from Peceli
Closing of Nukulau
A beautiful small island not far from Suva used to be a picnic place for people, but for the last six years it has been a prison for political prisoners such as George Speight. Just this week, it was decommissioned as a prison and the men have been relocated to other gaols such as Korovou in Suva and Naboro out of Suva.
Just by closing Nukulau the problem will not be solved about those remaining 18 men.
Today’s military/political problem cannot be solved until what happened in the year 2000 is looked at again. There is a Fijian saying ‘Vesuka vakaca na qari’ which means the two teeth of the crabs are not tied properly and they can bite you.
The Muanikau Accord in 2000 promised Speight and his men to be given amnesty. This Accord was broken which is a betrayal of their word, and Speight and his men were arrested like animals. And then sent to prison. When they wanted Speight to tell the whole story, he said no, and just went to gaol for life.
The mutiny of November 2000 was part of the reaction to this betrayal.
Last year I visited Nukulau and spent time talking with the men there, including George Speight. They are mature men these days and I was surprised that they are reformed men and very religious. It was a visit to some of my relations.
I don’t think Korovou and Naboro are the place for them. They should go back to help their families. They have been punished for long enough. They were following orders and were not initiators of the 2000 coup.
The qari is still biting Fiji. Vesuka vakaca na qari. Now the qari is biting the vanua, the lotu, the matanitu, and of course ordinary citizens of Fiji. And of course, the army too.
What do you think?
7 comments:
if they are reformed, religious men as you say, why do they not reveal the truth about the 2000 coup? we all know speight cared nothing for indigenous rights until he lost his job and the chance to a piece of the mahogany pie.
remember how he spoke of the second largest fiji islander race as if they were animals... referring to them in his speeches as "your kind" and "they even smell different"
this last week more has been exposed via Fiji tv footage... it was pure evil that swept through that parliament in 2000... and helped nonetheless by bible bashers now known as the ACCF. they proclaimed christs glorious name while abusing and spitting on christs children... thats right... we are all his children... indo-fijians and all.
christ has the power to change all men... so you could very well be right that the people on nukulau have changed, but if truly so, they should start with apologies and a revelation of the truth... then, and only then can forgiveness take place.
forgiveness = freed men
Thank you Tuidomoniwai for your response and emphasising the woundedness we all felt at that terrible time. It is true that it was a tragic time. Even members of the church got lost at that time.
I think we have to remember the coming of the lotu and the concept of forgiveness. When I went to Viwa Island and stood near the graves of John Hunt and Joeli Bulu I felt moved.
I feel strongly that forgiveness and grace and more important than obsessions and revenge.
When I talked to the men on Nukulau I felt that they have changed and to me, it is time now for them to go back to society.
Peceli
Right Peceli,
Perhaps you have cleansed their sins; while glossing over the current ACCF and Fiji politics and the video of the animal sacrifice on Parliament grounds.
Perhaps in Peceli and Wendy's bible, the chief and commoner are viewed with different standards by God.
From Peceli
Thanks for your comments Laminar. Happy Christmas. Your problem is you are far removed from the Fijian people or that's how it seems to me. I have visited them, talked with them and forgiveness is a Fijian way ahead and not revenge.
perhaps we could let them out
so they can plan another uphealval in the name of rights. we are already i the cycle so we need people ro continue the trend
Anonymous, you need to explain more your point of view. Are you joking or serious? I think it is now beyond a joke and all sorts of people have been/are in Fiji gaols - some for serious offenses, others for being in the wrong place at the wrong time or misled. The coup culture is deplorable of course.
w.
Isa Bula Vinaka Peceli,
We haven't met as yet but many thanks for kindly including an article I wrote a while ago about Fiji's Constitution. Everyone deserves a second chance - that's what Christ and Christianity is all about. If people who have committed wrong are truly repentant and remorseful than they deserve reconciliation - first with God then with those they've wronged. Our God is a merciful, kind and compassionate God and perhaps this is something we as Christians can't fully comprehend when it comes to people of different ethnicities or even religions. Everyone is God's Child. If we could only remember this truth, we would fare better in every way and Fiji's complex issues would pale into insignificance. Lolomas, Colin Deoki
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