A wave of rage and grief has swept through Fiji and the diaspora over the online bullying that triggered the suicide during the week of Esala Yalewamama, the social media influencer and LGBTQIA* activist known as Ranadi Kei Viti (Queen of Fiji).
The blame for Esala’s death is being laid squarely at the feet of the social media platform, Chat Fiji, which “her” many friends say allowed a relentless bullying campaign to be waged against her. And it has led to widespread calls for the authorities to take a much tougher approach against cyberbullying, harassment and hate speech on social media.
The Prime Minister has added his support to calls by the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission for collective action against cyberbullies, some of whom routinely use their anonymity to launch abusive attacks on other individuals to humiliate and threaten them.
Without being able to directly target these phantoms – some of whom set up fake accounts specifically to intimidate their victims – the blowtorch is being applied to the social media platforms that host them. Its critics say that Chat Fiji on Facebook has become one of the worst offenders, and its administrators are now in the firing line.
One of those being accused of approving abusive content is Etuate Tuqota, a lecturer in journalism at the Fiji National University who also happens to be the social media and campaign manager for the Minister for Bonking and Weed, Lynda Tabuya. How much Lynda Tabuya knows about his activities in enabling cyber bullying isn’t yet clear. But there’s plenty of evidence of the close relationship between the two.
According to a Grubsheet source, “anything that Lynda Tabuya sends out of her Facebook page is done by this guy. He is her cameraman, her political and communications strategist and drafts all her speeches and responses”. Etuate Tuqota is also regularly seen in the company of other big names in the community. (see below)
Chat Fiji’s critics say Etuate Tuqota has used the platform to promote Lynda Tabuya and burnish her image ever since it was set up during her days with SODELPA. Despite calling himself a journalist, he was especially vigilant to ensure that Chat Fiji’s 200,000 members were kept in ignorance of her drug-fuelled sex encounter with Aseri Radrodro in Melbourne last August and the subsequent decision by the Prime Minister and the rest of the PAP hierarchy to strip her of the post of deputy PAP leader.
At the same time, these critics allege, Etuate Tuqota and the other Chat Fiji administrators have enabled an unconscionable free-for-all on the site in which people like the Ranadi Kei Viti have been relentlessly targeted. They accuse these administrators of ultimately being responsible for the death of Esala for their negligence in policing the site and are waging a public campaign for Facebook to shut down the Chat Fiji platform and for its administrators to be prosecuted in Fiji.
Incredibly, one of the other administrators, academic Jope Tirai, is a lecturer in ethics at USP. He is yet to comment publicly on the ethics of presiding over a social media platform that has permitted a wave of cyberbullying that has now cost the life of one of Fiji’s most colourful and beloved campaigners for those outside the mainstream in the LGBTQIA community.
The grief over the Ranadi Kei Viti’s death is extremely raw. “She” was by all accounts a wonderful person and the loss of such an innocent young life after a mass instance of cyber bullying is a national tragedy that must not be repeated.
Esala deserved better in a nation that seems to have completely lost its moral compass. Lynda Tabuya and some of those around her have engaged in conduct that has broken all previous norms of acceptable public behaviour yet they prosper and the marginalised and poor have never been more disadvantaged.
Pray for the soul of the Ranadi Kei Viti, Fiji. Use your influence to bring to account those who hounded Esala to death by supporting the public petition for more decisive action against cyberbullies. And do what you can to care for our minorities of every kind and make them feel they belong.
If you know a young person who is struggling with their identity, reach out and support them. Just as Esala deserved better, they deserve better in a Pharisee nation that pretends to be Christian and caring but in this instance and so many others, has failed the test. We are better than this, Fiji. So let’s make sure that the Queen of Fiji is remembered and that the tragic circumstances that cut her life short are never repeated. RIP.
* LGBTQIA: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, inter-sex, asexual.
Chat Fiji’s administrators:
Etuate Tuqota’s own impressive social network:
More of Etuate Tuqota’s hats. Online Campaign director for the People’s Alliance…
And a comms role at the Fiji Rugby Union…
Sad, no help was available
We need a special hotline assistance for all Fijians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
I have said this before and will say this again.
I have seen Lynda Tabuya’s Facebook page where a journalist was harassed continuously and she did nothing to control the harm on him. This was last year when she was running late to the airport saga.
The hatred and digital harm she caused was immense. The government did nothing to discipline her.
This year there was another incident and it was relating to the young child who was physically abused by her father and Lynda decided to share her video to gain political mileage without the child’s consent on her Facebook page. That is a gross violation of a child’s privacy and right while the child was under the care of the state. The government did nothing to discipline her.
Lynda gaslighted the victims of 1987 coup openly in parliament. She demanded Police reports from women who believed they faced harm during a civil unrest because she believed that Rabuka was the right leader for these women as victims of abuse and harm. She didn’t realise that the victims of all civil unrests were also I-taukei women. Again, the government chose not to discipline her.
