Fijileaks
  • Home
  • Archive Home
  • In-depth Analysis
    • BOI Report into George Speight and others beatings
  • Documents
  • Opinion
  • CRC Submissions
  • Features
  • Archive

DOWN WITH THE DICTATOR: Fijians living in Santa Rosa (USA) protest as Bainimarama wines and dines with an old childhood Fijian friend!

11/6/2014

8 Comments

 
Picture
Members of Sonoma County's Fijian community protested the appearance of Bainimarama, on Friday, June 6, 2014, at the Finley Center in Santa Rosa, USA
FROM THE PRESS DEMOCRAT, Santa Rosa:

The prime minister of Fiji attended a private dinner Friday night in Santa Rosa, where he was met by a vocal group of several dozen Fijian protesters, many of whom said they were denied access to the event.

Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, also known as Frank Bainimarama, arrived in a motorcade of black vehicles just after 7 p.m. at the Finley Community Center's Person Auditorium.

Bainimarama's car passed about 50 demonstrators who held up signs that said “Free Fiji” and “Stop the Violence in Fiji” as it headed around the back of the auditorium, where he was escorted into the building to speak to a group of about 150 people, organizers said.

“He's here to spend time and visit with the Fiji people in this area,” said Ben Nawagauou of San Rafael, a childhood friend of Bainimarama, who helped organize the event. “Those people (the protesters) don't know what they're talking about. They don't know anything about him.”

Bainimarama seized power in a 2006 coup and in 2009, the country's constitution was abrogated. His actions have drawn the ire of native pro-democracy groups and led to the country's expulsion from the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organization of former British colonies and territories.

Fiji is an archipelago of about 330 islands in the central Pacific Ocean. It became independent in 1970 under a parliamentary democracy, but since Bainimarama's coup, the country's fourth since 1987, there has not been a democratically elected government.

Bainimarama announced plans to hold elections in September, but leaders of an American-based pro-democracy movement called the Democracy and Freedom for Fiji Movement, who organized Friday's protest, say they doubt the elections will be held fairly.

“All we want is for him to step aside and allow our country to have free and fair elections,” said Vilisi Nadaku, 49, of Santa Rosa.

Several Fijians said they came expecting to attend the event, which was supposed to include a traditional meal followed by a speech and a question and answer session with Bainimarama, only to learn they would not be allowed inside.

“What are they scared of? The truth,” said Siteri Velia of Santa Rosa, part of a close-knit community of Fijian caregivers in Sonoma County.

“They don't want anybody to ask questions. This is not what Fiji is about,” Velia added.

Several protesters said they could not return to their homeland because they feared reprisal from the Bainimarama government.

Fijians on both sides of the issue said that in a country of less than a million people, many knew each other and the political crisis had pitted families and friends against each other.

“We are all one people, one family,” said Nawagauou. “In the end, that is what's important.”
Picture
REMEMBER HIM: What occurred on an ordinary Suva afternoon Friday 19th February 2010 is the feat of a Fijian folk legend to be told. It wasn’t performed before live TV or to an assembled media audience. It wasn’t a great rugby sevens winning try nor some valiant deed on a battlefield afar. Vilisi Nadaku from Namara had done it- the stuff of high human moral courage up there with the best. He had boldly approached the military guards strewn at the bottom floor of the Prime Minister’s office building and demanded he deliver a letter to the man himself. The soldiers queried the contents with suspicion but were taken by the man’s quiet but firm insistence on delivering it personally. They escorted Vilisi all the way up to the Prime Minister’s office where the soldier knocked, saluted, entered and delivered the letter. Prior to his short but epic walk throug Suva from the other end of the city, Vilisi had knelt and prayed at Centenary Church for courage and success in his simple delivery mission. It was complete –the rest was up to the Lord. He had fasted with his family and now that the season of lent had begun he will sacrifice his job and his family’s welfare for what he believed in-Democracy. This simple delivery in time will mark the beginning of the restoration of democracy in Fiji post December 2006 coup. According to Radio New Zealand International News of Sun 21st February 2010, a letter calling for elections to be held in Fiji this year has been submitted to the military-led regime in Suva. The petition was from Mr. Nadaku, his wife Ana and their five children, demanding Bainimarama and his Interim government returns Fiji to the polls this year, 2010. Vilisi rose to fame with his lone protest demonstration of the SDL/Interim Regime court ruling in October of 2008. He was charged, convicted and fined an exorbitant amount for breaching the PER decree. Now it has emerged that the crook Khaiyum was himself breaching his own PER when he secretly registered the domain and e-mail account name FijiFIRST, the name of his party now.
8 Comments
Jango link
11/6/2014 02:11:31 pm

SHUT UP, OVERSTAYERS, LIARS WHAT YOU AFRAID OFF, ICE PUT THEM ON THE FIJI AIRWAYS FLIGHT HOME.

