I am sick to death of Coup Apologists in our country.
Listening to John Samy the other night on TV was akin to feeling like throwing up.
I wish he would do us all a favour and go back to NZ where he should be able to find a normal job that isn't funded at the extravagantly gross level of pay he is demanding from poor struggling Fijian citizens who have no say in the matter since Chaudhry/Military are busy stealing from the nation's coffers.
As Wadan says , 20 years away and John suddenly comes back as Fiji's prodigal miscreant. No shame eh John ?
I have attempted to lay out in summary form the latest in the Apologists talk-propoganda-fest, so we can see plainly once and for all, the idiocy and the grand illusions that accompany their flawed rationalization :
COUP APOLOGISTS SAY WE CANT HURRY TOWARD ELECTIONS . THEIR REASONING :
1) Their vision of a perfect society in Fiji involves removing all affirmative programmes for the 'natives' (in reality, economically disadvantaged iTaukei)
2) They believe there is no such thing as "race" therefore we must ignore our roots, our chiefs, our vanua and disengage ourselves from our history, culture and customs in order to participate in this new world order
3) Because they think they can "magically" make everyone start all over again on an equal playing field, they have to introduce a new voting system (BUT who gave them the right to decide this ?)
4) Some delusional Charter document is more important than what the people of this nation think, therefore this has to take precedence over rebuilding the economy, attracting investors, elections etc.
ALL THE ABOVE PRESUPPOSES THE FOLLOWING :
1) The Military and their advisors believe it is their god-given right to engineer structural change in society to their own vision (something which in human terms occurs naturally through history and usually takes many civilisations and countless numbers of wars, death, strife & misery)
2) Persons involved with the regime have a preconceived notion of what they think democracy should mean for society and have no qualms about forcing this on others
3) That they can and will ignore the Rule of Law and Fiji's constitution (what binds civil society together) to put these measures in place
4) That they need to deliberately alienate traditional authority and structure of institutions dear to the indigenous peoples to quell any protest
5) That Fijian intellectuals (where the next generation of leaders would come from) will be targeted to suppress their wisdom and intellect
6) The voice and will of the people are insignificant against what Bau High Chief Ratu Joni once termed "the personal and messianic ambitions of one military officer after another".
WHAT THE COUP APOLOGISTS DO NOT WISH TO UNDERSTAND IS :
a) how barbaric, patronising, absurd and unrealistic these lofty plans are
b) that the directives to force-change society in Fiji are being dictated by Usurpers with very questionable and fishy motives (read : what role has the love of money played in this saga?)
c) that any societal changes that will affect the lives of all citizens are best left to an elected government who have the mandate to make changes
d) that the capacity of the Interim Government to enact any legislation given that their mandate rests not in the popular will but on the force of arms, has NO authority to do so
e) that they continue to perpetuate the coup culture in Fiji by supporting this illegal regime
f) their right to superimpose their belief system on the rest of their countrymen without consultation, is NOT god-given NOR was it exclusively subscribed to them by us the people of this nation
g) that each coup takes the country back 10-15 years in progress, costs the ordinary citizen untold emotional, mental & physical stress and misery and CANNOT be blamed on the governments we elected (or the media)
h) The coups in Fiji are illegal and treasonous and cannot be justified under any law
BOTTOM LINE IS :
The Military Regime in Fiji CANNOT demand transparency and accountability, while disregarding the employment of a corresponding standard for itself.
Examples are the following acts of human rights abuses, concealment and sabotage by the Military Regime :
a) The deaths of civilians Malasebe, Verebasaga and Rabaka in military custody
b) The intimidation and abuse of youth activists including women, the kidnapping and intimidation of Richard Naidu, Taniela Tabu, Ulai Tao and the cowardly attacks on Judge Gordon Ward's house, the Australian High Commissioner Jennifer Rawson and lawyer Janet Mason and her husband amongst others
c) The beating up of Ballu Khan and others and the associated trumped up charges against 10 civilians associated with him
d) The order to kill and the subsequent deaths in custody of 8 Counter Revolutionary Warfare soldiers in November, 2000
e) The non-disclosure and deliberate concealment of the use of RFMF Regimental Funds by subsequent Military Officers since the inception of the fund.
f) The secrecy and the contravention of the law surrounding the deportation of expatriates Green, Hunter and Hannah
g) The reasons behind the Military protection of Mahendra Chaudry Prasad and his undeclared tax money.
h) The illegal dismissal of and trumped up charges against Chief Justice Fatiaki, and many other Fijian Chief Executive Officers
i) The arbitrary removal of senior govt and quasi govt officials whose only crime it seems was to have associations with the deposed govt.
j) The deliberate harassment of Qarase and trumped up charges laid against him.
k) The deliberate harassment of foreign diplomats
etc etc etc etc ............................
The Military Regime in Fiji has indirectly derived its authority from the coup therefore has no legal mandate to make any arbitrary amendments or carry out any of the activities it is currently engaged in such as :
1) The formation and subsequent activities of the witch-hunting personal vendetta arm of the Military and Chaudary called FICAC
2) Any changes in Provincial Government structure
3) Any changes in the GCC format
4) Any changes to the Public Service
5) Any changes to the Immigration Act
6) Any changes and appointments to the Judiciary
7) The formation and all subsequent activities of the Nat Council for Making a Worser Fiji with all its illegal spending and employment of expatriates at inflated salaries
8) The undermining of the Police Hierarchy
etc etc etc etc ............................
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I am very pleased to see a lively debate and the constructive discussion that touches on these issues going on at fellow bloggers site SOLI VAKASAMA.
Of note is Fiji Girl's article which is well worth a read.
Please tune in and contribute to this discussion. It is our future that is being discussed here.
