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

Sunday 27 February 2011

Too Timid to Speak Out (and a Note on the Recent Detentions)

N0160. My article on refugee applications by Fijians to remain in Australia (N0146) brought a sharp response from Too Timid.  Here is his response and the slightly edited comments of three others on what he had to say.

TOO TIMID WROTE:

Croz, It is dangerous to speak out. I know people who have said things sometimes in private conversations who have had to pay a visit to QEB. This is not hearsay this is first hand information.

I mix with business people of all races and none of them will say anything against the regime because to speak out means you or your business will be damaged. That may not be 100% true but it is 100% the perception.

There is fear in this country and it is growing. It is fear and paranoia on the government's side as seen by the questioning of three of the most loyal supporters of the 2006 coup: Rokoului, Pita Driti and Aziz. On the side of the people it is the fear to speak out against the regime.
You may feel that it is a popular government, and in certain sectors it may be. But in the business community it is very unpopular and we are all too timid to speak up.

It is probably time you paid another trip to Fiji for yourself. This time don't just visit with the Ministry of information and follow their itinerary talk to others. Having said that very few will talk to you because you are seen to be part of the regime.

THREE COMMENTS

I asked several people to comment and this is what three of them said:

NGO worker:
I am not aware of anyone being taken up to the camp in recent months. Of course it is still a joke among people that if you say anything uncomplimentary you will be taken in but everyone knows it is a point of humour. A few months ago I heard of a friend who was invited by Driti to the camp for morning tea. While he was away from the office a journalist phoned and his secretary replied that he  had been taken to the camp. 

I would, however, be surprised if businessmen were afraid of saying anything.  They have not been reluctant to approach government with their complaints.

Of course I think everyone needs to act sensibly and not provoke the regime. If they did, they would be asking for trouble.  But for ordinary people bringing their probelms and concerns to the PMs office they have no need to fear.

Teacher:
I have no doubt that there is more than a grain of truth being said by ‘Too Timid’.  Business leaders have always sought to be on the ‘right side’ of government. They will express their opposition to policies diplomatically and privately always ensuring that they maintain good relations.

This much I can say – I don’t fraternize with business people but on the occasion that I have done – I have received mostly negative comments. Read about the ‘fish bowl’ environment in island tax havens where dissent is stifled, in our situation where the military backed government can take direct and abrupt action against individuals as well as property, there are very good reasons to be afraid.

Businessman:
Well, for some people it would be true.  My views are well known though, I must admit, I do self-censor frequently. That is due in the main to cultural precepts which I have long learned to observe. I do not, for instance, hold forth on matters to do with iTaukei.  That is from long, long understanding that it is unwise and can have repercussions which are not necessarily to be expected. They may be overt or covert in their manifestation.

We are living in particularly treacherous times: not different in some respects from post-2000/2001. There are hang-overs from these two years and all horror of them.  I learned about some Kalabo horror that I had not previously accessed in detail just last week.  I knew of the event but not the minutiae nor the scale of this.  No country the size of Fiji can recover without significant reconciliation/counseling/PTS-syndrome management and expect to function normally.

This is why: the Middle East trauma and violence does have direct relevance to Fiji. The tribal norms and strict conditions for belonging, exclusion of outsiders, the violent past of many countries, the recent turmoil demanding divided loyalties for many, are completely relevant to Fiji and other Melanesian countries. We differ only in degree with regard to the violence and to the corruption and covert pressures which are exerted upon the ordinary people.

The Pacific Islands (as you well know) share many ‘tabu’ areas.  These become heightened in times of trauma and of acute pressure.  Family ties may be sundered by divided loyalties. None of this would be discussed openly.  Only among and with persons of the same ‘matagali’ or tribal grouping and only among those of the same rank.  It is a huge mistake to think that ‘professional’ values will apply in such conversations.  They often will not.

For this reason alone, Jenny of the Lowy Institute (see N0150) is barking up many wrong trees.  Even friends would not discuss these matters necessarily among themselves. We all know each other but we would censor some subject matter deliberately to ensure that we are not labeled with revelations.  This is for cultural and social necessity and propriety as much as for security reasons.

But the security context is NEVER absent in the PER – or even prior to PER.  One is safer by far in a general way but in particular contexts there would be no difference at all were one to discuss: Land Issues/Sexual Violence/Family connections and blood relationships/any matter to do with iTaukei Chiefly status and connections/Corruption in particular quarters (as opposed to general corruption).

Some persons do not like this.  They see such a stance as ‘provocative’. Tough!  There is no future for Fiji without the Tough Getting Going!  And once they are going, they must stay the journey.

