I am grateful to the astute and knowledgeable blog contributer, FijiGirl, for the following article which gives a very accurate insight into the man we know now to be the main instigator behind the Military Coup of Dec 2006._____________
Flicking through
"More Letters From Fiji 1990 – 1994 : First years under a post-coup Constitution" by Sir Len Usher
Usher's letters sketch Chodo's movements and machinations at the time.
A most interesting pattern emerges.
Chodo preferred weapon of choice is strikes and boycotts. In the course of events covered by Usher's second book of letters, Chodo calls for no less than eight strikes or boycotts in the sugar industry, Parliament and elections.
His second favourite weapon at this time was to use international pressure to force the Government of Fiji to do his bidding. In the four years from 1990 – 1994, Usher notes Chodo's travels to India, Europe (twice) and USA. He even tried to use his contacts with Australian Trade Unions to enforce a general ban on all trade with Fiji, a request which was declined.
Usher observes Chodo's sentiment that having a just constitution was more important than economic advantages like the preferential price paid by the EEC for Fiji Sugar, after his return from Europe trying to persuade them to withdraw their trade concessions from Fiji. In other words, he would rather cripple the Sugar industry (of which he is supposedly the steward) and the economy. You have to be an extremely spiteful person to take this kind of stance to such a degree. In today's world, such sentiments are commonly found among terrorists rather than men of State.
Mark Twain wrote :"to a man with a hammer, every problem is a nail."
Chodo's favourite hammer was to hold a strike / boycott. His second favourite hammer was to use international pressure, or to appeal to overseas bodies to do his fighting for him.
He does not know how to solve problems, except by creating bigger ones. The 2006 coup seems to be the biggest problem he can create in order to 'solve' his other problem of the Rabuka-Reddy Constitution.
So what happened? Why has Chodo gone from being the strike/boycott guy, and the 'get my buddies overseas to beat you up guy' to being the coup-de-tat guy?
At some point, he has obviously realised that foreign governments and unions do not 'cross the line' on issues of sovereignty. Similarly, he has realised that while regimes that do some wrong things are brought into line, regimes that do truly awful things tend to get away with it.
Somehow, he has found a financier in India.
He found a willing puppet in Vore.
He found sympathetic ears in with the Mara-Ganilau 'dynasty'.
At some point, Chodo decided to cross the line. In so doing, he went from being an agitator to a despot, a revolutionary to a terrorist, a politician to a dictator.
What can stop him? Wouldn't it be ironic if Chodo were brought down by his three favourite tactics – Boycott, Strike and International Pressure.
It's a different year. But he's still the same smelly piece of Excrement.
Relevant entries from Usher's book can be read in full at http://fijigirl.wordpress.com/
God bless Fiji.
1 comment:
We are still wondering what is the tie that binds the leaders of the coup with such blindness to Chaudhry?
Is there truth in the rumour that Bainimarama has been paid big money to carry this coup out?
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