There is something distasteful, especially for people of faith, about the RFMF Commander, Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai, choosing to use a church service to make some of his first public comments about the murder of Jone Vakarisi – a “house of God” as a venue to address a sordid crime committed by elements of the force he leads.
Why couldn’t this have been done at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks – the scene of the crime – instead of the Centenary Methodist Church, the citadel of the nation’s biggest religious denomination? Or is the Commander so concerned about a potential backlash from his own troops that he needed the fig leaf of a pulpit to provide him with some kind of divine protection as he endeavoured to confront the gravity of what has occurred?
We all know the Ten Commandments of the faith to which the Commander adheres, including the admonitions not to kill or bear false witness. By torturing Jone Vakarisi and beating him to death, certain members of the RFMF – we still don’t know who – have committed a grave sin, as well as a grave crime. But a violation of the Commandments has also been committed by Jone Kalouniwai in his blatant attempt to cover-up the killing – describing it as a “sudden medical episode” due to a “pre-existing condition” – only to be exposed as a liar when the truth emerged hours later in Vakarisi’s death certificate.
Did he use the Centenary Church pulpit to fully acknowledge these sins? No. Did he ask the Almighty for forgiveness? No. Then why use a church at all? The Commander tried to make a virtue of telling his troops that they had to confront the gravity of what has happened. But what he said fell far short of a proper mea culpa – an admission of responsibility – let alone a plea for forgiveness, which is surely what Christian churches are supposed to be for.
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Rubbish. Contrary to another assertion by the Commander that he had gone to the Queen Elizabeth Barracks voluntarily, Jone Vakarisi was forcibly taken to the Camp and tortured. His body shows signs of a prolonged beating, stab wounds and having boiling water poured over him. “No-one intended this to happen?” “No-one imagined that it would go this far?” What the hell do you think can happen, Commander, when a human being is subjected to such treatment?
As a professed Christian, you will know as an article of faith that God knows what happened at the Camp on April 17 and there will eventually be an accounting for his Commandments being broken. So for God’s sake, get out of the pulpit and get back to the Camp and start genuinely facing up to the magnitude of the wrongdoing that has occurred and its impact on public confidence in the RFMF.
As an adequate explanation, “o, we didn’t mean to kill him” isn’t good enough. And worse, you still haven’t explained why you lied when you said Jone Vakarisi had died of a “pre-existing condition” when the truth is that the RFMF carried out an extrajudicial killing. It murdered someone in its custody who shouldn’t have been there in the first place because it is the role of the police to question suspects, not the RFMF.
In the first instance – the torture and beating – the buck stops with you as Commander. But we have still to hear an explanation as to why you also lied to the nation. And if you are going to use the pulpit at Centenary Church as a communications vehicle, at least do us – and the Almighty – the courtesy of telling us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
This was a church pulpit being used as a public relations prop. And that is unacceptable.
In its print version, the Fiji Times seems to recognise the inappropriateness of the RFMF Commander making these comments from the pulpit and puts him back in uniform.
Coverage from other media…
POSTSCRIPT:
I’m sorry to say that we desperately need competent outsiders to be brought in to have any hope of arresting the dysfunction in the military, the police and the criminal justice system. Yes, an expatriate RFMF Commander, an expatriate Police Commissioner, an expatriate Chief Justice and an expatriate DPP.
The current local incumbents are patently out of their depth and are compromised by their multiple conflicts of interest, both professional and personal, which are an impediment to proper governance.
The Coalition’s determination to fill these critical appointments with locals (for that read iTaukei) has been an unmitigated disaster. And the evidence is all around us.
Imagine what would happen when the not so Christian Christians make Fiji a Christian state.
There is too many Christians right there :0))
Looks like crocodile tears to me. We got caught, so we need to be held accountable, damn! It’s easy to say sorry in this country and all is forgiven, plenty of examples lately from the military. And the government in the case of the minister of education and others. It’s easier to say sorry for wrongdoing than gaining permission for wrongdoing.
As the person in charge of the leadership of the troops, telling lies about the “incident” doesn’t cut it. If you don’t know the truth about what happened, don’t lie about it, be honest and say that you will comment when you have checked the facts.
Resignation is the only option now.
