Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Monday 30 April 2012

Media freedom in the Pacific: THE RHETORIC AND THE REALITY

Marking UNESCO World Press Freedom Day - check the attached flyer for more information.
7.00-8.30pm, Thursday, May 3, 2012
WT1004, AUT Tower, AUT University

CCF’s Role In The Constitution Making Process

Official media release 30 April 2010
As an independent civil society organization, the Citizens’ Constitutional Forum is putting in place strategies to incorporate issues relating to constitutional development processes through our ongoing civic education program.

The timeline set by the State from May to July to provide citizens with civic education prior to drafting the constitution is unprecedented and should be welcomed as a positive step.

The legitimacy of the process is based on the inclusivity of all citizens and they must be empowered to openly participate and take ownership in drafting the constitution.

News and Comments Monday 30 April 2010

"A rose by any another name..."**
 MISS FIJI CONTEST REVEALS RACIAL PREJUDICES. "The decision to award the title to Torika Watters, who is of mixed European-Fijian heritage, prompted hundreds of racist and violent comments which had to be removed from the official Miss World Fiji Facebook page." -- The Telegraph.

 A reader 'Racist agit-prop on social networking' (see comment on Guy Threllfell's Saturday posting] called reactions to her election "a saddening episode (in which) the entire world may now see and read through a variety of media 'Fiji Racism'.

'Racist agit-prop referred to Facebook comments by a prominent "female lawyer" that could be seen as "tantamount to a criminal offence under the Crimes Decree #44 of 2009. This person may yet be found to be 'aiding and abetting' a crime of racial hatred by conspiring with others."

'Racist agit-prop' urged  "the Fiji Police Cyber-crime Unit take a closer look at what has been said on Facebook and consider carefully their response. They should note the letter in today's Sunday SUN newspaper on page 9 by one Rakesh Chandra of Nasinu. Our call for investigation will be lodged directly with the Fiji Police today. "   See also these links the The Telegraph (UK),  Fiji Times and Grubsheet articles.

** Meaning: What matters is what someone is is, not what they are called. From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. At least one of Torika's ancestors was in Fjii 2000 years ago.
Click "Read more" below-------

Saturday 28 April 2012

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.


            Peace Park

Many years ago I used to visit a little park which is in a secluded place. It had nice benches and the park was about the size of one quarter of a football field or a bit smaller. There was a small swimming pool at one end where we used to go for a therapeutic dip.

Those who visited the park with me came there because they wanted to be alone to just sit and read a book or just sit with their eyes closed and meditate. Or just sit and do nothing.

The trees are neatly trimmed to fit the small park. And in my mind's eye I envisioned a little water fountain bubbling in the middle flowing off into the undergrowth and whispering to us all "be at peace, heal, be at peace."

People from all walks of life used to come there and people who could not walk had to be carried to this park to be at peace with nature and help overcome their stress or trauma.

A Bucketful of Negatives by Guy Thellfell


"Guy Threllfell"
Guy Threllfell is a pseudonym. Hence my choice of the illustration. He is strongly anti the Bainimarama government though he says he was  once a supporter. His interepretation of past events and his choice of references would suggest this is not so. I think he is just being polite. 
 
I felt his views  warranted a full article even though most of his arguements have been taken up by others and have appeared many, many times on the anti-blogs.  I invited him to bring his ideas together, to itemise the Baiimarama governments pluses and minuses, and offer his ideas on the way forward.  The best way to present his views with some comment from me seems to be by publishing our correspondence, so here it is.  To maintain integrity of sequence I have published his "rough"  and "tidied up" article, and apologize in advance if I've left out part of the exchange.  Guy welcomes your comments. I hope you will focus on the way forward.

Links to the Davis and Robie Papers


Graham Davis reports on the recent PINA meeting
David Robie's paper on peace journalism in the Journl of Pacific Studiesg
 David Robie's report on the recent PINA meeting  

Ratu Tevita Mara, Military Musical Chairs and ANZ Policy

Rather old, but still relevant observations

                                                    By a Reader

I want to share my views on the Army and Roko Ului (Ratu Tevita Mara) and the failings of Kiwi and Aussie Diplomacy.