I have seen how broadcasting agencies treat women, girls, and members of the Rainbow community. We saw a huge number of this evident in FM96s string of events. Some incidents involved girls as young as five years of age to be asked to be seduced by eight year old boys on the stage and in public during a carnivals. Again, nothing done by Government of Fiji. The prominent elites from this organisation sit on governance boards of women and feminist organisations in Fiji. They still continue to do so.
I can recall so many times that leadership is questionable because of the digital harm that leaders in Fiji have caused. They have set the trend and now others follow because there are no consequences.
Fiji has so much online digital harm. Islamophobia on the rise everyday. So called Christian leaders aim ridicule to people of Islamic faith and there are no consequences.
There is so much racism on Fiji Indians and the rise in hate speech and killings of Indians shows us exactly the sufferings that people go through.
The i-taukei are also target of racism daily. It is evident everywhere on social media.
But the biggest hate is on our rainbow community. They remain so vulnerable and the ridicule is ongoing.
If this country cannot hold its leaders and those sitting in feminist organisations accountable then there is no need to make any noise now. Another Esala will die tomorrow and make no mistake it will happen because the leaders allow it to happen.
In a country where the Fiji Police doesn’t take the plight of vulnerable peoples seriously then we will continue to see the suffering openly everyday.
This is the selective leadership effect by NGOs in women’s spaces too. At best of time they did not speak up. They choose when to speak up for their own mileage now.
PS: the media and women’s NGOs will do themselves and the country good by not using the word “committed suicide.” Language is important. It shows how far behind the media and the NGOs are in carrying information with much needed dignity for the person.
Ireen, I agree with everything you’ve said except the PS. “Committed suicide” is precisely what happened. You can say someone “took their own life” or however else you want to describe it. But it means the same. And there is no way to lessen the tragedy of what has happened in an instance like this by altering the language.
Bula Graham
Back in the day we used to say crippled instead of presenting with impairment or having disabilities. Over the years we have learnt that words are important when describing pain and harm.
The mental health advocates and lead agencies have cautioned against the use of “committed suicide.”
It is important to frame suicide in a correct and sensitive manner. Words have power and words matter. It is not “committed suicide.” It is safer to use died of suicide. Safe language matters.
The article below explains the safe use of language when talking about suicide.
And thank you kindly for raising awareness on this topic. I believe that your post will do more justice and create more awareness than what Fiji’s media will ever do.
https://www.irmi.com/articles/expert-commentary/language-matters-why-we-dont-say-committed-suicide
Ireen, I’ve gone back to read what I wrote and at no stage, unless I am now like Joe Biden, can I see the term “committed suicide”. I talked of Esala’s “suicide” and referred to him taking his own life but as far as I can see, I haven’t used the term to which you object. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
Radio New Zealand uses the same terminology – “suicide” not “committed suicide”. I’m sorry I’ve upset you but I think, in your own grief, you are reading something more into what I have written. My apologies anyway. I want the attention to be on Esala and what happened, not my own role in publicising a tragic case that has upset me in the same way that it has a whole lot of other people.
And thank you for the nice things you’ve said. Much appreciated.
You didn’t Graham.
Fiji Women’s Rights Movement did. And I saw media coverage in Fiji doing the same.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/fiji-women%27s-rights-movement_tfgbvmuststop-saynotoviolence-activity-7217074861683138562-qxkW?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
And I agree that this is about a sad tragedy. But Fiji must glorify this as a commitment.
Shame on these Chat Fiji administrator’s… you have blood on your hands for the loss of an innocent life. I recall not too long ago they were also enabling the circulation of doctored nude images of certain females who went into distress amidst the bullying.
They should be taken to task and charged.
Native Fijians are responsible for that person’s death. Native Fijians are so homophobic. They are always targeting the LGBTQ community.
Chat (Fiji) and other such blog sites were setup as propaganda against Fiji First and the morphed into this ‘kakase’ place. Except that social media ‘kakase’ is open to the wider public to see.
During the election campaigning, much racial hatred and ethnic/religioun-based commentary was being shared across these sites. The PM is saying something whereas his official PAP site and now the Government social media sites are not moderating any racial/religious overtones.
Both the PM and the Opposition are now comfortably enjoying the freebies at taxpayer expenses. Nothing will get done. They have de-funded the organization that was supposed to be the watchdog because they themselves are offenders!!
While this this is extremely sad, this is not a first of its kind. Influencer’s around the world commit suicide due to cyber bullying. Our laws are pathetic. Law’s are only for poor people and not for the elite.
Meanwhile, FRA and PWD bitting nails, while Shore Buses fixed potholes on Lami bridge near RB Patel. Millions of tax payers money wasted and roads have to be fixed by bus companies. Never in my life I saw this under so called two men rule.
Welcome to Banana Republic.
This is for you GD https://www.fijivillage.com/news/Bus-company-temporarily-fixes-potholes-on-Lami-Bridge-x84f5r/
One of the moderators is named maleficient.
“maleficient”- the demon of destruction.
Speaks alot of that page.
