I read a few blogs on the issue of Fiji and just marveled at the "kiss-ass" attitude of some regional political analysts toward Fiji and its dictatorship regime; the only atrocious, dictatorship in the peaceful region.Recently the Fiji government and their supporters scattered throughout the Pacific, criticized the leader of Samoa for comments he made against Com. Frank Bainimarama and his support for the pro-democratic movements in Fiji. This Fijian government's criticism, in my humble view, is extremely misleading.
First of all, the Fijian administration needs to be choked to its last breathe by tougher sanctions. There must be tough sanction against Fiji for the way its government abused the democratic process and the used and perpetual use of force against those who voiced their criticism of the government through peaceful means. Democracy - which the Pacific nation adopted for hundreds of years since colonialism - gives all parties the right to agreeing and disagreeing on major issues: Public or external, regional issues. That process had been trashed and removed from the people of Fiji through lethal force, sanctioned by the Bainimarama's government.
Thus, the Bainimarama's government can be, in my view, equated to the dictator regimes of China, North Korea, Syria, Iran, and even Libya. These are governments that suppressed, killed, and robbed innocent people of their right to fair election, access to resources and freedom to express their views.
Any continual supply of goods and services to Fiji with little regard to the way the Bainimarama's administration treating its people, only perpetuates government's atrocities and aggression against innocent people. Sanctions means the exhausting and starving of the military which is the main enforcer of the regime's atrocity.
And because the Fiji uprising affects our region, all regional governments, international governments must take action against the dictatorship regime of Bainimarama. There shouldn't be any question because Fiji no runs by the military.
Secondly, all Pacific Island nations must condemn the Fijian government. In this age of regionalism, states unification based on common interests and goals, must be the priorities of regional bodies. And all states must be given the right to express, disagree, and oppose to any states deemed dangerous to the security of the any region throughout the world. We have the international organization called the United Nations with which nations come together to find peace, and in most cases criticize each other on foreign policies and even domestic issues. Then we have the Pacific Islands' Forum (PIF) which made up of Pacific Island states, and the Melanesian Spear Head Group. These organizations have the ultimate freedom to criticize and be criticized.
For instance, the President of Mahmoud Amadinejad of Iran criticized Bush on foreign policy while calling for the destruction of the Jews State. The head of Venezuel, Huge Chavez, called Bush on the floor of the UNGA, the devil, the list goes on. But this organization also gives smaller states equal right to voice their opinions, and also the accused states to defend themselves.
And if these bodies are the only avenues to turn to when domestic issues become regional/ international issues, why shouldn't Samoa criticize Fiji of turning the most economically powerful island nation of Fiji into a tiny dictatorship? It is increasingly frustrating that a nation founded on so-called "Democracy" failed to apply, to the fullest, the rights and all the freedoms outlined in its own Constitution. And because many regional and international organizations are in Fiji, it is of vital interest that the region have their voices heard and for that reason alone, the Samoan government was right in criticizing Fiji and encouraging Democratic movements in that beautiful nation (without any physical interference whatsoever in any transitional government).Solution
- Tougher sanction against Fiji
- Relocation of international organizations based in Fiji to other regional countries.
- Remove Frank Bainimarama from the Chairmanship of the Melanesian Spear Head Group.
- Removing all Fijian diplomats in the West nations : US, Canada, US, UK, and other parts of the world.
- A fact finding mission by the UN to Fiji.
For your reading:
An article about Fiji. Click here
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