Fiji chiefs seek church support

Fiji paramount chiefs raise rights worries

Fiji chiefs seek church support 27/08/2008

http://www.fijilive.com/ -
The heads of Fiji’s three confederacies have aired their concerns on the plight of indigenous Fijians while calling on the country’s largest Christian church to unite with the vanua.The chiefs, Ratu Epenisa Cakobau, Ro Teimumu Kepa and Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, made their presentation at the Centenary Church in Suva in the presence of more than 700 clergymen from around the country, who were attending the week-long annual Methodist Church conference. The chiefs head the Kubuna, Burebasaga and Tovata confederacies respectively, the three political divisions of traditional Fijian bureaucracy. Ratu Naiqama presented a ‘tabua’ (whale’s tooth) to the outgoing Methodist Church President Reverend Laisiasa Ratabacaca while offering the chiefs’ support of the stand taken by the church earlier in the day to reject the draft People’s Charter, which proposes among other things a common name for all Fiji citizens. “Sega ni rawa ni ‘ada duadua na vanua…e sega ni rawa ni ‘ada duadua na lotu. E rawa ga ni da cakacaka vata, veilomani (the vanua and the church can not work alone, they have to work together),” he said.“E sega ni gauna rawarawa oqo. E dodonu me da veilomani. (This is not an easy time. We should unite and love one another).”Ratu Naiqama said the chiefs of Fiji have been denied a voice with the suspension of the Great Council of Chiefs by the interim Government last year.Then he called on the support of the church on safeguarding the interests of indigenous Fijians, reiterating the chiefs’ strong rejection of the proposed People’s Charter, which he says has been imposed on the people.“E sega ni vakatarai me rogoci na domoi keimami. E da sa kalawaci.“Na kamunaga sa i tatau ni veigauna sa tu mai liu.“Me lomani na vanua ko Viti – na vanua ko Kubuna, Burebasaga kei Tovata.“Keimami sa sega sega sara ni duavata, au kuria….sega sega sara ni duavata kei na vakanananu e suguraki mai oqo.”Reverend Ratabacaca accepted the ‘tabua’ on behalf of the Church, saying it was easy to accept when the Tui Cakau (king of the reefs) went down on his knees to present it in the house of God.Patiliai Leqa, who acted as Rev Ratabacaca’s herald, said: “This is perhaps the first time for the three high chiefs of the three vanua to come down to us, your people. May you all be blessed”. “Our journey is now complete. May God’s will prevail on our land and may he be our Lord always…,” he said in the Fijian language as other men of the cloth sat in complete silence.Church general secretary Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu, who yesterday labelled the Charter a “dangerous” document, escorted the chiefs out and later told reporters that the church stood as one with the vanua.“The GCC is suspended. The only voice in society now to raise issues of the Fijian people is the Church,” he said.

