explanation about what went wrong. Yes, the Fulaga passage is one of the most challenging in Fiji to navigate. But for God’s sake, the Puamau was brand new and with the best electronic navigation aids known to man for a vessel of its type.
Rumours are emanating from military circles that the wrong co-ordinates might have been given or entered into the Puamau’s sophisticated systems. Other rumours are more dark – that navy personnel have been assisting villagers in Lau to extract qoliqoli payments from passing yachtsman that have nothing to do with core naval activities. These too need to be thoroughly investigated. Yet it is already clear that there has been a breakdown in chains of command, if not in discipline, that look very much like causing the total loss of the Navy’s flagship vessel just over three weeks after it went into service.
The pictures from Lau have yet to make it into the Australian media. But if they do, no-one should be surprised if serious questions are asked about why Australian taxpayers are giving expensive naval patrol boats to Pacific Island nations to boost our collective security if those nations manage to scuttle them within a month. The Republic of Fiji Navy should have been one of the strongest links in the security chain being built around our region. But it now risks being seen as a bunch of sloppy amateurs messing around in boats who cannot be relied on to even keep these boats afloat, let alone fight off intruders.
To be fair, Fiji is not alone. Samoa also sank one of its Australian-supplied patrol boats. But they don’t have a formal navy, let alone one with the proud tradition of the service establish by the legendary Captain Stanley Brown that should have set a standard for its Pacific neighbours, not joined a race to the bottom of the sea.
The Fijian media is (again) just not doing its job by asking the hard questions of the head of the Navy, Commodore Humphrey Tawake, and the RFMF Commander, Major General Jone Kalouniwai. But those questions must be asked. Because this isn’t only about the Titanic-like shame of the supposed pride of the fleet being lost on its maiden voyage. But about whether Fiji can be trusted with sophisticated equipment donated by its larger neighbours and whether Fiji, as a nation, is enough of a fighting force at sea to keep even our own vulnerable borders secure, let alone assist in protecting the region as a whole.
A fresh image of the Puamau in Monday’s Fiji Sun. Perhaps it can be salvaged. We will know when Australian teams arrive to assess the damage. Though Fiji Village is quoting villagers on Fulaga as saying the vessel is taking in water fast and there is a high chance of it sinking.
Artificial intelligence at sea. Artificial intelligence at RFMF HQ…
Mind you, there are a lot more people with artificial intelligence on the national ship of fools…
Er, it’s now Social Protection, Div. The kind you need to protect you from yourself.
But back to the real world and last night’s parade in London. “Oi, are you from Fiji? Ivei na nomu koro?”
I guess it’s back to the HMS No-Come-Back for the Fiji Navy.
By the looks of these pictures, this sinking looks fishy
This boat was murdered at high seas
Io, always someone else’s fault, eh?
Will Fiji ever have a breather from all the mess it is in right now? It is never ending and is exhausting now.
I did not vote for this change for the worse.
I knew Rabuka wasn’t the best but it goes to prove that many of us were wrong. He and his poor contingency are far from anything that even 1% remotely points towards anything better.
He certainly has proven to be racist and a leader that has fallen.
Rabuka certainly lied that he visited Bai to update him about the RFNS Puamau. We know that wasn’t the case. Using the name of a fallen man to lie to the public. Is a curse in place for the lies?
The sinking RFNS Puamau has brought us a gentle reminder of a nation in trouble and its sinking status. How many matanigasau will this take to course the country in the right direction? Only time will tell. But we must take heed. The heavens (if it is still kind) is sending us reminders of our dark days ahead.
@Be Wary Take Heed
Whaaat…..?! Are you saying that this news report (see Fiji Times newslink below) was in fact a complete and utter LIE, in that Rabuka LIED about a courtesy visit to his predecessor in prison to brief him on the commissioning of the Puamau?
https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/rabuka-visits-bainimarama-at-corrections-centre/
I’m surprised at all the undiscerning idiots (you included) who believed his election campaign “Let Love Shine” which I recalled had made me sick to the stomach since all I could read was, “Let Lies Shine”… In short, the man is a cunning coward and NOTHING will ever go right under his leadership until he is gone…
But in the meantime, we’ll have to suffer together all because of the idiots who voted for him personally. Chiu..
