THE US VISA REFUSALS. The US Suva Embassy has clarified this issue. The visas were not exactly refused; they needed a longer application time. The Embassy said names of key supporters of the coup are on the Department of State visa watch list, and those on the list have to be cleared by Washington, a process that could take three weeks. There can be no complaint about this. It is the right of all sovereign nations to determine who is allowed to enter — or stay — in their country. One might have hoped for a better outcome, given Hillary Clinton's promising overtures, but it was not to be.
Some readers have misunderstood my position. I was disappointment with the "decision" but my main concern was the effective denial of access to the United Nations. The Embassy also addressed this question, saying that "while the US takes seriously its obligations under the UN Charter to facilitate travel to the UN headquarters in New York for participation in meetings – they are not obliged to facilitate travel to meetings that do not fall under the Charter or transit to UN meetings outside of New York."
My point was — and is — that the United Nations is compromised by this approach. The country hosting all UN-sponsored meetings should not be able to say who will and who will not attend. The invitations to the Fiji Government officers were from the UN, not the USA. If guests are invited by the owner of the house, they should not be stopped by the butler. Foreign embassies do not belong to the host country; they belong to the home country.There are a few places in the world, such as the Vatican, and parts of Jerusalem, Mecca, Brussels (EU), Geneva (UN) and New York that are "international." They are special places and should be treated as such.
Some readers said the US was justified because Fiji expelled the Fiji Water CEO. I did not mention this because I did not think the US action was tit-for-tat, and the Embassy clarification bears this out. Yet another warned me I'd be put on the visa watch list as a key supporter of the Coup. If representatives of the most powerful nation of earth read my blog, which is unlikely, I'd assume they are intelligent enough to see that I'm trying to help the best possible outcome for Fiji, which is not a return to the Fiji from 2000 to 2006.
VANUATU AND THE MSG. Vanuatu PM Sato Kilman has decided not to attend the "reconciliation"Melanesian Spearhead Group meeting in Honiara next week because the Fiji PM is not attending. Representation from both countries has been downgraded. Vanuatu will be represented by Foreign Minister Georges Wells and Fiji by Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola.
CHAUDHRY TO OZ. Fiji's former PM Mahendra Chaudhry has been given permission to travel to Australia for medical treatment.Local media reports the Fiji High Court has allowed Mr Chaudhry to leave, despite an impending trial on money laundering and tax evasion charges.
SEVENTY NEWS LAWS SINCE 2007. The A-G Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum told 300 lawyers and other members of the legal fraternity attending the 12th annual Attorney General Conference in Nadi on Friday that there have been 70 changes or amendments in laws of the legal framework in Fiji since 2007 which were made necessary due to changes taking place domestically and internationally.
He invited those attending to question the changes and Government's intentions, saying “If you’re able to rationalise that, then you will be also be able to anticipate the changes in the years to come, particularly in 2014. We need to ask what is the impact of these laws. Are they harmful to anyone? Do they discriminate against anyone? Do they help bringing down the barriers of discrimination.” -- Based on No:2074/MOI. Also FijiVillage.
BAINIMARAMA BLAMES PAST GOVERNMENTS FOR SUGAR ILLS. He also criticised those who have "been making comments [and] did nothing to salvage the industry." Past politicians did not even visit the sugar mills to see for themselves the wastage of sugar occurring for the past decade, especially at the Lautoka Mill. In his visit last month he saw sugar "flowing straight to sea while being crushed." Government had guaranteed FSC loans and made a substantial contribution in the budget to save the industry from collapse. The problems of the sugar industry are not new.
6 comments:
Croz
Too late to back off now - although one notices a lot of going to ground by coup aupporters as the cassava patch sprinting championships get closer?
You are an unapologetic coup supporter and quite frankly to display a photo of a shredded American flag sums you, your blog and the military junta up. In my view even insane terrorists aren't that stupid!! Like bainimarama you will reap what you sow.
@ Past governments blamed for Sugar Ills.....
Of course past governments are to be blamed. But, just as significantly, past boards and past management are to be "hung out to dry". THey were, of course, appointed by these past governments. Some of them sat on the board for years. Why? In 1990, one returned to Fiji from overseas to see this fiasco and it was obvious - NOT APPARENT - what was wrong and why it was wrong. No one, no one at all was listening to developments elsewhere in the world particularly within the ACP/European Union. Again, the UK PM was making it perfectly plain: we will not pay a larger than equitable sum of taxpayers' money to ACP nations to produce sugar which we already produce, more cheaply, at home. What is wrong with that argument? It is perfectly valid. UK taxpayers did not wish to waste their hard-earned money on this. They had other priorities. We have for too long believed that we were "owed" taxpayers funds as aid or as assistance in some way or other without due accountability, without a full understanding of whence it came. This did not and will not do. We must come to a realisation that we must use our own resources: we must use them well. We must"Save for the rainy day" and we must learn from the past.
Crosbie
Why on earth is there a fuss about the US not granting a transit visa to Colonel Saumata to go to the UN conference in Cancun? If the conference in Cancun was REALLY as important as you state, and those in government make out, then alternative travel arrangements could’ve been made. Just as they were when Air Pacific refused to defy the court order which put a stay on Russell Hunter’s deportation
For example Nadi to Hong Kong on Air Pacific, HK to Shanghai then Shanghai to Mexico City on AeroMexico. That way Colonel Saumata would miss out the States completely and wouldn’t even travel as far as Mr Hunter had to when he last left Nadi to fly to Australia.
As far as representation at the other meeting goes, the government has been forced into a cost cutting measure (thank you United States) and is sending Mr Peter Thomson and his deputy, Mr. Luke Daunivalu to the one in New York
croz
The junta appears to be in a very confused state. Nothing is coming from MINFO and sharon seems to have just gone off the radar? Is she not being paid with Fijian taxpayers money by the regime to give information? Correct me if I am wrong?
Could you also let them know that Cancun is not in the USA??
And also thank them for informing us both about the EU supporting the junta and the UN shifting to China....but do it nicely...oh dear...th level of confusion increases by the day....
@ confused junta....
Much as we might appreciate your use of the term 'taxpayers' money' - did you ever use it once in the past twenty or more years? While the fact that you do NOW is a blessed relief and an advance, you need to look back over the past twenty or more years of Fiji governance and ask yourself some smart, searching questions as to "Where were you with the use of taxpayers money"? Were you paid by it? Were you abusing it - like many others in Fiji? Did you take unfair advantage of it? If the answer is 'Yes' (and complete honesty and integrity of response are required), then you will fully undertand the present state of Fiji and why it came about. No democracy can withstand the rape of taxpayers' money. Public money is to be publicly accounted for - down to the very last cent. Fiji Water allegedly forgot this. What the hell is ONE THIRD OF A CENT?
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