Ratu Tevita and the 3FIR
Roko Ului  is a hypocrite of the highest order. He has stood next to Frank since 2006. Some of the men from his regiment were responsible for the murder of Nimilote Verebasaga in Tailevu. Now he wants to use words like Democracy and Rule of Law to show people what an evil man Frank is. If he didn't know that before 2006 as a mid-ranking officer, his eyes should surely have opened then. Roko Ului was in command of the 3FIR (3rd Fiji Infrantry Regiment). It is the single largest body of active service soldiers in Fiji, with a  large armoury and operational planners who can issue unit orders to deploy men to shut down a functioning government. Without 3FIR, Frank is toothless.

Friday 27 April 2012

WEEKEND READINGAllen  Lockington Column • Ratu Tevita Mara, Military Musical Chairs and ANZ Policy • A Bucketful of Negatives by "Guy Threlfell" • Graham Davis reports on the recent PINA meeting •David Robie's paper on peace journalism at the PINA meeting.

Thursday 26 April 2012

News and Comments Thursday 26 April 2012

QUOTE OF THE WEEK. Unforgiveness and Vengeance Cold, Desolate Places. 
“ The past still weighs heavily on us and many may find it difficult or impossible to forgive and forbear.  And it is true that it cannot be forced, imposed or usurped.  It is the prerogative of the victim and those who have been wronged.  But the state of unforgiveness and vengeance is a cold, desolate place in which no one should linger too long.  I have no mandate to speak for anyone but myself and I do so from compassion for both sides in our schism.”  -- Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi at the January book launch of Notebook on Constitution Making and Reforms by Constitution Commission Chairman Yash Ghai and others.

Bob Carr
CARR TO VISIT. Australian Foreign Minister will be part of the Forum Ministerial Contact Group that will arrive in Fiji next week. He will speak with a wide range of Government and other people in order to test whether they are "authentic in their desire to see a proper constitutional arrangement and robustly free elections." Fiji has previously extended several invitations to Australia and NZ officials to "come, see for yourselves"— and at last it's happening. Let's hope it's the beginning of the thaw.

CORRUPTION: Extortion and Abuse of Office by FNPF Official. Assessors in the Suva High Court were unanimous in recommending the conviction of former Fiji National Provident Fund CEO Olota Rokovunisei of extortion and abuse of office. While employed as the FNPF general manager and chief executive officer in 2006 Rokovunisei had accepted $22,773.18 for performance of his duties, a reward beyond his proper pay and emoluments. On the second count of abuse of office, he had without authority authorised a $20,000 per annum payment as responsibility allowance to the then FNPF deputy general manager Foana Nemani.

CORRUPTION: Fraud by Post Fiji Officials. Two former staff of Post Fiji Limited Matarino Madogo and Kautanagauna Seaqaqa  had earlier been convicted on  two counts of conspiracy to defraud last year. They were each sentenced by Magistrate Usaia Ratuvilito to 18 months imprisonment, in which one month was to be spend in custody with the balance of 17 months suspended. Yesterday the FICAC (Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption)  appealed to the Court that the sentence was inadequate and too lenient. The case will be recalled on May 31.

CORRUPTION:  Abuse of Office by Fiji Ports Officials. The case against former Fiji Ports Corporations Limited chairman Sialeni Vuetaki and his deputy Alipate Naiorosui will be heard on July 26.The two face charges of abuse of office for allegedly approving a $177,000 pre-retirement allowance for former Ports chief executive Herbert Hazelman. Vuetaki and Naiorosui have pleaded not guilty to one count each of abuse of office brought against them by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption.

RELATIONS WITH 63 UN COUNTRIES. Fiji can now formalise diplomatic relations with all UN member states after Cabinet approval. Minister for Foreign Affairs Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said regardless of differences on specific issues or approaches, Fiji’s approach has always been and will remain that of engagement. He said formalising diplomatic relations with all UN countries is in line with Fiji’s foreign policy philosophy and strategy of engaging in dialogue with all partners in the international community. Cabinet has endorsed diplomatic relations with 63 countries so far this year.

PM's TEAM IN INDIA.
  The PM's current visit to India for a meeting of the International Sugar Organisation (ISO) is expected to bring benefits for agriculture and flood relief measures. The PM has  also visited ten Fijian women who are currently training to become solar engineers.