Those Fijians who have expressed the view that “oh well it wasn’t our own money that paid for the navy boat thank goodness” or similar sentiment, reveals a culture of not respecting and valuing something that is not earned but is gifted. All the more justification for donors not to hand out freebies.
And thank goodness Fiji defence forces don’t have an Air Wing.
What you say is very true. It is the accepted culture in Fiji, a feeling of entitlement for freebies because they are a bunch of useless dumbos. Why should they do anything for themselves when things will be presented on a plate for free.
And when things do not go their way it is always someone elses’ fault.
The problem is, they do not know they are dumbos. They are totally unaware and oblivious. So how can you change anything when you are unaware of the problem?
And they teach this to their children which perpetuates the whole situation.
And then they all wonder why Fiji ia where it is and they are where they are.
One would have to be a dumbo to make a well known dickhead their PM, would’t one?
And I am not just talking about the first nations people.
Yes they had an air wing gifted by France folliwing the 1987 coup of Sitiveni Rabuka. Two helicopters formed the air wing flown by kaibiti pilots.
They crashed a sophisticated Aerospatiale Douphin amd then Rabuka sold the second one which is illegal to do. Gifts are never meant to be sold in government inventory. Pakistan PM is in jail for selling state owned gifts and is spending a life sentence in jail. Ask Imran Khan and he will tell you why he is eating dhal soup everyday for meals.
So the answer to your query about air wings. YES THE INCOMPETENCE AT THE MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT IS REFLECTED BY THE LACK OF ANY EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF THESE WARRIORS. THEY CAN ONLY MARCH AND COLLECT MEDALS.
Thanks Peter. You are well informed with a long memory.
If the Fiji armed forces currently had an Air Wing they would be safer on the ground! Just as the navy vessel would have been safer tied up at the Novotel Lami safe haven.
Yes the French gifted Renault 25 V6 sedans, the 2 choppers and Renault trucks post 87 coup. May have been other gear but these were the ones I remember. Thanks for the Douphin update , also known as Squirrel I think. Wondered what had happened to them!! Why the French gave these sophisticated helicopters to an army without a local pedigree in air operations beggars belief – other than as glitter to woo Fiji and exert regional influence like in some of their other Pacific territories.
In today’s terms it would be comparable to the French giving the RFMF their Rafale combat aircraft and a few Eurocopters. Neither would see a long service, going by how these gifts have been looked after in incompetent hands. Citroen C6s sedans however could soften the potholed journey on Fiji roads for the local MPs ( who are going through a rough ride) with their sophisticated pneumatic suspension. Until service and maintenance parts were unable to be sourced.
Hopefully some small items of high value would be able to be recovered from the vessel before they are sea water damaged…then again the Aussies will replace them free of charge so no worries.
But let’s not forget the light brown powdery stuff , kava. Don’t leave any of that behind in the galley. This mix will help in the counselling and support process back at base…by providing the sedating and sensory numbing effect!
Yes, “no worries” like a teenager who crashes a car his wealthy parents gave him knowing they will simply give him another one. Another example that after 53 years of independence, Fiji still hasn’t grown up.
Needs to be a rethink by the donor nations and agencies:
Taxpayers of those donor nations need to highlight the wastage going as aid or free luxury car to the teenager projects…As for the Wining and Dining and cocktails at GPH, Holiday Inn or similar venues in the west of Fiji, and in the leafy Suva suburbs of the diplomatic corps residences. These circle or gaggle have the same hosts and invitees having a good time in the overseas service, swooning the locals on this gravy train circuit and too much ” Say Booola ” for the cameras. In other words the Rich parents also have a lot to answer for, for the car and ship wreck outcomes, while not minimising the irresponsibility of the teen like adult.
