Last Week in Fiji: Third Week of March

The week started with two minor parties insulting PNG's Sir Rabbie Namaliu and ended with molotov cocktail attacks on two homes. The rays of hope from the previous week's Political Party Leaders' meeting were soon blotted out as Fiji A and Fiji B again took turns to bat on a heavily trampled field with no umpires. 

Postings

Wed.18th.  "They're At It Again. This Time Sir Rabbie".  Two minor parties,  the CAMV and the General Voters' Party, criticized the nomination of PNG's Sir Rabbie Namaliu as chair of the PPDF, calling him a puppet to white Australia and New Zealand. PNG took offence and Sir Rabbie withdrew his nomination. Later, Mahendra Chaudhry siad he hoped Sir Rabbie would reconsider. The incident was aggrevated, if not caused, by poor reporting by the media. Sir Rabbie had been nominated, not appointed. PNG thought the Interim Government had made the remarks when in fact they had  nominated Sir Rabbie,who appeared to have the support of all except CAMV and GVP.  I saw it as an early attempt to derail the Political Party Leaders meetings and future PPDF.

Friday 20th. "An Apt and Wise Old Song (for Fiji Just Now)." I posted the blog's first song, Bing Crosby's  1940s "You've got to accentuate the positive/ Eliminate the negative/ Latch on to the affirmative/Don't mess with Mister In-Between."

Sun. 22nd. "Fom Stones to Rocks to Molotov Cocktails" commented on attacks on the cars and homes of Sakuisa Raivoce and Netani Rika. The Fiji, foreign media and IG opponents claimed they were political intimidation; hinted strongly that the military was involved; some accused the police of not taking the attacks seriously, and all demanded the IG condemn the attacks (which they did the following day).  I criticized intrepretations put on the stone and molotov cocktail events, and was criticized in return (see below).

Letters Between Two Friends

Dear Croz, One needs to separate Fiji media’s incompetence and malignance (towards the Interim Government) from the acts of political intimidation that are manifested by the stone-throwing vandals. The fact that the police have not been able to apprehend a single person after more than half dozen such acts does not reflect the ‘hands’ of those trying to discredit the government. There is a nasty underbelly to the IG that one needs to recognize!  Bhaiya*.

Dear Bhaiya,  I agree I didn't do a particularly good job in separating media shortcomings from the stone-thowing although, of course, in condeming both, I do recognize their difference. But I'll have to stick with my views on the stone-throwing. We can all agree the attacks were cowardly and criminal, but whatever many people may think, there is as yet no evidence that they were politically motivated, or carried out by the military or the "nasty underbelly" of the Interim Government -- and there may never be. They could just as well have been carried out by the IG's opponents. Your point that the Interim Government has a "nasty underbelly" is probably true, but so too does its opposition.  Not all of them were jailed with Speight after the 2000 Coup. Ironically, unless the culprits are caught,  the Government will be blamed whoever conducted the attacks. 

The media continues to report opinions and assumptions as facts, which are then used by its opponents to attack the Interim Government. The IG should be held to its word on reforms and progress towards elections, and checked when it acts wrongly. But the media should also be held more responsible.  Publishing one IG statement to  six anti-IG statements is not "balance.  And those with vested interests in opposing the Government -- who stand to gain most if it fails in its objectives -- should not be allowed to posture as democrats and upholders of the law. 

If well-meaning people in Fiji do not distinguish between opinion, assumption and fact, and do not look at all possibilities, the Interim Government is likely to be damned if it did -- and damned if it didn't. Kind regards, Croz.

The fallout from the molotov cocktail incidents continued into the next week, and demands the IG condemn the attacks continued long after they had done so. * Not his real name.