Ratu Joni: Coup weakened law
Sunday, June 10, 2007
THE military commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama and his close advisers saw the military as the ultimate guarantor of the peace as echoed in their public statements and private discussions, says ousted Vice-President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi.
Speaking last week at the workshop on the Fiji Coup six months on, organised by the Australian National University Ratu Joni said with the military arrogating for itself the role of guardian and protector, the Police Force had increasingly demoralised.
He said the reformed and rebuilding of morale implemented by former Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes had dissipated gradually since his departure last year.
"The military has blurred the boundaries between policing and security roles at the cost of police independence and autonomy," Ratu Joni said.
Ratu Joni said paradoxically, the business community was quick to embrace the expanded reach of the military.
"They welcomed the presence of checkpoints and the involvement of the military in policing as having a salutary effect on crime and while such tunnel vision was understandable it was shortsighted.
"There has been a real undermining of the rule of law by the military's acts and while crime has not diminished, it has simply relocated elsewhere."
Ratu Joni said breaches in human rights had been on a wide scale culminating in the deaths of Nimilote Verebasaga, 41, and Sakiusa Rabaka, 19.
He said there were two related objectives for human rights abuses.
"The first was to intimidate and frighten opponents of the military where skills acquired in soldiering abroad have been deployed for such ends.
"The second was to consolidate their position by assuming policing functions in the months after the coup," Ratu Joni said
Ratu Joni said the military readily attended to inappropriate calls for intervention from many Indians, and citizens frustrated or dissatisfied with the level of police investigations on their behalf. He said the helplessness of the ordinary citizen was heightened by the inexplicable stance assumed by the Fiji Human Rights Commission in (FHRC) favour of the military.
Ratu Joni said a majority of the minority communities felt marginalised and deprived by the previous SDL government including the Catholic Church hierarchy, a significant section of civil society, elements in the judiciary as well as some in the private sector.
He said the interim Government formed by Commodore Bainimarama, in January was revealing.
"While multi ethnic in character, it has limited Fijian support.
"The Fijian politicians in the interim Cabinet were unsuccessful candidates at the last general election with the exception of one member of the SDL represented by default," Ratu Joni said.
He said the interim Government was perceived by Fijians as the handmaiden of Mahendra Chaudhry. [Madraiwiwi] said Fijians were convinced this was an Indian coup.
Irrefutably, the comments by the Madraiwiwi, reflects a pitiful attempt to stoke the flames of ethnic divisions in Fiji, which he as a chieftain has exploited. The broad brush used by the former Vice-President in painting the 2006 coup as, predominantly favoured by one ethnic race is among the greatest manipulations of the facts. Madraiwiwi's assertion on the issue of racial perceptions to the 2006 coup, lacks empirical evidence and should be considered as pure speculation designed to incite any remnants of ethnonationalistic fear mongering.
There is an overwhelmingly number of indigenous Fijians, exceedingly happy with this clean up campaign, which has injected "checks and balances" over these native institutions and exposed the mega scams in Native Lands Trust Boars like the Pacific Connex MySap debacle, the underhand dealings in Natadola, the scams in Fiji Sports Council and a host of other wiful and wholesale malfeasance.
Where was the moral virture of Madraiwiwi, when these misappropriations were repeatedly raised in the media and blogs?
This pandemic of corrupted chiefs and politicians are much more of threat to the rule of law in Fiji, than the concerns raised by Madraiwiwi. Clearly, the actions of the former Vice-President speaks louder than his comments.
The rule of law in Fiji had been despotically maligned by these native institutions which Madraiwiwi himself, is a benefactor of. This stains his integrity in being honest observer of Fiji's socio-political landscape. If anything, Madraiwiwi's mandate in speaking on behalf of all indigenous Fijians, is highly questionable with respect to the issue of equality under the law.
A similar styled misrepresentation was reflected in a recent Fiji Daily Post Editorial.
Misrepresenting the Dangers of Ethnonationalism.
The editorial by the Fiji Daily Post titled “Ethnonationalism, Yes. Ethnocentrism, No” published on 28th May, 2007 leaves an unpleasant reflection of fair and balanced coverage; as well as revealing the Editorial's selective use of the word: Ethnonationalism.
The following paragraph is an excerpt of the definition of ethnonationalism, used by the Fiji Daily Post:“Ethnonationalism is a respectable idea. In it, one takes pride in one’s ethnos (i.e. people-group) and in the social organisation of that people-group into a modern nation. No human alive should be unhappy about one’s ethnos per se, and ethnonationalism is a healthy pride to have. It is the sentiment which has kept all of the world’s rainbow plurality of ethnic people-groups alive and surviving. If we lose our sense of ethnonationalism, we may as well cease to exist. We may as well give up our borders, our resources and our beloved ones to the invasion of alien peoples and cultures or to the majorities in which we may find ourselves. Ethnic pride is a condition of survival; it is a survival instinct.”
