AMENDED. The false information referred to was mostly from Coupfourpointfive and not from "Bai." My comment is therefore now redirected to them.
It seems reasonable in the light of Brij's denial (see below) to ask who told you he was physically assaulted, spat at, hit in the mouth several times and had his glasses broken. You may also care to correct the error on your blogsite.
I know abuses occur, but so too do intentionally false reports of abuse. This wasn't you, of course, but for your own interest (if not mine) you may care to trace the relaying of this false information back to its source.
It is, of course, quite possible your source was partly correct and that Brij "played down" the incident when back in Australia. But he did deny there was physical abuse, and this should be reported
It is, of course, quite possible your source was partly correct and that Brij "played down" the incident when back in Australia. But he did deny there was physical abuse, and this should be reported
I note also Brij was not beyond making this hyperbolic political comment on his arrival in Australia: "My personal agony and difficulties are nothing compared to what is endured by the people of Fiji on a regular basis."
On his arrival in Sydney, Professor Lal said he was detained on Wednesday for three hours in custody and subjected to a very unpleasant interrogation but not any physical abuse. "It is very difficult to distill that experience into words, but intense verbal abuse, foul language and explosive anger on the part of the officer who was interrogating me," he said.
17 comments:
Coup Four and a Half is STILL reporting this lie 24 hours later.
Main story, based on so called "reliable sources", has it that Brij was punched.
It's 4 point 5 that has sauce all over it. Disgraceful.
FijToday also has posted 4.5s report. This was after we were also told that Brij had been punched. We were not told about the glasses. The problem with getting reports from people is that they are either bullshitting you or telling the truth but it is almost impossiable to get the normal second source that you would seek as a conventional journalist. Asking for comfirmation from those in power is asking for a trip to QEB.
Those of us who are operating inside Fiji don't sleep very well and a car pulling up outside at night put us in panic mode.
We will remove the Post as it seems Brij (who I believe) has the final say.
I dont give a rats ass about this loser who jumped ship for economic gain. May he rot is australia and never return to Fiji. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
What has happened at Coup Four and a Half?
The site is locked on the "Brij Lal Punched" entry after a day of denials from Brij himself. And there's been no further comment posted as is customary after all this time.
The Marie Celeste of cyberspace!
It's almost as if those behind the site have either been taken away at gunpoint or want to leave the lie up as long as possible for unsuspecting visitors.
Most peculiar. Does anyone know what's happening?
In my island home, the only source of news (until recently internet) has been for many years short wave from N.Z. & Oz.
Having heard nearly all of Brij Lal's tame interviews with Pacific Beat, DFAT's very own program, it seemed to me the man is a 'media personality' thanks to Fiji politics. Now even more so. A star is born!
I stopped tuning in some time ago.
I seem to remember a comment made by George Orwell, was it, about the truth being the first casualty of war (substitute political instability). What precisely to these pathetic websites expect to gain or benefit from by distorting the truth so blatantly and corruptly? For this IS corruption. Just another example alive and well on a website near you. Why put up with it? Never allow anyone to lie to you twice!
Let me get this straight. The man who sacked the entire Fiji judiciary because he disagreed with a high court ruling questioning his legitmacy, now expels the High Commissioners of neighboring countries for interfering with the "independent judiciary" of Fiji. Ha!! This is ripe -- Monty Python material! Yet Crosbie and his fellow coup-apologists persist in ignoring the irony of it all, preferring instead to focus on whether Brij Lal really truly had his glasses broken or not. Talk about missing the forest for the trees. How long will it take Crosbie and crew to realise, or admit, that the inevitable militarised democracy which Brij Lal predicts, might not be in the best long-term interest of Fiji or the Pacific? We watch this with morbid fascination, a thugocracy in control of the country, their supporters abroad (who would never in a million years stand for such a situation in their own country) defending them in the name of "justice". Truly amazing. And maybe not so Monty Python-funny after all.
@Diogenes
Unfortunately I think even John Cleese and co. would find Fiji too absurb not to make fun of it all.
The defenders and apologists for the regime find it offensive that it has been inaccurately suggested that Lal was assaulted, yet perfectly acceptable for him to be detained, without charge, threatened and verbally abused - all because he offered an opinion on the current state of Fiji.
