Stumbled upon an interesting paper titled "Historical Analysis of Population Reactions to Stimuli- A Case Study on Fiji" a document authored by Sen Kikkert and Patricia Dexter from Australia's Department of Defense, Department of Defense Science and Technology-Land Operations Division.
It is debatable how a pseudo Historical Analysis case study is being churned out by a Department of Science and Technology. However, when considering the Fiji's Interim Government's plan for a Lands Use Commission as published in a recent Fiji Times article; the document may have some value from a macro perspective, despite some historical flaws and socio-political, geo-political minimization. For example, Rory Ewins's research on Fiji's 1987 coup is a micro analysis.
The excerpt of Fiji Times article:
State approves land body
VERENAISI RAICOLA
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
The interim Cabinet has approved the formation of a Committee on Better Utilisation of Land which has been aggressively opposed by a Fijian political party.
Cabinet based its decision on a submission by the interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday.
Commodore Bainimarama said the committee came about as a result of a resolution by the interim Cabinet last year that the Ministry of Fijian Affairs team up with the Native Land Trust Board and the Provincial Administration to approach landowners regarding ALTA leases that had or were about to expire.
But Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua Party spokesman Peceli Kinivuwai said the interim administration should not be suggesting the formation of such committees.
Mr Kinivuwai said Fijians were wise enough to utilise their land and find solutions to their own problems without influence from outside sources without a mandate from the people.
"Our party does not see the need for non-Fijians to deal with our land," said Mr Kinivuwai. He found it strange that members of the interim administration proposed to resolve the land issue when it did not belong to them.
Mr Kinivuwai said as opposition leader in 2002, Mahendra Chaudhry had engaged in talks with the elected government on land and later backed out.
"It simply does not make sense that after backing out then, today Mr Chaudhry says he has solutions to the land problems," said Mr Kinivuwai.
He said landowners needed to be consulted over such a sensitive asset.
Commodore Bainimarama said four teams with representatives from the Ministries of Indigenous Affairs, Provincial Development and Agriculture, the Department of Lands, the Native Lands Trust Board, as well as the provincial councils would visit and meet landowners in key areas in the central, eastern, western and northern divisions.
"The teams would explain to landowners the possibilities and benefits of re-leasing their land to tenants wishing to pursue farming activities," said Commodore Bainimarama.
The interim Prime Minister said land was the most productive resource of every country and provided wealth to many.
"Fiji was blessed with good climate, productive land, keen and skilled farmers and yet we cannot fully exploit the land," he said.
"The Fijian landowners who own almost 90 per cent of all land on communal basis have unnecessary fears that their land can be alienated or removed by tenant farmers who are largely Fiji Indians.
"Politicians and nationalists caused reluctance among Fijian landowners from leasing their land because of absolute misadvised lies and political manipulation espoused by narrow minded politicians and other individuals.
"The ultimate result has been a national disgrace, loss of livelihood for landowners and the tenants as well as loss of farm knowledge and skills."
He said Indians lived in Fiji for close to 130 years and had never taken an inch of Fijian land held under customary ownership.
"The perception of uncertainty and fear instilled in the minds of landowners needs to be removed and this can be done through a massive outreach campaign organised and funded by the Government to expose and educate the Fijian landowners about the many good things which continued leasing of land would bring to them, tenants and the country as a whole."
"The Fijian landowners are now also increasingly realising the many disadvantages they are facing as a result of their unwise decision not to continue leasing their lands," said Commodore Bainimarama.
He said the consultation would convince landowners to lease their land.
The committee will comprise the Permanent Secretaries of the Prime Minister's Office, Indigenous Affairs, Provincial Development, Lands, Agriculture and the chief executive of the Native Land Trust Board while being chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Indigenous Affairs.
The committee will also examine the relevance, viability and acceptability or otherwise of NLTB's proposal for some incentives to be offered to the landowners and a paper on this will be prepared and taken for Cabinet consideration in their next meeting.
Reactions to the story was published in Fiji Times "Have Your Say" Column, igniting vitriolic postings bordering on racist.
Fiji's Interim Prime Minister, realizing the dangerous under current, was quick to condemn the negative spin on the proposed initiative, from fear mongers with an ethno-nationalistic mindset. Teresia Teiawa's paper underscores the complexity and dove tails into the population stimuli thesis raised by the paper.
The except of Fiji Times article:
Voreqe condemns land use critics
1454 FJT
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Update: 2.58pm INTERIM Prime Minister, Commander Voreqe Bainimarama has strongly condemned suggestions that the interim Government's proposed land use initiative is geared towards changing land ownership.
And he has called on those making those comments and SDL party not to mislead the landowners and politicise the land issue but let landowners decide what is good for them. He has warned politicians and nationalists not to create unnecessary fear and whip up the emotions of the landowners.
"The traditional Fijian landowners who own almost 90 per cent of all land in the country have unnecessary fears that their land can be alienated or removed by tenant farmers who are largely Fiji Indians," Commander Bainimarama said.
"The reluctance of Fijian landowners resulted mainly from bad advise, lies and political manipulation espoused by narrow-minded politicians and other individuals."
"The Fijian landowners are now realising the many disadvantages they are facing as a result of their unwise decision not to continue leasing their lands."
[Bainimarama]said the proposed initiative by the interim Government has nothing to do with ownership of the land or changing land legislations and policies but it was to generate interest amongst the landowners for better utilization of their land.
It is also ironic to note that this "Lands Use Commission" was a concept floated by Fiji's 1999 democratically elected Government and it has been argued that the issue was used a political ammunition by elements supporting the status quo. Suffice to say, the same fears being echoed from the same elements of danger.
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