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

Sunday 12 December 2010

The March That Wasn't

By Crosbie Walsh

For most of last week we were the victims of a preposterous hoax that rolled out of Sydney's FDFM blog to Wellington's Fiji Coup 2006 blog (and Auckland's CoupFourPointFive) and on to its final destination in Suva.

There was to be an anti-Government march on Friday at Sukuna Park of some 10,000 to 20,000 people (including 10,000 school children!), timed, purely by accident, to coincide with an authorised Human Rights march of women and children.  Government banned both the real and unreal marches — just to be sure.

The ban, however, did not stop Fiji Coup 2006 blogger Sai Lealea,  strengthened from singing Psalm 91:1-16, urging the troops onwards from behind.

"We will March tomorrow in force," Sai wrote from Wellington, "and let the government know that we mean business and will not be deprived of our rights to be heard by the President. To all ordinary men and women of Fiji – the cancellation only depicts that Frank Bainimarama’s government is very afraid and wishes to cling on to power by removing the only legal authority our President." Sai seemed unaware that strictly speaking the President is no more legal than the PM.

Of course, there was no march. In "free" Sydney the bloggers could only muster 60 people, including children.

It could have been the ban, but more likely few ordinary people in Fiji took the bloggers seriously,  and no one turned up — other than those photoed above. I doubt the  blogs would have much support for a march other than from those whose gravy trains were upset  by the Coup.  I'm surprised, however,  that Government did take them seriously, and even more surprised at their stated reason: the release of a travel advisory by the US Embassy.

The Ministry of Information said the US Embassy sent out an alert on Wednesday 8th warning American citizens that "these marches may have an anti-government tone and it is possible that assembled groups may become unruly". This may be so but the advisory was little different that the one issued on 19 January that advised: "American citizens in Fiji should remain vigilant -- particularly in public places and near military activities in the greater Suva area -- and should avoid demonstrations and large crowds. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful could turn confrontational and escalate into violence unexpectedly."

The only updated advisory I could find was the Australian: "A protest march may take place in Suva on 10 December 2010. We recommend Australians avoid demonstrations, street rallies and public gatherings." The NZ advisory remained unchanged from 3 November 2009: "There is some risk to your security in Fiji and we advise caution."

But Government went further and summonsed the US Ambassador Steven McGann  to a meeting with Foreign Affairs officials "amid a widening rift between the Embassy and our Government." The PM even thought there was a link between the advisory and the earlier refusal to grant visas to senior government people seeking to attend UN and UN-related conferences.  Sorry, Prime Minister, this is most unlikely.  The US advisory on the 19th January and 8th December were standard issue, just like the Australian. It is the duty of all government to warn their citizens about possible dangers when overseas. The visas are a separate issue.

It was, of course, the Fiji Government's prerogative to remain quiet about the supposed anti-government march, but I think they would have hurt blogger credibility and won support had they exposed the blogs' preposterous claims the day before.  The anti-government blogs are visited by over 5,000 people a day, well over a thousand of them in Fiji. They would be visited by fewer people if their ongoing misinformation were exposed, and if the Fiji media  published more information and opinions on important issues. Anti-government sentiment feeds on rumour.

Far better to have arrested those without a licence to march (if any turned up) than ban the women's march. The Embassy was just doing its job, and its advisory seems a most unlikely excuse for the ban.

My own opinion is that is was a great pity the Human Rights march was cancelled. It could not have been on a worse day and for a more worthy cause. There is little doubt the cancellation will receive wide international coverage and will be used as further evidence of Government intractability. Government's rating among moderate people in Fiji is also likely to have dropped.  Looked at in this way the FDFM (and anti-Government forces generally) won the day — without the march.   Government lost an opportunity and was shown to be nervy and heavy-handed.

 Unless Government really expected the parade to be hijacked by busloads  of anti-Government protesters (and their security antennae should know whether this was a possibility),  they should, in my opinion,  have let the women’s march go ahead.   And if any of Pita Waqatairewa or Sai Lealea’s SDL bati turned up to misuse the march, sheltering behind the women's sulus, they should have been arrested for breaking PER.  This way Government would have exposed them for what they are.

