*Behind the removal of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara as President of Fiji, and the Speight coup, stood two shadowy and faceless high-ranking paramount chiefs |  |
*The late Fiji Sun publisher Russell Hunter and I were nearing completion of a book on the 2000 coup when he passed away. Yet throughout our research, one name kept recurring: Ratu Savenaca Draunidalo. Today, Jo Nata's evidence before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in which he described, but did not identify, the mysterious "Cocktail Man", seems to provide the final piece of a puzzle that had long troubled us during the writing of the manuscript.
The Man with the Fruit Cocktail: Why the Name Savenaca Draunidalo Kept Appearing
For more than two decades I have attempted to reconstruct, as accurately as possible, the events surrounding the May 2000 coup and the violence that followed. In that process, I have interviewed participants, examined confidential reports, reviewed court records, studied police investigations and listened carefully to the testimony of those who were present.
One name kept resurfacing.
Not once. Not twice. But repeatedly.
The name was Ratu Savenaca Draunidalo.
Long before the events of 2000, Draunidalo had already secured a place in Fiji's political history as one of the soldiers involved in the 1987 military overthrow of the democratically elected government of Dr Timoci Bavadra. Like many figures associated with Fiji's coup culture, his story did not end in 1987.
As I continued to piece together the fragmented narrative of May 2000, references to Draunidalo emerged from different directions. Sometimes the references were direct. Sometimes they appeared only as passing remarks. Sometimes they surfaced in conversations that had nothing to do with him. Yet his name continued to appear often enough to attract attention.
That is why a particular recollection from Jo Nata stood out.
"There was a man sipping a fruit cocktail at a hotel bar in Suva, waiting for the call. But when a new face appeared on the television screen, he quietly retreated to his hole."
On its face, it was merely an anecdote. But viewed against the broader backdrop of information gathered over many years, the description took on greater significance.
Jo Nata did not publicly identify the individual in the testimony relied upon for this article. However, the historical evidence assembled over many years of research, points to one individual whose name repeatedly surfaces in discussions surrounding the political and military intrigue of that period: Savenaca Draunidalo.
The purpose of this article is not to pronounce guilt or innocence. History is rarely that simple. Rather, it is to examine why the same name continues to emerge whenever investigators, journalists, former soldiers and political insiders attempt to explain the forces operating behind the scenes during one of the most turbulent periods in Fiji's modern history.
The unanswered question is not whether Draunidalo existed on the margins of Fiji's coup history. That is beyond dispute.
The question is how close to the centre he really was in 2000?
For more than two decades I have attempted to reconstruct, as accurately as possible, the events surrounding the May 2000 coup and the violence that followed. In that process, I have interviewed participants, examined confidential reports, reviewed court records, studied police investigations and listened carefully to the testimony of those who were present.
One name kept resurfacing.
Not once. Not twice. But repeatedly.
The name was Ratu Savenaca Draunidalo.
Long before the events of 2000, Draunidalo had already secured a place in Fiji's political history as one of the soldiers involved in the 1987 military overthrow of the democratically elected government of Dr Timoci Bavadra. Like many figures associated with Fiji's coup culture, his story did not end in 1987.
As I continued to piece together the fragmented narrative of May 2000, references to Draunidalo emerged from different directions. Sometimes the references were direct. Sometimes they appeared only as passing remarks. Sometimes they surfaced in conversations that had nothing to do with him. Yet his name continued to appear often enough to attract attention.
That is why a particular recollection from Jo Nata stood out.
"There was a man sipping a fruit cocktail at a hotel bar in Suva, waiting for the call. But when a new face appeared on the television screen, he quietly retreated to his hole."
On its face, it was merely an anecdote. But viewed against the broader backdrop of information gathered over many years, the description took on greater significance.
Jo Nata did not publicly identify the individual in the testimony relied upon for this article. However, the historical evidence assembled over many years of research, points to one individual whose name repeatedly surfaces in discussions surrounding the political and military intrigue of that period: Savenaca Draunidalo.
The purpose of this article is not to pronounce guilt or innocence. History is rarely that simple. Rather, it is to examine why the same name continues to emerge whenever investigators, journalists, former soldiers and political insiders attempt to explain the forces operating behind the scenes during one of the most turbulent periods in Fiji's modern history.
