The Essence of Time.

Happy New Year to the readers of S.i.F.M.

The dawn of another year is upon us and this transition brings a new tide of concerns. Domestically in Fiji, it is the process of formalizing an interim Government, as Fiji Times article reports.

Developments in Fiji and Tonga and the passage of time seemed to throw a spanner into the works of oversight, dutifully carried out by Australian and New Zealand. Both egalitarian guardians, will grudgingly come to terms with the gray areas, the misty shaded veils that inhabit the fringes of Pacific governance and one stark fact: A gross inability of these Trans-Tasman outposts, of understanding these happenings.

Is the change of the Pacific fabric of society, a dictation of their inadequate level of diplomacy? Or is it a question of how Trans-Tasman diplomacy, is being dictated to these island nations?

Letters to Fiji Daily Post's Editor reflects the cognitive dissonance of political attitudes in Fiji. This is the excerpt of an outstanding one:

Shameful NGOs
30-Jan-2007

Sir,

I WORK for an NGO vested with human rights in New Zealand and generally, as professional courtesy, we are not openly critical of each other.

However the situation in Fiji has gone beyond my tolerance limit. The hypocrisy and double standards coming out from outcries of Shamima Ali, Virisila Buadromo, Laisa Digitaki, Angie Heffernan and company are sickening at best and are a shame to all agencies that fund such NGO chameleons that change their colour to suit the situation.

I have no sympathy with the changing colours of NGOs who condone blatant, naked and institutionalised racism, yet are crying when a few stupid people get what they deserved when they fail to heed warnings and realise and appreciate the reality of the situation.
Where were these champions of human rights when Qarase regime blatantly practised racism against Fiji Indians? They obviously unashamedly mix around with and blaze the cocktail circuits and rubbed shoulders with those who were committing gross abuses of human rights under a charade and guise of democracy.

Dr Shaista Shameem of Fiji Human Rights Commission is correct in her actions and decisions, and I can say that as a director who also works for a human rights organisation in New Zealand.

Our cardinal, first and foremost responsibility is safety, preservation and protection of human life, and if life is lost because of folly of people, then no use protecting rights of dead people.

That is exactly what she was doing when she warned people to exercise caution with due regards to the prevailing situation, because of curtailed rights which is the reality of situation, given the circumstances. Military is in power now and despite rhetoric of legalities from Heffernan and Ali, Dr Shameem was being sensible, pragmatic and a realist in trying to stop stupid people from doing stupid heroics, which we view as grandstanding and reeking of hypocrisy, and could result in loss of lives in extreme cases.

Instead of calling Dr Shameem to resign, the activists with selective sense of activism should look at their own suitability for their respective positions where they are not prepared to act without fear or favour in all cases.

Same applies to the so called freedom fighters who failed to heed commonsense and tried to gain publicity by gazing up the barrel of guns. Under the circumstances they have themselves to blame for their fate, bruises and bruised egos.


Thakur Ranjit Singh,
Auckland,NZ

Governance is now becoming more of a looming problem for Australia's Prime Minister, whose fear of an 'Asian invasion' were reported by PACNEWS and described in this Fiji Times article.

Although Australia's spending on defense has certainly skyrocketed and more directed to U.S manufactured arms; these arms trades are subject to embarrassing questions of quality, now being raised by the Australian media.

The big ticket item in question, is the recent purchase of 24 Super Hornet aircraft .

This particular deal was scruntinized by an article written by Carlos Kopp and published by the Age Newspaper of Melbourne, Australia.

The article's author questioned the aircrafts ability when compared with far superior performing Russian made aircraft like the Sukoi Su-30MK used extensively by Australia's northern Asian neighbor's of China, Malaysia and Indonesia.

What outclasses the Su-30MK from Super Hornet F-18E/F is that, the former has thrust vector controls, which enable the aircraft to perform tighter rolls and pitches. That particular design is now featured in the newest U.S generation of fighter jets.

This million dollar rip-off, is perhaps a reflection of Australia's junior standing in the pecking order of geo-politics, wealth and influence. The cruel irony of U.S foreign policy, is their crude program of defense assistance to Australia. Realistically, a catalog of 'hand-me-downs' whilst, more technological advanced aircraft sales to the UK are given first priority.
The unfolding of facts and time would also hasten Australia's realization to this inconvenient truth and should take heed of former English P.M, Winston Churchill's quote on US foreign affairs: "America always does the right thing. After exhausting all other possibilities."

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