Fiji's chief of police made a private call to his New Zealand counterpart urging him to arrest Commodore Frank Bainimarama a few weeks before the military leader seized power in a coup in December 2006.
It was reported at the time that a request had been made through Interpol and rejected by the New Zealand Government but only now can details from behind the scenes be revealed.
In November 2006 then Police Commissioner Howard Broad took the call from his Fiji counterpart Andrew Hughes, an Australian, who wanted to know if Commodore Bainimarama had committed any offence under New Zealand law for which he could be arrested.
Teams of police officers from both forces worked over a weekend and agreed the future dictator could be charged in New Zealand with perverting the course of justice in a foreign jurisdiction.
The planned charge related to remarks made by Commodore Bainimarama in New Zealand regarding an investigation into his alleged sedition in Fiji.
Mr Hughes sent two senior officers - an assistant commissioner and a senior detective - to New Zealand to liaise in the planned arrest.
"Then Howard Broad had a change of heart," said Mr Hughes. "He said New Zealand Foreign Affairs preferred a political solution.
"I argued it was his decision as Police Commissioner as to who should be charged in New Zealand."
At the time Commodore Bainimarama was in New Zealand for his granddaughter's christening and the Foreign Minister at the time, Winston Peters, had taken the opportunity to broker talks between him and elected Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase aimed at diverting Fiji's lurch towards a military takeover.
A day later, Mr Hughes received a call from Mr Broad.
"He sought my assurance that no NZ citizen would be endangered in Fiji as result of an arrest," said Mr Hughes.
"Of course I would do all in my power to protect all the people in Fiji but a blanket assurance of that kind was not possible. It would be like me asking him for a similar assurance covering all Fiji people in New Zealand. It wasn't possible to give him that.
"In the end, Mr Broad told me, 'Well, we're not going to arrest him."'
Mr Broad, now retired, told the Weekend Herald yesterday in a written statement that he remembered the call well.
"I remember it as a highly unusual request to consider an allegation against the Chief of Defence Force of a neighbouring country's properly constituted Government.
"I remember giving this decision a lot of consideration because it contained complex operational, legal and policy issues. I made the decision but I took a lot of advice. I remain comfortable with it."
He said some aspects of Mr Hughes' explanation did not accord with his recollection but he did not specify what they were.
In Suva, the Fiji police force had been awaiting an opportunity to arrest the commodore on the sedition charge but were unable to penetrate his heavily armed personal security detail - rarely less than 12-strong at any given time.
"I had earlier taken a brief of evidence to the DPP," said Mr Hughes, "and it was agreed that there was a case to answer on a sedition charge.
"We wanted to arrest and charge Commodore Bainimarama but he was permanently covered by heavy security. I was very keen to avoid an armed confrontation between the police and the military. So we waited."
As Prime Minister Qarase waited at Suva's Nausori airport to board a New Zealand Air Force VIP jet to take him to the Peters-brokered talks in Wellington, he was surprised to be joined by Mr Hughes, who then explained that the arrest plan was unlikely to come to fruition. Mr Qarase was shocked.
The Fiji Police Commissioner boarded the flight and in Wellington he met a deputy secretary for foreign affairs but was again told the New Zealand Government's position was that a political or diplomatic solution was preferred.
Aware that the police were ready to arrest him in Suva, Commodore Bainimarama had made it one of his many conditions for any settlement that the police commissioner would have to go.
Mr Hughes had, a week previously, sent his wife and sons to Australia having received credible information that they could be targeted by a military snatch squad.
In Wellington, he sought consular advice which was that he should not return to Fiji. He never did.
Mr Hughes also considered the safety of his own loyal officers who would try to protect him from military arrest.
The 2006 coup was the commodore's fourth attempt.
In 2000 during the negotiations that ended the Speight hostage crisis he suggested that the military should run the country for up to 50 years but Speight - and the president - would have none of it. In 2004 and again in 2005 he planned to take over the Government but his senior officers refused to commit treason.
All were sacked.
By December 2006 it was now or never for Commodore Bainimarama. It was widely agreed amongst informed observers of the events of 2006 in Fiji, including the diplomatic community, that without Commodore Bainimarama the RFMF would be rudderless.
Had Commodore Bainimarama been arrested in New Zealand the Fiji military would have been unable and unwilling to proceed with the removal of the Qarase Government.
The then US ambassador to Fiji, Larry Dinger, summed it up when he told his masters in Washington in a cable leaked by WikiLeaks regarding the New Zealand arrest plan.
"Being passive with bullies only encourages them. An arrest abroad might be the only way to enforce a criminal charge and remove the Bainimarama thorn," he reported.
Labour's foreign affairs spokesman Phil Goff, who did not deal with the issue, could not confirm Mr Hughes' account.
However, he could understand why no arrest was made, saying such a course of action would mean a country lost its credibility as a mediator for dealing with crises.