I question the claim that Vakarisi tried to break-in to the RFMF armoury to steal weapons on the grounds that not a single shred of evidence has been provided to support it. The rabid (mostly Christian) mob are using the argument to justify his killing. Where is the evidence that it was him?
If the evidence is indeed available, the competent authority to test it is the Court, and not some brutish thugs in Delainabua who know little more than how to torture and kill. The Commander has no shame and demeans our Christian God in his latest speech. His comeuppance is coming.
I don’t think he has failed.
If anyone can remember after the defeat of Bainimarama government, he was pushed around to remove a democratically elected government.
Why didn’t he favor the previous government when the same very government appointed him as a commander.
He stood firm on rule of law.
No matter what type of government a nation elects,military is not the answer.
It is the might of a pen that should change a government.
Problem is that the military is a combat squad and their learning is different from Police .
Policing is different from running with guns.
Fijians are not meant to torture fellow Fijians in such a manner.
Unfortunately, he is answerable to what has happened in camp.
Have patience. Soon a few will be charged and brought to court.
We all know something is not right.
This doesn’t address his attempt to mislead the public about the facts of what happened. And that is a big problem for Kalouniwai.
Aree Mr. GD which public?
This is Fiji tacina!
The whole world are told lies by politicians, leaders of organization ,lawyers and others.
Those that are caught are thieves and those who escapes are not thieves.
Torture and killing at Delainabua is not a new thing.
At any circumstance, it is a NO No thing to pick civilians or ex military people and kill them.
We all know that,GD.
Kalouniwai was at Bau attending the funeral of Ratu Nailaitikau. The initial media release was prepared by a subordinate in QEB who tried to cover it up. On obtaining further info, Kalouniwai issued another media release taking responsibility for what happened. The interrogation and torture of JK was supervised by a young Captain who is now being investigated for murder. Kalouniwai is a God-fearing man of substance.
Matanigasau for the family of the murdered. That is the answer!
And they do another murder or criminal act and repeat. The Fijian way, which the vulagi will never understand, as we all know.
Actually a senior Fijian lawyer who has passed on hinted to me that this matanigasau thing is a misguided thing and more of a BS thing really.
Though done with good intentions, like kill and repeat says, it is exactly that. Kill and repeat,butako, rape get corrupted etc
The 5 L’s the kaiviti are known for as mentioned by ALex VF in one of her posts: Lotu,Lasu,Liumuri,Lagasere,Lasaituba.
‘The current local incumbents are patently out of …’
Edited correct version: The current local cucumbers are patently out of….
At the expense of being shouted at for looking at the situation dispassionately – Are the armed forces (RFMF) that stupid to openly take a person in for torture and elimination and return the body to a hospital and family and expect nothing of consequence to follow.
One would think that if this was all pre-planned murder (or justice if you want to call it that ), the individual would have been abducted secretly, executed and the body disposed of without anyone knowing what happened. Or some way of achieving the objective without it being the relatively transparent event it has become.
It looks more of an interrogation and torture operation gone wrong with the individual passing away unexpectedly. Intended or unintended consequence is subject to the court martial or other investigative process findings.
If the investigations reveal the RFMF were “stupid” ie overtly blase in thinking they can get away with this extra judicial execution then that is worrying. Very worrying.
Anon@9:39pm- good points.
The methods used in this most unfortunate matter harks back to the modus operandi in tribal warfare history: moku mei mate.
The Methodist Church who have been around the longest must admit that the Christianising mission in Fiji is a failed project. Satan cannot be removed from Fiji.
Let’s just sit back and observe how the Commander and the clowns in this government deal with this issue. In Australia the most decorated soldier, the holder of a Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery in the British Commonwealth, has recently been charged for shooting and killing unarmed civilians in Afghanistan. Other soldiers in his platoon have stepped forward to testify against their senior officer.
Australia has shown to the world no one is above the law, will Fiji do so too? I await with bated breath. This case is a test of professionalism within the RFMF.
Your article against Commander Ro Jone Kalouniwai appears heavily one-sided and dismissive of the realities Fiji currently faces, especially the growing drug crisis and the serious security concerns affecting communities around the country.