http://www.fijilive.com/ - 27/08/2008

Fiji chiefs seek church support 27/08/2008
The heads of Fiji’s three confederacies have aired their concerns on the plight of indigenous Fijians while calling on the country’s largest Christian church to unite with the vanua.The chiefs, Ratu Epenisa Cakobau, Ro Teimumu Kepa and Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, made their presentation at the Centenary Church in Suva in the presence of more than 700 clergymen from around the country, who were attending the week-long annual Methodist Church conference. The chiefs head the Kubuna, Burebasaga and Tovata confederacies respectively, the three political divisions of traditional Fijian bureaucracy. Ratu Naiqama presented a ‘tabua’ (whale’s tooth) to the outgoing Methodist Church President Reverend Laisiasa Ratabacaca while offering the chiefs’ support of the stand taken by the church earlier in the day to reject the draft People’s Charter, which proposes among other things a common name for all Fiji citizens. “Sega ni rawa ni ‘ada duadua na vanua…e sega ni rawa ni ‘ada duadua na lotu. E rawa ga ni da cakacaka vata, veilomani (the vanua and the church can not work alone, they have to work together),” he said.“E sega ni gauna rawarawa oqo. E dodonu me da veilomani. (This is not an easy time. We should unite and love one another).”Ratu Naiqama said the chiefs of Fiji have been denied a voice with the suspension of the Great Council of Chiefs by the interim Government last year.Then he called on the support of the church on safeguarding the interests of indigenous Fijians, reiterating the chiefs’ strong rejection of the proposed People’s Charter, which he says has been imposed on the people.“E sega ni vakatarai me rogoci na domoi keimami. E da sa kalawaci.“Na kamunaga sa i tatau ni veigauna sa tu mai liu.“Me lomani na vanua ko Viti – na vanua ko Kubuna, Burebasaga kei Tovata.“Keimami sa sega sega sara ni duavata, au kuria….sega sega sara ni duavata kei na vakanananu e suguraki mai oqo.”Reverend Ratabacaca accepted the ‘tabua’ on behalf of the Church, saying it was easy to accept when the Tui Cakau (king of the reefs) went down on his knees to present it in the house of God.Patiliai Leqa, who acted as Rev Ratabacaca’s herald, said: “This is perhaps the first time for the three high chiefs of the three vanua to come down to us, your people. May you all be blessed”. “Our journey is now complete. May God’s will prevail on our land and may he be our Lord always…,” he said in the Fijian language as other men of the cloth sat in complete silence.Church general secretary Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu, who yesterday labelled the Charter a “dangerous” document, escorted the chiefs out and later told reporters that the church stood as one with the vanua.“The GCC is suspended. The only voice in society now to raise issues of the Fijian people is the Church,” he said.

Descendants of chiefs who ceded Fiji to Great Britain in 1874 say they are saddened that the 2006 coup has continued to undermine the rights and protection given to the Fijian people under the Deed of Session document.In a statement today, the traditional leaders and heads of Fiji’s three confederacies said they were obliged as moral guardians of Fijian interests to raise some serious implications on a number of issues in the draft People’s Charter.Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, Ratu Epenisa Cakobau and Ro Teimumu Kepa issued the statement after calling for unity at the Methodist Church conference today.On the Charter proposal for all citizens be called ‘Fijians’, the chiefs said it is “a gross violation of what the term stands for including its spiritual, cultural and social significance to the Fijian people”.They add: “We believe that only when ethnic and cultural differences are recognised and respected that we can work through the balancing of our diverse needs to ensure that the rights of all citizens and ethnic groups are provided for”.The chiefs also expressed concern with the attempt to integrate provincial and advisory councils.“We see this as a direct attempt to undermine Fijian development and identity, and all that has been developed since the inception of the Fijian administration,” they said in the statement.“It also runs counter to the provisions of the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples which recognises the rights of indigenous peoples to self governance and self determination.“The provincial administration is our essential component of the Fijian administration (under the Fijian Affairs Act) and is linked directly to the Great Council of Chiefs.“These institutions had existed informally long before contact and were recognised by the colonial administrators and they were reconstructed to fit in the colonial machinery of Fijian administration.”Ratu Naiqama said these two issues were critical to Fijians and were highly regarded by British monarch Queen Victoria during cession and recently adopted by the UN.He said the issues highlighted have come out of recent consultation and deliberation of traditional leaders and the heads of confederacies.