"I scarcely think you were going to lure a person here under false pretences only to arrest him. That would be seen as an ambush and bad faith and it wouldn't have resolved the situation within Fiji. "
Russell Hunter is former editor in chief of the Fiji Sun and was deported from Fiji in 2008. Victor Lal is an Oxford-based academic researcher and is a former Fiji journalist and human rights activist.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10786336
63 comments:
This is already well known but Broad and Goff make sense about what they say. Hence the lack of regional intervention.
I think I lost my last message, so sorry if this is similar.
I agree that Fiji's problems must be sorted out internally and had New Zealand interfered, even at the behest of Andrew Hughes, an excuse to continue would have prevailed subsequently. New Zealand would have been a accused of being big brother in the Pacific.
I hope Fijians don't go down the same path as New Guinea and give immunity, otherwise, where is the deterrent and where will it end, the coup culture, and when ?
Was Frank watching Rabuka in 1987, as a young Officer, and hatching his own plan to do likewise ?
Knowing that there was no deterrent to commit High Treason, I believe there was nothing stopping him from doing the same.
haha! if only nz had intervened then eh!
We had Qarase and Q Bale ...PM & AG
anybody but these two.
So we ended up with Frank and Aiyaz.
God save us from them all.
Well this clears up one fact at least. So many people have kept on saying that Frank was going to be charged with murder in relation to the deaths around the 2000 mutiny. In actual fact Hughes was trying to charge hime with sedition
The thug only make the 2006 coup to save himself from naboro that will be his final destiny,
The reasons Mr. Broad used to justify his inaction apply even more today. The bottom line is that Fiji's political problems will be solved by Fijians, and nobody else.
We need a plan. My own proposal is to use the Internet to create a shadow government of unity to oversee Fiji's transition to democracy. Before Bainimarama goes, we should know who will replace him.
Fijians should select the best and brightest people of integrity for the leadership of a unified opposition now. If we do this on-line, who can stop us?
s/ Dakuwaqa
What has Victor lal been researching for a long time. I have not read or head of any of his researches!,,,
February 19, 2012 5:59 PM
Nobody in Fiji wants to change the constitution. Only Bainimarama, so as to justify his criminal actions against the peace loving and proud Fiji. No, we don't want another constitution, we are quite happy with the existing 1997 version which the nation aquiesced. The idea of a new constitution is only brought up to attempt to portray some respectability to the criminalogical endeavours of Bainimarama and co conspirators.
All the rules and traditions that Fiji needs to operate a successfull nation is outlinned in the 1997 constitution.We don't need to become like America, Singapore or China. Just leave the rules as they were in the 1997 document, and everybody play their part to sustain the nation thru the fearless enforcement of the law, healthy debates in parliament to discuss and create new legislation, to manage the financial affairs of the state etc.Regular elections to keep new blood comming thru the system to help manage the nation.
The military has to respect the constitution, and protect and abide by it at all times.Stern retribution must be delivered to those that commit treason. At the moment, due to Rabuka, Speight and Bainimaram's precedent it is treated lightly.A new resolve to impart stearn punishment for offenders of treason, no matter how painfull, is necessary. Otherwise, the tsunami of coups will continue in Fiji.
Bainimarama is Fiji's enemy number 1 he must be hanged. Khaiyum is Fiji's enemy number 2, he must be hanged also, and Nailatikau is Fiji's enemy number 3 and must swing from the end of a rope as well. It must be like the judgement at Nuremburg, where all the Nazis were put on trial and then executed. Fiji needs its own judgement at Nuremburg to end the coups once and for all.
The sword of justice must move in Fiji against the evil conspiracy against democracy and liberty that has been afflicting nation.
Part 1
The plan to get Hughes to Fiji to be Police Commissioner was the beginning of moves by Qarase & Howard to control Fiji as it had done in the past in P&G and now in other Pacific countries. But the main reason for getting Hughes in was the plans by Qarase's Govt to get Frank - as you may recall the greatest support for Qarase was coming from the Qaranivalu. In order for Qarase to continue his moves with regards the controlling of Fiji and Fijians asserts Frank had to be moved & Indo-Fijians gradually derived of land leases-which would eventually get them to move(there was bigger plan than meets the eye guys)! It was easier to have a Police Commissioner who was not held back by traditional or political ties-Huges was the man and Howard was part of plan to get this into operations! Everyone who knew what the implication of Hughes move would be for Fiji was worried about this move-some in the Police Force knew something was not right but didn't really know why-but there were Senior Officers in the Force who knew what was going on -you can assume what or who stood where? Some agreed and some didn’t! Simply because Hughes could not ever understand the situation in Fiji. Hughes was taking his cues from Canberra- showing the continuing support Qarase was getting from Howard a former advisors was advising SDL . The Howard Govt was not willing to deal with a Labour Govt in Fiji. In Australia the Howard Govt was hell bent on weakening the Unions which in the end was their down fall.