Reply
good one link
11/6/2014 02:45:04 pm

Hats off to the Fijians in Santa Rosa who staged a protest against the Fijian Dictator Frank Bainimarama. The Dictator might fool uneducated Fijians in Fiji and even get self-serving chiefs to offer "traditional apology" to him but he can't fool the educated Fijians overseas who see right through his dirty politics.
Good one You Fijians in santa rosa.

Reply
collecting nailavo link
11/6/2014 03:02:37 pm

the private dinner is just the stated reason for the Dictator's presence there in the US. the real reason is he is going around collecting money and campaigning for the election so that he can turn himself into a "democratic" leader . Right now he is still the Dictator of Fiji as the protesting Santa Rosa fijians so correctly pointed out.

Reply
jango fango link
11/6/2014 04:43:36 pm

Jango put your blerry fango away. You are a regime stooge. that's why you getting an epileptic fit about the protest staged by overseas Fijians against your Dear Leader. How many destitute Fijians back in Fiji waiting expectantly for the money sent by their Fijian folks from overseas to make ends meet?
why in a country of less than one million people and all the resources available to the government do you have scavengers at the rubbish dump in Labasa (Fiji Times 12/6)?
Jango go lick ice block and cool down your fango.

Reply
Revolution In-complete with $4b debt
11/6/2014 06:15:13 pm

Bainimarama Policy - Kana Nikua ... Raida Mataka....

Land Grab .... Hand over land to Chinese who pay him and Aiyaz well in Hong Kong...

Low Tax Rate .... lowered personal tax to buy votes will not last long and fool the people for the time being as they have not been able to have a budget without a huge shortfall. This low tax will not last long.


Reduced FNPF entitlement .... taken away the good FNPF retirement scheme and treating the scheme as a banking sector to create surplus cash flow so it can put more government loan onto the members while using those money to show how good his govt is performing. With all the budget shortfalls, the FNPF will become a fund that will have to write off Govt debt in due course.


Chinese Loan .... take huge loans and use it corruptly for the China Rail Company tarsealing road at $3.3m per kilometer when rest of country roads get fixed for less than $1m per kilometer.

Then pay $150m more than market value for Bua road and that too with compounding interest of more than $4m per year on this corruption. Add how much will this extra cost add up to as debt owing after 10 years?

Then giving road works to NZ company and local companies elsewhere to make look or hide the history of corrupt Bua road works paying more than 200% higher to China under desguise to China Loan to be good guys.

Then having demanded Reserve Bank Governor to send 10% deposit towards signing a contract to do Tailevu Road. Since when does PM and AG sign contract directly and also have Reserve Bank trasfer millions while they are in that country. Did that money get taken away into Frank and AG's Hong Kong Bank to sign with extra costs to the project?

Then top up military pay to stop any opposition from asking any questions on accountability. The Chiefs military becoming Frank's army of thugs stealing from the FNPF to meet their excessive salary.

Now indeed Fiji Thieves Party is out to win the elections so they can hide their corruption in highly exeggerated Bua Road Works Contract.

With Frank and Aiyaz team... FNPF will be EMPTY after 10 years and by than ALL fish will be gone by Chinese over fishing in GoliGoli areas and hitting into the guts of the Fijian people.

And Frank Calls this Revolution Complete...

Will the Chiefs continue to sit under coconut tree and drink grog or will they come out of it .... and re-establish their authority NOW.

When everything will be lost then it will be too late. Chiefs should nominate 3 independent candidates in each province and ask voters to support these candidates to save their GoliGoli, save their Land and save their Mana...

