Immigration officer is cleared of any wrong doing, highlighting the level of interference by the P.M's office in Fiji. After all the noise in Fiji media, that the officer acted outside his authority was in fact hogwash and disinformation.
It takes the sleeping Giant nation of China to suggest a way forward for Pacific islanders. What are they doing in these decision making and planning departments in these island nations?
The 4 women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize is grandstanding. With all due respect to the four women. However, none of these women ever placed their life on the line in pursuit of Peace. I would believe that the humble Fiji Soldier has been sidelined as usual by these NGO's.
U.N official declares that Fiji's development is in a doldrums.
The reason being is the issue of land. Another case of land disputes in Fiji anchors the fact that the Native Land Trust Board
needs to go.
Qoroniasi Bale-Fiji's crooked Attorney General still doesn't get it. Nevertheless Villagers in Fiji are not agreeing with the Amnesty clause of the R.T.U Bill.
The restructure of Fijian Administrators should have been done 30 years ago. Better late than never, huh?
Secretary to Parliament should just resign for requesting more money for Parliament House repair. She has shown her incapability of projecting accurate capital budgets and operating within those limits. I believe it s time to for Fiji, to find someone who can.
More Letters to the Editor of the Fiji Times of Thursday June 30th, 2005.
Anatomy of delusion
I refer to the recent protest march staged by members of the Methodist Church of Rewa where Reverend Kalivati Ravoka is quoted as saying legalisation of gay mariage will bring other ungodly acts being performed in Fiji — father's raping and impregnating their daughters, men molesting little children, Hindu temples being descrated, violent robberies and murders of innocent, hardworking people and not forgetting the number of people in high places commiting adultery and having several "vale ni kuros" apart from their legal one!
His comment regarding gays therefore is just as delusion as the deluded government ministers driving around in expensive Pajeros whilst so many of our citizens struggle to survive, the Immigration Department trying to justify the expusion of Peter Ridgeway, further exacerbated by the front page of one of our dailies depicting Jioji Kotobalavu crudely and classly telling him to "bugger off" and probably the biggest delusion of them all — the Minister for Lands and brother of George Speight recently announcing in the media that George doesn't want to be used as a pawn in the unity Bill, but that he wants to reconcile with all those who suffered during the events of 2000.
Yet in the next breath, he then goes on to say that time would tell whether George would give the names of those behind the coup. Now you couldn't get more delusive than that could you?
Talei Burnes
Suva
Silent treatment
WE can no longer afford to let our religious selves or spiritual selves be stunned by the abuse of religion or our resentment of it. Without question, gay people everywhere have been betrayed by their faith communities and damaged by religion.
They have suffered directly as members of congregations and families that accepted unquestioniningly the selective and tortured interpretations of scriptures spewed from pulpits.
The church was my home, its tradition of service, peace, justice and compassion were and are mine, but I could not and cannot accept its hyprocrises — among them its discrimination. Tolerance will never be the word accepted but violence and hate that is unquestionably the theme of church worshippers that is indirectly sermonise to the members.
However we must recognise that it is the gay untouchables who often stand alone in their churches and traditions against the false teachings and religious violence that hurt us all.
I personally believe that gay marriage is not a subject that a large proportion of gay people are embracing. In fact there are too many people who say they don't want to copy the straight world.
EttaT Tuitoga
Suva
NBF names
I read with interest Adi Kula's letter (FT 14/06/05).
The people of Fiji lost $220 million when the National Bank of Fiji collapsed. It collapsed because debtors borrowed from it and did not repay.
One of the borrowers was QB Bale and Associates which borrowed more than half a million dollars.
We have been hearing this name more often than the Prime Minister's or George Speight's in Fiji lately. Do the poor people of Fiji have something big to worry about again?
Ranjit Singh
Suva
Passing blame
The Government is at it again. They've now decided to blame the President Ratu Iloilo for the impasse between the military commander and government.
