“Fiji, the Solomon Islands or Papua New Guinea are not mono-ethnic societies,” said Singh. “Their societies and situations are not the same as Australia or New Zealand. So our media needs to be more circumspect and it needs to be mindful of our particular positions. Singh was speaking in Nadi at a UNDP regional workshop on peace-building.
FNPF. BIMAN Singh Calls for an urgent investigation into how Fiji's only superannuation fund was forced into writing down $327million that was invested on members' behalf. The USP Economics professor said an investigation would restore the confidence of members.
RACISTS NOT Born. "No one was brought up in their homes or in their church to hate another person," said PM Bainimarama addressing the Kadavu Provincial Council in Suva today. Yet this "remains one of the biggest problems (we) are trying to overcome. Politicians have painted a picture in people's minds that people are different, based on their race."
The PM called on the chiefs to change that mentality, especially since the concept was brought about by greedy people.
RICE Farmers in Dreketi, northern Bua, in Vanua Levu, are expected to increase production following the announcment by Rewa Rice Ltd that they will be paid $750 a tonne (up from $643), matching the demand asked for by farmers. Some 400 hectares (988 acres) is under rice in the greater Muanidevo area in Dreketi. One acre typically yields one tonne of paddy.
A LANDOWNING unit in Sawakasa tikina, Tailevu, has called on Head of Government Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama to step in and assist them in their compensation claims for land used in the construction of one of the country's oldest schools, the elite Ratu Kadavulevu School for schooling future leaders.
This Fiji Times piece is of even more interest than might be assumed. First, because the request came during a "face-to-face session with Commodore Bainimarama, where people of the area had the opportunity to voice their concerns over matters affecting them;" secondly, because the injustice to ordinary Fijians, which leaves them squatting on other people's land, has not been addressed in 64 years, and lastly because the Fiji Times, alone of all the Fiji media, still refuses to call the PM the PM.
16 comments:
The FT has called him "Head of Government, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama". This is strictly correct. I fail to see the difficulty in accepting the FT's position - which is the same as that held by many people in Fiji.
Don't unneccessarily disrespect the person, but don't unneccessarily accord him a title which is rightfully that of a democratically elected head of a governing party.
appararently if you stop saying 'illegally appointed PM' it becomes true. Just like if you close your eyes and walk around suva you don't see a country in the grip of military regim, and because the country is not marching down the road seeking fresh elections you must infer that they are 100% behind this regime. Really convenient isn't it.
BTW.. you may also infer that perhaps the Fiji Times is the only paper with any spine or guts in this country and it is the 'island way' to talk alot, change loyalties whne convenient, and n be spineless and cowardly when it suits. I often think if Fiji were invaded and anyone else was messing around with the media and other institutions in this country then fijians would be squeeling racism and imperialism....but when it is their own military... they scramble for any reason for it to be justified...i suppose just because aus nz us and eu deal with undemocratic regimes ....does not mean we encourage more of them...you dummies.We don't like crime either...we deal with it ...but that does not mean we encourage more of it.
This is bollocks, Hoi Poloi (sic). There is nothing that says prime minister is " a title which is rightfully that of a democratically elected head of a governing party". China has a prime minister and it's a communist dictatorship. If you do your research, even in democracies, prime minister is a title that can be bestowed by a head of state for a fixed period. That is precisely what happened in Fiji, where Bainimarama was given a mandate by the president to govern the country till elections in 2014. So your position - and that of the Fiji Times - is unadulterated nonsense, as well as a gross impertinence.
Croz.
You are supporting censorship by reporting all the above news items that were produced under censorship as if they are fact. They are regularly pruned or words changed so the meaning is more favorable to the Government.
In the last week the Fiji Sun who is ranked as a supporter of the coup has had seven different news items cancelled totally by the censor. One of these was a sum up of the cost of the promises the PM has made and questioning where the money was coming from.
Even overseas reporters in Fiji are now self censoring rather than lose their ability to stay here.
Most of the Blogs appear to be operated from people like yourself who have not been resident in Fiji for over ten years. The truth on the ground, once you get past the successful facade put up by the tourism sector, is that Fiji has worse crime, employment and living standards than any time since Independence. It has been the worst performing country in the South Pacific during the recent recession and this reflects in the high inflation and reduction in living standards of the population.