I’m so surprised to hear that Jope Tarai is an administrator of that despicable social media platform. Jope has been a PhD candidate at ANU in the last two years. It would be good to hear from him on what’s going on as it’s not like him to tolerate the bullying going on in that rubbish forum.
It proves again that not everyone enrolled in a PhD is not only not necessarily smart, but quite shallow and dumb, even at ANU. Chat Fiji was a racist, ethnonationalist anti-Indian, mysoginistic platform and it was only a matter of time before this happened. Its administrators are die -hard Lynda Tabuya fans which speaks volumes about their intelligence and ethics. Anything that the Queen of Tarts touches or is associated with will turn to shit.
That, Dumbo PhD I cannot disagree with except that I will continue to hold out my judgment on Jope Tarai who at best, I find quite immature to be even part of that rubbish forum! What on earth was he trying to prove I wonder, since he cannot save the world, much less save idiotic Fijians who ought to know better and I dare say, need a good firm (virtual) drop-kick on their butts to wake them up.
I’ve only spent less than 5 minutes in that virtual room and found the atmosphere toxic and depraved. There’s zero self-awareness and zero discernment on the members, contributors and administrators. It’s a complete free-for-all orgy indulging in vices.
That a strong headed and opinionated young man took his own life due to being bullied in that forum (although I’m not aware of the actual conversations that led to the tragedy), says a lot about the level of cyberbullying, as well as confirms just how ill-equipped some of our young people are, in dealing with cyberbullying or bullying in general.
Clearly, the days of ‘sticks and stones can break my bones…’ have obviously faded into distant memory for the ill-equipped adults who are responsible for, or accompany this generation of self-entitled, snowflakes.
How do desires become identities? How do ideas about how we live become “normal” and “natural” And how do these ideas clash with those that already exist about what constitutes “natural,” Leave Chat Fiji alone. If you have to, challenge the ideas not the medium.
Marama Kei Viti dished out what he got, often in the most colourful language. A prominent man of the cloth was the target of his most recent outburst where he signed off with the most crude of phrases: “dui lewa Nona cici.”
These kind of behaviour attracts a negative response from the religous and conservatives. And when these ideas about how we should live contradict those held by the majority in society it might be best to ban the practise that fuel these ideas.
The real culprit in this piece are the human rights NGOs and their foreign donors who support the LGBTQ++ knowing it’s an alien concept.
They do not teach proponents how to conduct campaigns without attracting the public ire and how to deal with public push back.
In February this year I wanted to lodge a formal complaint through the Fiji Online (Supposedly) Safety Commission. This was after I saw a child being abused by Lynda Tabuya.
I emailed them for their process.
This was their response:
Start of email…
On 8/02/2024 12:54 pm, (name removed) @onlinesafetycommission.com> wrote:
hi ireen
this is (name removed) i am the complaints officer who received your complaint i have share this matter with our commissioner she advised to fill in the complaints form and sent it back to us for further investigation
End of email.
Take a moment to look at the calibre of the response from the Online Safety Commission’s office. This same Commission responded with professionalism just two years ago. Can anyone trust them to do their jobs right? There is no immediate hope unfortunately. Again, this starts with the leadership and the calibre of leaders in Fiji. We are worse than a 4th world country right now. It is all talk for Rabuka and his team and no show of walking that talk.
I called Fiji Police to lay a formal complaint. I was told “email mai nomu concerns.”
I asked if I could relay my formal report over the phone and the senior officer declined to take the report.
I then called Save the Children Fiji. While they took the report, the process was slow. And I still don’t know till today what the outcome was for this report as the mighty self entitled Lynda Tabuya is still in her role. Had this been any other country that cares about its children, she would have been laid off her portfolio immediately. But no. This is Fiji. They entertain child abuse at the highest level.
There are no consequences for online harm as the Minister for Women is an abuser herself and walks around freely.
If the influencers in Fiji want to call out on leadership then they should call out on leadership at all levels, including women as abusers too.
Not surprised at all that Jope is an administrator. I witnessed first hand, and was also a victim of, his vile, racist abuse of Kai Lomas and expatriates who he considers all to be kawa ca (what I have been been told is “dirty blood” and an extremely derogatory slur). In addition to vile language and derogatory slurs, he uses his size to physically intimidate those and then has to get his mentally ill girlfriend to call the police when he didn’t get a rise out of the people he was harassing. What’s worse is his girlfriend also works for a donor funded feminist program. The mind boggles.
Isn’t it interesting to see who works at these feminist organisations. These are mostly women doing their political things. Some are on X whole day tweeting away. Some chase the fame for their Naita. Some announced Fiji had the lowest ever crime since new government came into power when the truth was something else.
Now I read about their trustees and their workers.
What real change have they made in Fiji through their millions of donor funds?
Australia is their major donor in many things. As always, no real check on where the AusAID fund is going and what impact are the programmes making on the lives of women and their families.
Most of the projects are internally evaluated so doesn’t hold a recognised donor level check. That’s Ausaid failure, as usual in the Pacific.
The cocktail sipping continues.