What Hughes & Qarase were not banking on was the how "street wise' Frank was and also his planned moves to counter what Hughes directive from Canberra. To counter the moves that Hughes had actually made for his arrest-He planned to test the resolve of NZ & also Australia with regards to his intending arrest if he did set foot in these countries. Well guess what Frank was aware of these moves & did travel to NZ but Qarase was only made on his depart to NZ that this couldn't happen! What they were not aware of was Frank also had his intelligence sources! This was really put to the test when Frank travelled to NZ.Frank on the other hand had also put his plans into motion if he was going to be arrested in NZ.Very close sources within the Army elite had already had their plans if NZ tried this tactic if anything happened to Frank in NZ they would have shamed NZ if it dared put such a stupid plan into operations & one that would have put Aussie squarely on the map was getting Hughes as he was the Commissioner!
Part 2
The involvement of Interpol was because of the workings of Hughes and push from Australia! Some may think Franks plans were of a sudden undertaking lacking and foresight in fact he had already made his plans well before Hughes came onto the scene because he was well aware of Qarase's moves and motives! Some stuff quoted in the article is correct but what is lacking is people do not want to admit to other major issues of the role Australia played? So when Frank took over Australia wanted to show its might by sending in its warship (which was not a spur of the moment thing it was part of the contingency plan also) with helicopters-we know how their were inside Fijis waters but denied it-if people on Kadavu can see people on the ship-you couldn't be too far to sea.We now all know what happened to that episode!The idea of sending the warship was to scare Frank- the decision to land was never going to be an option simply because the lives that would have been lost and not only that they might have to contend with facing the people of Fiji also not just the ARMY as the people of Fiji might not take to lightly getting invaded! Now that would have been something to scare any Aussie soldier who thought of coming to Fiji was a "walk in the park"! Have you noticed now that Australia moves very quickly to get into the Pacific e.g? Solomons , Tonga but these countries have an army that isn't comparable to the known fighting skills of Fijis! There’s more to these than people are letting on especially of Qarase's visit to Australia before Hughes came onto the scene! Don't be fooled by what you read the reality is deadly-if ever anyone thinks what i write is bull ask yourself to what extent will Australia will go to get rid of a person -think of the Julian Moti case & that for them is nothing they what was done in the Howard era is till carried on by the Labour Govt!?? The real story is more deadly than a James Bond book or movie-the key players in this drama was also Australia, -NZ is just small baby holding the can but there are other players who think that no one knows sorry fallows in Fiji 'coconut wireless" travels faster than the speed of light cause as our old people use to say 'walesi e macawa lala"!
If Aussie were in Fiji today as they are in Solomons Fiji would have been worse than Afghanistan! The Fijians would not have taken to kindly to an invading Force-no matter who they were!
Phil Goff is a hypocrite and double-speak. Frank Bainimarama's cousin the Chilean dictator Augusto Pincohet was arrested by the British police while lying in a London hospital bed. Here is was what Goff had to say about Pinochet
3 March, 2000
Goff disappointed the Pinochet not brought to trial
Foreign Minister Phil Goff said today that he regrets the fact that the former Chilean dictator, General Pinochet, has not been brought to trial.
Mr Goff said that he accepts the principle that a person assessed as medically unfit cannot be brought to trial.
"However, the fact that General Pinochet may now never be held to account will deeply disappoint the families of those who were victims of savage human rights abuses following the military coup in Chile in 1973.
"They understandably will feel that justice has not been done. Ironically the judicial system has been kinder to Mr Pinochet that his regime was to its many victims.
"Nevertheless, the International community can at least take heart that the principle has been laid down that dictators who are responsible for human rights abuses are no longer beyond the reach of the rule of law.
"The fact that he was arrested and that his claim of immunity was rejected has taken us a lot further along the road towards curbing human rights abuse around the world.
"It will reinforce the message that leaders whose regimes violate human rights will be vulnerable to international legal action."
Despite NZ not arrestting the future dictator, he has not stopped abusing NZ and its leading including Goff and Helen Clark who had let him go;
Fiji’s interim prime minister has accused New Zealand’s Prime Minister of wanting to be Queen of the Pacific, but she’s laughed off the criticism.
Commodore Frank Bainimarama made the comments during an interview on Radio Tarana, which is based in Auck
land.
He says Indo-fijians living in New Zealand shouldn’t vote for Miss Clark, or the Trade Minister, Phil Goff, in the upcoming election.
“She never understood what is happening in Fiji, and she will never want to understand what’s happening in Fiji. All she wants is this grand idea of being lady of the Pacific and she has been very vocal against Fiji and what we have been trying to fight for, which is equality for everyone is Fiji.”
But Helen Clark says his comments will have no bearing on the New Zealand election.