Adi Mei passes away

Adi Mei passes away
ROBERT MATAU

www.fijitimes.com - Tuesday, August 26, 2008

THE eldest daughter of Fiji's first President, the late Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, has passed away.
Adi Mei Torika Kainona Gauna, eldest in a family of seven, passed away after suffering from a long illness. Adi Mei was a former member of the Soqosoqo Vakamarama, the Cakaudrove Provincial Council and a former announcer at Radio Fiji.
She passed away at her sister, Adi Sivo Ganilau's home at Waila near Nausori.
Adi Mei's younger brother and second eldest of Ratu Sir Penaia's children, Ratu Epeli Ganilau, the interim Defence Minister said his sister had always been a close friend and a tower of strength in their family.
Ratu Sir Penaia had seven children from his first marriage to Adi Laisa Delaisomosomo Ganilau who hailed from the Nabaubau clan of Bau Island.
Ratu Sir Penaia was also the Tui Cakau and loved by his people. Adi Mei was the eldest followed by Ratu Epeli, then Adi Sivo, Ratu Jone who was born in Malaya, Ratu Josefa Sukuna, Ratu Isoa Fugawai and the youngest is Ratu Rabici.
Ratu Epeli said Adi Mei had been suffering from a long illness which saw her undertake a long medical trip to India.
"Upon returning we were fortunate that a close family member Joe Browne looked after her at Waila with his wife who is a doctor," Ratu Epeli said.
"For this the family is deeply thankful to Mr Browne and his wife the good doctor."
Mr Browne's mother Adi Losalini Ravucake, is the sister of Ratu Sir Penaia. The funeral gathering will be held at 112 lower Ragg Avenue, Namadi starting tomorrow.
On Thursday, he said a memorial service would be held at midday at the Soqosoqo Vakamarama headquarters at Nabua.
After that the funeral cortege will proceed to Walu Bay where the cortege boards the Tovuto for Adi Mei's final trip home to Taveuni.
"Her body will lie in state at the family home at Vuniduva on Friday for the whole day and night before a church service at Somosomo and then her body will be taken to the family burial ground at Vuniduva.
Ratu Epeli said as his elder sister he always respected her and she had very sound judgment particularly on things Fijian.
"I will miss her advice and company and having somebody there for companion as we were are a very close family.
"She had been a part of my life for a long time and we all felt it when she left us for India.
"But we got used to it because she has been sick for a long time."
Adi Mei was very close to her late father. She was married to former banker Penisoni Gauna and they have three children.

Decisive action

Decisive action
Monday, August 25, 2008
www.fijitimes.com -

THE Methodist Church must take decisive action to put to an end the abuse of yaqona which is prevalent amongst its members.
At the Bose ko Viti the annual church conference this week, and last week's annual choir competition many thousands of litres of yaqona will be, and was bought and consumed.
Not one stall at the competition was without this beverage last week.
Every billet at which the church's ministers and conference delegates are accommodated this week will have the obligatory tanoa and the relevant acolytes to prepare the brew upon demand.
There is no harm in enjoying the occasional bowl of yaqona as a relaxant or as a social tool.
Through the generations this peppery drink has allowed people to gather, express and share views which have led to development of village, district, settlement and community life.
Indeed, some inspirational thoughts have been processed around the tanoa and become matters of national policy.
Families often gather for a few rounds of yaqona to discuss matters of importance or as a means to strengthen the bonds of kinship.
Of course there is also the use of yaqona in ceremonial Fijian life as an atonement for transgressions, the vehicle for seeking a favour, the key to admission into a family home or village.
We have come to value the use of yaqona on all these occasions.
But it is the open abuse of the substance which justifiably worries the leadership of the Methodist Church.
For its lay members and some of the clerics have indulged in the national traditional drink to such an extent that they neglect duties to family and the church.
At this Methodist Choir competition last week some people remained around the tanoa until the early hours of each day.
The time has come for the church to ensure that it sets definite rules for the consumption of yaqona.
The church holds a special and powerful influence over its members.
Abuse of yaqona will do no more than cause laziness, neglect of duty and lack of productivity.
Therefore, it is duty bound to see that the faithful treat yaqona with the respect it deserves and use time wisely in order that they may glorify God through taking care of the family and performing an honest day's work.

