Is Lynda Tabuya an agent of influence for the Chinese Communist Party? We first asked the question last June when it emerged that the Chinese Ambassador to Fiji, Zhao Jian, had given $172,000 to Tabuya’s home village of Tiliva/Jiliva in Kadavu. And we are asking it again now that she and the Ambassador have appeared together to open an “Airbnb homestay” in the village, presumably with the proceeds of that donation.
Why is it important? Because in making his donation, the Chinese Ambassador has gone way outside the normal protocols for foreign governments giving aid to any country. That it is always government to government, not foreign governments giving money to curry favour with individual politicians. And make no mistake, that is the intention of this payment.
Why is Tikiva/Jiliva any more deserving than any other village in Fiji? Answer: It isn’t. It is important to the Chinese only because it is Lynda Tabuya’s home village. Did she approach the Chinese asking them for the assistance? Did they offer to do it without an approach? As an elected official, we are entitled to ask her for a full explanation.
Yet either way, it doesn’t really matter. The Chinese have given Tabuya’s home village a substantial amount of money. And China being a famously transactional society, they will be expecting something in return.
All this was done when Tabuya was still the minister for women, children and social protection. She had been stripped of the deputy leadership of the People’s Alliance because of her drug-taking and “brutal” sex-capade with her fellow minister, Aseri Radrodro, in Room 233 of Melbourne’s Windsor Hotel in August 2023. But the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, had inexplicably chosen to keep her in the cabinet.
That meant that she was still privy to cabinet discussions covering some of the most sensitive areas of state policy. Were the Chinese hoping to recruit her as an informant – one of their infamous “agents of influence” who have been recruited around the world to use their official positions to advance the interests of the Chinese Communist Party? It is a favoured CCP tactic and if they are doing it elsewhere, they can be assumed to be doing it in Fiji.
In exchange for the $172,000 in assistance for her home village – which axiomatically boosts Tabuya’s credentials with her own people – what precisely have the Chinese required in return? Because only the most naive person would believe that this was an act of altruism with no strings attached.
Lynda Tabuya has also been a guest of the Chinese in China and been the beneficiary of their extravagant hospitality. And as someone with a penchant for “get rich” schemes in the past – such as her failed fat-busting business in the US which collapsed with debts of more $F100-million – she will have been regarded as a prime target for recruitment. Has she received more than the $172,000 for her home village? It is an open question under the circumstances and especially given persistent rumours that high-ranking members of the Bainimarama government were “on the take” from Beijing.
Again. Only the most naive person would assume that she is not a security risk. She may no longer be a minister, having been sacked as minister for women after the release of her notorious pornographic video. But she remains a potent force in local politics because of the woeful failure of the mainstream media to bring her to account, the Prime Minister has already floated the notion of restoring her as information minister and she makes no secret of her ambition to eventually succeed him.
In other words, she would be a prime target for any foreign power with an eye to the future wanting to buy her influence, and especially one like China willing to play the long game and with an unchallenged ability to identify the weaknesses of those keen to accumulate wealth and power and exploit them for its own purposes.
If he has any regard for the national interest, the Prime Minister – in his role as Foreign Minister – should tell the Chinese Ambassador to stop cultivating individual members of his party by showering their constituents with money. And to direct all aid to Fiji through the proper channels so that it can be dispensed on the basis of need. The fact that Lynda Tabuya herself didn’t do this speaks volumes for her own lack of judgment and, on its own, makes her unfit to ever lead the nation.
The PM should also tell Tabuya to pull her head in, exclude her from top-level decision-making of a sensitive kind and ask the security services to keep a close watch on her. Because in this instance – like all the others, whether it is the antics in Room 233 or the notorious “bush and butt” video – she is way out of line.
What we reported 10 months ago before Lynda Tabuya was fired as a minister.
It hasn’t changed.
It’s very simple. The Chinese will always make it a point to find which individuals are most susceptible to bribes in any organization/government. Once these parasites are identified, then the Chinese will hone in on them, plying them with lots of gifts, yummy Chinese food and lots of tabetabe talk like..”ho minister, you have such nice skin, it must be because of the beautiful sun in your glorious country..ho”.(pls read that in an exaggerated chinese accent)
And therein is sealed the deal for a mutually beneficial relationship for many years to come. Corruption will then have a clear run and will become the norm and eventually the yard stick for others in the organization/government to emulate. And that’s why we become more of a corrupt banana republic.
It’s contagious. Just look at the Fiji media clowns that embarrassed fiji by accepting all the gifts, tabetabe and free chow by the Fiji Water gang. I mean did you see the last series of stan Simpsons photos from the Arizona desert? For some strange reason he is repeatedly posing next to a very large phallic looking lone cactus tree. Was it his subconscious saying that the fijian media is now well and truly f**ked?