The unanswered question is not whether Draunidalo existed on the margins of Fiji's coup history. That is beyond dispute.
The question is how close to the centre he really was in 2000?
 Jo Nata 5 August 2000: Media adviser to coup leader George Speight, Jo Nata leaves court after being denied bail in Suva. Nata, coup leader George Speight and his hierarchy appeared in court charged with the unlawful possession of guns, unlawful assembly, unlawful burial of a body and were remanded to the prison island of Nukulau, for a review of their bail application. |  SMILING Coupist: George Speight |
 |  Quarantine Station, Nukulau Island |
AN IRONY OF FIJIAN HISTORY: Jo Nata, Jale Moala and I Once Worked for the Fiji Sun That Rabuka Shut Down After His 1987 Coup
The image carries with it a certain irony that Fiji's political history rarely fails to provide.
Jo Nata, Jale Moala and I were all journalists at the old Fiji Sun, the newspaper that was forcibly closed by Sitiveni Rabuka following his 1987 military coups. At the time, the newspaper stood among the casualties of the assault on constitutional democracy, press freedom and elected government.
Nearly four decades later, we find ourselves reflecting on another chapter of Fiji's troubled coup history.
Jale Moala, himself a veteran journalist and former colleague, has publicly responded to recent attempts by Jo Nata to re-enter the national conversation through expressions of remorse over his role in George Speight's 2000 coup. Moala's comments, reproduced in the accompanying image, reflect a view held by many Fijians who lived through the trauma of May 2000 and its aftermath.
For me, the story carries an additional and rather poignant dimension. Jo Nata was not merely a former colleague in journalism. He was also my classmate in the late 1970s. Like many who passed through those classrooms, we embarked on very different journeys in life.
None of us could have imagined then that one former schoolmate would eventually enter Parliament at gunpoint alongside George Speight, another would become a leading journalist chronicling Fiji's political upheavals, and a third would spend much of his life documenting and investigating the very coups that shaped modern Fiji.
History has a habit of bringing old acquaintances back together in unexpected ways.
The image therefore is not simply about Jo Nata. It is also about memory. It reminds us how a generation of journalists were scattered by the events of 1987, 2000 and 2006, yet remain linked by those defining moments in Fiji's national story.
Whether Jo Nata's expressions of remorse should earn him a public platform is a matter on which reasonable people will disagree. What cannot be disputed is that the consequences of the 2000 coup were profound and enduring, affecting not only governments and institutions but countless ordinary families whose lives were disrupted by the political violence and uncertainty of that period.
And perhaps that is the greatest irony of all: three former Fiji Sun colleagues - one a participant in a coup, one condemning it, and one chronicling it from exile while living in a tent on London's 'Oxford Street' (in NFP leader Biman Chand Prasad's twisted imagination), still debating the meaning of those events almost forty years after the first coup silenced the newspaper that once brought them together.
The image carries with it a certain irony that Fiji's political history rarely fails to provide.
Jo Nata, Jale Moala and I were all journalists at the old Fiji Sun, the newspaper that was forcibly closed by Sitiveni Rabuka following his 1987 military coups. At the time, the newspaper stood among the casualties of the assault on constitutional democracy, press freedom and elected government.
Nearly four decades later, we find ourselves reflecting on another chapter of Fiji's troubled coup history.
Jale Moala, himself a veteran journalist and former colleague, has publicly responded to recent attempts by Jo Nata to re-enter the national conversation through expressions of remorse over his role in George Speight's 2000 coup. Moala's comments, reproduced in the accompanying image, reflect a view held by many Fijians who lived through the trauma of May 2000 and its aftermath.
For me, the story carries an additional and rather poignant dimension. Jo Nata was not merely a former colleague in journalism. He was also my classmate in the late 1970s. Like many who passed through those classrooms, we embarked on very different journeys in life.
None of us could have imagined then that one former schoolmate would eventually enter Parliament at gunpoint alongside George Speight, another would become a leading journalist chronicling Fiji's political upheavals, and a third would spend much of his life documenting and investigating the very coups that shaped modern Fiji.
