Melanesia in Review: Issues and Events, 2005
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ScholarSpace at University of Hawai'i at Manoa Melanesia in Review: Issues and Events, 2005 Reviews of the Region and West Military Forces and its commander, Papua are not included in this issue. Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama. Both the sdl and the mv parties Fiji were formed after the 2000 political The repercussions of the political crisis. The sdl was formed by Qarase crisis caused by George Speight’s during his term as interim prime min- attempted coup of May 2000 still had ister, and the mv was first formed in overwhelming impacts on sociopoliti- Vanua Levu (Fiji’s second biggest cal and economic arrangements in Fiji island) by chiefs and people who sup- throughout 2005. In fact the tasks of ported the Fijian cause advocated by both the interim government since the coup leader Speight. Qarase’s solution crisis of 19 May 2000 and the elected to political instability centered on a government after the general election reconciliation process, whereby an in 2001 have been difficult and chal- independent unity commission would lenging. Not only did these govern- be established through legislation to ments have to deal with restoring the offer solutions for the causes of the economy, but more important, they 2000 crisis. On the other hand, Com- also had to initiate solutions to mini- modore Bainimarama strongly advo- mize, or better still, totally eradicate cated applying the rule of law to all Fiji’s coup culture. Diverse socio- offenders. By January 2005, Baini- political and economic interests had marama had issued warnings against to be negotiated and harnessed for the perpetrators of the 2000 coup, the sake of political stability and whom he believed were still not being economic growth. These were top dealt with by the law. He warned, priorities, given the fact that all states “For the financiers and the supporters are now part of a global political of the rebels . I am anything but economy in which there is little an officer and a gentleman” (The control over changing economic Review, Jan 2005, 1–5). circumstances. Political instability as Fiji’s continuing political tensions, experienced in Fiji after 1987, when strongly expressed in 2005, are multi- the first two coups occurred, has layered. Beneath the much-explained inevitably complicated the chances interethnic conflict, which emerged as of economic development. part of Fiji’s colonial legacy, are other The year 2005 was greeted in Fiji struggles that have evolved from time with ongoing political dilemmas, immemorial and intensified through which were expressed through a con- modern competitions for power. The tinuous war of words between the ongoing conflict between government Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua/ and the military highlighted both Matanitu Vanua (sdl/mv) coalition modern and traditional conflicts government of Prime Minister Laise- expressed through state institutions. nia Qarase and the Republic of Fiji Bainimarama’s consistent stand on 396 political reviews • melanesia 397 national security issues and the need that, if passed, the bill would endorse to bring the 2000 coup perpetrators two sets of laws in Fiji: the introduced to justice became the center of contro- rule of law and a semblance of cus- versy between the military and the tomary law. The latter, based on sdl/mv government, which has its restorative justice, would cater mostly power base in a number of coup- for some groups of indigenous Fijians. prone vanua (land-based traditional Prime Minister Qarase explained: political entities). Qarase’s belief in “The bill is an approach to justice reconciliation as a long-term solution adopted in other nations that have to Fiji’s political instability resulted in been driven and damaged by internal a Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity strife. It is undeniable that large num- Bill, which is currently before Parlia- bers of active sympathizers of that ment. The bill promotes reconciliation upheaval felt they were standing for through the principles of restorative indigenous rights. But their actions justice, where the “wrong” and the were against the law. What they did “wronged” are brought together to was related to the grievances, insecu- discuss and resolve their problems. rities and fears of the Fijian people, Based partially on the Fijian custom- born out of a colonial decision to ary way of veisorosorovi (traditional bring to Fiji settlers from India. Two apology), it is envisaged that in the distinct ethnic groups, with quite long-term, this process of reconcilia- different cultures and religious beliefs tion will heal wounds and perma- were thus living in our islands. Colo- nently solve problems (Durutalo nial policy largely kept them apart. 