The censored press may not be allowed to report it but you should come to Fiji and talk to those suffering and not take the holistic view that we all need to starve and suffer for some vague future that academics want for Fiji.
Salote Sira
Sara'ssista ( whatever that means ), can we please stop going on about an illegal regime? It was declared technically "illegal" on appeal by a gaggle of NSW lawyers who recognised the validity of the "doctrine of necessity" in such instances. They specifically said in their judgement that if Fiji had a functioning government ( and it did and has ), its citizens were entitled to the rights and protection of a functioning judiciary and access to the law. Why can't you and other regime critics accept the same principle and stop looking backwards? You'll get your election in 2014.
@Sara sissta - Banimarama is now the PM of Fiji and it the definition of 'Legal' is much broader than you have assumed. At some stage power attained by force unfortunately becomes the law. If we take your view point than the 1970 Constitution was also illegally removed and hence everything that has happened in Fiji since 1987 is 'Illegal'.
Let the bitterness go and lets work for a better tomorrow for Fiji.
@ Salote Sira. I'm sorry to hear that censorship is still so strict and think it should be lifted when responsible journalism follows. You say I publish items from the Fiji media as if they were fact, but what is non-factual in the postings? A number of people inform me of happenings in Fiji. You are welcome to join them.
"Fiji, the Solomon Islands or Papua New Guinea are not mono-ethnic societies," said Mr. Singh. Their societies and situations are not same as Australia or New Zealand. So our media needs to be more circumspect and be mindful of our particular position."
Huh? Australia & New Zealand are 'mono-ethnic' societies and therefore have have nothing to offer the Pacific? And this clown teaches 'responsible journalism'?
No wonder USP is going down the gurgler. Surely the standard of academic is better than this load of rubbish from Singh? The racists, facists and fools are trying every spin they can to convince themselves that the coup is ok and the military junta ruining Fiji's future is a good thing...huh??
Thank goodness the tide is turning on this trash....notice how they want to live in a free society and have their say but DO NOT WANT Fijians to have the same freedoms... cowards and hypocrits!!
More capitals and exclamation marks from the anti-regime brigade. Kemundou. You losers would be a lot happier if you took your medication.
@ Alter ego.... In defence of Shailendra Singh's mono-ethnic comment, I think you are being a little specious and you ignore the important, qualifying sentence that follows about societies and situations. PNG, Solomons and Fiji have clearly more in common with each other in terms of ethnic composition and civil unrest than they do with Australia or NZ. In my book, Shailendra's main argument on censorship and one size not fitting all still stands. See also how your reasoned argument is taken up by the "way off" comment that follows.
Silly bollocks wrote that ‘nothing says PM is a title which is rightfully that of a democratically elected head of a governing party’.
This silly sausage is obviously incapable of reading, or understanding, the word ‘rightfully’.
And then compounds the error by using a communist dictatorship as a shining example of where a ‘rightfully’ appointed Prime Minister exists.
This is sheer foolishness and goes to show how far down the road of Orwellian Newspeak we’ve travelled - that accurate reporting (“Head of Government, Commodore Bainimarama”) is now seen as ‘unadulterated nonsense’ as well as ‘gross impertinence’.
Such factual reporting is neither, but the ‘bollocks’ written by Silliness certainly is.
Face the facts, Hoi "Poloi", you were wrong. And you can't spell either. So who's silly?
then i am interested as to why theres need for this illegal regime to give immunity to itself and it's collaborators ?? wasn't the judiciary sacked ??? i think we are way past the doctrine of necessity... we still have PR now for how long?? an election in 2014...how funny, this regime has not even contemplated how that will happen...and BTW if the outcome is not what they want it will be nullified...please don't patronise me into assuming i just wait till 2014 and then everything will be fine... wasn't a previous election promised too...oh thats right ...the military dictator felt 'pressured'....boo hoo
oh... and it appears even the illegal regime supporters refer to opponents as 'anti-regime'....exactly what it is ...you don't refer to a legal government as a regime i presume?
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