DISEASES IN FLOODS AFTERMATH.
Over 60 cases of communicable diseases  have been confirmed since the floods in the West, including 7 cases of leptospirosis, 12 of dengue fever and 12 of typhoid, and from January there have been 160 confirmed cases of dengue fever, 117 of typhoid and 236 of leptospirosis. The cases are too dispersed to be defined as epidemics. 

GREATER SUVA HELP FOR SQUATTERS Squatters and informal settlements will benefit from development work planned for areas within the Lami to Suva boundaries. Greater Suva Area Committee Chairman Chandu Umaria says the pro-poor project nincludes plans to dredge rivers  adjacent to squatter and informal settlements to protect them against flood-prone rivers. He says settlements like Wailea, Koronivono, Kalekana, Qauia, River Road, Salim St and Bangladesh are some of the few areas already earmarked for the project. They have been chosen because they urgently need assistance which they themselves can’t afford. [Bangladesh is actually in Nasinu close to the urban area boundary with Nausori. It was until recently included in the Suva Urban Area for census purposes.  I assume the GSAC's authority includes the "new" Nasinu. The geographically unified approach to the Greater City's infrastructure is long overdue and most welcome- Croz]

A NOTE TO "DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR". I do not publish generalised hate attacks on women who have chosen to work alongside the Government.  Try Coup4.5.

Tuesday 24 April 2012

The Military and NGOs in Today's Fiji


Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga criticises  the Fiji Women's Forum, and a flood of letters in the Fiji media take exception to his criticism • Peni Moore, an NGO leader, is appointed to the Constitution Commission. An anti-Government reader calls her a “junta supporter” and rubbished the Commission  • Peni answers Tikoitoga and her critic.  • Fr Kevin Barr reminds Col. Tikoitonga and all of us on the essential roles of NGOs in today's Fiji. • Peni's critic, “Says it all” and I exchange words.

Monday 23 April 2012

News and Comments Monday 23 April 2012

TIPS FOR READERS 
ON OLDER POSTINGS AND COMMENTS. 
If you scroll down the page and want older postings than are shown, click "Older postings" at the bottom right, and so on ad infinitum. You can also use Archives in the right sidebar.   
If you wish to comment,you may use Anonymous but it makes more sense to enter your real name or a pseudonym at Name/URL. If you stick with the same pseudonym, you will have a "personality" all of you own, and exchanges with other readers will be more interesting. 

        Peni Moore Fifth Commissioner 
The PM has announced the name of the final member of the five-member constitutional commission. It is Women’s and children’s rights and community activist, Penelope (Peni) Moore.

A veteran of the civil society and NGO movement, Ms Moore worked with SPCA for years, after which she became the first co-ordinator for the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement from 1987 to 1993. Since then she has been the creative director at Women’s Action for Change (WAC).In her 18 years at WAC, Peni has engaged marginalised communities throughout Fiji, empowering women, providing mentorship to juveniles at risk, and rehabilitating former prisoners.She also serves as a commissioner in the Fiji Legal Aid Commission.

As the last commissioner on the constitutional commission, her appointment creates a majority of females on the commission — a ratio that is a first in Fiji’s history, and perhaps one that is also a first for many nations.

The chairperson of the Constitutional Commission is world-renowned constitutional scholar Professor Yash Ghai; the second international member is human rights and constitutional expert Professor Christina Murray; and two of the three distinguished Fijian members are Taufa Vakatale, the first female deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, and Dr Satendra Nandan, academic, writer and former member of parliament.-- Based on MOI release.


ON HER APPOINTMENT TO THE COMMISSION PROF MURRAY SAID: “Clearly to have proper public consultations, the public has to be able to speak freely. And from what I understand of Fijian politics at the moment, something is going to have to be done about that. Of the members of the commission, the only person I know is Professor Ghai, and I know that he will be insistent as chairperson that the process is open and that it gives people a real opportunity to contribute.”

NZ VISITOR ARTICLE on the floods. What a tourist said.

NEVER AN OPPORTUNITY LOST
. Those opposed to the Bainimarama government continue to focus on only the sensational and "bad" news.