“Well, I amused really because he is quick to complain when anyone says anything about politics in Fiji and then gets on a local radio station and blasts away about our politics. I think we just got to have a chuckle.”
Frank Bainimarama has travelled all over the world and nobody can still make an arrest...if they couldn't do it then how can they do it know? Let us forget about Andrew Hughes and the like. Lets just focus on the 2014 Election..simple as that. We have just about 2yrs left..we cannot afford to have another 2000 or 2006. It will only worsen the situation we are in now. I would rather be patient and cast my vote in 2014. Vinaka!
If Australia wanted to invade Fiji they could of, it's to easy send in a drone blow up the armoury take out Bainimarama and the comunications network as well as the power station and all the Fiji army got are sticks and stones and running around like headless chickens.
That's probably going over the top, just 1 drone 1 missile 1 shot 1 kill, you only need to take the head of the snake......
It seems when Hughes turned his attention to Bainimarama, he had to be booted out of Fiji:
Since 2003, Hughes vigorously pursued investigations against high-profile citizens in connection with the events of 2000. His targets have included chiefs and politicians, including some government Ministers. His relationship with the government was at times strained, and he periodically clashed with the Home Affairs Minister, Josefa Vosanibola. His areas of disagreement with the government included the controversial Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill, which proposed to establish a Commission empowered to compensate victims and pardon perpetrators of the coup; Hughes expressed serious reservations about the amnesty provisions. He also opposed government attempts to cap expenditure by the police and the Military. He was once widely regarded as an ally of the Military Commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, but relations between them deteriorated in 2006 to the point where Bainimarama demanded his resignation in November.
Hughes criticised the Fijian military throughout the later part of 2006, as the already-strained relations between the government and the military deteriorated further. The military demanded that he be sacked by the Government. Qarase promised on 30 November 2006 to take the military's concerns into account when deciding whether to renew his position. [1] This and other concessions failed to prevent the military coup which deposed the government on 5 December 2006. The next day, according to the Fiji Live news service, the military junta announced that it had dismissed Hughes from office, citing "dereliction of duty".
Whatever happened to the two poor police officers - presumably dismissed by the dictator:
Fiji police mum on officers' NZ visit
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Kevueli Bulamainaivalu at the Nadi Airport yesterday after arriving from New Zealand
Police are not saying why two senior officers flew to New Zealand over the weekend and if it was a failed attempt to arrest the army commander.
Assistant Police Commissioner Crime Kevueli Bulamainaivalu and Waisea Tabakau flew back to the country yesterday morning.
It is believed Fiji police asked the international police agency, Interpol to have Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama arrested in New Zealand.
When asked, Mr Bulamainaivalu said he did not wish to disclose reasons for their trip to Auckland.
When asked if he would discuss his trip with Commissioner Andrew Hughes, he said no.
"No, I'm going home," he said.
He did not say whether they met Commodore Bainimarama in Wellington.
Mr Bulamaivalu was met by two senior detectives at the Nadi International Airport.
The two were reported to have flown to New Zealand to interrogate Commodore Bainimarama.
They were believed to be there to take Commodore Bainimarama's statement.
A police officer said they were there to question Commodore Bainimarama on sedition allegations against him.
Commodore Bainimarama said from Wellington on Monday night that he had not been contacted by the two officers.
Fiji Times Report
Stop dreaming people. No one is going to arrest the treasonous duo (BaiAss) while they're abroad, it's up to the Fijians to save themselves from those who are busy 'making hay while sun shines'... hence, the call to only rid the 'head of the snake'. tut...tut!
Parts 1&2 tries to weave a good story but it's so full of loopholes that it might not even sell for 5 cents.
If the thug was arrested in 2006 or shot in the cassava patch fiji would have saved itself from the waila city development one billion dollar scam-sugar industry bankruptcy-fnfp bankruptcy-civil service rot-death of fiji ecnomy.
look at the state of the nation nothing is moving nothing.
Fiji is doomed with this gang of thugs holding the nation hostage.
He asked Tuatoko, he asked Kadavulevu, he asked Saubulinayau, he asked Baledrokadroka, he asked a LOT of professional Army officers to back him!!
They did NOT! Why/ FOR THE VERY REASON THAT HE WAS TRYING TO PROTECT HIS TAMANI BIG ARSE!! He knew and still knows that he has BLOOD on his hands!!
Fiji needs educated and visionary leaders not coup stars.
What has the junta achieved apart from its own massive scams and corruption.?
No country has ever prospered under a junta.
Anonymous Parts 1 and 2, Bainimarama is no hero simply because he has frustrated Canberra and Wellington. He may have lessened their influence in Fiji, but at the cost of increasing Beijing and Moscow's.
Also, the years of U.S. sanctions against Fiji's military have taken their toll on the RFMF, to such a degree that the UN has diminished confidence in Fiji's ability to handle the kind of peacekeeping duties required in places like Iraq. The expanded role for Fiji in UNAMI after the U.S. drawdown in Iraq was in real doubt.
