Independent Poll Shows Bainimarama Government Has Clear Support Majority: Forum Leaders Take Note.

Pre-Forum Words by Crosbie Walsh

It's has already started but before the 40th Pacific Forum meeting closes on Thursday there's sure to be more.  The media has Pacific Islands leaders apparently saying one thing while meaning another, quite unlike their host New Zealand that has never changed its tune. I find the inferences a little patronising.

PACER-Plus in trouble as trade advisor resigns

Islands Business - Forum: PACER-Plus in trouble as trade advisor resigns

The difficulties of working without Fiji  are all too apparent.

Fiji Casts Shadow on Pacific Forum Meeting: Callick

See The Australian's  Rowan Callick's take on the Pacific Forum, and his focus on the Australian interests involved.  Link.

Testing the Strength of the Fiji Government Opposition

"Hundreds" protest ... including a "handful" of expat Fijians

Sailea Lealea at Wellington Protest

Rallies were held in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Wellington over the weekend, bringing together trade unionists, Amnesty International, church leaders and overseas itaukei to protest recent  Fiji government's alleged abuses of human rights, in particular actions against trade unions and the Methodist Church.

"Prevent people praying"?
 In Canberra, United Church mininster Rev.Gregor Henderson spoke of the denial of human freedoms.  "There are problems in Fiji but the way to solve those difficulties is not to repress civil rights, not to lock people up, not to prevent people from having meetings, not to prevent people praying, for God's sake!"

Special MSG Leaders' Summit Communique Release

Saturday, 3 September 2011, 3:53 pm
Press Release: Melanesian Spearhead Group
 http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1109/S00050/special-leaders-summit-communique.htm

"Calls for Fiji to be Restored to Pacific Forum" — by Michael Field

Nine of the Pacific's 16 nations have called for Fiji to have its membership of the Pacific Forum restored.

Bainimarama Sums Up Engaging with the Pacific Meeting

Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has billed the 2nd Engaging with the Pacific meeting a success. He said they had managed to cover a lot of ground and there were many common challenges that required them to consolidate their energies and efforts to resolving them as regional grouping. The two-day meeting at Nadi’s Tanoa International Hotel ended yesterday.

Our folly over Fiji — by Whaleoil

Our folly over Fiji —

I have repeatedly blogged about the country of my birth, Fiji, and how New Zealand through utter hypocrisy has treated them. Along with Australia our successive governments have decided to wag our collective fingers at Fiji and tell them how.

Issues of the Past Haunt Us: PM

Fiji needs leaders who are committed to genuine consultation, inclusiveness and accountability and have a progressive vision in moving the country forward, the Prime Minister Commodore told Macuata chiefs and provincial leaders  yesterday, repeating his long-time message that that Fiji's root problem was dirty politicians and racism.

The PM urged provincial leaders to take the lead role in developing the  leadership model spelt out in Pillar 3 of the People’s Charter for Change, Peace and Progress which emphasised  honesty, integrity, professional ethics and service to communities.

Lockington's Everyday Fiji ... Life Goes On

Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Fiji. I thank Allen for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.

Kerosene Quotes

I was looking for the world price of kerosene on the Internet and happened to come across the Times of India. It has quotations from all over the world where excerpts from newspapers are quoted.  Here are some.

 Since the beginning of June 2011 the international prices for both crude oil and refined petroleum products have been unstable with both upward and downward swings. Any decreases in the procurement costs realised during the month of August will be passed on to the consumer in the next price review. SOURCE: AllAfrica.com 2011-08-16

Even if oil prices stop rising at the world market, we still have a problem of foreign exchange because of the weak shilling. SOURCE: International Business Times 2011-08

If world prices fall, import taxes will be brought back at a reasonable level (on gasoline and mazut oil) and retail prices will be cut. SOURCE: Thanh Nien News 2011-08-15

Considering that exams will be held soon, it's important for the school to get fuel so that students are able to do their revision under proper lights. As such, I urge all the old scholars of the school and the people of Gau who are living in Suva to help in purchasing fuel for the school's generator. SOURCE: Fiji Times 2011-08-12 23:37:00

About 200 students attend the school and it's very hard for those boarding because they are using kerosene lamps to study at night. The school is now collecting money from the people of Gau to buy fuel for the generator and they are going house to house..SOURCE: Fiji Times 2011-08-12 23:37:00

Since the fuel price has further increased now, it has become more difficult for the school to buy its ration of fuel for the generator..SOURCE: Fiji Times 2011-08-12 23:37:

Interesting that quote from Allafrica.com: If prices go up we will simply pass it on to the consumer. While on the cost of goods, the Bio Security Unit formerly the Quarantine Department have introduced fees and charges. I am told they are revenue generating fees. They are pretty steep. I wonder if the people who enacted the law simply said, “Oh don’t worry, the new fees will be passed onto the consumer.”