Exploitative land politics

Exploitative land politics
KAMAL IYER

http://www.fijitimes.com/ - Monday, August 25, 2008

IN the book Bittersweet, edited by Dr Brij Lal and launched to mark the 125th anniversary in 1994 of the arrival of indentured labourers to Fiji in 1879, a widowed cane farmer and cane cutter from the Northern Division named Aisha related her experience to academic Dr Padma Lal about the sugar industry and uncertainty surrounding the expiry of land leases.
When Dr Lal asked Aisha whether she had talked to politicians about her concerns, Aisha did not mince her words: "The politicians are feathering their own nests, pet puja or self -interest. They are all playing games. They want us to believe they are genuinely interested in the farmers welfare but they do not give a damn what happens to us. Look at what happened when leases began expiring. Instead of working with the landowners to negotiate renewal of leases, some politicians encouraged the farmers to leave their farms - in some cases even before their leases had actually expired. They were given all sorts of promises, promises of tickets to migrate and new aid money. After listening to them some of the farmers from Wainikoro and Daku left their homes in the year 2000, went to Valelawa camp with faith in their leaders. Some whose leases had expired refused to be settled at new site in Naduri because our leaders promised them bigger things. They stayed in makeshift houses, without jobs or land with nothing to support their families. Children could not go to school. After waiting for months, some families had to put their tail between their legs and go back to their own villages to start all over again. We all know that promises of politicians are like a sieve. Nothing stays. But do our people learn? No they do not. Even though people realise that for us Hindustanis (Indians) to live peacefully in this country we have to work together with the Kai Vitis (Fijians). Many people vote for the party that preaches racial policies rather than the party that represents co-operation and multi-racialism".
Last Friday, deposed PM and SDL leader Laisenia Qarase, while blaming others for politicising the land issue, did the same thing.
Mr Qarase's opinion - Charter and the land issue - published by The Fiji Times commented on Pillar 6 of the draft People's Charter that proposes to amend ALTA and impose free market rental on tenant farmers under the provisions of Native Land Trust Act (NLTA).
Mr Qarase recommended the following:
(a) NLTA become the only legislation for all native land;
(b) Land rent fixed at 10% of Unimproved Capital Value of Land (UCV) or market rate, and
(c) 50 year land leases with a right to renewal.
By favouring at least one recommendation contained in the draft Charter, Mr Qarase is in a small measure legitimising an illegal process borne out of a treasonous act committed against him, his government and the vast majority of law abiding citizens of Fiji.
His disagreement with other aspects of the draft Charter's land proposal is understandable but one cannot pick and choose the pros and cons of an initiative that is threatening to derail the Constitution - the supreme law of the land.
It is not a buffet.
Mr Qarase alleges that ALTA has cheated the landowners to the tune of $1billion since 1976 and blames the 6 per cent of UCV rent-fixing mechanism in ALTA as the cause of low return to the landowners.
He claims while ALTA is entrenched in the Constitution requiring a two-third majority in the House of Representatives to effect amendments, NLTA only requires a simple majority to be changed and therefore is not constitutionally protected.
This is absolutely incorrect.
Chapter 2 of the Constitution (Compact part b) states, "The ownership of Fijian land according to Fijian custom, the ownership of freehold land, and the rights of landlords and tenants under leases of agricultural land are preserved".
Chapter 13 of the Constitution (Group Rights) lists how eight Acts protecting the rights of Fijian, Rotuman and the Banaban communities including NLTA can be amended.
Bills intending to change these eight Acts have to be read three times in each House of Parliament (Lower House and Senate) and passed.
In the case of the Senate, the Bill to amend the eight Acts including NLTA cannot be passed unless at its third reading nine out of 14 senators nominated by the Great Council of Chiefs vote for the alterations.
If this not a constitutional safeguard, then what is?
In the case of ALTA, while a two-third majority is required in the Lower House, the amendments must be endorsed in the Senate by nine out of 14 GCC nominated senators.
Given the proposed electoral reforms in the draft Charter, amendments or abolition of ALTA is frighteningly possible because Indian representation in the Lower House will decline to a third or even lower in future.
Therefore, Mr Qarase's claim is hollow.
Mr Qarase's rhetoric about landowners losing out a billion dollars in rent is like a broken record.
During his term as interim PM after the 2000 coup and even in Parliament until the 2006 elections, he was claiming the sugarcane farmers were paid $2billion as their share of proceeds due to preferential sugar price paid by the European Union while landowners received peanuts from that income.
Cane farmers have not been the sole beneficiaries of the preferential price which will reduce by a total of 36 per cent next year.
The income from sugar has been invested in developments in the cane belt.
The schools, temples, churches, mosques, roads, drainage, parks, rural electrification, water supply, community projects etc have benefitted people of all races.
If the farmers were wealthy, they would not have owed $100million to commercial banks and other lending institutions until eight years ago.
Most cane farmers have remained in debt in perpetuity.
It is easily forgotten by the likes of Mr Qarase that 66 per cent of the farmers produce an average of 200 tonnes of cane.
That would have declined further in the last two seasons.
Their average nett income based on preferential prices used to be a little over $5000 after deducting 50 per cent from the gross proceeds for cane production, harvesting and delivery expenses.
And they received this over an 18 month period - the timeline for all cane payments under the current system.
It is absolutely important that debate on the land issue is not designed to inflame the emotions of landowners and tenants.
The wild bull in a china shop approach being advocated by Mr Qarase and the draft Charter will drive our country, its economy and the people to ruin.
Nobody wants this to happen. And to prevent this no one point of view must be imposed or allowed to prevail.
* The views express here are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper and the organisations he is associated with.
* On Thursday: NLTA vs ALTA