The RFMF has notoriously bad intel. It claimed the U.S. embassy was working in collusion with Roko Ului when, in fact, the Americans had already refused to issue Mara a visa, a principled refusal that has continued down to the present day. Also, it didn't even know the U.S. ambassador was out of the country at the very time Bainimarama was lying publically about having just called the U.S. ambassador in on the red carpet for a dressing down. That was a spectacular failure of RFMF intelligence that the Americans could have used to humiliate the regime, had they wanted to.
Fijians might well have rallied around the RFMF to resist an Australian incursion in 2006, but if it occurred today, many Fijians would treat the Aussies as a liberating army.
Anon Part 1&2 BULLSHIT!
if someone would've supplied villagers with ammos with guidance from disgruntled soldiers and expat elite forces Frank and his few loyalist would've been decimated. Fijians would've welcome foreign forces if they set foot on our shores, they will be treated as LIBERATORS!
Mark Manning.
"I think I lost my last message"
Are you sure that's all you have lost, you may want to check to see if you still have your knackers boy.
Jake
@Anon 5:59.
Old legal ploy - always go for the lesser charge - keep another in the barrel. As well as being prohibly expensive because all witness's & evidence were in Viti a charge of murder would have been near impossible to prove in NZ.
Australia Army Navy Airforce would take 5 minutes to take Fiji army out as a force. There would only be gorilla force without any replenishment of arms and ammo.
Food foraging would immediately attract movement and the dogs would be in.
Every solider not an officer would slink away. You would have had Frank crawling around in the jungles....with the Qaranivalus men shadowing him. hahaha.
All the professional Officer's in the army at the time, would have handed hoisted a truce flag and handed Frank over to the police or conducted a court martial of their own.
What! a navy boy who ran away down the cassava patch...give us a break.
............
The Ozzies in Charge... we would have Qarase back up front with the two puppet masters pulling away full speed...Bale & Kotobalavu .
It would have been Seventh Heaven for these two ...and the deocratic nationalist gravy train ride.
Don't we already know this rubbish. Why you want to cry over the spill milk. The best thing we can do now is to seek Hughe's help in arresting this thug when ever he go overseas. He would be the one that would be familliar with the case and the rules of engagements as far as the regulation of various countries.
Bolggers, support for Qarase's government has never diminished because it is the legal government elected by the people. But alas, invasion by foreign powers, no, no please no. I wouldn't want to see foreign soldiers on Suva streets. Have you seen the track records of these foreign armies serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Aust and NZ soldiers have little disregrad for innocent lives. Aust fire mission forward observers in Afghanistan directed US F18 bombers and UAVs on a village suspected of being a Taliban camp. All they got were young children and women and old men. Their security procedures at road checkpoints ensure that when civilians are being searched, machine guns are trained on them. What you're suggesting is we do the same here in Fiji. So, a normal 5 minute drive from Suva to Laqere to buy fish on Saturday morning will now take three hours because of the Aust/NZ army checkpoints manned by Aust/NZ soldiers asking for our identity cards and passports in our own country. Forget about it, its better we solve our own problems because we are a Pacific people and the RFMF is a Fijian army manned by Fijian soldiers who know how to communicate with us. Long live Fiji.
Anon@10:56...Are you saying that all the Colonels you name above i.e
Tuatoko,Kadavulevu,Saubulinayau and
Baledrokadroka had been asked by Voreqe to help him pulled the coup?And the major question is:"How did you know?" If you're just guessing,
well of course, we all can come up with fews of our own?If these bunch of Colonels knew and were been urged by Voreqe, to help him
illegally take over the elected Fiji Government, why didn't they do something? Did'nt they understand the power they have, as
military Colonels, to make an arrest? The charge is high treason and no less!
With this confirmation of sedition charge hanging over Bainimarama's head, it should now be very clear to all soldiers, officers and men, that Bainimarama is a liability to the RFMF and offers nothing to their future.
To make matters worse for him, you have to add charges for treason relating to overthrow of the Qarase Government in December 2006, deaths of many civilians when in military and police custody after the overthrow, fraud and mismanagement of national funds for running an illegal government.
These charges will not go away, and the law will eventually catch up with him like what happened to military dictators in Argentina and Chile, and what is now happening in Turkey.
My appeal to you soldiers is to give it up. Give up your support for Bainimarama and hand him over to the Police to deal with him on the many criminal charges that he faces.
By allowing him to continue his rule, you are just allowing further deterioration in our economic situation, now five succesive years of econmic stagnation or negative growth. No one will come to help as shown by the muted response to the damages after the recent flooding in the Western Division. While there has been a lot of propaganda about the various assistance coming in, the truth is they are no where near what we used to get before from our neigbours and friends like Australia, New Zealand, the UK and US. Our so called new friends from the North and East have given very little and have not been able to match what our friends used to give.