The FNPF was late paying pensioners last week.  Mick Beddoes called it "disgraceful."  NFPF expressed deep regret saying the delay was due to a "processing problem."  Some 90% of pensions were paid on Friday and he remainder should be paid today. The good news is that Radio Fiji  reported pensioners were furious.  This would not have happened two months ago.
 • The Methodist Church jumped the gun saying the police had refused a permit for a meeting later this week. But the Police Commissioner said he has not made up his mind and has asked the Church for a copy of their agenda.  Both positions were also reported on Radio Fiji. A possible permit denial would seem an unjustifiable measure by the police, unless one considers the active role many Church leaders have played in fermenting unrest in 1987, 2000 and since 2006. The Church needs to rebuild its reputation as a Christian religious body and refrain from ethno-politics.

WORK AHEAD FOR SUGAR INDUSTRY.
The Fiji Sugar Corporation will focus on repairing the rail transport system, cane access roads and the Rarawai sugar mill before they declare a crushing date this year.

GREAT COUNCIL OF CHIEFS. LISTEN TO 
Graham Davis, Brij Lal and Tui Savu on ABC. If you've not read it, you may also care to read my four part analysis of Ro Teimumu's letter to the PM on the Great Council of Chiefs. Perhaps start with the last part, published last Thursday.  Many things claimed for the GCC were doubtful or untrue.  


THE PM ON FORMER POLITICIANS. The PM  said he was not surprised at the speed former politicians rushed to comment on the constitution consultation process, but they appeared not to have learnt any lessons from the past six years. “What is surprising to me though, is they are still coming up with the same old politics that has been the cause of all the problems in the past in Fiji.” They are still focusing on race and racial discrimination while what Government has been trying to do is move away from the emphasis on race and create "an even playing field for everyone... We really don’t want these people to come back and bring in the same old same old dirty politics that has not done us any good in the past.” His Government's policies have "been geared to hand over a new, better Fiji to the politicians coming in after the 2014 election."

Saturday 21 April 2012

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.
 
Some Ideas on Flood Relief Supplies

Government may consider zero-rating relief supplies.

Here are some suggestions to our family and friends who live overseas.If you intend sending relief supplies for your countrymen and women and children, send goods that are good and canned foods that have not expired. Send clothes that are not so old that they will deteriorate in no time. Don't just empty your garage and get rid of your junk. And do not send meat products because of quarantine requirements. They will only get confiscated and destroyed and your effort will go to waste. If you intend to send medicines, get the proper documents to accompany them.

Why Small Businesses are Important to Fiji: Government and the Banks

Address by the Governor, Reserve Bank of Fiji, Barry Whiteside, at the Launch of the ANZ Small and Medium Enterprises Credit Scheme on Thursday 19 April 2012 at ANZ House, Suva.

Acting Chief Executive Officer and Head of Corporate Banking Fiji, Mr Rakesh Ram
Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corp
Permanent Secretary for Finance, Mr Filimone Waqabaca
Staff of ANZ, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

Ni sa bula vinaka and a very good evening to you all.

With Malicious Intent




Ro Teimumu Kepa’s recent epistolary outburst simply demonstrates to the wider public about the real state of race and politics at the very highest levels of itaukei leadership in Fiji. It further underscores the very short distance that she and her coterie have travelled intellectually and ethically in spite of all that has happened since that fateful day in May 1987. Some readers have taken umbrage at Professor Crosbie Walsh’s careful exegesis of Ro Teimumu's  letter on this blog, not over questions of interpretation but on a false moral equivalency, that somehow criticizing the Chiefly council is equivalent to endorsing the current government in toto. 

I  think that Croz’s incremental approach to deformalizing the GCC while understandable is nonetheless too timorous within the context of the political situation in Fiji. Be that as it may, the issues that Croz raises in his analysis of Ro Teimumu’s letter as well as those by Graham Davis are worthy of an extended and robust argument on this site as well as all others that believe in a better future for Fiji.

Her letter followed an earlier diatribe in November 2011 concerning civil servants makes no contribution to policy, law, economics, theology, international relations, nor does the author exhibit any political knowledge or cultural understanding. A lack of expertise in any of these areas does not preclude one from mutual discourse, or none of us would be here, but for crying out loud, shouldn’t we demand that individuals who publicly engage in politics like Ro Teimumu have some awareness of statecraft?