History has a habit of bringing old acquaintances back together in unexpected ways.
The image therefore is not simply about Jo Nata. It is also about memory. It reminds us how a generation of journalists were scattered by the events of 1987, 2000 and 2006, yet remain linked by those defining moments in Fiji's national story.
Whether Jo Nata's expressions of remorse should earn him a public platform is a matter on which reasonable people will disagree. What cannot be disputed is that the consequences of the 2000 coup were profound and enduring, affecting not only governments and institutions but countless ordinary families whose lives were disrupted by the political violence and uncertainty of that period.
And perhaps that is the greatest irony of all: three former Fiji Sun colleagues - one a participant in a coup, one condemning it, and one chronicling it from exile while living in a tent on London's 'Oxford Street' (in NFP leader Biman Chand Prasad's twisted imagination), still debating the meaning of those events almost forty years after the first coup silenced the newspaper that once brought them together.
THE IRONY OF 14 MAY 1987: Adi Kuini Bavadra's Former Husband, Captain Savenaca Draunidalo, Served as Rabuka's Second-in-Command in the Overthrow of the Bavadra Government on 14 May 1987
 |  |
From Fijileaks Archive, 6 August 2024
BUKARAU: "Naupoto gave a short brief, which basically said, "if you try anything to escape or untie the rope, you will be dead". He said this 2-3 times. There were about 6 men in front of us, and a lot more at the back with weapons...We received kicks, rifle butts and continuous verbal abuses. George, Ligairi and Silatou were getting most of the abuses and we had people rubbing their boots on the back of our heads. We than sailed to Nukulau through Beqa waters. We were constantly assaulted and abused thoughout the 2 hours or so journey. We were soaked and from the rough seas. I could feel that certain individuals did not have their hearts and minds on what was happening (assault and abuses). I received a swelling on the left side of my face and 3 days later we were taken to hospital."
KOROVUSERE: "It was still dark when we reached the Naval Base. Naupoto warned us that if we tried to do anything, we would be shot. Mua was kicked on the esohagus. Silatolu at one stage had difficuty breathing due to the continuous punching. I was asked about Adi Samanunu and what she was doing in the country. I was kicked on the face. They told us to experience life in the navy and one of our detainees was threatened of being sexually assaulted, and that it was normal in the Navy. Once we arrived near Nukulau, one of the boys said I was his Commanding Officer in Sinai and Lebanon, whilst I was being kicked and had his foot on my head. Our hands were released at about 0800hrs once we were inside the perimeter fence."
LIGAIRI: "Upon arrival [at the Naval Base] I was the second last to board the awaitig ship. We were moved to the forecastle and we were handled roughly. NAUPOTO briefed us and his orders were very aggressive. I had a feeling that he didn't care about who we were. I never expected Fijians to behave and act in that manner. I was so confused that I did not listen to what they were saying or asking. A lot of questions about my ability to change myself into rats and other things were put forward. I was assaulted with punches, rifle butts, kicks to my head and body. I was also very concerned about our safety particulalry with our hands tied at our backs and the possiblity of us getting washed to the sea. The assault inflicted on me has caused me headaches, blurred vision and this is due to a rifle barrel pushed to the side of my head."