The absurdity of behaving like cry babies when complaining about the actions of the NZ and Australian governments for enforcing what are relatively minor sanctions would also attract the Pythons.
Like classic playground bullies, one suspects it is the intellect and moral courage of Lal that intimidates them, rather than the message, which has been pretty obvious to most observers for some time.
Diogenes - let me get this straighter... That judgment that brought about the abrogation was arguably pre-prepared, as well as ill-thought out. It required the President to put in place an interim government, although it had argued that he did not have powers to do so. It left no recourse for appeal, but instead threw this nation a jumbled mess that may as well have been written in Japanese.
Take it from someone who lives here... a militarised democracy is exactly what Fiji needs right now. We've got problems bigger than elections, simply because of the inept politicians we've had in place for the last 2 decades.
Frank has much more support than you and Brij Lal think, and that number is continually increasing.
Feel free to continue postulating with your "higher than thou" attitude from wherever you are, and believe whatever angle Rupert Murdoch has set up for you today... its all inconsequential to us.
God Bless Fiji.
Brij should be counting his blessings, he got away lightly. What is the big idea of writing a book on squatters? They have been around well before all previous govts took office. Why now Brij? If you really want to write about squatters, visit the slums of India. You have been vocal about Frank admin. in the negative for a long time now Brij. Do the right thing, build bridges for the sake of the people of Fiji and yourself.Dont forget, you have relatives back home. Stop singing the boring OZ tune.
Oh dear dear Caromio ( Italian for My dear for those who haven't cottoned on, though why you'd call yourself this has to be some kinky thing between Caromio and whoever shares his cot ),
So the wider cause of unseating the hated regime justifies, in your twisted mind, bending the truth about the "assault" on Brij Lal.
God save us from democrats! Because they feel free to adopt the same grubby tactics of totalitarianism to achieve the purity of their own democratic nirvana.
This holier than thou, know it all, moral and intellectual superiority can only come from those who've never been scorched by the flames of racism and hatred of a kind unleashed in Fiji in recent years.
Caromio, your eagerness to urge us all to turn a blind eye to the big lie of Brij and his broken glasses, means you too are living in Lal-a land.
Have another Pinot Grigio, my dear, and do find something better to do than pulling all that Italian wool over our eyes.
Something really has happened at Coup Four and a Half.
36 hours later and Brij Lal has still been "punched", despite his denials, and no further postings have been made.
What's going on? Can ANYONE tell me?
I think we should send the ubiquitous Mark Manning around to find out.
That Sydney nurse, social gadfly and worshipper of the female Fijian form, has been out of work recently and has little better to do.
I do hope nothing serious has happened.
Brij Lal was not punched. The skinny runt would have been in intensive care at CWM hospital with a broken jaw, 6 cracked ribs, a ruptured spleen and brain haemorrage if he was manhandled at QEB.
Instead the little shit strolled through Sydney airport with his duty free and 2kgs of grog...
No news yet on why there's zero activity at Coup Four and a Half?
Come on, someone must know what's going on! Or have they died of shame?
Perhaps they've all got hangovers from Brij's duty free!
@Anonymous
You need to do a few rounds of the parade ground Bella - the cadence in your rants really is out of sync.
Surely a mere academic hasn't gotten under your fragile precious skin? What has Briji started!?
Son of Fiji assumes (incorrectly) that Diogenes doesn’t live in Fiji. His contention about widespread quiet support for Frank’s regime here might similarly be suspect. Personally, I don’t see it. Indeed, Frank seems to be losing even the Indo-Fijians, who are just, I think, tired of it all. Perhaps it’s the economy.
A militarised democracy is exactly what Fiji needs right now? Until Frank quits the scene and the, what is it?, 99% indigenous RFMF, follow a new, possibly Rabuka-like character, scrap the clean-up campaign or the campaign for justice or whatever it’s called, and revert to a Fiji for the Fijians stance. Oh my, we didn’t anticipate that might happen – we like the guns when we agree with them, but not so much when we don’t. Short-sighted really, on the part of people who should know better. Diogenes isn’t higher, or holier, than thou. Maybe older. And wi-. Well, maybe just older.
Brij who? He is not needed in the formulation of the new constitution.
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