Before the Dinau of $4billion excellerates to $6b and that Fiji has to be ceded to China, you will be left with only Sulu and no more Cebo Sandals but bare foot once again.

The more votes to independents, the less percentage votes to Frank/Aiyaz Party.

Independents will get in with less votes. Political Parties will need 3 times more numbers to get a parliamentary seat.

Independents will have no political party restrictions ... but just a campaign together group as pre-elections coalition partners.

The illegal 2013 Constitution must be made unworkable for Frank and Aiyaz and this is the only way to achieve that path.

As independents, you have attention from voters in your own constituency and also the rest of Fiji is your boundry i.e. People from your province living in Suva, Lautoka or NZ, USA will be able to vote directly to you, hence can achieve your target easily.

Learn from independent votes to Simione Kaitani and George Shiu Raj going ahead to beat SVT, FAP in 1999. This is one election where indepents will win.

Budget $5000 per candidate, have a coalition working group with larger population target in condensed areas of say 5 independents - pooling together $25,000 as campaign budget within the province. No wasting money on grog must be the policy. No hiring rentals but joint pocket meetings in each village.

If we can destroy the % votes to each political party but mainly against Franks/ FLP/SODELPA.... then we would have achieved the political crisis. The proportionate % will not get these parties the votes as they all have let us down. Worse being the Fiji Thieves Party.

There must be a political crisis created in this election results so that all political parties go with minority government in place. With proportionate number of seats to each party, independents taking more cabinet seats or are able to vote out corrupt govt of Franks and Aiyaz.

Even NFP/SODELPA/Felix's Party can also nominate a couple of their own candidates to this list of Independents who are part of their list candidates for their own party.

Time for tactical voting is never so important as it is NOW.

Just think if you can drop votes to each party below 10%, by collectively independents take more voters, then no other party will be part of the parliament other than the independents.

How great will that result be to slap acccr

Reply
Jango link
11/6/2014 06:20:03 pm

Fango ends meets with illegal ...you name it.

Reply
CHIEF'S WAKE UP
12/6/2014 02:17:23 am

What a smart move of advice from Revolution In-complete.

Indeed if Franmk loses, RFMF has already planned to do another coup.

IZf SODELPA comes in it is lamu sona for frank and his military boys to loose their payroll. Definatelyt there will be an overthrow.

When FLP gets most votes, then I-taukei feel why did we not come together as KaI India will again become PM.

So kick all three out if you want to see democracy sustained. and I 100% support the idea for Chiefs to come together under Independent banner.

No cost, no political party, but putting together volunteers of independent candidates under a partnership group giving them full supporta t their minimum election cost budget.

Tell the arrogant Higher Chiefs to come down from high horse and face the reality in front of their face.

Respect the Indians or loose it all to the new invaders Chinese and their Al Kaeda's.

Reply
I-Taukei Land... Land.... Land
12/6/2014 03:02:51 am

Tabaiwalu says SODELPA's view that Bainimarama and Khaiyum have seriously weakened native land ownership is shared by others, including legal analysts.

Tabaiwalu talks at length about previous constitutions where land was entranched legislation, but thrown out by Bainimarama / Khaiyum Constitution.

But poor fella and SODELPA are spineless to come out bold and say we will reinstate the 1997 Constitution if returned to power, because that Constitution was legal and protected the Fijian land.

This same Constitution they defied under SDL and now crying fowl.

However, if you think this 2013 or Yash Ghai constitution is better for I-taukei that it will give more Fijians seats over Indians in Parliament, then you are well blessed to loose out on Land to Aiyaz/Frank's Constitution and further blessed to have China in your back yard. You have not seen anything so far.

Afterall Kai India are more your jealously issues on hand above that of your own land.

Before, you united against Indians to vote to save your land that politicians lied about fear to lose to NFP if they formed Govt.

Now land is legislated out of Chiefs control and Senate and be changed by a mere act of parliament, you guys cannot openly challenge this or discuss this at village level even.

Your own RFMF have been sold out to $$$ and they do not give rats ass about their land grab as they think money will continue to fall if Aiyaz remains in power to feed them more and more.

Sa Sucu Sa Lutu come September guys.

Some ribbon cutting giving houses to cyclone victims is not going to save your land but buy your votes only.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Contact Email
    ​[email protected]
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012