While the death of Jone Vakarisi is tragic and any wrongdoing should be properly investigated through lawful processes, your commentary goes beyond criticism and ventures into attacking the character and leadership of the Commander without acknowledging the wider context or the pressures faced by the RFMF.
It is easy to comment from abroad and portray institutions negatively, but those of us living here understand the difficult environment our security forces operate in daily. Intelligence-related matters are sensitive, and not every detail can be publicly discussed the way media commentators demand.
You also seem to ignore the role Commander Kalouniwai played in helping guide the military through a very delicate transition period in Fiji’s political history. At a time when many feared instability, he maintained discipline and professionalism within the force. That contribution should not be erased because of one incident that remains under investigation.
If there were failures in communication from the camp regarding Vakarisi’s death, then let the proper authorities address them. But calling for the Commander’s resignation and using emotionally charged language before investigations are complete only fuels division and weakens public confidence further.
Constructive criticism is important, but constant condemnation without balance does little to help the country move forward. Fiji needs accountability, but it also needs fairness, stability, and leadership during difficult times.
This was an extrajudicial killing that the Commander tried to cover up. If he was not involved, he could have said something like ” I share the concerns of the community about this incident and have ordered a full investigation in conjunction with the police. Until further details emerge, I am not in a position to comment further other than to extend my personal condolences to the family”.
Instead, the Commander issued a statement saying that Vakarisi had died of a “sudden and severe medical emergency” caused by a “pre-existing condition”. As I have stated, he had a pre-existing condition alright. He was alive when he went into the camp and dead when he came out.
It is for the Commander to explain the circumstances in which he misled the public. He has so far chosen not to do so. What “balance” do you expect under the circumstances?
I have taken a hard line on this because we have seen a return to judicial killings by the RFMF a quarter of a century after four mutineers were bashed to death in 2000 and 12 years after the killing of Vilikesa Soko in 2014. And after we were assured by Ro Kalouniwai that under his leadership, such things belonged in the past.
The culture of the buturaki is clearly alive and well in the RFMF and the buck stops with the Commander, just as it did with Frank Bainimarama in 2000 and 2014. In the case of Vilikesa Soko, I have written that the then DPP, Christopher Pryde, courageously faced down intense pressure by Bainimarama not to prosecute Soko’s killers and the perpetrators were put on trial and jailed.
Given the glaring absence of widespread condemnation in the mainstream media about Vakarisi’s killing, I make no apology for my stance on this. We have come nowhere as a nation when the Commander lies about a killing under his watch. And while I acknowledge the challenging security position in Fiji at the current time, I stand by my opinion that this has demonstrated his unfitness to hold the position.
Commander is head of over 3000 personnel in camp.
Most communication is in Fijian language.
Trying to tell him what to say and how to say is rude Mr GD.
You speak 24,seven in English he doesn’t.
He has acknowledged his mistake and will do much better next time.
He speaks English well enough to have gained a string of high degrees in universities and colleges abroad. What rubbish.
From his CV: ” Major General Kalouniwai has attended military courses both locally and overseas in NZ, Taiwan, India and Australia. He has attended various defence and peace keeping seminars in the US, UK, Sweden, Nepal, and South Korea. Major General Kalouniwai did his Command Staff College at the Services Staff College (DSSC) Wellington, India in 2008 and recently graduated from the prestigious Australian War College in Canberra, Australia in Dec 2019.
Apart from his military courses qualifications, Major General Kalouniwai holds an Executive Certificate in Management from the Australian Maritime College, Graduate Diploma in Management (Central Queensland University), Masters in Business Administration (Central Queensland University), Masters of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies – Madras University, India; and Masters in Politics and Policy from Deakin University in Canberra, Australia.”
Phew,
You have all the records of his career and qualifications.
How about Bainimarama, do you have his too?
Things will go from bad to worse if leadership in the military changes into the wrong hands.
Ro Jone is probably the best person to hold onto the commander position for now.
All possible candidates are far worse than him. Some are even worse than Bainimarama. These are old school hard knocks officers that did the “dirty work” for their past leader(s).
Imagine if Qiliho was the commander chosen instead of Ro Jone.
There is no better “civilised” “educated” leader in the military than Ro Jone for now. You`d be the first to regret your stance if Ro Jone steps down.