SAVUA: "We were than taken to the Naval Base. Upon arrival we boarded the ship and briefed by Naupoto, "If you try anything to escape or untie the rope, you will be dead". One of the navy personnel began verbal abuses. Abusive verbal language was hurled at me and others, "Savua/Mua drau vei cai". One of them asked me if I wanted to be Commander. They stated that this was Commander's (Bainimarama's) vessel...They even threatened to sexually assault Nata and stated that it was quite common in the Navy. They continued to butt and assault us. Wainiqolo was inflicting most of the punishment...The assault continued right until we arrived at Nukulau and when the ship was anchored off at Nukulau"
MUA: "We were driven to Walu Bay. They told us to come out of the truck one by one. I was walking behind Speight when he was thumped from the back. We were ushered to the forecastle of KIRO. We were seated between the gun turrett and the wave breaker. As soon as the ship left the pier the assault started. I was kicked in the face, rifle butted on the face and verbally abused. I lost one tooth in the process. This sequence went on for approximately 3 hours until we got here (Nukulau). My vision was blurred for 3 days due to the injuries I sustained. I was kicked around and on the esophagus. When this happened, I almost lost all consciousness and I thought I was going to die. We were told that we were going to an unknown destination...During the transfer to Nukulau, I slipped and was given two more kicks before I reached ashore. I cannot believe that people could be so brutal. The Military Police (MP) who were on Nukulau wept and asked us to forgive them for what had happened on the ship [Kiro]"
KONATACI: "We were taken to the Naval Base and as soon as we arrived, they shoved us onto the ship and forced us to the forecastle. We were given instrcutions to stay in one place and not to move or we would be shot. We were told to sit in front of the ship (forecastle), and as we sat down we were punched, kicked and verbally abused whilst our hands were tied. It seemed they were acting on instructions. As we left the harbour towards the open sea, I was very frightened naturally because I came from the highlands. My hand was kicked and my fingers were crushed with a boot, which was fractured. It was around 07000hrs, when we arrived near Nukulau. I could see others carrying injuries...A lot of verbal abuse was hurled at us. The two Lauan colleagues particularly copped a lot of abuse. I thought that we would be treated well and arrested as political prisoners and not be treated the way we were."
NATA: "We were taken to Naval Base and as soon as we got off, I was punched on the left, and I knew we were in for a rough ride. Once we got to the forecastle, we were warned in unequivocal terms that we were to follow orders. We were taken for a 2 and half hours ride and throughout the journey I was punched, kicked, butted and abused. Apart from the inhumane treatment, I was disappointed with the sexual taunts and the threat to be sexually assaulted. We were threatened and one particular chap WAINIQOLO (Leading Seaman Walesi) was very abusive and continued to physically assault us. Both Mua and mysef were badly hurt because of our links to Lau and Tui Nayau, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara so was George Speight, Ligari and Silatolu. The MP's treated us well and they even cried when they saw the state we were in...My colleagues would have mentioned other details of the assault".
SPEIGHT: "As we moved away from the pier, the assault began...They punched, kicked, rifle butted and one person continued to kick my head. We were buffetted by the big waves and the assault continued. I felt numb after the first half an hour. The most painful was the rope tied behind my back, which became very sore. The most excruciating pain was when I fell back with my full weight. This is when I felt fairly numb. We were subjected to this until the sun rose and this whole episode lasted about two to two and half hours. Before we were helped to our feet one of the officers took pictures of us on an instamatic camera. The 3 MPs (Military Police) who escorted us from QEB to Naval Base were all waiting at Nukulau. Two of them broke down and cried when they saw the state we were in. We were then freed from the ropes by the MPs, which were tied with our hands together. By this time I was so tired that I slept for about three days."
Fijileaks Editor: Major Epeli Nailatikau, Chief Medical Officer, RFMF, who had attended to the detainees, detailed the injuries, noting "Assault by navy personnel in navy boat - while on transfer to Nukulau" - Report on Injury or Illness Form
KOROVUSERE: "It was still dark when we reached the Naval Base. Naupoto warned us that if we tried to do anything, we would be shot. Mua was kicked on the esohagus. Silatolu at one stage had difficuty breathing due to the continuous punching. I was asked about Adi Samanunu and what she was doing in the country. I was kicked on the face. They told us to experience life in the navy and one of our detainees was threatened of being sexually assaulted, and that it was normal in the Navy. Once we arrived near Nukulau, one of the boys said I was his Commanding Officer in Sinai and Lebanon, whilst I was being kicked and had his foot on my head. Our hands were released at about 0800hrs once we were inside the perimeter fence."
LIGAIRI: "Upon arrival [at the Naval Base] I was the second last to board the awaitig ship. We were moved to the forecastle and we were handled roughly. NAUPOTO briefed us and his orders were very aggressive. I had a feeling that he didn't care about who we were. I never expected Fijians to behave and act in that manner. I was so confused that I did not listen to what they were saying or asking. A lot of questions about my ability to change myself into rats and other things were put forward. I was assaulted with punches, rifle butts, kicks to my head and body. I was also very concerned about our safety particulalry with our hands tied at our backs and the possiblity of us getting washed to the sea. The assault inflicted on me has caused me headaches, blurred vision and this is due to a rifle barrel pushed to the side of my head."
