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| Photo credit: Coup 4.5 |
The Indo-Fijian bashing angle is used once again. With Tonga’s history of racially humiliating Indo-Fijians in 1988 with ban on entry, it is no wonder Ratu Ului had a field day in using the race card as well, where he said that Aiyaz Saiyed Khaiyum, Fiji’s Indo-Fijian Attorney General was solely calling the shots in Fiji.
What a gullible media fails to realise is that Fiji’s military is 99.95 per cent indigenous Fijians. Of the 21 Permanent Secretaries, only three are Indo-Fijians, only two ministers are Indo-Fijians and other top echelons of the civil service comprise of some 80 per cent indigenous Fijians.
Yet, Ratu Ului, supported by NZ media, wishes us to believe that one Indo-Fijian had Frank Bainimarama in a trance. Ratu Ului is degrading and shaming his own race by saying that Khaiyum single-handedly manipulates Fiji’s administrative, political and military machinery dominated by indigenous people.
This is the biggest insult hurled on indigenous Fijians since the unceremonious flight of Ratu Ului’s’ father from the Government house.
Ratu Ului’s defence of the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) and the Methodist Church as saviours of democracy is highly laughable. These two institutions have been the biggest threat to democracy, human rights and social justice in Fiji.
To read the full article by Thakur Ranjit Singh, click here.
8 comments:
'Fiji’s military is 99.95 per cent indigenous Fijians. Of the 21 Permanent Secretaries, only three are Indo-Fijians, only two ministers are Indo-Fijians and other top echelons of the civil service comprise of some 80 per cent indigenous Fijians'...oh dear...onwards to a mulitracial fiji....five years on ???
Since we are talking about facts what evidence do you have that C4.5 is a SDL website ?
Assuming this is a SDL website it raises a interesting question. What would you do if you where the deposed government ? They went hrough the courts and WON but that only led to the throwing out of the constitution by the military. They can't speak up publicly (they can't even meet publicly). They have efectively been silenced and that was the intention of Frank.
I don't like c4.5's approach and it is sloppy and grubby but SDL and anyone opposed to the military rule are not playing on a level playing field. In many ways Frank has asked for this type of response.
With so few indo Fijian's in government, military and the public service after nearly 5 years in power how can Frank still claim to be against racism. It seems he still wants Fijians running the majority of the show....just not the old one who dared to investigate him ?
Croz
What alternatives do we have to get reliable information on what is really happening in our beloved land? Surely you are not suggesting reliable sources are the regime Ministry of Information, the regime supporter Fiji Sun, or people such as Thakur Ranji Singh?
Without people like Michael Field and pro democracy blogs like Coup 4.5 - continually providing up to date and informative news, we would have nothing but draconian censorship?
Crosbie
Your blog started out being even handed yet over the past two years is heading the way of becoming as one eyed as those which you castigate.
You’ve said this is to ‘balance’ the information on anti government blogs, yet by publishing scurrilous articles by Mr Singh you do neither your credibility, nor his, any favours. You’re merely falling into the same trap that you condemn Michael Field and the NZ media for. That of relying on (in this case) a bigoted viewpoint with no alternative article or editorial comment as a balance.
Phrases such as “Ratu Ului is degrad¬ing and sham¬ing his own race...” are very telling about Mr Singh’s state of mind and are unworthy of being published on your blog which laudably promotes the idea of multi racialism in Fiji.
Sara’ssista notes the preponderance of iTaukei ministers, permanent secretaries etc in this ‘government’, implying that one of the coup aims (of ‘racial balance’) has not been achieved.
Whilst I understand that viewpoint, I believe it’s fair to say that in the utopian Fiji that this coup purported to want to create nobody would refer to ministers etc by racial group but only by ability.
Therefore it’s unedifying to have Mr Singh write in terms precisely the opposite of what the coup set out to achieve and for you to compound that error by publishing his diatribe.
@ What Alternatives ... I also read the anti-govt blogs but I'm wary of what they write because events have so often proved them wrong. I'd recommend you read them with the same scepticism as when you read pro-government articles.
@ Gutter Press ... There's no secret in my stance. See the Aims/Principles tag under the blog heading. I publish or provide links to articles from both sides. Can you think of another blog that does this? Would Coup4.5, for example, have published Ranjit's article, or for that matter any article that is pro-govt? You must also have noticed that I have repeatedly criticised Govt on a number of issues, notably PER, police and military abuses, insufficient civilian presence in admin and decision-making, poor PR, and not bringing the dialogue forward. Should you wish to write something substantial on a particular issue, that respects normal ethical requirements, I'd be pleased to publish it. The last week has been unusual because of Ratu Tevita's flurry of releases. As these diminish, more "balance" will be evident again.
@ Sarass'ista ... There have been many steps towards multi-culturalism. Over-representation of itaukei arises from several causes, not least of which are that it has always been the way, in the military and in the civil service, travel bans, and the need to appoint trustworthy and efficient people to key jobs.
# Facts ... This is Ranjit's opinion. If you believe that "by their deeds you shall know them", it's hard to see what the SDL would write that Coup4.5 has not already written. But I doubt he has factual evidence. The media distinquish been news and opinion pieces. Ranjit's article is an opinion piece.
@ Sara'ssita
You continue to promote narrow-minded views and ignore what's plain to see.
Indo Fijians hold key positions in the current government. These are the positions of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice and Tourism, Permanent Secretary for the Public Service Commission, Minister for Health and Vice Chancellor of the Fiji National University. The Vice Chancellors of all three universities in Fiji - USP, FNU,and University of Fiji are all Indo Fijians. While the numbers are small the overriding factor is that the current government has the political will to promote multiracialism and that's the huge difference between them and the SDL government. For Government PSC scholarships I believe Indo Fijians
still outnumber the rest. Recently, at the CWM Hospital I've seen more Indo Fijians behind desks than other races. The CWM Dental Clinic is almost 100 per cent manned by Indo Fijians. Sara'ssista , would that be a reason why not more Indo Fijians are placed in Government positions ?
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