Do you have a better candidate in mind for the position?
Anyone who doesn’t lie about an extrajudicial killing under his watch.
Did you not lie when you were part of Bainimarama government’s frontline media boy?
Were you not told to lie?
Don’t be a hypocrite, enjoy your pension mate.
Go down the road and have a nice brewed coffee and muffins.
Fijian politiki is too complex for you even though you were part of it at one stage.
No, I don’t recall lying. And I’m happy for anyone to provide examples of when I did. I also don’t recall either Frank or Aiyaz telling me to lie. That doesn’t mean they told me things that made me uncomfortable or I saw things that made me uncomfortable. But that would be the experience of anyone in any government the world over.
One of the fundamental tenets of effective PR/Comms is never to lie simply because the lie being exposed makes things much worse and can destroy reputations, careers and entire governments. So “is this true? Is this credible?” is on the lips of all PR operatives with any experience and integrity. And it was certainly the case at Qorvis.
Spinning a positive narrative isn’t lying. And believe me, I had plenty of positive narratives to spin – the concept of one nation with equal opportunity for all, the emphasis on service delivery, the introduction of free schooling and Fiji taking a lead on climate action and the health of our oceans. There were plenty of positive things to promote.
That doesn’t mean that some things weren’t emphasised that could or should have been. But a bald faced lie? I genuinely can’t think of any. Er, maybe when they said that Pio Tikoduadua was leaving the government because of illness when it was because they had fallen out with each other. But I’m struggling to think of other instances when you’re suggesting it was routine.
As I say, happy to be corrected.
And Rambo is the best person for PM now? There is no one else in Fiji. Imagine what will happen if Rambo drops dead today? Fiji will come to an end!
Anyone remember when these guys shit their pants when their camp was captured by Al Nusra.
The Philippine Rangers fought the terrorists who tried to take over their camp.
This is all they can do, bully unharmed civilians and murder them. Shit their pants in a fair fight.
When all else fails, blame it on God. There is precedence. Remember God told Rambo to carry out the coups of 1987.
What I find facinating is that only 150 years ago they were eating each other, and now they have found a vulagi God which dictates their lives. The pretentions are telling and obvious. Fijians are an insult to God. Someone should do something about it.
It’s easy to point the finger when you are not informed . Those that lead the military are informed about matters relating to national security and are tasked with maintaining stability when and where required. The drug problem in Fj has reached epidemic proportions and it is destroying society on many levels. The military has provided its explanation of a neutralized threat posed by an individual or individuals that sought to infiltrate a military base . Reasons aside any attempt to do so will not be tolerated. Nobody will hear the end of this story so you would be better off reflecting on the misery that drugs cause in your homeland! The moral of the story is this: don’t get involved, don’t speculate or waste time engaged in rumour-mongering and more importantly respect ,support and have faith in your military . They are there to safeguard your interests and prevent the worst from becoming a reality in your own backyard!!!!!
“Don’t get involved”? Yes, that’s what you want. For us all just to accept that the military had just cause to seize someone off the street, torture them by beating them, stabbing them and pouring boiling water over them and then leaving them to die.
Sorry, but after more than two decades of self righteously condemning loyalist troops for reacting violently to mutineers in their ranks in 2000 and demanding that they be brought to justice, some of you expect us to remain silent while Kalouniwai’s troops kill someone during a routine interrogation.
It isn’t going to happen. Extrajudicial killings cannot be allowed to occur in civilised democratic societies and the perpetrators should always be brought to justice. And if it doesn’t happen in Fiji this time, let’s hear no more about how the RFMF has changed under Kalouniwai because it hasn’t.
It is not worthy of respect unless justice is done and neither is its leader.
The commander has the ability to communicate very well in written and oral English, evidenced by his qualifications obtained in those English language medium countries. The point is that the majority of the rank and file in camp don’t.
Extension of this can be that the same ideas or culture of a disciplined “civilized” military as one would expect in Australia, NZ, UK, India, USA, Sweden, Singapore and Israel has not permanently permeated into the Fijian military psychy. Possible exception could be troops that have done training and deployment overseas under UN umbrella. It’s a generalisation of course but I think a realistic viewpoint.