They're being arogant, they don't have any respect for the President's Office, by insulting his Excellency's advisers.
Realising that their mission of ousting the Commander from his secure position was not achieved, they've now shifted their trash to the highest office.
It seems to my view that the government is the one stirring emotions, instead they need to relax and stop their unnecessary nagging.
Kinisimere Vakaloloma
Nasinu
Labour explains
LET me explain why Fiji Labour Party walked out of the Parliament during the second reading of Promotion for Tolerance and Unity Bill and is staying away from JLO Sector Committee. There were no prior consultations on the Bill as has been the precedence on national issues such as Land, Constitution and Sugar.
A similar approach could have been adopted. The matter could have been discussed first at a Talanoa Forum. But the Government decided to surprise and shock the nation.
FLP's intention is to draw attention of Fiji and the Internatioal community to the constitutional provisions in the Bill.
Labour's action has put Fiji back in focus, by its own people and by the world. The Bill is a national issue. The FLP as the victim of the 2000 event as such, it just could not sit and listen to the Prime Minister forcing reconciliation down our throat.
Furthermore, our presence would have given legitimacy to something we believe is a deception.
Experience has shown that the recommendation by the Sector Standing Committee (which operates on a bi-partisan basis ) is hardly taken on board by the SDL Government when brought to the House.
On such an important issue, it would be futile to sit through a charade when the Prime Minister is constantly saying that the Government will see the Bill through.
The FLP also decided to boycott the Land, Consti-tution and Sugar Committee for the simple reason that the PRTU Bill cuts at the basics of human rights, takes away the independence of the DPP and the Courts System.
When freedon, stability and security is threatened, Land, Constitution and Sugar take on a secondary importance. What will one do by acquiring Land Leases or with Sugar when these rights are not there?
These Select Committees were established in good faith which have been breached by the action on the Prime Minister.
For information of Mr Kumar, NLTB is renewing leases for 30 years under ALTA for land they intend to lease.
As for hoodwinking the electorate, that will be decided by the people in the 2006 General Elections. Dalip Kumar can begin his campaign. FLP has been commended by the large majority for the action they have taken. FLP will continue to respond to the needs and aspirations of the people.
Dalip and I hope I have clarified Labour's principle position and understand that we have no time for political grandstanding on such a critical issue.
Amjad Ali
MP
Nadi
Resign, Qarase
LAISENIA Qarase must resign after the serious allegations made by the Fiji Council of Churches that he deliberately misled them on the amnesty provision in the Unity Bill.
It is disgraceful that the prime minister should have deceived church leaders into winning their support for the Bill. He had the audacity to mislead the nation by claiming that the Bill had the support of Christians.
This is simply another instance of how he has been lying and deceiving the nation regarding this highly objectionable piece of legislation and its sinister intention to provide amnesty for those convicted of coup-related offences.
Similar duplicity was exercised when Mr Qarase introduced the Bill in the House of Representatives and the Opposition was forced to accuse him of lying and distorting aspects of the proposed Bill.
The allegations of deliberately-exercised duplicity are serious and the nation must take them as such. A prime minister cannot deceive the nation on important national issues. I suggest Mr Qarase do the honourable thing and resign as prime minister.
He cannot command the respect and confidence of the nation. The Government must stop all the charade about consulting with various groups, take the advice of church leaders and withdraw the controversial and highly divisive Bill.
Mahendra Chaudhry
Opposition Leader
Poverty and wages
THERE was an urgent vacancy (FT 11/6) for sewing machinists for Southtex Fiji Ltd, the leading Nike garment manufacturer.
The advertisement stated that attracting rate @ $1.43 hour will be offered to starters and experienced. Directors of the above company who must be aware of the Ministry of Labour laws, had no hesitation in disclosing their meagre rate.
More than 50 per cent of Fiji's population is under the poverty line. Thousands of employees are underpaid while education, health needs, proper housing and groceries for their families remain unaffordable.