Ethnic pride can be safely demarcated from the questions of nationhood. Ethnic pride also means taking the time to re-examine the ethos of ethnic pride, with the fundamentals of moral values. It means questioning the inherent dichotomy of ethnonationalism and seeking accountability for the abuse of native institutions in Fiji. Confusing survival with ethnonationalism is among the chief motivations of the Fiji Daily Post and all those who pander to the same divisive ideology.
At this juncture of Fiji's political turmoils, the issue of ethnonationalism is a loaded subject many readers are familiar with. Although, the Daily Post suggests that Ethnonationalism is akin to taking pride in one's ethos; it is factually incorrect to extend that definition to the political sphere. Every person is proud of their own culture, as much as the next person, but aligning ethnicity with nationalism, demeans any rational and impartial objectives of multiculturalism.
The Editorial further fabricates the dangers of the border security incursions, in the absence of ethnonationalism. Claiming with questionable authority that:“ If we lose our sense of ethnonationalism, we may as well cease to exist. We may as well give up our borders”.
It begs the question, what does surrendering Fiji's international borders have to do with domestic ethnonationalism? Fallaciously, the Daily Post attempted to tie the fears of self-existence, along with the concept of multiculturalism.
It is these similar threats that were used extensively in Fiji, that resulted in the 1987 and 2000 coups. Fortunately, the 2007 Interim Government has the diligence and knowledge to separate the issues of border security and ethnic incitement, as well as isolating those individuals who use these fears for political mileage. The constant referrals to ethnocentrism by the Fiji Daily Post Editorial is a convenient veneer, obfuscating the true meaning of ethnonationalism and racism in Fiji:"Ethnocentrism is the unhealthy psychological attitude that one’s people-group is all that matters. That one’s culture ought to be the measuring stick of the value of all others. Ethnocentrism therefore promotes racism."
It is also a myopic view which the abusers of Fijian culture have maintained, at the expense of cohesive social empowerment. For one thing, ethnonationalism is the exact opposite of multiculturalism.The Editorial contradicts itself, by equating multiculturalism with ethnonationalism in this particular reference:“Ethnonationalism is at the heart of what governments call ‘multiculturalism’. That is, multiculturalism, at its most fundamental premiss, is a policy which allows and encourages people-groups to celebrate themselves, to be proud of their roots and identity, and to maintain the dignity of their history.”(sic)
Unashamedly, the Editorial continues to create self fulfilling prophesies with a litany of falsehoods. It is sad reflection of the biased stance taken by the Daily Post, which tailored its verbatim with inconsistent uses of the truth. Similarly, the following paragraph from the Editorial alludes that multiculturalism promotes ethnonationalism; without referencing any independent sources proving that the statement is factual correct.“Multiculturalism rejects the notion that the modern nation must require the submergence of historical identity and culture for the sake of another identity or culture. Multiculturalism promotes ethnonationalism because it sees it as a building block of ethnic or racial stability. Without ethnonationalism, self-hatred easily steps into the vacuum and fills a people-group with unhelpful psychological desires and expectations.”
The Daily Post Editor's professional capacity must be seriously questioned for this hasty, unsupported and unsubstantiated conclusion stating that: ethnonationalism in Fiji is inversely proportional to self hatred. Notwithstanding, the recent mistake of the Daily Post, erroneously publishing the results of the International Rugby Board's Sevens Grand Prix.
An inconvenient truth that bears testimony to the evils of ethnonationalism in Fiji, is convincingly demonstrated in post-2000 coup events. Particularly so, when the Great Council of Chiefs rallied their support behind the illegal takeover of Chaudary's Government. In fact, the 1987 and 2000 coups in Fiji underscored that, ethnonationalism threatens multiculturalism.
Undoubtedly, these very native institutions benefited from the seditious acts, by abusing the parallel structure of the chiefly hierarchy. Ironically, after the suspension of the GCC, several members sought legal address and questioned the authority of the Interim Government; without realizing the immense hypocritical position of their logic.
Neither GCC or its members questioned the authority of the Interim Governments that emerged from the 1987 or 2000 coups and their belated objections on the 2006 coup, is a fallacy of the highest order.
Legally, the GCC is in a tenuous position by challenging the State's authority over them and by extension of this question of authority, somewhat undermines the very sovereignty of state power; which the institution of courts derive their authority from. It is interesting to point out that the GCC had also advocated a separate Fijian court to specifically cater for cases within the native dominions. Realistically, it was clear headed thinking that pointed out the dual tracks of law, arising from such an arrangement.
Ethnonationalism is wrong then, as it is now. It is also equally wrong and morally irresponsible for the Daily Post to downplay the failures and dangers of ethnonationalism in Fiji.
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