There will be no help until Fiji returns to a democratic form of Government.
There is suffering in the Western Division yet the regime is only concerned about preserving the tourism industry by deliberately undertstating the extent of the damage to infrastructure and crops, and downplaying the threat to peoples health from diseases.
We have now reached a new low in international relations when we failed to support the UN General Assembly's vote against Syria's human rights abuses. Fiji abstained and in the process joined other regimes like China, Russia, North Korea, Iran. It seems like we have lost our conscience. How can that be but then again as our own regime is guilty of human righst abuses it would be massivle hypocritical to vote in support of UN motion. This is a reflection of the sad state of affairs that Fiji is now in.
It is imperative that we stop this mess, and stop it now. It is clear that the bulk of Fiji's population wants a peaceful resolution. This can come about only if you soldiers play your role.
I have said it before in this blog site that soldiers should withdraw your support for Bainimara as Commander of RFMF, and allow the Police to do their job. The Police have a number of charges pending against him for which they will arrest him. That will be the peaceful way of getting rid off Bainimarama that we are all searching for.
Maybe all these right thinking Colonels couldnt fathom all the wrong thinking politicians . The mockery the politicians were making of fiji as a country.All the disunity and lack of integerity by all the politicians made fertile ground for the alternative. Afterall the alaternative ground was already apath well worn.
Maybe if Rabuka had been brought to justice and his neck stretched, thi s would have closed the door to the military right thinking colonels.
So, we have elections 2014.
Where will the big beaked vulture be siting.
Will it be PM or siting on a perch looking over PM's shoulder.
How do you put the piggies back in the pen after they have been out and enjoying $800,000 beef steak.
Maybe just shoot them where they stand.
2012,2013, 2014...bingo!
The army obbicers who arrest the junta thug head and send on a one way naboro trip will be national heros and saviours of fiji.
men will rise up again.
No body will do anything.The stomach is mightier than the pen and sword and gun. Who cares for the democracy anyway.The democratic PM and ministers will drive around in Pajeros again and we will complain about that too. Go to work if you can hold the job down and earn whatever to feed the mouths at home ...BUGGER democracy,Bugger coup and Bugger politics.feed your family whichever way possible. long live the stomach !
This proves that Bainimarama conducted the coup under the guise of corruption in the Qarase Government just to save his own sorry butt.
Now the NZ and Australian governments are lamenting over their indecision to arrest Bainimarama when they needed to.
Every single soldier and police officer of whichever rank are all guilty of putting all of us 800,000+ people in this deep shit! No balls to act and DO THE RIGHT THING! No faith in God to feed you and your families! Bullshit excuse - you need the money to put food on the table for your families!
The fact is - none of you got the guts to stand up for what is right! Period!
Next government comes into power - sack the whole Fiji Police Force & Fiji Army for blerry incompetence!
The way you guys have behaved you'd bloody sell us from under our feet to the freakin Russians & Chinese!
But, you wait, our sweat, blood & tears will NOT be for NOTHING! YOU, your generations to come will pay for the wrong you did - standing by and doing nothing!
Sa rauta na comment tiko...solia mai so na vakasama me caka meda rawata kina na ka eda vinakata!!!!!!Ena yaga iko sega beka ni kila...
Why are there so many stupid and unsavioury comments aginst Ratu Voreqe. Do you ever think that with the weapons and technology the Aussies and Kiwis military have is enough to conqure the Fijiand military.
Wrong....... If the Kiwis, the Aussies, the British and the Americans can not do it in Afghan, how can they do it in Fiji. The environment in Afghan is similar to that in Fiji except that one is desert and the other is jungly. But the fighting spirit is the same.
Remember its not the capability in being that will win a war, its the sustainability support of the forces. While the foreign forces are waiting for their supplies, Fijian soldiers will be living off the land.
You all, who are ctiticising Ratu Voreqe, dont waste your energy, because he 100% better than you all. He is the PM and you?
Vinaka vakalevu Ratu Voreqe, keep up the good work.
Kai Yasayasa
Anonymous 3:31 pm not -why blame just the police and army what about the Fijians who supported Rabuka and all the other subsequent coups-are they innocent of what is now happening to Fiji? What about the role the Methodist Church/Assemble of God Church played in the previous coups? The problem is we want to move forward but do we just let all bygones be bygones-then a good lesson in not supporting COUPS will never ever be learnt! We stadning in shit now because of what we did, for us to move forward requires a certain degree of acceptance of the errors of our ways-& the truth of what and who we supported-moving forward requires a certain degree of guts not crap talk of we just have to move forward to what another coup if our party loses the next elections? Have we learnt anything yet? We could seriously get conned into electing the same bunch of crooks & dopes who brought us to where we are standing today ie SHIT! Do we need any more?