@Priorities. Sarcasm albeit wit on the state’s MO.
It’s all just so utterly embarrassing.
The coup is awaiting in Fiji islands and water. Get ready all people of Fiji. Signs are before our eyes. Commodore Tawake and Commander Kalouniwai are watching. Time to depose the 40 greedy MP who voted for greediness. Time to get together and kick this Gov’t out.
A coup by who. The guys who sink $18 million dollars in a flash. The coup objective – Let us sink the country as well, of whatever is left of it?
What is needed right now is some accountability from the Army commander and Minister responsible. Take the mic and explain yourselves, together with a salvage plan and action plan to stop this kind of mishaps. You can rest assured the PM wouldn’t utter a word on this, having made a song and dance about the receipt a month ago.
Don’t bring these idiotic ideas
No matter what happens, Democracy is the way forward
Everyone needs to wait for a election
Next coup and you will be put on the boat. So stop pining for it.
You can’t make this shit up.
The non stop daily drama going on would make a great Netflix series.
Drugs, alcohol, sex, fraud, greed, corruption, lying, cheating, dictatorships, cartels and a navy ship run aground.
Can you imagine the casting call for these characters…
It’s so dark and so bad but it’s almost comical.
Do the leaders ever get tired of their own shit?
If Fiji was under Australia, then the vessel would have been operated by competent Australians, not incompetent Fijians.
I almost choked on my tea and cucumber sandwiches reading that the navy lot were counseled, feted and prayed to etc for wasting Australian taxpayers funds. But that’s what racists do pray and fast and all is well in this cawntry.
Navy commander Mr Humpty Dumpty needs to fast for 3 months
Fiji Indian tax payers have been propping up the itaukei elites ever since the Leonidas sailed into these islands. Not much pip squeaking about us. Now that the hard earned cash of white people in Australia is sinking to the bottom of pristine Lau ocean, it’s good to see how the hand to mouth kere kere attitudes of the elite bogan jigaboos will be scrutinised by those gora types sitting in Canberra’s finance departments.
Oh the absolute indignity of it all.
Jigaboos??? Pretty obnoxious , mate
The same Indians also taught how corruption works
Was that carried in the Leonidas
Oh spare me! Read the Fijian history please!
Abject failure as no one takes pride in what they do anymore. A 50 meter wide channel is enough to accommodate rectification of any mistake, if someone doing his/her job really cares. Eyes on the wrong screen perhaps. Minutes and seconds of nostalgia is what we have now.
Anyone in their right mind will be standing a km away from LT. Div Damodar shows us that money doesn’t buy intelligence and ethics. He just fed himself to the dogs.
Let’s no jump to conclusions. These Guardian class boats made in Perth have had lots of faults. For all we know, they may have experienced a major failure that they were unable to do anything about.
Yes, that is right. It was the donors fault!!!! They should not have given us the boat in the first place and all this would never have happened. The bloody Aussies are so generous it is making us make mistakes.
I am very curious here,if the boat was insured than
Insurance will not give you another boat but pay you out
Possible that millions Fiji government will receive can cover pay increase
Plan job and
Fuc$=^k the surveillance work
Sa viya na lavo,kerekere
Insurance does not cover in all and any situation. There are reasonable limitations.
Eg if you have full car insurance, you drink alcohol over the legal accepted limit, drive and crash your car with you being the party causing the crash and at fault. Insurance will not pay out!
For this marine insurance case the cause of the grounding needs to be established before any payouts.
And did someone remember to add this vessel to the Govt or Navy insurance plan!! If so expect future premiums to go up.
To Hold your Horses:
Fair comment.
So these would be new faults that may have occurred last week, rather than the known faults which you would think have been reworked on for the newest vessel or picked up at sea trials evaluation of the new vessel prior to or after handover to Fiji Navy. Isn’t it standard procedure to test run these before coming into full service operations. The operator of the vessel should be doing own testing too I would think.
