Further developments in Fiji. Bill Rosenberg ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 14:19:12 +1200 From: Journ12 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: 2142 FIJI: Newspapers call for calm in protest rally To: Pacific Media Watch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Organization: Journalism, University of the South Pacific Title -- 2142 FIJI: Newspapers call for calm in protest rally Date -- 30 May 1999 Byline -- None Origin -- Pacific Media Watch Source -- PMW, 30/5/99 Copyright -- PMW Status -- Unabridged ------------------- NEWSPAPERS CALL FOR CALM IN PROTEST RALLY * See PMW items 2140, 2137, 2129, 2124, 2122, 2099. SUVA (PMW): Newspapers called for calm in a protest rally in the Fiji Islands against the first government in the country's history headed by an ethnic Indian prime minister while some indigenous Fijian cabinet members branded the march as "irresponsible behaviour". In an editorial on 29 May 1999, the Fiji Times warned against "a few misguided hotheads" bent on causing trouble in the wake of this month's landslide win of the Fiji Labour Party, supported by a majority of all races. "Let's be under no illusions here. Those few are dangerous people who are driven by racism," the newspaper said. "Unable to accept even the possibility that they could have something to do with the state of the nation, they look for scapegoats." The protest rally took place on May 29 with demands for the President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, to resign for supporting the appointment of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry. According to some newspaper estimates, there were more police than protesters at the rally. The Daily Post said about 30 people took part in the march while 100 police were present; the Fiji Times estimates ranged between 100 and 150 protesters. Deputy Prime Minister Adi Kuini Vuikaba Speed, the widow of the first Labour Prime Minister, Dr Timoci Bavadra, deposed in a coup in 1987, and now one of two indigenous Fijian deputy PMs in the new coalition cabinet, accused organisers and supporters of the protest march of displaying irresponsible behaviour after the government had been voted in by a large majority. "All they should do now is rally behind the government as we're ready to deliver many good things to them," she said. "The people decided at the poll which government they want to govern the country in the next five years and their wish should be respected." Nationalist Party leader Sakeasi Butadroka said in a letter to the president quoted by the Fiji Times: "Why are the indigenous people of Fiji denied their right to rule their own land? Besides, Indians don't want Sonia Gandhi to rule them, Israel allows only a limited number of Arabs as MPs, Germany's six million immigrants have limited political rights, our Pacific Island brothers and sisters enjoy self-determination, but we in Fiji are being denied this God-given right." A new constitution in 1997 restored political rights to ethnic Indians who had second-class citizen status under a previous constitution racially weighted in favour of indigenous Fijians. Ethnic Indians comprise 46 per cent and indigenous Fijians 48 per cent of Fiji's 780,000 population. Most Indo-Fijians are descendants of indentured labourers brought to the Fiji Islands by the British colonial administration last century. +++niuswire PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation comprising journalists, lawyers, editors and other media workers, dedicated to examining issues of ethics, accountability, censorship, media freedom and media ownership in the Pacific region. Launched in October 1996, it has links with the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific, Bushfire Media, the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism, and Pactok Communications, in Sydney and Port Moresby. (c)1996-99 Copyright - All rights reserved. Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original producers as indicated. Recipients should seek permission from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views of PMW or its members. Recipients should rely on their own inquiries before making decisions based on material listed in PMW. Please copy appeals to PMW and acknowledge source. For further information, inquiries about joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, articles for publication, and giving feedback contact Pacific Media Watch at: E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fax: (+679) 30 5779 or (+612) 9660 1804 Mail: PO Box 9, Annandale, NSW 2038, Australia or, c/o Journalism, PO Box 1168, Suva, Fiji Website: http://www.pactok.net/docs/pmw/ NOTE: Temporary website where PMW items can be accessed while PMW website is undergoing upgrade changes: http://www.usp.ac.fj/journ/nius/index.html