No, that’s just Stan proving that he is the most useless prick that Fiji has.
Have you not seen though? Most of his posts have sexual connotations. The cactus is one of them. He is a sick dude.
“Lynda Tabuya, a proud daughter of Tiliva Village”
Clearly they don’t have access to the internet in that village!!!!
They need to keep an eye on this one or she’ll end up selling the entire island to the Chinese. Bloody woman is bad news.
That’s actually funny you say that because under FijiFirst a meme on the internet was that Kadavu was sold to China.
A very timely observation given that Fijian institutions, including the media, are now being auctioned to chart the obvious pathway to the 2026 elections. It seems like the field is open and in the views of the naive Coalition, this is all ‘fair go’.
I think we give too much credence to Rabuka and his foreign policy or diplomatic relationships. The man is bereft of any ideas and principles, judging from all his actions since being elected. At the end of the day he will be with those that assist his ethno-nationalist agenda at any price.
Remember how he rushed up at Trump’s inauguration, but all he succeeded was meeting with shady and right wing fanatics. Now Kamikamica and Tikoduadua are trying to suggest they are having any credible conversation with the US. The reality of the 32% tariff and withdrawal of support to peace keeping is hanging like a sword. He is pretending to speak for the Pacific on issues like ‘region of peace’, climate change, regionalism etc when most of the Pacific Leaders think he is a joke.
Maybe other Embassies and High Commissions should take the cue and not hide behind niceties. Why can’t the Indian High Commission, for example, assist the Indian community directly with care for the aged and elderly who are being abandoned by their offsprings trying to escape Rabuka/Biman’s new Fiji. As Sashi Kiran observed, the incidences of suicide and violence in the community are at all time high. And the religious organisations like Arya samaj, Sanatan Dharm etc, have not done a darn thing but quick to suck up to those in power.
I am afraid the shameless and often blatantly racist actions under the Coalition is now the norm and nothing surprises anyone any more. They must be given medals for the ultra thick skin they have developed and know that these things will, in a matter of time, will be forgotten.
Remember how the man has yet to reveal the source of the ‘gold rolex’!
Let’s be correct here.
Sashi the not so clever chutney minister failed to mention that the most suicide cases for the elderly is by the Fiji Indians.
Sashi, like her party leader, Biman, is lost within the Coalition. They are the nobodies like Lenora, Agni and Pio.
Sashi can take that next matanigasau and pour water on it.
Tiliva Air B&B also known as Tiliva 233.
They have to honour the slut somewhere. So might as well use both names. It will entice the girls of the village to smoke weed, bonk another man, and do all sorts of videos. They are the honoured children of Tiliva now becoming soli vua.
What is wrong with the villagers? Can they not see who they are honouring?
Keep your daughters and sons away from her.
Keep the Chinese right away too.
Why keep the Chinese away?
They have been a staunch friend of Fiji since the early 1970s.
They have not imposed a 32% tariff on Fiji goods like others have done.
The optics in itself is a cause for serious concern. Lynda Tabuya has proven herself to be the lowest of the low MPs in Rolex Rabuka’s coalition. She has no self-awareness about how corrupt this looks but she does not have a intelligence to notice it. If anything, it should be Rabuka who should pull her up and have a stern word with her.
How is it even possible that one of his MPs flouts government protocol on a such a grand scale and Rabuka is still sleeping on it? It goes back to a view I hold: indigenous Fijians are their own worst enemy. While the elite exploit and prosper, the ordinary get mesmerised by media stunts. How sad for us.
“Idiots everywhere”, you’ll notice that I’ve decided not to post your comment. It is crude, racist and your comment about Christians isn’t appropriate at any time, let alone on Easter Sunday. Better luck next time.
Thank you for letting me know.
I can’t even remember what I said about Christians.
Racist? Me? I am not the prime minister. I try and tell the truth always.
Like – Fiji is full of idiots.
Lynda Tabuya is like most politicians in Fiji. Self-serving. Her links to the Chinese are deeper than can be seen. They see her as the perfect puppet for their program of dominance in Fiji. The comment that she will sell the whole island is not far from the truth, and the drug lords would be happy with that as their crops would be protected from interference.
The Chinese will continue to use Lynda to expand their influence and their acquisition of followers who are easily bought. As are the GCC, exhibited by their trip to China, which will no doubt continue, and the Chinese influence grows.
As for her protector, Rabuka, he is also compromised by Lynda and his golden baubles that he accepts without any sense of guilt. His comment that the 15% VAT is ‘necessary’ is driven by the need to prop up his bloated Government’s operating costs, which continue to rise at a rate far greater than inflation.