But that is precisely the reason why there is such a vociferous backlash from the elite itaukei class she represents. They don’t have to know anything about statecraft or the tedious work of nation-building, or how the global economy works, or the long-term effects of labor mobility, or comparative advantage, or government financing, or monetary policy, or investing in human capital, or human rights, or democratic accountability, or religious pluralism, or separation of powers, or all the minutiae of governance and public administration. The chiefly class simply through the privilege of birth feel entitled to rule in perpetuity over the lives of people they have neither the interest to know or really give a damn about.

This may seem harsh, but let us pause for a second and consider what has been intimated by Ms. Kepa in her dissimulated missive. What kind of person who unambiguously proclaims about the verities of her faith threaten calamity on a largely poor, fairly defenseless minority group in a letter to the Prime Minister of the Country? How is it possible that the great defenders of multiculturalism like Mr. Madraiwiwi have not publicly repudiated such an appalling declaration by one of their own?

The deafening silence once again reveals to the embattled minority community that the elite itaukei leadership will never relinquish the politics of exclusion and irredentism as long as it serves their goal of maintaining political and financial control. The Methodist Church by virtue of its charter could be expected to speak up for the marginalized and the defenseless, but here in Fiji, it acts as a legitimizing agent for the racists and the intolerant. The ignominious role that the Methodist Church has played in Fiji’s political troubles by giving cover to the worst elements will one day be written along with the opportunists, enablers and sycophants.

Both Croz and Graham have done a great public service in highlighting the fundamental struggle that is going on in Fiji as it moves towards an uncertain future. But the ghosts of the past will almost certainly cast a long and ominous shadow across whatever path Fiji takes, the greatest of which is the Council of Chiefs. Ro Teimumu's dispatch can either be understood as a final coda of a dying institution and a remembrance of things past, or for what it really is— a shot across the bow and a harbinger of things to come. For the sake of all people in Fiji, we should do what we can to make sure that it is not the latter.

Sudarsan Kant

Aussie Fijians to the Rescue

Link to the story in Graham Davis's Grubsheet
# AUSSIE FIJIANS TO THE RESCUE

Friday 20 April 2012


WEEKEND READING Allen Lockington on flood relief supplies • Sudarsan Kant "With Malicious Intent" • Fiji Reserve Bank Governor Barry Whiteside on the importance of small and medium sized businesses and an update on the economy  • Link to Graham Davis's flood relief story "Aussie Fijians to the rescue" in his Grubsheet blog.

News and Comments Friday 20 April 2012


RO TEIMUMU AND GEORGE SPEIGHT 
MAY 2000. Negotiating or supporting?
 http://i40.tinypic.com/kvsew.gif

COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE. Police Commissioner BrigGen Iowane Naivalurua is worried about the 49% increase of complaints in the last quarter of this year saying that it shows some officers have failed to conduct themselves properly.Some have failed to complete reports, while others showed dishonesty in their investigations. But it also shows the public are not afraid about complaining, as the anti-blogs claim. The quarter also showed a 52% reduction in reported crimes against women and 24% rfeduction of reported crimes against children.

Add caption
  • DISINFORMATION #4. POLICE COULD COMPLAIN ABOUT FIJITODAY. While on the police, a FijiToday post on  6 April headed "Police Commissioner is Next?" said, "As stated earlier last year the Police commissioner term is about to expire on the grounds that he is a non performer according to the advice given to Prime Minister." The article also claimed investigations were proceeding and enforced leave would follow for four senior officers. including "• 1694 SSP Unaisi Vuniwaqa, the Director Human Resources", and the sacking of a further three. The post was then mysteriously withdrawn with no explanation offered. For readers' information, Assistant Commissioner of the Police Inspector-General Isikeli Vuniwaqa  is currently in Vanuatu with the Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG) secretariat for a three-month secondment period. All the other officers are still employed. And the PolCom and the PM seemed to be getting on very well together in their recent tour of the West.
JUDGE DISMISSES GOVERNMENT CHARGES AGAINST PADARATH. The Government's case against Suva businessman Ben Padarath on charge of concealing false government documents has been  dismissed by Chief Magistrate Usaia Ratuvili. The Public Prosecutions Office had been seeking a further delay in the trial, originally fixed for November last year, to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions to finalise his decision regarding the charge. The application was refused and the charge against Padarath dismissed.