Imagine that.

Together, We Stand: a Poem by Mosmi Bhim

 

 Written for the Hibiscus Festival, 2011. Mosmi used to work for the CCF.

Making the Law Work for HIV : The Fiji HIV/AIDS Decree 2011

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Address by Nazhat Shameem* at the 10th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific – 26-30 August 2011 – Busan, South Korea.


Introduction
The HIV/AIDS Decree was passed in Fiji in February 2011. It ended years of lobbying and assistance in preparation by UNAIDS and other civil society groups, determined to enable a legal framework in Fiji which would facilitate an approach to HIV/AIDS based on human rights, non-stigmatisation, education, and awareness.

I was asked to conduct a number of workshops around Fiji, by the Fiji School of Medicine and the Ministry of Health. The workshops were for health professionals, but also for civil society groups, lawyers, judges and police officers. In short, they were for anyone who might have any communication or relationship with those who have HIV status. One of the first attendees was His Excellency the President of Fiji, who has a commitment to HIV issues. Another attendee was the Chief Justice with three of his judges. The Dean of the Fiji School of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences attended. Most of the senior teaching staff at the College attended.

Engaging with the Pacific Meeting: Several Items

Representatives from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, French Polynesia, the Kanaks of New Caledonia, Tonga, Timor Leste and the Federated States of Micronesia are satisfied with the progress Fiji has made.

CCF Letter to John Key, Incoming Chairman, Pacific Forum

August 16, 2011

Mr. Prime Minister,

Re: The Political Situation in Fiji – Critical Engagement By Pacific  Forum Leaders

The Citizens’ Constitutional Forum (CCF), a Fiji based NGO, writes to  seek your assistance and understanding, at a time when Fiji is at a crossroads with our people living in uncertainty.

News and Editor's Comments Friday 2.9.11

Weekend  Reading as usual tommorrow.
Friday 2.9.11

My Apologies. The lack of postings over the past few days is due to family reasons, not a change in standpoint. I hope to be "back at the office" late next week. If only some kind reader, whose approach to the Fiji situation is broadly similar to my own, would offer to post me  two or three "ready to post" items a week, it would greatly help.    Meanwhile, here are a number of items of interest. Reports on the Engaging the Pacific meeting that ends today will be posted separarely.

Graffiti and police stations. A quick roundup of last week would include the anti-blog story of a boy of "Indo-Fijian descent" who is alleged to have had three fingers broken by the police for writing graffiti in Lami, and the equally "plausible" story that Bainimarama had ordered someone else's fingers cut off.  This came at the same time as news that two police stations had been torched at Vatudradra and Nawai, presumably on orders from the phantom Viti Revolutionary Army, that was also behind the the mass protest that was supposed to coincide with last weekend's Hibiscus Festival. 

Former Forum official says organisation needs to resolve Fiji situation

A former senior Pacific Islands Forum official says the regional organisation will not achieve anything until it resolves the situation with Fiji.

Roman Grynberg was the Forum’s director of economic governance, and is now working in Africa.

Fiji has been suspended from the Forum since May 2009, and has been excluded from talks on the PACER PLUS regional trade deal.

Mr Grynberg says Fiji is the elephant in the room at Forum meetings.

“Pacer plus can not go forward, anything to do with integration can not go forward, without including Fiji. It becomes a patent nonsense, and it becomes obvious once officials in canberra and Wellington start thinking about it. So until that matter is resolved, I honestly don’t see how the forum will be capable of saying very much.”

Roman Grynberg says it seems nobody has the will to find a solution to the Fiji issue.

Former Forum official says organisation needs to resolve Fiji situation: Posted at 19:26 on 28 August, 2011 UTC