2003; FIB, July 2005, 12–14). How- . This polarization brought us to ever, using the traditional methods of the coups of 1987 and 2000 and to veisorosorovi to appease the wrongs the legal initiative we have launched already committed has not been to spur and complement efforts for nationally acceptable to the different accomplishing justice and reconcilia- ethnic groups in Fiji. Even before tion” (FIB, July 2005, 11). consideration of the bill in Parlia- The application of the rule of law ment, opposition intensified when a has become problematic to different few of the “chiefly perpetrators” of groups of Fijian leaders. While the the 2000 coup were released from military commander believes in equal- prison to serve their sentences extra- ity before the law and its application murally. These included former vice as a deterrent to crime, the prime president of the Republic of Fiji, Bau minister believes that wholesale appli- high chief Ratu Jope Seniloli; the Tui cation of the rule of law would ignore Cakau and high chief in the Matanitu the nature of crime committed by the of Tovata, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu; coup perpetrators. The logical conclu- and Viliame Savu, a pioneer Fijian sion of this argument would be that nationalist (Fiji Times, 5 Jan 2005, 1; the British colonizers were responsible 5 Feb 2005, 6). for the coups in 1987 and 2000. Since Different groups expressed con- Fijian involvement was only second- cerns about the bill on a number of ary, then the rule of law should be grounds. First was the appearance modified accordingly. Through recon- 398 the contemporary pacific • 18:2 (2006) ciliation, the wrong and the wronged addition, four memoranda of under- can forgive each other; the wrong standing were negotiated, along with will never re-offend, and long-lasting two bilateral agreements concerning peace can be an end result. The twist water resources management and in this argument is the belief, as coconut industry development. The argued by the prime minister, that: four memoranda, focused on health “The country won’t enjoy stability and medicine, tourism, information, and hence peace, progress and pros- and communication technology, perity unless Fijians remain on top enabled the establishment of a joint politically. That is the way it is in Fiji. trade commission, which will meet It will remain so until indigenous annually (FIB, Nov 2005, 8). India Fijians feel confident about their place has a lot to offer Fiji in the area of in a land where they are now nearly health, and a number of patients are 54 percent of the population, having sent to India for medical treatment. recovered from a minority position” Tourism development may benefit (FIB, June 2005, 8). both countries. The attempt to introduce a Recon- Recently Fiji and Nauru have ciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill joined Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Tonga in contributed to the challenge of bring- abandoning the “One China” policy ing about economic growth in Fiji. and courting Taiwan. In mid-2005 Expiring and non-renewed land leases Taiwan’s President Chen Shui-bian contributed to increasing urban was accorded a full traditional Fijian squatter problems, while global ceremony of welcome and received economic reforms caused declining by Fiji government delegates at Fiji’s export earnings from sugar and gar- Nadi International Airport. China’s ments. Unemployment rates were ambassador to Fiji, Cai Jinbiao, slowed somewhat as mostly Fijian expressed his government’s disap- males were recruited for reconstruc- pointment with Fiji for officially tion work in Iraq and Kuwait. By recognizing the arrival of Chen Shui- April 2005, approximately 20,000 bian. Relations with China deterio- Fijians had applied for reconstruction rated further in mid-May, when Fiji work through two recruiting compa- and Papua New Guinea supported nies, Meridian Services Agency and Taiwan’s bid to join the World Health Global Risk (FIB, April 2005, 3–7). Organization (FIB, June 2005, 23–24). As part of an effort to look beyond New laws and regulations regard- Australia and New Zealand for new ing global and regional trade have trade partners and markets, a trade incited conflicts between Pacific coun- mission visited India in 2005. India tries including Fiji, Vanuatu, and offered Fiji a soft loan of f$86 mil- Papua New Guinea. Fiji responded lion and a team of technical experts to Vanuatu’s ban on Fiji’s biscuits by to overhaul the ailing sugar industry. imposing its own ban on Vanuatu The model would be the industry in kava. Vanuatu is not a member of the the Indian city of Mysore, a highly World Trade Organization, and so integrated producer of sugar, electric- avoided the rules disallowing such ity, ethanol, and organic fertilizers. In trade bans. However, the two coun- political reviews • melanesia 399 tries discussed lifting their bans dur- from Mobi and Nabila villages in the ing the sixteenth meeting of the Mela- district of Nadi on the western side nesian Spearhead Group in Goroko, of Viti Levu threatened to disrupt Papua New Guinea, in 2005.