@Anon parts 1 & 2.
Person of your obvious literary talents really shouldn't be in places like this writing stuff like that - should concentrate on your International Conspiracies (ficticious)Stories - & your imaginary roles in them.
Don't normally do this - but for a person of your dedication - we make exception.
We figure the reason those warships & a whole lot of others were off Fiji that particular time could have something to do Fiji having just experienced an armed military coup that had just violently overthrown its democraticaly elected goverment?
Now concentrate real hard?
Coup turns pear shape? Armed rogue gangs threaten - attack AUS embassy? Begin endangering staff & families etc?
Seems Skippy doesn't have - & has never had a "Suva Embassy Exit Plan" - just have a simple 1st phase "Exit Procedure".
Also informed Hughes was just another very dedicated - efficient - focused - "non political" police officer - every society including Fiji has them -drop your pants in front of people like this or offer them bribe money & they'll instantly arrest you. Story was Fiji asked AUS if they could recommend a professional - someone who would be good at organising & administrating their police force? In good faith PM Howard asked around & came up with Hughes - he fitted the bill? No conspiracy. Then something really strange happened?
We said "Julian Moti"?
They said "Rockspider"?
Some research? Google who the "bite me" people of the Pacific are? & when done consider the unfortunate consequences for everyone in Fiji if ever they do? Happy Trails.
Anon 11:57 2:29 11:45.
Military Colonels - assorted names & theories.
Congrats - all of u missed the real top dog - one behind the scenes pulling all the RFMF strings - Nailatikau.
another useless piece of news which just shows the incompetency of qarase
If the NZ Government don't want to arrest a Military thug for fear of
international fall-out etc, why would they now listen and help out the Fiji criminal police force in arresting a former FNPF Deputy GM as per request of the Criminal Military organization FICAC? This criminal organization is trying to
get Interpol to do works for them-can you imagine???
Better to have the devil you know then the devil we don't know. Few soldiers will be killed but that's the price we have to pay. Soldier on Frank, nothing is goner happen.
Would,should and could, but the fact is the Commissioner failed to do his job in Fiji! He failed to do it in New Zealand and had to skipped the country like RUM.Let me say this for Voreqe, he's done better than i had expected!He has kept the Fijians together,he's kept the Indian together and he's ruled exactly as the Colonial Government had done it! So in my opinion, he hasn't really done any major catastrophy!Fijians are still
more or less running the show at home and very similar to other Fijian Administration!Qarase wouldn't have made it past 10 years, as
PM since he was held hostage by the
Indo-dominated Union leaders.whose agenda were to raise exccessive wages, with the Fijian dominated Government civil servants;and which will eventually bankrupt the
Government.I think that Bai entry into the Government was a lucky break for Qarase and possibly for Fiji? I say, keep Bai as President
so he can keep an eye out for assoles like Chodory and Union leaders, who are nothing but crooks?
At anon 11.16am. Sa dina! Well put. U right on the union crooks.
Swampy what you mention is kinda true but just a slight difference i was in the "inside looking out" so when i mention the idea of Hughes coming to take over it's was case of getting someone to get Frank-cause Qarase didn't trust anyone else hence his move to ask Howard! All else you read is smart , sublet plot to get FRANK everything else was secondary! There were bigger goings on's than meets the eye and Qarase was too pre occupied with too many things to notice he was geeting jammed from too many quarters all at once, because of his own doings from his ADVISORS! The plan to not renew land leases to Indo-Fijian farmers was directive from him!
Swampy-what a brilliant post you seem to think that anaon 1 & 2 is crap guess what as someone who knows af few goings on in th Embassy in in Aussie- i regard what Anon 1 & 2 is factual-meetings did take place between Qarase & Howard prior to Hughes coming on board. Hughes had no chance from the word go because because he would have had to arrest Govt MINISTERS also for their roles in the previous coups.Now where would tat have left the Qarase Govt maybe our mate Kenneth Zink can bring some light to this discussion.
aussie and NZ can't invade, coz China will flex its muscles.
Swampy you need to NOW LISTEN up for and listen good -The REAL question is why didn't Qarase arrest Frank in Fiji why do it in NZ! Frank would have not gotten this far if Qarase had the nerves to arrest him instead he tried get his own coup in everytime Frank left for overseas he seem to have had talks with another Army Officer to try and take over from Frank eg Saubuinayau , whom when Frank retured got him grilled and subsequently kicked out of the army. When Qarase on one of his visits to Brisbane was asked if he would change the way he managed the Frank affair he answered he defintly would-well guess what Swampy its kinda to little too damn late! Anyone with an once of sense would have not gone on and one about Frank's issues but arrested him as he had enough evidence to that. Qara se was just that Qara at the last moment!