We fiercely agree to disagree on this one Graham. Would you rather Lynda make friends with Donald Trump and the new cons in the Pentagon who want China destroyed?
It’s funny how you lived the cold war and still have your old school all the way with LBJ attitude. Iraq a mess. Libya a mess. Global trade system a mess.
All Lynda wants is kere kere. And the Chinese will oblige.
So what do you think will happen?
China sets up military bases in Fiji to attack Hawai and Sydney. Do they want world domination? Communist China officials really want to run Australia. Solve our housing crisis. Reverse the illiteracy rates in our secondary high school systems. Solve America’s drug problem? It’s guns crisis.
Your reaction. Laughable. Why would the Chinese bother wanting to control a shit economy like the USA. I hope President Xis plays the USA like a pimp refusing to give a whore her fair share.
So don’t get too worried to see our whore Lynda licking chinese balls.
Try reading Malcolm Frasers dangerous allies or watch Paul Keatings last talk at the National Press Club.
Liberate yourself.
One is a democracy, however flawed, and one is an unelected dictatorship of gangsters. Trust you to side with the gangsters. But there is no accounting for taste in the new Fiji. Have a nice life.
GD are you sure Trump is behaving like a democracy?
The way he is doing his clean up and the mess he is creating and all the write ups in the US media smacks more of a dictatorship
China would not be where it is today if it wasn’t for their system of governance never mind how imperfect as it is
Well said. Only a white vulagi would disagree.
Red and yellow balloons and red dress.
Definitely trying to impress the Chinese.
How is this legal?
Interesting timing as well.
Looks like a major conflict of interest.
Playing with fire Tabuya.
Seriously kissing ass or what with this plaque with his name on the front of the house! He didn’t get that for nothin!
Should give a handsome reward for anyone coming forward with details of their transaction.
Fiji, where rampant racism & xenophobia is only put aside for money.
Every Easter and Christmas, we get the same recycled messages from everyone and their dog about the meassage from the Bible. After decades of the same same I am totally bored. So should everyone else. Seriously, after 2000 years, what has changed? Wars on a bigger scale, atrocities (should I mention Gaza) ably supported by the Israelites in Fiji who have nothing whatsoever to do with Palestine. Nothing has changed in Fiji after 150 years of a foreign religion and a foreign God. In fact things are very bad in Fiji as everyone on this forum would agree. Religion is being used as an excuse to make the vulagi second class citizens. There is nothing to celebrate, is there or does it make one feel good to repeat and recycle the same thing year in and year out like zombies. My apologies for stating the bleeding obvious.
Happy Easter and Happy Resurrection Day, but one thing will remain – nothing will ever change.
By the way, the same applies to all other religions year in and year, for decades and centuries and nothing is achieved.
‘Nothing has changed in Fiji after 150 years of a foreign religion and a foreign God’?
Last I checked, leaves went out of fashion and we’re not roasting missionaries over a fire anymore (no offence, GD).
P.S. I don’t expect you to remember writing this piece — but unlike you and your contradiction, I’ll still wish you a Happy Easter and a Happy Resurrection Day.
If you send the vulagi back to where they came from, the grass skirts and the roasting will come back very quickly. It will not take that long at all. PNG is still very close to the dark ages isn’t it? So I suggest you work very hard to keep and increase the vulagi population or you never know where your children will end up.
One thing is for sure, the vulagi religion and the vulagi God will not be of any help.
Nothing has changed (and I believe it never will) in the mentality, in racism and prejudice. Just look at your government and the government machinery. If it was not for the vulagi population providing the buffer, the provinces would all be after each others throats already. So better work on increasing the buffer, acha?
Or is it the case that if all the vulagi were sent back to where they came from, all the locals will be driving 4WDs and there will be kaila all around?
This is what I mean by idiots everywhere.
And then they all wonder why the country is where it is! When the prblem is staring them in the mirror.
And let me assure you, none of you are any expert at foreign religion.
Chinese government has always wanted to build an airspace and military base in Fiji and with this government, it seems like they will sell one of the Islands for its motives.
What’s the price of the Chinese funded, Mata Hari Lunda Bondage & Bonk ( B&B for your Dim Stan) room cost? Does Aseri come as part of breakfast? Can you room service PooPoo Parkinson as well? Can you hire Veejay Narayan as part of the duvet – he would cover queen double.
I’m not surprised that that village is a dirty, filthy place for Airbnb Homestay. Mosquitoes, people with sores on their legs, muddy rain puddles with children running in them. And that’s the type of place guests will be living.