Charter and the land issue

Charter and the land issue
LAISENIA QARASE

http://www.fijitimes.com/ - Friday, August 22, 2008


The subject discussed under Pillar 6 in the draft People's Charter is: "Making more land available for productive and social purposes". Land has always been an important but rather sensitive issue in Fiji. The problem is compounded by the politics of land and also by the fact that about 90% of the land in Fiji is owned by Fijians and the tenants are mainly from other communities - the race factor.
In this short discussion the focus is on agricultural native land. It is assumed that there are no real problems in native leases for industrial, commercial, and residential purposes.
In discussions over land it is unfortunate that political interests become more prominent and the real issue is often forgotten.
The real issue, in my view, is this: that any tenancy arrangement must be fair and equitable to both landowners and tenants and that it should be in the best interests of the country.
The second dot-point under Pillar 6 says that:
"The principal issue regarding land in Fiji is not one of ownership; it is about access, its productive use and ensuring an equitable sharing of benefits. The issue of ownership is fully protected under the Constitution, and must remain so."
I accept that the principal land issue is not about ownership. But I do not agree that land ownership is "fully protected under the Constitution".
Although the Native Land Trust Act (NLTA) is an entrenched legislation it can be amended by a small majority vote in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, compared to another entrenched legislation, the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Act (ALTA) which requires a much greater majority vote for any amendments.
Landowners must know that there is much stronger legal protection for ALTA than NLTA. ALTA took away the key operating provisions of NLTA, thus weakening the Native Land Trust Board (NLTB). NLTA which deals with ownership of native land can be changed by a much smaller majority in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, as mentioned.
I do not agree with the statement in the Charter that the principal issue regarding land "is about access, its productive use and ensuring an equitable sharing of benefits". I believe that the land issue can be resolved if key stakeholders agree:
* That all native land be administered under one legislation, the Native Land Trust Act (NLTA);
* That rent on agricultural land be fixed at no less than 10% of the Unimproved Capital Value (UCV) or at market rate; and
* That the lease term on agricultural land be at not less than 50 years, with a right of renewal.
If these proposals are agreed to by stakeholders then access to land, its productive use, and the equitable sharing of benefits will follow as a matter of course.
Passed in 1976, ALTA took away the key operating powers of the NLTB. Two ALTA provisions have caused serious problems on the land issue. First, ALTA fixed the rent on agricultural land at "up to 6% of the UCV". This is one of the lowest rate of rent on agricultural land in the world.
To make it worse lawyers have had a field day since 1976, fighting on behalf of tenants, to lower the rent actually charged by invoking the "up to" provision in the rent formula.
A recent study showed that, in fact, landowners have been receiving rental income of only about 2% of UCV.
The same study showed that if the land rent was at market rates, the landowners would have received $1 billion more.
In other words they did not receive the $1billion which was rightfully theirs. Put another way, landowners have subsidised agricultural development in Fiji since 1976, not out of their own freewill but because of a Government decision now entrenched in ALTA.
Second, under ALTA the lease term is fixed at 30 years, without a right of renewal. This lease term does not encourage investments in agriculture. It is far too short. Farmers, like other investors would like to receive reasonable returns on their investments. Given the high risks in agricultural development a longer lease term is desirable. A lease term of not less than 50 years, with a right of renewal would provide a good incentive for more investments in agriculture.