I like the article above where two police officers flew all the way to NZ to try and take Bainimaramas statement-what they didn't have enough time to take his statement when he was in Fiji? This is the type of Ledership skills someone with likes of Qarase had and you wonder why he also had a thief as head of the Legal Section of the Government eg AG. Those that hold such positions as Qoronisi Bale should come with clean slates-Qarase made a mockery of what the requirements of Ministers of the State should have prior to holding office cause it will always reflect in their decision eg making with regards Bainimarama case, Ratu Jope Seniloli case need i go on!
Why on earth would Australia take on another dysfunctional Island such as Fiji when its already got PNG - Solomons - Palm Island % Tasmania?
Bloggers claiming Andrew Hughes was a pro-Qarase man should check their facts on the allegation. I thiunk Huhges was a straight guy. In fact he was at the helm when Qarase supporters like Jope Seniloli, Tui Cakau, Vakalalabure, Mua, Qaraniivalu and others were sent to jail.
@ 7.07p.m. Five years of suppressing people's freedom of expression and you say that? Too late to grasp at loose straws, time's fast running out for your iPM...
We all know that desperate Frankenstein wouldn't give a chance to the CID to interview him in Fiji. Were you not in Fiji during the height of his public and private threats to remove the coalition government at gunpoint?
Granted, the Qarase govt was not perfect, but that does not excuse Frankenstein's murderous actions. The world saw how he considered himself above the law... and still does to this day.
How much time do you think he's got left? tik tok..
Anon@6:54pm...You're on the right track-and I agreed totally with your review. Qarase must accept the
full blame since Bainimarama seditious threat had been made publically.The arrest could have been made at home by the local police,could have been made abroad
by Interpol etc,etc,.The problem with Qarase, was in following old Fijian cultural protocol!Qarase had many Fijian consultants in overseas Universities,whom at the first sign of Bainimarama treat had
advised the PM to arrest & Jailed this Thug, but been a hardcore Fijian Nationalist-Qarase couldn't
bring himself to arrest another Fijian,especially of such higher-status? I'm pretty sure,if truth be known, that he was probably the one who shot-down the commissioner
idea to arrest Frank overseas? I'm pretty sure that he was comfortable
with his decision to never maltreat
a Fijian even at his own expense?For this alone, i take my hat off to him, for remaining in harmony with his Fijian cultural heritage
and to Fijian Nationalism!
lol kai yasayasa laurai ga vei iko na masi polo,masia tiko na polo nei voceke.haha!
where the hell is mara anyways?lol!wots become of hm n hs talks?lol!
Frank had already made know what he was going to do to the Army,Police, Govt Officials & politicians ie even beofre Hughes came onto the scene! Either Qarase was deaf, dumb or stupid as someone mentioned he remained in harmony to his Fijian cultural heritage-pity no one told Rabuka that and George Speight that when they didn't want to listen to their Chiefs, not that George had any Chiefs so to speak of?! Yes Frank made threats yes he sould have been arrested, YES< YES < YES BUT he was NOT so today we need to learn a lesson-as my Lauan mates use to say-"me levu ga na qanibulu"! meaning we need more coconut fibre to shut the good old harse hole!Frank knew Qarse and Mob were just all talk its the reason why he took them on!Now whose the stupid one-certainly not the lad from Raiwaqa-Raiwai!
Mark Manning you not only lost you message but since your writings have appeared here on C4.5 you seem to have also lost your marbles!In Lingo we call it "polo" in your case its both upstairs & downstairs!
@ M&M.
Notice your now attracting a more educated class of lingo speaking nitwit - apparently their now providing you with free oneline physiological assessments. (think their trying for CDBD - clinically diagnosed bipolar disorder).
Haven't by chance seen or heard any disorderly Polar Bears playing polo or marbles upstairs or downstairs lately have you?Vinaka.
The United Nations and Interpol should have carried out the arrest of Bainimarama. It should not be left to one foreign Country to arrest another Country Chief of Defence Force for sedition. The UN has proved to be just a waste of time and money in these Political Crisis Situations.
Sorry the United Nation was not established to arrest any leader or start a war anywhere?Her original mandate was to end all wars! But this has been expanded and has become a house where two waring nations,tribes can be invited to come together and to sort out their problem etc.As far as arresting Bai during the time in question,yes of course interpol
could have done the job, but the request must be legit that is,it must come from the Fiji AG &Fiji police commissioner! This didn't happen because someone in the Government hirachy, appears to have
refused, to endorse hughes idea. I think the general concensus, was to never take an action that might be looked at, as an insult to the Vanua O Kubuna? Fijian culutural protocol was certainly been observed right to the T and i'm satisfied with it! Hey Fijian are still running the show in their homeland and remain the warden of the promised land!!!
@ Anon 4:59.
True - something a lot of people especially Indians tend to forget.
Imagine what it could have been like for them later had not Rabuka intervened when he did?
Viti is a lot more than just Suva.
Post a Comment