NOTE ON RECENT DETENTIONS


There have been several (about six) detentions by the military of well-known activists in the last two weeks.  Most have been brief; most appear to have involved some level of violence; all have been mentioned by the international media; all have been condemned by Amnesty International, and none has been mentioned in the Fiji media.  I shall be publishing an opinion on the detentions and the issues involved once I have explored all possible avenues to find out what happened and why.   If readers can help me in this, I would be greatful. Croz

13 comments:

Confusing and not convincing said...

Croz
What you have written today is confusing. What is it you are trying to say? Also very respectfully, you are becoming less and less convincing as you try and justify the junta and its dictator. You need to take a long walk and think about what a coup is. You need to reflect (meaningfully and honestly) on the acceptability or otherwise of military regime brutality. It is unacceptable in Fiji as it is in Libya, Egypt or Tunisia. It will not be tolerated.
Whether we like it or not, Bainimarama's days are over. The pressure to remove him, internationally and internally will simply keep increasing. It will be systematic, targeted and strategic. It does not matter how long it takes - in fact the longer the better. Do you know why? It is less costly and risky, as the likelihood of perpetrators turning on each other to save themselves increases. Like Gaddafi, Bainimarama has no chance of surviving - if he or anyone else thinks otherwise they are very, very naive or swamped in delusional group think and tragic denial. Just like Ceasescu and his wife before Romania was liberated by the tidal wave of democracy.

Liu Muri said...

While for a moment I detest any form of violence and reported breach of human rights in Fiji and reported beating of SAM SPEIGHT by the Military, readers need to have a better appreciation of the historical perspectives.
SAM SPEIGHT is the father of the GEORGE SPEIGHT, who led renegade soldiers and toppled CHAUDHRY’S DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT. If Sam had given his treasonous son the lessons on the importance and values of democracy that he is preaching now, perhaps Fijians may have been spared a great deal of heart-ache and political instability.
THAT IS THE PRICE FATHERS PAY FOR DERELICTION OF PARENTAL DUTIES AND POOR UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN LIKE GEORGE SPEIGHT. You deserve this Sam- a lesson for other Dads who supported Rabuka in 1987 and Speight in 2000 to rape democracy but now are shouting for democracy to be reinstated once the barrels of the guns are facing them.
Please do not blame the Indo Fijians for this. This is a Fijian coup on the Fijians.

Sa rauta said...

There are certainly some moves from Australia to try and dethrone the governement. There has been so much put on c4.5 but without any evidence.

Beatings of people who within 24 hours of being released are in Australia. Could these have been orchestrated beatings by their own groups and then statements made to gain support of the line that Bainimarama is Brutal and a murderer?

This is certainly working as this are being discussed on Social networking sites.

Is Australian secret service helping FDN to cause unrest in Fiji possibly create a Solomon Islands like scenario where they are called in as "Peacemakers". This could lead to their gaining back control of voting in the Pacific and their bid for the UN Security council.

The case of Justice Moti shows how far Australia can go to keep control of the Pacific.

There is certainly alot of good happening currently on the economic front in Fiji - mining, tourism, to name a few.

The proposed march in Suva on Friday is an attempt to emulate recent events in the middle east.

Is it really for democracy or power that some have lost that the march is for.

I think the latter.

Just my opinion.

Crosbie Walsh said...

@ Confusing ... This is often what happens when someone tries to present different viewpoints.

@Liu Muri ... It is Sam Jnr, George's brother, not his dad.

@ Sa Rautu ... There's certainly more than meets the eye in these recent stories. I'd be interested in other readers' opinions. What's it all about? Is it being orchestated? Why now?

Too Timid said...

Croz,
How very humbling to be put on the front page and to create a good debate.

You ask, in the comments, why now and is it orchestrated. There are 2 sides to this fight and one is partly organized and the other is more spontaneous.

The why now is probably the easier one to answer.
It is beginning now for a number of reasons. However, the primary cause is the deteriorating economy. If you look around Suva the number of homeless is increasing, the jobless are increasing. In Housing areas such as the HART more and more breadwinners are not working they have to live on $60 per month government hand outs. Crime is increasing

None of the above is reported but you can see it with your own eyes. Luckily I have not witnessed crime at first hand but the numbers who have is increasing.

People are becoming more desperate. Frank spends a lot of time in rural areas which is great but his problems will be brought to a head by the urban poor. I don’t know what the spark will be but conditions in parts of Suva are so bad that it won’t take much.

From the government’s side they are getting more desperate. They are short of money. For example they are way behind on their grant payments to numerous organizations whether they are in Transport, NGOs, or even Government Departments.