Not a single media in Fiji has the guts to ask the PM why the Chinese Communist Party is allowed to invest directly into a government MP’s village project.
By now overseas media would have been all over this story and exposing the MP, the donor, and the government. But not in Fiji. They are the pricks that watch the cactus grow.
We note with disgust that the downfall of Fiji media outlets has led political blogger site FIJI TRANSPARENCY claiming to be a media outlet in their latest FB post – they have not said a word about these cheque book media people as they are hiding behind the scenes – irony is that fiji TRANSPARENCY site writers aren’t transparent themselves ( we don’t know who they are) but are politically motivated and promoting self interest fuelled by hatred against some. That’s why we follow GD as he is truely transparent and genuine media commentator.
Behind Fiji transparency are key warriors – not real journalists- they were formed to undermine people for FijiFirst and now on sale for those that advantage them, Reddy, Sharma, Prasad etc – if you need a positive article, contact Mr 15% Sharma or that former Sun Insurance fugitive – please don’t compare with Grubsheet, it’s a disgrace.
Tabuya writes 6 hours ago on her Facebook with Tiliva Village tagged,
“The tour began for Kadavu Rugby Union in Tiliva Village with Nakasaleka Rugby zone, thank you Jale Duikoro and Tiliva Rugby Club – Kadavu for the beautiful hosting. This is part of KRU Super Week where we are touring are the zones to register our clubs and then our officials to attend training by Fiji Rugby starting Wednesday for coaching and refereeing as well as FRU compliance of our union for 2025.”
I am yet to make what this post means.
Comments are turned off.
Must be a day of highs 😂
She claimed that her phone got hacked. Both times.
What else was exposed when her phone got hacked?
I hear that there were significant items of confidential information that she is now claiming to be hacked too.
Did it have anything on other governments that could be of potential interest and impact?
Will Fiji’s media do some hardcore questioning and digging given that she is getting direct donations from the Chinese Communist Party?
This woman should not be trusted in any meeting of national significance anymore.
She is trying to still run the place rampant.
The Christian monotheistic God (for those that believe) is the creator of the universe , including planet earth, including Fiji, including all inhabitants indigenous or vulagi. It seems like a syntax error to call this God or Religion a vulagi or foreigner to Fiji. It could even qualify as idiotic.
Hmmmm.
Your reasoning is a bit lame.
About the time when the foreign religion and the foreign god was imposed on the locals, that is the time when the Girmityas started arriving. Give or take some years. If the missionaries did not impose the foreign religion and god, you never know the locals would have been all Hindus or Muslims.
What I am saying is the imposed religion and god does not fit. Stick to the original tradition and culture. The fakeness shows, at least to me. The imposed GCC has not worked. No one knows what their role has been for the last 100 yrs. But it is accepted as traditional when it is not.
The foreign religion and foreign god has been accepted as traditional but there is nothing rational or traditional about it. I know what I am saying is confronting, and that is how you were brought up but it’s time to think and question things that have become ‘normal’. Now everyone wants to run their own empire in Fiji. How many churches and sects are there in Fiji.
How many chiefs are there in Fiji. I read somewhere there are 6000 chiefs and chiefly titles. On average that make one chief for every 100 iTaukei. Tradition and culture and a vulagi religion don’t mix. I say stick to the tradition and culture.
6000 chiefs?
Sounds like too many chiefs, not enough Indians
CURRENT STATISTICS OF THE INDIGENOUS FIJIAN
SOCIAL STRUCTURE & POPULATION
Turaga Ni Yavusa Tribal
Chief = 1,305 Tribal Chiefs (VKB);
B. Turaga Ni Mataqali Clan Chief = 4,345 Clan Chiefs (VKB)
Tokatoka Sub Clan, Family or Vuvale
Est. only 14,200 Sub Clan s: Average of 38 to 50 persons
per sub clan (VKB)
Total Indigenous Fijian ( iTaukei ) Population 12 Oct 2022: Approx. 608,000 or 62% of Fiji’s Total
Source: Itaukei Affairs
Annual Reports 2015 2019
Why should the PM care about anything. He and Gavoka are off to Singapore on an invite by the government there. Maybe to make fiji like Singapore. And the people laughed when Aiyaz used to say that. Will these shenanigans ever stop?
I think they went there on a study tour on how to set up a democratic dictatorship run by one family. How to silence any opposition by locking them up and how to run the country by using the judiciary.
If Australia or USA aren’t going to takeover Fiji, then China should.
Graham, the succulent Chinese meal must be irresistible
The dumb natives are a sell out anyway. In the shadow of fake profiles they will say, we don’t want Chinese. As soon as China throws in $$$, they shut up.
Show them money, everything OK. They have no morals.