Spheres of Influence.

Above: Cartoon from Melbourne's Age.

In light of the holiday season, the timeless tradition of sending seasonal greetings is no different with world leaders, who have had quite a good year of being honest and morally upstanding.

The Age also reports in an article that, from a strategic position which commanded the heights of morality, the Commonwealth Group officially suspends Fiji's membership.

Above image: Stuff N.Z magazine shares a depressing image of Christmas values.

The wave of change in Fiji is addressed by the various talking heads and media, both domestic and interntional. Among the leading Australian broadcast organization is ABC or Australian Broadcasting Corporation, whose online news website is quite informative at times. Their article on the widening division in Fiji, only reflects the line of social stratification that, had been dismembered from interfering with the controlling arm of Government.

Fiji Sun article covers that developments in Tavua in this article. The following is an excerpt:

Chief sealed off from army-Traditional warriors protect GCC chairman

By AMELINA NAIVALUWAQA

Villagers of Tavualevu where the Tui Tavua and Great Council of Chiefs chairman, Ratu Ovini Bokini, hails from have blocked access to him, saying they will stop the army or any group from entering the village. Village spokesman Apisalome Ulusova said they erected roadblocks at the three entrances to the village and traditional warriors had been guarding them since the military takeover.

Mr Ulusova said on Thursday evening they heard the military was coming to take Ratu Ovini after he made comments that did not support the military takeover. “The members of the bati clan, or the traditional warriors of the Tui Tavua, called a meeting and asked if they could set up roadblocks to the entrances to the village and keep a lookout for those who want to visit the turaga na Tui Tavua,” he said.
He added his traditional warriors informed the elders of the village that they had a traditional obligation to carry out as the protectors of Ratu Ovini.

“The people of Tavua cannot just stand by and see our high chief being interfered with because it is how we respect his decisions on the vanua of Tavua. We have also blocked access to anyone, or any group who will try and approach the Tui Tavua,” he said. Mr Ulusova said they called the Republic of Fiji Military Forces on whether it would take in Ratu Ovini but were told it had no intention to do this.

Ratu Ovini called off a Great Council of Chiefs meeting, saying it still supported Ratu Josefa Iloilo as President and would not take orders from the military. Army Commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama said he took executive authority because there were people around the President who were stopping him from exercising his powers to dissolve Parliament. He dissolved Parliament on Wednesday and said he would recommend to the GCC to endorse Ratu Josefa for another term.

Mr Ulusova warned groups who wanted to see Ratu Ovini for their own agendas, saying they would be stopped. “Anyone who wishes to see the turaga na Tui Tavua will have to go through traditional protocol and that is consultations first with the elders of the chiefly household before approaching Ratu Ovini,” he said.“His traditional warriors are also concerned with groups visiting him,” Mr Ulusova said.

He added the roadblocks would also be a sign for youths and others in the village not to take the law into their own hands because of the volatile situation experienced in the country. “In this difficult time, we will continue to protect the Tui Tavua and remove the roadblocks after everything goes back to normal. We also still believe in a democratic government led by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase,” he said.

Ratu Ovini was resting at his home while villagers guarded the village’s three entrances from Tavua town. Mr Ulusova said the vanua of Tavua still supports the democratic-elected government and recognises the Tui Vuda, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, as President and Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi as Vice President.
“The military needs to think about what it is doing at the moment because the West have been experiencing problems such as hotels and resorts closing down as well as other sectors being affected,” he said.

With out a doubt, some frustrations have been internalized with some nobles, one particular vocalization is this roadblock in Tavua by villagers supporting their chief and Chairman to the Great Council of Chiefs, Ovini Bokini, who also warns of further foreign isolation in this Fiji Live article.

Although, Fiji Village article covers more veiled frustrations from the Fiji Womens Council(FWC), who had also surprisingly cast their vote of no confidence, with their current change in Government. Their silence with the preceeding coups of 1987 and 2000 respectively, may also point out their inadequate moral positions.

The same argurement of moral double standards was raised by the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic diocese in Fiji in retaliation the statement release by the Assembly of Christian Churches in an article published by Radio NZ. This is an excerpt of the article:

Fiji’s Roman Catholic Church condemns statement by Assembly Christian Churches

Posted at 23:31 on 08 December, 2006 UTC

Fiji’s Roman Catholic Church has condemned a statement issued by the Assembly of Christian Churches on this week’s coup as politically biased and theologically wrong.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop Petero Mataca, says it is hypocritical of the churches to label the commander and his advisors as "manifestations of darkness and evil" when they did not say the same of those in the May 2000 coup.

He says it is time to acknowledge that Fiji failed to learn the lessons of the 2000 coup by ensuring that its young democracy and the rule of law were not abused and misused in the last six years.

Archbishop Mataca says the Assembly’s statement should have condemned the illegal and unconstitutional removal of the Qarase government, and affirmed the necessity for democracy and the rule of law.

He says the statement should have bound the churches to a position of compassion and justice, and recognised that what has happened has its roots in 2000.

Archbishop Mataca says the Catholic Church was not consulted by the Assembly before it issued its statement which he says is theologically wrong and morally improper.

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