ANTHONY SAYS POLICE BEAT THEM UP. trade unionist Felix Anthony told ABC's Pacific Beat that he and other unionists have been beated by the police. He also supported Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr’s comments that some unionists are being detained.  Police Director Operations SSP Rusiate Tudravu said they stand ready to look into the allegations and will investigate the matter thoroughly if he would lodge a complaint. FijiVillage is trying to speak with Anthony about when these  alleged incident occurred and whether he has filed a complaint.

METHODISTS ARE WAITING a permit approval to hold a secretariat meeting. Letters sent to the Police Commissioner from January have received no response and their lawyer says that all attempts by him to get a meeting with the commissioner have been unsuccessful. The Church also wants to discuss their annual conference that is scheduled during the second term school break. Director of Police Operations SSP Rusiate Tudravu said they are discussing the issue and will respond to them shortly. “It’s just that we have been busy during the flooding and the Commissioner will be discussing this with the church later.”

SUBSTANTIAL ASSISTANCE TO FLOOD-AFFECTED CANE FARMERS. Government has
approved a scheme that will grant $2,500 per hectare to assist farmers replant sugarcane damaged by the recent floods. Government will also assist farmers throughout Fiji by offering an interest-free loan of $1,250 per hectare with a further grant of $1,250 per hectare to replant sugarcane.

PM's FLOOD RELIEF APPEAL. Some $1.5m will be released this week to provide food for flood-affected families. $1.9m were released earlier. At the beginning of the week, the fund stood at $2.4m and donations continue to trickle in.

SOME 2,500 NEW JOBS will be created if American company Gibson Guitar establish a factory in Fiji,as CEO Henry Juszkiewicz expects. Fiji's mahogany is apparently ideal for the production of high quality guitars.

GOVERNMENT REPLIES TO COMMONWEALTH'S CMAG.
The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group’s (CMAG)  expressed concern that restrictions on human rights remain in place under the Public Order Amendment Decree and other decrees, and urged Government to restore full respect for human rights, including freedoms of expression and assembly, and access to justice.

Government responded by saying the Public Order Amendment Decree does not have any restrictions other than those  followed in many other countries. The Attorney-General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, said people need to be better informed on the laws that some other countries have in relation to terrorism offences.

Earlier, the Commonwealth extended the suspension of Fiji'smembership but said it is ready to provide technical assistance for constitutional consultations and election preparations.


ANZ JOURNALISM INADEQUATE IN PACIFIC SITUATIONS. Geraldine Coutts of ABC's Pacific Beat was interviewing AUT Professor David Robie on peace journalism.
COUTTS: "Is part of this, David, recognising covert censorship, because there are a lot of governments across the region who will put out press releases and expect them to be reported on?"
ROBIE: "Well, I think it's a means of actually dealing with censorship. Censorship has been in the Pacific for a very long time, of course. There's been a lot of focus on the overt censorship under the current [Fiji] regime. But it goes back a lot further. It goes right back to 1987 when there was a period of censorship after the original coups with Rabuka. And there's been fairly blatant self-censorship right through the Pacific.[Peace journalism courses are] "really a focus on providing tools to journalists to report in more depth and actually sort of coping with a situation when they're facing censorship and conflict." AUT courses derive "from what we've experienced in the Pacific for the last two decades, as a methodology of actually dealing with conflict situations. The type of journalism which is most prevalent in, say, Australia and New Zealand for example, is rather inadequate in coping with the complexities of the Pacific region. So what we've tried to do is give a lot more context and background to the reporting for the region."

MOMI BAY INVESTMENT DIRECTOR JAILED
. Former Bridgecorp director, who was also a 50% shareholder in the Fiji-based company that Bridgecorp was lending money to for the Momi Bay hotel complex investment, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment on ten counts of making untrue statements in investment documents. When Bridgecorp went bankrupt 14,500 NZ investors lost NZ$400million, and the Fiji National Provident Fund lost F$121million.  The FNPF would lost more but for Government action.