We would hope for the same high standard but not realistically expect in practice Russian, North Korean, IRGC or similar undemocratic countries armies to behave like civilized Natabua, Eton or Sandhurst educated professors, soldiers or Generals.
Faced with an “enemy” that doesn’t follow Geneva conventions (drug dealers, invaders and terrorists) the expectations of a Fijian nation that a drug free and free and just society be maintained by the authorities is a challenge, especially when it looks like evil is overwhelming the good.
Compounded by seeming failure of the gods of Justice, Judiciary, Police enforcers, anti corruption agency and the executive govt.
So be it the military rank and file or an elite SAS unit – whatever it takes to solve the problem is welcomed by those with skin in the matter and faced with a looming existential crisis and social chaos or destruction.
War – an ugly ‘game’. An imperfect solution. Should be a last resort option. Any other pragmatic way?
I am appalled to know that our aid money from Australia and New Zealand goes to RFMF and this is what is happening.
Where is Human Rights, Amnesty InterNational, Shamima and co?
To their credit, Shamima and co – aka the Human Rights Coalition – issued a statement condemning the killing. But whether is got sufficient attention is another thing altogether.
There is sadly plenty of the evidence that the mainstream media in Fiji has gone doggo on this story. Is it fear of the military or the millions some of these outlets have received from government in taxpayer funds? That’s the question that should be asked by every Fijian. Because the notion that the media is now “free” is absolute rubbish.
David – re GD and FijiFirst lying. GD – re Commander lying.
I DONT seriously believe any of the above parties were or are blatantly lying.
I think it’s a case of interpreting the relevant statements or situation as being lies, especially if one is presumptuous or has an (unconscious) bias against the person’s or situation – perhaps due to prevailing or other historical or just simply different worldviews.
In this specific case the commander and his immediate aides would know if he was lying. In hindsight now, his statement made him look like a liar, even if he was not lying in the earlier statement.
My observations are in part a discourse to analyse/ examine our own thought processes when we make important judgements.
But to draw a line and make a call: for someone to say that FF and associated person’s were lying just demonstrates how irrational a difference of opinion can make a person.
Then all the more reason for the Commander to come clean about why he said Vakarisi had died of a “sudden medical emergency” based on a “pre-existing condition” when the truth is that he was beaten to death, stabbed and had boiling water poured on him.
It is about the false account Kalouniwai gave the Fijian people before the family issued the death certificate that revealed the truth. Even then, the death certificate didn’t mention the stab wounds and scalding.
The evidence is conclusive that the Commander misrepresented the truth. The initial statement doesn’t make him look like a liar, as you put it. It makes him a liar. And until he comes clean as to why he lied, that’s where the matter stands.
There are also disturbing reports circulating that the RFMF has prevented the police from examining the scene of the crime. Yes, prevented from entering the Camp. If this is true, who has ordered this?
Under the circumstances, we need full transparency and full accountability. And despite the Police Commissioner’s news conference yesterday, we still haven’t got it.
Like I said, the ones below the current commander are ruthless. Most have agreed that the commander has gone soft, more diplomatic in his approach rather than military.
During the incident the commander was occupied with the state funeral of the late Rt. Nailatikau, that whole week leading to Vakarisi’s death.
Did he really sign off on the statement released by rfmf without taking the time to thoroughly check. (He was at Bau island when the statement was released)
Who really signed off?
Who advised him? Who confirmed? Who cross checked?
There is no better commander to keep the military at bay for now than Kalouniwai. You’re familiar with just how much power the military commander has under the current constitution. We’ll be dammed if that power falls into the wrong hands.
The sanctity of sovereignty is physically underwritten by the military. They are there as a back stop to societal disorder / chaos . As it stands the drug problem is encroaching on epidemic proportions…Just look at the stats.. miserable & toxic! The scale of crimes being committed for a tiny island nation is staggering! Without condoning any of the abovementioned actions by either party involved it is apparent that the military has been tasked with turning the tide when it comes to this problem. If this doesn’t serve as a wake up call to those who are involved in this trade and others who champion “subjective innocence” then you are foolish. A military base/barracks is a specific sovereign zone with immunities and privileges. Anyone that is in that compound is there for a REASON …and if you don’t have good reason to be there then don’t expect to be reasoned with!!!!