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Fiji Coup Supplement - May/September 2000
CONTENTS
Introduction
Chronology of Events
Commentary by R.N.Himona
Other commentary
Fiji Government Releases
Analysis of the background
News links
Commentary on New Zealand's foreign policy
A map of Polynesia
Search these pagesNew Supplement: Solomon Islands Coup
Since the very beginning of this crisis in Fiji, I and many others have been appalled, from an indigenous Pacific cultural perspective, by the intemperate outbursts of politicians and media in Australia and New Zealand. I have been concerned as well, that the voices of indigenous Fijians are not being heard around the world. I have attempted, with others, to present an alternative indigenous perspective at this website.
In presenting this perspective we have received many messages of support and thanks from around the world. We have also received much support and thanks from Indigenous Fijian people who have not had access to media resources to allow their own voices to be heard, in the face of the torrent of abuse, mockery and ridicule they have been subjected to.
This site does not claim to represent Indigenous Fijians, but serves to provide an Indigenous Maori perspective on the crisis in Fiji, to publish sympathetic commentary from friends of Fiji, and to allow indigenous Fijians to speak out for themselves.
These articles and papers have also been emailed into our extensive lists in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world. Many thanks to those hundreds of people who have been forwarding them into their own email networks. Special thanks to Scoop News who have been publishing many of these articles into their networks as well.
Kia ora koutou / Vinaka vakalevu
Commentary by Ross Nepia Himona
http://maaori.com/rhimona15 April 2000 - Book Review, Rabuka of Fiji (Te Putatara)
21 May 2000 - Sunday Editorial
22 May 2000 - Comment
23 May 2000 - Who is the Real Coup Leader & Comment
24 May 2000 - Small Predictions
25 May 2000 - European Principle vs Polynesian Kinship
25 May 2000 - Canadian Professor Counters Perception of Indian-as-Victim
26 May 2000 - There are other things happening in the world
26 May 2000 - Who Cares What the Commonwealth Thinks
27 May 2000 - New Zealand's attitude to indigenous rights
27 May 2000 - Send a message to the New Zealand Government
27 May 2000 - Who speaks for the members of the Commonwealth?
28 May 2000 - Thanks
29 May 2000 - Provocation, Resentment and Passion in Suva
30 May 2000 - What is Martial Law?
31 May 2000 - Ratu Epeli Nailatikau - Prime Minister
31 May 2000 - Indonesia warns Australia
01 June 2000 - A letter to the First Nations of Canada
02 June 2000 - A Pox on the Media
02 June 2000 - A letter to Commonwealth Heads of State
06 June 2000 - Constitutions and Governance
07 June 2000 - Maui laughs at the Commonwealth
10 June 2000 - Democracy, Constitutions and Revolution
14 June 2000 - Fiji, and knee-jerk New Zealand
16 June 2000 - Te Putatara, a newsletter for the kumara vine
25 June 2000 - Matariki, the Maori new year
25 June 2000 - Liberation of the Mind
03 July 2000 - The spurned Maori delegation, Ko Huiarau and Tame Iti
03 July 2000 - Interim government named
10 July 2000 - A Colonial Legacy - the third Fijian Coup
12 July 2000 - Freemasons in Aotearoa & Fiji (Te Putatara)
12 July 2000 - A Pacific republic (Te Putatara)
14 July 2000 - A European myth exposed
17 July 2000 - Blueprints and Constitutions
19 July 2000 - Letter to Fijian High Commissioner
26 July 2000 - Towards guerrilla warfare
29 July 2000 - Fiji - the new order
31 July 2000 - Travel Advisory - the USA
02 Aug 2000 - Strategic Marriages
Other Commentary
18 April 2000 - U.N. Council to Review Its Policy on Sanctions by B.Crossette
23 May 2000 - Maori Review 2000 by Atihana Moana Johns
27 May 2000 - Back off on Fiji says Cook Islands' Sir Geoffrey Henry
27 May 2000 - A proposed remedy to the crisis
29 May 2000 - Sympathy for Indigenous Fijians from Maori - NZ Herald
30 May 2000 - Fiji's democratically elected government - Hilda Halkyard Harawira
30 May 2000 - Minister for Maori Affairs comments - The Dominion
31 May 2000 - Conversations at Mahendra Chaudhry's Home by Jone Dakuvula
31 May 2000 - South Pacific Forum Urges Caution (link)
01 June 2000 - Press Release - Maori Delegation to Fiji
05 June 2000 - Letter to Phil Goff - Te Runanga o Ati Awa ki Whakarongotai Inc
06 June 2000 - Fijians Paramountcy - Let's Think Rationally - J.Waqanisau
06 June 2000 - Letter to the Editor of The Age, Melbourne by Tom Collins
07 June 2000 - The failure of electoral engineering in Fiji by Jon Fraenkel
07 June 2000 - A closer look at Fiji by B. Raman (link)
09 June 2000 - Transcript of TV1 "Face the Nation" 8/6/2000
10 June 2000 - Speech to the UN, New York City by Taina Woodward
12 June 2000 - An American strategic view at Stratfor.com
16 June 2000 - Coups in the Pacific by Brian Cloughley
21 June 2000 - a May newsletter of indigenous Fijian concerns
22 June 2000 - a March 28th letter to the Fiji Sun - talk of a coup
23 June 2000 - India needs to define its own policy on Indigenous rights
23 June 2000 - Racist Views, a letter to the editor, Sunday Times
24 June 2000 - Letter from CCF to Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini
24 June 2000 - Letter from CCF to Commodore Frank Bainimarama
25 June 2000 - A call to action re Prague meeting of WTO / IMF
30 June 2000 - Australian Council of Trade Unions resolution
06 July 2000 - Fiji quiet man takes on the political battle of his life
06 July 2000 - letter from a Papua New Guinean
11 July 2000 - A "Black List" of indigenous Fijians
12 July 2000 - Fijian Nationalism - A Colonial Legacy by Robert Norton
13 July 2000 - Bau to name the Vunivalu
14 July 2000 - Colonial myths - cultural realities by Haikai Tane
17 July 2000 - NZ Govt cuts Fiji aid, defence ties
18 July 2000 - President names new government
20 July 2000 - Is democracy the answer for all - Garth George
21 July 2000 - Goff plays games with Fijian High Commissioner
22 July 2000 - Australia attacked over its treatment of Aboriginal people
26 July 2000 - Inside Fiji's Peculiar Political Coup by Gavin de Becker
28 July 2000 - PM Qarase condemns Australia and New Zealand
02 Aug 2000 - Pacific nations outflank the Commonwealth
Releases by Fiji Ministry of Information
In late August 2000 the Ministry began disseminating media releases by email, mostly from their Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola. They are published here as a record of the Interim Government's public statements.