ALTA is an unjust legislation. ALTA was passed for a particular purpose at the time - to increase and sustain sugar production.
That purpose has been achieved and ALTA has now outlived its usefulness. NLTA is the original legislation for all native land. There is no good reason why all matters relating to native land cannot be incorporated in the one legislation, NLTA. Many Fijians have been unhappy with ALTA over-riding the key provisions of NLTA.
They have perceived ALTA as an instrument to weaken the NLTB by gutting the key provisions of NLTA.
Many Fijians have questioned the motive of Fijian leaders in Parliament in 1976. They were rather careless in agreeing to ALTA. They certainly failed to do their arithmetic right when it came to fixing the land rent.
Only Sakeasi Butadroka and Apisai Tora protested against ALTA.
So long as ALTA remains the effective law on native agricultural land, Fijians will remain agitated because of the relegation of both NLTA and NLTB to minor roles. It is important for key stakeholders to agree that the ALTA provisions relating to native land be incorporated into NLTA, the legislation designed for that purpose. This step would remove a significant obstacle to the resolution of land issues in Fiji.
There is no reason why protective provisions for both landowners and tenants cannot be contained in NLTA.
One of the measures and actions to be taken as proposed in the Charter is to establish a Land Use Advisory Board, a National Land Register and a Land Use Development Plan.
We know that Mahendra Chaudhry, leader of the Fiji Labour Party has been pushing for the establishment of a Land Use Commission (LUC). I believe the current proposal in the draft Charter is really the LUC presented in another form. The motive behind the LUC is to establish an agency with legal powers to decide on land use and associated matters.
In effect the LUC will take away more powers and functions of the NLTB. If both ALTA and LUC are allowed to work side by side, then NLTA becomes virtually ineffective and the NLTB could be reduced to an agency which merely issues leases and collects and distributes rental income.
In other words, the NLTB would not be making key decisions relating to native land. Instead these decisions would be made by agencies in which landowners may not be represented.
I return to the finding of a recent study, that since 1976 landowners have lost about $1billion due to the very low rent fixed under ALTA. Our Parliament in 1976 was responsible for this unfair decision, over which the landowners had no say. It was a mistake by the State. In my view, there is a case for compensation due to landowners by the State.
This compensation could be effected via a "resource tax" which can accumulate in a trust fund to be invested for the general good of the Fijian people.
In 2005 the SDL Government introduced into the House of Representatives amendments to both ALTA and NLTA. These amendments related to the issues discussed above: restoring laws on native land to NLTA; the fixing of rent on agricultural land at not less than 10% of UCV or at market rate; and the fixing of lease term on agricultural land at not less than 50 years with a right of renewal. These amendments to ALTA and NLTA were rejected by Mr Mahendra Chaudhry and his Fiji Labour Party, despite general agreement on the issues at multi-party 'talanoa' sessions.
As trustees for landowners, the NLTB, and indeed all landowners should work towards one goal to achieve the following:
* Ensure that the NLTA becomes the only legislation for all native land;
* Ensure that rent on agricultural land is fixed at not less than 10% of UCV or at market rate; and
* Ensure that the lease term for agricultural leases is fixed at not less than 50 years with a right of renewal.
These changes must be effected first before any discussion on issues such as land use and other associated matters. Failure to do this would be another "sell-out" of Fijian interests on land.