The Paranoia at the top is increasing and that is why we are seeing Frank turn against senior officers in the military. Aziz, Driti and Mara have all been interviewed on the flimsy evidence of Ben Padarath; a man very well known for being unreliable. He is related to Driti but no one least of all a military man would involve such a well known blabbermouth into something secret. In 2006 Frank could not have undertaken the coup without this trio’s support. If they no longer support him, and Frank obviously thinks they don’t. What has changed? What has made them stop being loyal to Frank? Is it that he is not keeping his word on the path of the coup? Is it because the AG has sidelined them? Is it…? There could be many reasons and we probably will never know the full story but what is clear is that the trust between Frank and that trio has gone for good. These were the 3 senior military officers in 2006. If they no longer support have Frank’s support and he feels he no longer has their loyalty then that means there are serious splits in the military. You do not lose all your top officers in one go without problems.

Frank is running scared and beginning to strike out at Shadows. There may not be much similarity between Fiji and Libya or Egypt but it must be disconcerting to see totalitarian regimes being overthrown on a regular basis. The biggest concern must be that soldiers refuse to fire on their own population. That has to be a worry to a prime minister who is ruling by the power of the gun. When the people of Fiji realize that the guns probably won’t fire then they will feel empowered. It only takes one person to stare down the barrel and come away alive for others to follow.

Suva is beginning to feel tense; Suva is waiting for something to happen. Probably nothing will but there are so many stories that people expect something to happen. Frank is looking weak and the arrests and beatings of the last few weeks seem to be the desperate and the feeble attempts of a dictator trying to keep control. Only time will tell.

With regards to the people voicing their own points of view about my comment. I promise you Croz that when this is over and I no longer fear reprisal for me and my family I will give you stories with evidence to show that people are taken up to camp even if they do not say anything in a public arena but keep it to private conversations. People don’t know who they can trust anymore and so it is best to say nothing. I will give you proof of businesses being given serious problems because their senior management said the wrong thing. Equally I can show you proof of executives fawning over the government being boosted by Government contracts. It is all there but as I said I am too timid to speak.

sara'ssista said...

@ Sa Rauta...i don't quite the relevance, Moti is a paedophile, who fled from PNG like a rat given the rather disgusting natur of his relationship with a well underage girl in vanuatu.The very idea that fjiians abroad work together to beat each other up for media attention is sick. This presumes that the fijian military doesn't have 'form' for this type of abuse and they don't even go so far as to deny they do it. They feel it's just the way melanesians ask questions of subjects and don't really get why the law should apply to them at all. That comes from the top down. So now this is all about blaming the victim?? An interesting tactic.

sara'ssista said...

RFMF Land Force Commander Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga said about Aziz, 'He resigned from the FHL board only because of work commitments', well gievn the rather swift 'investigation' into FHL, (compared to the rather lengthy trial of Qarase) i suggest we all just stop asking questions and 'just move along...nothing to see hear'. Welcome to the new fiji.

Sa Rauta said...

@ sara'ssista

Moti was tried and found not guilty.

He was extradited to Australia rather suspiciously.

Anyway the court in Sutralia found that the AP actions were suspicious. They had had paid the family of the girl large amounts of money.

No he is not a paedophile as no court has found him to be one even your Australian court system.

sara'ssista said...

@ Sa Rauta...In October 2008, The Australian Newspaper reported that Vanuatu magistrate Bruce Kalotiti, who heard the case against Moti in 1999, had been bribed by Moti to dismiss the case in exchange for Moti's paying for Kalotiti to study at the University of Western Sydney. The report cited university records and evidence obtained by the Australian Federal Police in September 2004. Kalotiti resigned from the bench as a result of the allegations and the evidence which supported them, gathered at the request of the Vanuatu government...What's this melanesian justice!!

Sloane Ranger said...

@ Sara'ssista.....

Interesting explanation with so much detail and your English appears to have had a 'makeover'. How did you manage it? Been to see the "King's Speech" recently?

Sa Rauta said...

@ sara'ssista

He hasn't been found guilty in a court of law to be a paedophile - in Australia or Vanuatu.

I rest my case.

sara'ssista said...

Sa rauta by all means presume what you like and it looks like he will be babysitting your preteen daughters this weekend...good luck with that.It looks very much like he wasn't found guilty through a miscarriage of justice he caused, not through any Australian involvement.

Jake said...

Send all those Fijian bludgers back to Fiji.

They are wasting Australian tax payers money they ought to be cultivating their land and be useful for once in their misserable life.

Jake