 Fijileaks: When we read a glowing article on Jone Baledrokadroka in the Fiji Times (12 February 2023) that extolled his life in the military, and later at the Australian National University, we told a friend: |  |
*Lo, and behold, we were right. Baledrokadroka was announced to chair the GCC Review Team.
*We have nothing personal against Baledrokadroka. He is among many who have flooded into Fiji, tasked with righting the wrongs of the Bainimarama government.
*However, as we pointed out recently, we do not hold our breath, for when you shut out Indo-Fijians from the GCC Review Team, you will end up with a skewed REPORT.
*We will continue to publish our own perspective on why the i-taukei are victims of their own Chiefs, Thieves and Others.
*In his 2012 thesis, 'Sacred King and Warrior Child: The Role of the Military in Fiji Politics', Baledrokadroka states that, 'I had served on the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) for the Province of Naitasiri and witnessed the workings of the neo-traditional politics at the elite level'.
*We look forward to Baledrokadroka's GCC Review Report.
Meanwhile, our reply to the Professor on Baledrokadroka's PhD Thesis.
"Bula Bhai, In that book Russell and I were working re 2000 mutiny chapter, we had put to him several questions but he became agitated with us. We had interviewed high-ranking military officers who had freely spoken to us of their own roles and that of Baledrokadroka. His version of events contradicted those who had participated in quelling the 2 November mutiny. It was Pita Driti and his men who finally brought the mutiny to an end. From our interviews it also emerged that if he had consulted senior military officers before he confronted Frank, he would have succeeded in removing Frank as Commander.
Our people have grog dope memory so as you notice, I always remind the readers about dark secrets as you have put it. I have nothing personal against Baledrokadroka but had put to him questions." Loloma
"I had served on the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) for the Province of Naitasiri and witnessed the workings of neo-traditional politics at the elite level. My family links to Bau and my upbringing on that island, the pre-colonial centre of power, have rekindled the interest in researching and writing on Fiji's traditional
political history. With my military background and education the association
that I have had with Fijian neo-traditional society has obviously aided this research immensely. As a former commanding officer of the RFMF Engineers, I have spent more than twenty years in national rural development for both Indo Fijian and Indigenous Fijian communities. I have also done multiple peacekeeping tours of the Middle East culminating as commanding officer of
· the MFO Fijian Battalion in Sinai Egypt in 1998. My first attempt at writing about my understanding of the intervention of the military in Fiji's politics appeared in a Fiji Daily Post opinion editorial, 'Cracking the Coup Code.' (4 October 2005). It is these intimate acquaintances and life experiences, including my intimate knowledge of coup events that I bring to academia in furthering the literature."
political history. With my military background and education the association
that I have had with Fijian neo-traditional society has obviously aided this research immensely. As a former commanding officer of the RFMF Engineers, I have spent more than twenty years in national rural development for both Indo Fijian and Indigenous Fijian communities. I have also done multiple peacekeeping tours of the Middle East culminating as commanding officer of
· the MFO Fijian Battalion in Sinai Egypt in 1998. My first attempt at writing about my understanding of the intervention of the military in Fiji's politics appeared in a Fiji Daily Post opinion editorial, 'Cracking the Coup Code.' (4 October 2005). It is these intimate acquaintances and life experiences, including my intimate knowledge of coup events that I bring to academia in furthering the literature."
The Chair of the Great Council of Chiefs Review Team, Doctor Jone Baledrokadroka says they will have to make some hard decisions after gathering all the submissions on how a revamped GCC should look like and to ensure that it is inclusive.
Doctor Baledrokadroka says on one side of the spectrum, the traditionalists would like to see the GCC to be exclusive and just to have chiefs while the modernists or liberals want a change with diverse views and have a vast array of people reflected in the society today.
The Turaga Roko Tui Bau and review team member, Ratu Timoci Tavanavanua says they have to ensure that the GCC is not just exclusive to the iTaukei.
Ratu Timoci says they have spoken to the district advisory groups and the general consensus was that they want it to be re-established as they say they would feel secure with the GCC bringing people together.
Baledrokadroka says the question remains on whether we can politics proof the GCC as it is very hard to do that.
While reacting to previous statements that the GCC was a British set up, he says in every society, Baledrokadroka says there is an infusion of various traditions and culture.
He says no society stands alone in a vacuum.
Baledrokadroka says after the coming of the British, the iTaukei have assimilated a lot of that culture and tradition, and we have made it our own.
He says the GCC is an introduced institution but over the years the iTaukei have made that part and parcel of our culture and tradition to look up to the GCC as the head of the society.
Baledrokadroka says this is a strong group think in the iTaukei community.
Ratu Timoci Tavanavanua also says the main reason for calling the meeting is that it has been 16 years since the GCC has been disestablished.
He says this meeting is to lay the platform to begin the relationship between the chiefs of all provinces going forward.
Ratu Timoci says they will also focus on what changes can be brought about to bring changes to the lives of the iTaukei and other races.
Doctor Baledrokadroka says on one side of the spectrum, the traditionalists would like to see the GCC to be exclusive and just to have chiefs while the modernists or liberals want a change with diverse views and have a vast array of people reflected in the society today.
The Turaga Roko Tui Bau and review team member, Ratu Timoci Tavanavanua says they have to ensure that the GCC is not just exclusive to the iTaukei.
Ratu Timoci says they have spoken to the district advisory groups and the general consensus was that they want it to be re-established as they say they would feel secure with the GCC bringing people together.
Baledrokadroka says the question remains on whether we can politics proof the GCC as it is very hard to do that.
While reacting to previous statements that the GCC was a British set up, he says in every society, Baledrokadroka says there is an infusion of various traditions and culture.
He says no society stands alone in a vacuum.
Baledrokadroka says after the coming of the British, the iTaukei have assimilated a lot of that culture and tradition, and we have made it our own.
He says the GCC is an introduced institution but over the years the iTaukei have made that part and parcel of our culture and tradition to look up to the GCC as the head of the society.
Baledrokadroka says this is a strong group think in the iTaukei community.
Ratu Timoci Tavanavanua also says the main reason for calling the meeting is that it has been 16 years since the GCC has been disestablished.
He says this meeting is to lay the platform to begin the relationship between the chiefs of all provinces going forward.
Ratu Timoci says they will also focus on what changes can be brought about to bring changes to the lives of the iTaukei and other races.
