Saturday, 03 October 2009
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Bainimarama's Fiji Like Soeharto's Indonesia
Being in Fiji in 2009 is a bit like living in Indonesia during the repressive Soeharto years.
Outside journalists are not welcome and the local media is heavily controlled. Australian publishers have been kicked out.
The newspapers originally responded by leaving blocks of white space to show readers that local political news had been cut by military censors, but now they fill the columns with bland tales.
Only those with access to overseas TV newscasts would have known that Fiji had been expelled from the Commonwealth on Sept. 1.
Fiji won independence in 1970 and became a republic. When the country was under British control in the 19th century indentured laborers from India were brought in to work the sugar cane plantations. Many stayed and now about half the national population of 800,000 is Indian. Most are Hindu, though 7 percent are Muslim.
Although the Indians and native Fijians (who are mainly Protestant) seem to get on together, there are few mixed marriages. The two cultures are radically different and don't share the same values. Past coups have been explained as bids by native Fijians to retain control of their country, fearing the democratic vote of one person, one value could put Indians in charge. But the situation is more complex and involves native Fijians owning the land. The industrious Indians can't get freehold land and many, especially the better qualified, have fled to Australia and New Zealand.
The present military strongman and self-appointed Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama says he wants to rewrite the constitution, reform land laws and eliminate corruption. Despite the sanctions and pressures from his neighbors he is refusing to allow elections until 2014.
The Jakarta Post per Graham Duncan
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