SAVUA: "We were than taken to the Naval Base. Upon arrival we boarded the ship and briefed by Naupoto, "If you try anything to escape or untie the rope, you will be dead". One of the navy personnel began verbal abuses. Abusive verbal language was hurled at me and others, "Savua/Mua drau vei cai". One of them asked me if I wanted to be Commander. They stated that this was Commander's (Bainimarama's) vessel...They even threatened to sexually assault Nata and stated that it was quite common in the Navy. They continued to butt and assault us. Wainiqolo was inflicting most of the punishment...The assault continued right until we arrived at Nukulau and when the ship was anchored off at Nukulau"
MUA: "We were driven to Walu Bay. They told us to come out of the truck one by one. I was walking behind Speight when he was thumped from the back. We were ushered to the forecastle of KIRO. We were seated between the gun turrett and the wave breaker. As soon as the ship left the pier the assault started. I was kicked in the face, rifle butted on the face and verbally abused. I lost one tooth in the process. This sequence went on for approximately 3 hours until we got here (Nukulau). My vision was blurred for 3 days due to the injuries I sustained. I was kicked around and on the esophagus. When this happened, I almost lost all consciousness and I thought I was going to die. We were told that we were going to an unknown destination...During the transfer to Nukulau, I slipped and was given two more kicks before I reached ashore. I cannot believe that people could be so brutal. The Military Police (MP) who were on Nukulau wept and asked us to forgive them for what had happened on the ship [Kiro]"
KONATACI: "We were taken to the Naval Base and as soon as we arrived, they shoved us onto the ship and forced us to the forecastle. We were given instrcutions to stay in one place and not to move or we would be shot. We were told to sit in front of the ship (forecastle), and as we sat down we were punched, kicked and verbally abused whilst our hands were tied. It seemed they were acting on instructions. As we left the harbour towards the open sea, I was very frightened naturally because I came from the highlands. My hand was kicked and my fingers were crushed with a boot, which was fractured. It was around 07000hrs, when we arrived near Nukulau. I could see others carrying injuries...A lot of verbal abuse was hurled at us. The two Lauan colleagues particularly copped a lot of abuse. I thought that we would be treated well and arrested as political prisoners and not be treated the way we were."
NATA: "We were taken to Naval Base and as soon as we got off, I was punched on the left, and I knew we were in for a rough ride. Once we got to the forecastle, we were warned in unequivocal terms that we were to follow orders. We were taken for a 2 and half hours ride and throughout the journey I was punched, kicked, butted and abused. Apart from the inhumane treatment, I was disappointed with the sexual taunts and the threat to be sexually assaulted. We were threatened and one particular chap WAINIQOLO (Leading Seaman Walesi) was very abusive and continued to physically assault us. Both Mua and mysef were badly hurt because of our links to Lau and Tui Nayau, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara so was George Speight, Ligari and Silatolu. The MP's treated us well and they even cried when they saw the state we were in...My colleagues would have mentioned other details of the assault".
SPEIGHT: "As we moved away from the pier, the assault began...They punched, kicked, rifle butted and one person continued to kick my head. We were buffetted by the big waves and the assault continued. I felt numb after the first half an hour. The most painful was the rope tied behind my back, which became very sore. The most excruciating pain was when I fell back with my full weight. This is when I felt fairly numb. We were subjected to this until the sun rose and this whole episode lasted about two to two and half hours. Before we were helped to our feet one of the officers took pictures of us on an instamatic camera. The 3 MPs (Military Police) who escorted us from QEB to Naval Base were all waiting at Nukulau. Two of them broke down and cried when they saw the state we were in. We were then freed from the ropes by the MPs, which were tied with our hands together. By this time I was so tired that I slept for about three days."
Fijileaks Editor: Major Epeli Nailatikau, Chief Medical Officer, RFMF, who had attended to the detainees, detailed the injuries, noting "Assault by navy personnel in navy boat - while on transfer to Nukulau" - Report on Injury or Illness Form