28 Aug 2000 - Money for Strife - Chaudhry's campaign
28 Aug 2000 - Chaudhry & 1997 constitution cannot be reimposed by force
29 Aug 2000 - Ganesh Chand - academic or email freak?
29 Aug 2000 - Information minister defends Kotobalavu
04 Sep 2000 - Response to Chaudhry's HARDTALK interview
04 Sep 2000 - Why the 1997 constitution must be changed
04 Sep 2000 - Adi Kuini - questions to be answered
05 Sep 2000 - Kinnock imperialism and European integrity
05 Sep 2000 - Rajeshwar Singh shows true colours
06 Sep 2000 - Fijian soul not for sale
07 Sep 2000 - Fiji needs friends not overlords
08 Sep 2000 - Response to BBC Hardtalk
13 Sep 2000 - Public Service Commission denies discrimination
13 Sep 2000 - Statements
14 Sep 2000 - When mistakes are repeated - Dr Narsey
15 Sep 2000 - Interview with Ratu Inoke Kubuabula
15 Sep 2000 - Statements
Background Analysis
Fiji: Permanent Revolution & the ‘Pacific Way’, a Trotskyist analysis, February 2001.
The Land Rent Debate - how the land rental system exploits the indigenous landowners by John Davies & Courtney L.Gallimore
Traditional Fijian social and political structure
Muanikau Accord 13 July 2000
Blueprint presented to BLV on 13 July 2000
The Constitution of Malaysia
Article 153 of Malaysian Constitution
Constitutions from around the world
Reforming the leasing and the use of agricultural land in Fiji: an economic incentive approach by John Davies and Courtney L Gallimore
Thoughts on 3rd Coup d'etat by Mere Tuisalalo Samisoni
On the Source of Inter-Ethnic Conflict in Fiji: And on whether the Reeves Report and the 1997 Constitution offer a workable solution
by John Davies. The author is currently Professor and Head, Department of Economics, Acadia University, Nova Scotia, Canada (web-published first at this site)
The Indigenous Rights Movement in the Pacific, by Kekuni Blaisdell (1998)
CIA Factbook - Fiji
Directory of Fijian websites
UN information on Indigenous Peoples
United Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
AFFIRMING that indigenous peoples are equal in dignity and rights to all other peoples, while recognizing the right of all peoples to be different, to consider themselves different, and to be respected as such, etc.
An Analysis of the Current Political Crisis in Fiji
by Teresia Teaiwa, Lecturer in Pacific Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
The Magna Carta Society Inc
Bibliography of Fijian Society
Colour, Class and Custom: The Literature of the 1987 Fiji Coup
Ewins, Rory, 1998, 2nd ed. A 30,000 word paper surveying the academic literature
Rory Ewin's Pacific Islands Politics
Fiji - Damaged Democracy
by Brij Lal at Fijilive
Mana Pasifika - Maori in the Pacific and
Globalisation and the commonality of indigenous struggles worldwide
at the Tino Rangatiratanga Maori Independence website
The Harare Commonwealth Declaration
signed at Harere, Zimbabwe 21 October 1991.
News Links
The Tale of Fijilive by Jim Benning
University of South Pacific Journalism Students
Asia-Pacific Network - independent news
Foreign Policy Commentary
15 April 2000 - Indonesia, Awakening Giant (Te Putatara)
15 May 2000 - New Zealand's Foreign Policy (Te Putatara)
15 May 2000 - Asia Pacific Population Statistics (Te Putatara)
25 May 2000 - Foreign Policy Lacks Focus by Terence O'Brien (NZ Herald)
26 May 2000 - An Awful Irony Bordering On Hypocrisy - Hon Peter Dunne
30 May 2000 - Foreign Affairs is a Maori Affairs Issue - Ross Himona
30 May 2000 - Australia a Threat to Indonesia (Straits Times)
Map of Polynesia