Maybe there was a loss of horsepower in propulsion at the time of grounding or instrument failure but a six sense can’t help think the folk in charge are culpable!
Sea disasters happens due to failures of the craft
Underestimating weather conditions ,unskilled crew or just negligence
Titanic went down which was known to be unsinkable
Crew failure sank it 4000 meters deep
End of story
Then we need to be told officially that it was the boat’s fault, not of those at the controls at the time. A “major fault” going through the Fulaga passage? Mmm. Why didn’t the “fault” reveal itself in the previous three weeks? Or during the sea trials the Aussie manufacturers would have conducted before they handed the vessel over? Happy not to “jump to conclusions”. But we need the facts and we need them fast.
I think it was work of some evil spirit
They need to see Rabuka about this
He will be able to speak to God of what really happened
Graham, Sea disasters and air are not like reporting of 2 car crash down the road
One good example is the recent Baltimore Bridge accident in US
Unfortunately 6 lives were lost and we are yet to get full report of how it happened
Recovery work is still ongoing
They just cleared the way now for all ships to cross freely and that’s over 2 months now
This one is barely a week
Anyway ,lot of work is involved and Fiji doesn’t have those capabilities and expert’s to tell you quickly of how it happened
Extensive work will be required to get to the bottom of how this disaster happened.
Thats again Australians will be involved
Luckily no lives were lost and that’s the best of any accident
Can’t be crucifing all the time mate.
Have some patience on this one
I sincerely apologise for having the expectation that our maritime fighting men in uniform might be competent enough to navigate their way through a reef passage in Fiji waters. Rather than crucify them, I will drive nails into my own palms for being so unreasonable.
In the Baltimore case it was revealed the same day or day after that there was a Mayday call sent by the ship. The ship had lost propulsion and therefore steering. And in the video images the ship lights were seen to all go out – in that case the loss of main power and no auxiliary back up kicking in caused the accident.
Yes the detailed report yet to be completed will shed more light on how the equipment failure happened, but we have at least some information that it was due to loss of drive. So at least wild speculation like terrorism or Capt gone crazy was dismissed.
Nothing like this information or any information coming from the Navy HQ or received from the vessel that can quell any natural speculation of why the grounding happened.
And in air disasters there are usually no survivors, badly damaged aircraft if located and a long painstaking process to find the evidence, reconstruct the events and find the causes. In Fulaga the crew and vessel were intact and can be easily revealed by the crew if equipment failure was the real cause.
What about all the fuel on board the Puamau, has that now spilled onto the reef as well?
Feel for the poor marine inhabitants on that reef…
It makes one wonder if this was done on purpose. We cannot trust our Police. The army hold no regard any more. Was this done on purpose and with those siding with the drug kingpins?
This is Fiji afterall. Many have sold themselves to profit from drugs.
Some history, abridged, from Wikipedia re previous foreign military gifts to Fiji Military. Didn’t end well back then and same now. [Such gifts are better long term if also accompanied by eg TOTAL Energies aviation fuel card or Marine diesel Fuel Card plus spares and service parts..and not to omit operator training!]
Wikipedia:
The Air Wing of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, founded in 1987, had a base at the airport in Nausori, but was abolished in 1997. Yehonatan Shimʻon Frenḳel writes that the “Air Wing was formed after the 1987 coup, when the French provided two helicopters as part of its military aid package.”[31] Frenkel goes on to say that the air wing was disbanded after both helicopters crashed and after subsequent revelations of huge debts incurred as a result of the aircraft.
Aircraft
edit
The two helicopters were:
Eurocopter AS 365N2 Dauphin 2 AS 365N2 Transport and liaison helicopter. In service 1989–1994.
Aerospatiale AS 355F-2 Twin Squirrel. Transport and liaison helicopter 1991–1997 in service.