* The views expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of The Fiji Times.

Landowners to benefit from shareholding

Landowners to benefit from shareholding
http://www.fijitimes.com/ - Friday, August 22, 2008

LANDOWNERS of the biggest hotel development project in the country are set to rake in the benefits through shares in the five-star resort and employment.
The much touted $243million Natadola Intercontinental Beach Resort is set to be completed next month and project chairman, Felix Anthony said negotiations were underway to secure some of the best deals for the landowners.
Even before it has opened, the venture is already employing 1000 workers at Natadola, villagers making up a majority of them.
"I have authorised a comprehensive study of loss of fishing rights and environmental impact of this project. I am now engaged in negotiations with the landowners to convert the compensation money into shares in Natadola Resort for the long term benefit and substantial returns to the landowners," Mr Anthony told a tourism forum in Nadi today.
"Through shareholding the landowners will have a sense of ownership, commitment and belonging to this project."
He said one of the biggest challenges facing investors was the failure to keep landowners informed about developments on their land.
"We had worked hard to win the goodwill and support of the landowners. We are committed to the interests of our landowners and we give utmost priority to ensure that landowners benefit commercially out of this project," Mr Anthony said.
"We have developed a spirit of excellent and productive partnership."
Currently, the majority of the villagers are employed either in the hotel Site, the Golf Course and the Nursery.
There is also a village committee in place to look at all the employment and recruitment issues at village level.
The hotel has around 799 workers and 198 subcontractors on the resort site. The golf and nursery has a further 250.

Fijian Native Lands

Subject: Fijian Native Lands

Sai Lealea - Unpublished letter to Fiji Times - 28 May 2007


Fijians may just wish to ponder on why the issue around the possible alienation of Fijian native lands is being raised now by Dr Sahu Khan and others.

I invite them to examine the intentions of people like him and why now and not any other time. After all it should be nakedly obvious how Fijians regard as
sacrosanct the issue of native lands, let alone the potential for it to be opened up for exploitation by others.

It is also clear that the likes of Dr Sahu Khan would not be raising such a topic unless they perceive that the timing for it is right and that it would receive
sympathetic hearing from those in authority. Fijians in the current regime have better decide if they want to be party to that form of deception and exploitation.

Dr Sahu Khan can put all the legalities and rationality around his intention as he may regard land merely as a resource and commodity. However, he must
remember that when it comes to land for Fijians, rationality has only a minor place as we are dealing with issues intimately connected to a peoples' values
and what defines them and their existence.

Any credible government must be alert to this reality because as the global environment force nations to look internally to deal with all the various crises,
there will be a tendency to seek refuge and affirmation in one's own insitutional practices, culture and values. Fijians are engaging in precisely this and that is why they will come out of the current crisis in Fiji and the trampling of their institutions by the current regime much stronger and affirmed as a people.

For the future, this resurgence will result in them challenging the state and its intentions and meting out retaliations to others who they regard as traitors
to the cause and collaborators in downgrading their status as indigenous peoples.

However, the alternative as seen in smarter nations, is to embrace and support indigenous peoples as the focal point and focus for forging unity and common
identity. When Fijians do well, Fiji as a nation, flourishes and has a proud sense of purpose. To achieve this, it is critical that the economic development of Fijians is accelerated and with them leading the journey and offering partnership with others. Regretably, the current regime and its supporters, even worse those Fijians in the regime, are leap years away from ever doing such a thing.

Sai Lealea
Wellington