Government seems slow to realize that it is fighting a propaganda war where its good work is too often being crowded out by its inappropriate reactions to challenges like this. Far more subtlety is needed.  And once again PER shows itself to be a clumsy instrument.  All the new and upgraded roads, electricity, water, better schooling and health access in the world will count for little, in the long run, unless Government also “wins the hearts and minds” of the people.  Last week was not the way to go.

8 comments:

No travel visas said...

Croz
Ask yourself as a coup supporter who is setting the agenda? It certainly is not the regime. They are tap dancing to coup 4.5 and everybody else. They need to get their act together ASAP. In particular Sec Minfo - WE NEED INFORMATION - otherwise whe will be going the same way as Reddy steady.....gone...in a wisp of smoke!!

Jumping at shadows said...

The junta seems to be just jumping at shadows? Why cancel a march of women and children - are they that scared. At the first sign of Sai they scuttle to the cassava patch.

Come on Croz said...

Croz, much as I love you, sometimes your naivete is breathtaking. Your argument that the regime should have allowed the "human rights" march to proceed is absurd. Blind Freddy would realise that this was always a smoke screen for an anti-government demonstration. After all, what other human right matters when the peoples' right to choose their own government has been removed? There's not a single business owner in the Suva CBD who wanted this demonstration to proceed. Because we all know what happens when large numbers of i'taukei hit town with the expressed intention of venting their frustration. Whether they're manipulated or not, the memories of the burning and looting of 2000 are still too raw a decade later to countenance anything like this. It just isn't worth the risk. Strange how you can be so pragmatic about some things but so weirdly trusting about his one. The SDL was telegraphing that this was a mass revolt in the making. So it's cancelled, end of story, and only those who wanted to cause trouble will be upset. Why the regime would blame the US embassy is quite beyond me. It had good enough reason to shut this farce down on the grounds of civil order without further alienating the Americans.

Kalou Vu said...

Croz,

As a Fijian, I'd much rather believe in Sai Lealea and Pita Waqatairewa than you. They are true Fijians speaking on behalf of those unable to do so in Fiji as a result of the dictatorial and undemocratic rule of those you're only too happy to be singing their praise. Sadly Croz, you seem totally oblivious to the punitive way the illegal regime in Fiji is treating and lying to the people of Fiji.

No wonder your favourite dictator is now back to China for more medical treatment. I tell you this, he won't survive the curse of the people and chiefs of Fiji. You would do well too to stay out of Fiji's affairs as you are simply not welcome. Moce mada.

Regime that wasn't said...

Croz
Like the confused regime - you seem to becoming increasingly irrelevant?

Global Citizen said...

You are big a tossing bricks at others, so how to explain this:
“The US Ambassador to Fiji Steven McGann is holding discussions in Washington on issues of continuing concern between Fiji and the US.
The US Embassy says McGann left Fiji on December 5th for previously scheduled annual leave and consultations in the United States.“
You reported over the weekend that McGann was called into a Suva meeting for a dressing down? Fiji Broadcasting says he wasnt even in the country. One of you is right; you?

Savage watch said...

The village idiots are sure off the leash today, Croz, but I guess at least we know from this disgusting display where we all stand. As "Kalou Vu" puts it, you have to be a "true Fijian" to have any legitimate right to be part of the national discourse. These racist halfwits are flaying around in abject frustration because let's face it, they're losers. Four years after Frank's coup, they've achieved nothing. These viavialevu organise demonstrations in Australia where no-one turns up but themselves ( oh, and Mark Manning). Now they're so desperate that they're resorting to good old fashioned draunikau, as if anyone except themselves would be impressed. These feeble-minded, primitive throwbacks still think that witchcraft can bring down Frank. What a joke! Why they even bother to write such drivel is beyond me. All anyone can do is shake their heads in astonishment that for these people, a century of social progress seems to have amounted to nought. Nowadays, they inhabit the concrete jungles of Sydney or Auckland but they're still the untamed savages of a distant past. Pathetic.

MJ said...

@Kalou Vu

When you mention "speaking on behalf of those unable to do so in Fiji as a result of the dictatorial and undemocratic rule" are you referring to the military government, or the chiefly system. Both are undemocratic so if you are against one you should be against the other.