In many cases, employers fail to deduct or submit FNPF contribution for their workers. People have worked for years and decades but are left with nothing to enjoy the benefit of their hard work.
Directors of big companies enjoy luxurious living, ignoring the fact that this is all derived from the seat of their employees. The authorities concerned send their representatives to companies for inspection where bosses offer bowls of grog, lunch and even cash to them.
Without inspection, the representatives' work is completed for the day. Whichever race our future prime minister and his colleagues belong to, will not matter. Our underprivileged requires good leaders to consider their plight.
David Lal
Lautoka
Unity Bill
SOLUTIONS quite often bring some problems as well. But in the case of the Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill it seems that the majority of the people are too concerned and talking about it especially in regards to the amnesty clause.
Because of its implications it is causing a lot of unnecesarry mental stress and strain to many. Also a lot of time, money, efforts and resources are utilised by the Government for seemingly o futile exercise.
In any situation reconciliation and unity is possible if the wrong-sincerely acknowledge his/her wrong-doing to his/her victim and apologises and where necessary compensates the victim first. Basically this is what that was required in Fiji's situation.
If there was a thorough discussion among the parties to the tabling of the Bill in Parliament then I think we would not have faced the disagreement.
First, we should know about the people behind the 2000 coup (and the mutiny at the Army Barracks) then we should have a list of people/families that were directly affected like the hostages at the Parliament, those whose cars were burnt or damaged and the communities that were terrorised and looted at various parts of the country.
Further, there should be another list of people who were indirectly affected such as hotel and garment workers, those in taxi and bus industries, students, office workers and sick. In fact the list can be longer.
We should not forget that we are part of the global society, and others are watching at us. Politics is another game that can be won if played properly, that is, if acts of transparency, accountability and justice are common as people look forward to these aspects than any thing else. It is the principle that matters not who is the principal.
Ishwari Prasad
Suva
Right to speak
I AM pleased Ravuama Vere is questioning the issue of whose mandate some of us have to be speaking out against the Reconciliation and Unity Bill.
We need citizens who can exercise their right to speak out about issues that are of concern tot hem.
Just as Mr Vere is exercising his right to speak out, I am also exercising my individual constitutional right to speak out against a Bill that I have carefully studied and have detected the possible negative impact it could have on my life and lives of my family and the children we wish to educate to respect the rule of law and to live in harmony with one another in this country.
I do not have to be a MP as Mr Vere knows too well. If there was nothing wrong with the Bill, we would not be speaking out against it. I have often said that this is not about against government of the political party. Concerns are raised after an objective analysis of the Bill.
Had another government or political party tried to pass this Bill, I would still be against it. For good governance to prevail, there is no need to play the numbers game. Not all the people of Fiji had read and have had the time to reflect on the possible implications of the Bill.
The major issue here is that some citizens who have read it have articulated their grave concerns. This should be reason enough for the Government to re-look at the issue.
Just as the present government in its wisdom had withdrawn the Media Bill after strong objections from the public, it should similarly withdrawn this Bill.
In its place it should direct its attention at re-looking at strengthening and resourcing the current mechanisms we already have in place to effectively bring about what this Bill is aiming to do is reconciliation, unity, justice, compensation and pardon.
This would be in terms of utilising and helping our educational system, our Ministry of National Reconciliation and Unity, our judiciary, DPP Office, Police, Fiji Human Rights Commission, the Prerogative of Mercy Commission and NGOs and religious bodies' community outreach programs for peace education, reconciliation and poverty alleviation etc.
Non-government organisations, trade unions, professional bodies and informed citizens who have had the opportunity to read the Bill and exercise their right by voicing their opinions about their concerns — even though they are from different political persuasions, are always good indicators to go by.
That they and individuals can still exercise their right to contribute positively to public debate is a healthy sign for Fiji.
Susana Tuisawau
Suva
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