Helicopter AS-365 N2 Dauphin crashed off the coast of the main island Viti Levu in July 1994; a smaller AS-355F-2 continued in service until mid-1997 and in 1999 was sold to France
Can’t help but wonder if this shipwreck was intentional to help more drugs get through via sea. We’ve always been looking at the corruption of Police Officers while not considering those who are supposed to protect our maritime borders. Could the Navy be involved? Hmmm.
I think Dakuwaqa caused the ship wreck. Let’s pray!
Some are saying this happened or that happened
Realistically one has to look at it as maritime disaster that just happened
This could later have catastrophic
effect on marine life and people living close by
Plus the depth it is sitting on as this could pose danger to other vessels
Not sure if it will be salvaged
Remember Princes Ashika sank within some 100 miles from where Puamau is sitting
Killing many Tongans
So this is no joke
It is a accident ,please comment on those lines
Share stories of sea disasters or near miss
Let those politicians be dirty
Why would you want to make your mouth dirty
Titanic sank on its maiden voyage
Almost all the crew and passengers were white people with many senior crewman had years of sea experience
Close to 1500 people lost their lives including children
Accidents can happen anywhere to anyone
There is no choice for color or creed
Size or shape
Young or old
Let us not jump into conclusions and put blame on someone until truth is revealed
Imagine all crew would have lost their lives
Families would have lost thier loved ones and breadwinner
Thanks Graham for coming out clean to apologize
Hopefully the nail is not so painful mate
God bless us all
The sinking of the Princess Ashika in Tonga (2009) CANNOT ever be compared with the Titanic.
The gentleman captain of the Titanic ensured the women and children were prioritised to board the lifeboats first.. He and the musicians who played on deck to calm everyone, finally went down bravely with the grand ship.
On the Princess Ashika however, ALL the women and children were left behind on the sinking ship, whilst the men took scurried off in the lifeboats. The surviving captain and first mate were eventually convicted of manslaughter by negligence.
Another ferry tragedy was the MV Butiraoi of Kiribati (2018) where only 7 out of the 102 people on board survived the sunk ferry, after a 10-day ordeal floating in the Pacific ocean. There were only 2 liferafts (both got damaged almost immediately due to overcrowding) and 2 small workboats where the children and the elderly were prioritized.. whilst the able men and women clung onto the sides of the two workboats swimming in the open sea.
The drunk and reckless captain was last seen on the deck of the sinking MV Butiraoi holding his head in his hands as he sunk with his ferry. Here’s two key findings from the Commision of Inquiry that followed:
– There was widespread use of alcohol by the master and crew during working hours.
– The use of alcohol “gave every drunken crew [member] the feeling of grandeur and power to make decisions alone”.
And here we have our Fijian Navy bravehearts abandoning the Puamau when they should have stayed till the last minute removing what needed to be salvaged in order to minimize damage and pollution to the reefs, esp. since land was just a short distance away which they could easily get to. But no, the wimps rushed to get back to main land ASAP.
Some of our proud Pacific heroes for you…
Seashells ,you didn’t understand what I am saying here
These are examples of what happened as maritime disasters
Two different types of boat and size and communities and cultures
Now who died first or last is not a concern nether a comparison
between the 2
Looks like you haven’t been out in open sea
One wouldn’t want to look around for wallet when your boat is sinking
Life rafts are made to carry people and not carry salvaged items
Almost everything is made out of metal ,what those crew would want to carry
Yes ,if there is some food and water,that’s very handy
Thank you!
Oh I do Ji, I was only offering a different perspective to yours based on facts…
Well for starters, the wimpy crew could at least take all their rubbish with them when they hurriedly abandoned the Puamau.
And yes, I’ve had the experience of being out in the open sea while not on a boat 🙂
Why Humphrey!
Humphrey Humphrey b Bear, now reaping rewards of years of nepotism and cronyism.
Never recruited the cream from Fiji Maritime school, only taking relatives and friends from Form 6-7 or tertiary.
Isa RIP RFNS PUAMAU, Maumau na waqa vou.