Nesian is a pseudonym for a moderate, Fiji-born, part-Fijian,Hindi-speaking, sky-blue passport-carrying, former Fiji-resident. An Insider's View From the Outside is the result of years spent thinking about all that has happened since the 2000 coup. Photo: Earth from space. Oakfieldmedia.com.
Defining Moment
IN the lead-up to the 1999 elections, I was part of a tour into the heart of the then Fiji Intelligence Service headquarters in Berkley Crescent.
Outside, we walked past officers undergoing martial arts training under the guidance of Major Dong Jin Kim.
The centre of the room where the National Security Council met was dominated by a sizeable round table. There were chairs for the members of the council: the Prime Minister (Sitiveni Rabuka) and Minister for Home Affairs, the Commander of the Fiji Military Forces (Ratu Epeli Ganilau), the head of FIS, and others I can’t now recall.
Heavy light green curtains lined the walls of the room and one of these had been drawn aside, perhaps for the benefit of the visitors, to reveal photos of various weapons that were still missing from the 1987 illicit arms shipments.
A curtain on another wall had inadvertently slipped open. The resulting crack revealed a map of Fiji, and highlighted on the map were Fiji Labour Party campaign meeting details, the party’s strongholds and the names of party members.
The campaign that spawned May 19, 2000 was in motion.
P.S. No suggestion is made that those named were part of the "campaign that spawned the 2000 Coup" but what was seen on the wall certainly suggests some FIS involvement in the 1999 election. The FIS was disbanded when Chaudhry's FLP won the election, only to be ousted one year later by the Speight-fronted coup. Photo: Earth from Space.
The centre of the room where the National Security Council met was dominated by a sizeable round table. There were chairs for the members of the council: the Prime Minister (Sitiveni Rabuka) and Minister for Home Affairs, the Commander of the Fiji Military Forces (Ratu Epeli Ganilau), the head of FIS, and others I can’t now recall.
Heavy light green curtains lined the walls of the room and one of these had been drawn aside, perhaps for the benefit of the visitors, to reveal photos of various weapons that were still missing from the 1987 illicit arms shipments.
A curtain on another wall had inadvertently slipped open. The resulting crack revealed a map of Fiji, and highlighted on the map were Fiji Labour Party campaign meeting details, the party’s strongholds and the names of party members.
The campaign that spawned May 19, 2000 was in motion.
P.S. No suggestion is made that those named were part of the "campaign that spawned the 2000 Coup" but what was seen on the wall certainly suggests some FIS involvement in the 1999 election. The FIS was disbanded when Chaudhry's FLP won the election, only to be ousted one year later by the Speight-fronted coup. Photo: Earth from Space.
8 comments:
What is the purpose of this article - trout fishing?
Like a lot of stories that circulate around the grog bowl, they originate from threads such as this.
You should rename this article "The X-Files - the truth is STILL out there"
Taki...
I thought this blog was above uncorroborated reports that were by hidden authors that name names and times to slur parties or people that are unable to respond.
Anonymous. I have deleted your comment because it was anonymous.
Qanibulu and Emoni, I can understand your concern but these are the personal recollections (that do not differ much from the recollections of others!) of an "insider" whose opinions I respect. Such recollections are common in the mainstream media. You (and any party or person) are welcome to provide a different interpretation of events.
The decision to publish is not always easy but I think more good should come from this one than harm. We all need to be reminded of the not-altogether-clean past.
I googled Major Dong Jin Kim and he has website and a photo of him in Fiji Army Uniform.
http://www.dckendo.com/persons.html
@ croz,
I appreciate where you are coming from.
Nesian clearly stated it was "part of a tour into the heart of the FIS..." I would presume this would have been a guided tour for the media.
Could it be that whoever authorised the tour intended Nesian to "see" what was conveniently partially obscured behind the curtains?
I mean we are talking about intelligence here - cloak and dagger stuff. It seems odd that the classified material from a previous meeting be left on display for all to see.
The partially drawn curtain, whether intended or not, was an opening to speculation. It would be a tragedy if this blogsite gave credence to the recollections of one person where the circumstances appear rather odd and may even constitute a staged scenario.
Lets stick to the facts.
While the connection between May 1999 and May 2000 suggested in the article is open to question, it has been verified that the intelligence collecting parts of the government were very busy before the election. Further, it is known - because the then head of the Police Department has stated it publicly - that PM Rabuka was told by these advisers he would lose the election and by approximately the number of seats which did eventuate. Rabuka rejected this advice, announced in the Fiji press before the election that if the SVT didn't win he would not join a government in which the party was a minor player. Rabuka's refusal to be part of the government under any terms was a major factor in what happened in May 2000, and also played a part in his being kicked out of the SVT and 'upstairs' to the GCC.
I have been to the same FIS office Nesian is talking about. And I know quite a lot of those guys who are members of the FIS.
What Nesian saw was probably just a chart showing where political parties are having their meetings and campaigns and not necessarily targeting one political party, in this case, the FLP. It just so happens to show where the FLP were having their campaigns in the lead up to the election.
I'm sure intelligence gathering units like FIS are probably just doing their normal work trying to keep a tab on any subversive activity going on from any political party. I'm not trying to say that the FLP was doing any such thing. It just that FIS are just going about their normal work according to their TOR.
Well, these are just my thoughts.
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