THE TRUTH FOR FIJI IN CARTOONS: PART TWO, FIJI IN 2015

22/12/2015

11 Comments

Chiku

23/12/2015 12:13:39 am

The cartoonist should get an award if he/ she hasn't already for capturing so succinctly the farcical situation prevailing in the " New Fiji" of coupist Bainimarama and loutish Khaiyum's creation.
The hypocrisy of their regime stands out so starkly in the cartoons that you can almost smell the rot!

Fiji Immigration

23/12/2015 05:48:41 am

Fiji Immigration director Nemani Vuniwaqa whilst on official leave operates from home. The staff have to every file to his home.
This practice smells of corruption.

23/12/2015 07:18:27 am

Certainly - the cartoons are the best Fiji has ever had. Lai was a super cartoonist, but these ones are far better. T4F - excellent work.

Rajend Naidu

23/12/2015 08:58:12 pm

Editor,
We learn from the Fiji Times 23/12 that a Malaysian man is staring down the very real possibility of spending the next 43 years in prison for speaking out against the government under a draconian, outlawed law from 1948.
His crime - he was charged under the Sedition Act - involved nine tweets and drawings criticising Malaysian PM Najib Razak, a man who has ruled since 2009 without detractors because those who speak out against him are punished for daring to do so.
Yes a man who is accused of siphoning off over $600 million from a State development fund would not like anyone to criticise him...
And we thought Malaysia was a modern democracy with democratic accountability, transparency, free speech, and a seat at the Commonwealth and the UN and all that.
How silly of us to think that!
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

Alibaba

23/12/2015 10:29:48 pm

Kinda sums up the year doesn't it. Love the cartoons. The artist really should get an award. Its a pity we cant print these in the FT. How about one of the Aussie or Kiwi dailies.

Rajend Naidu

24/12/2015 07:06:06 am

Editor,
Here's something Cecilie Surasky, the Deputy Director, Jewish Voice for Peace shared with me on 23/12 and I thought I should share it with Fijileaks followers because it has solid relevance with what Fijileaks covers.
She write :
" Do you know what I just can't bear?. That awful feeling I get in my gut when I see someone - or entire governments - abuse their power, and get away with it Scot- free. I bet you know that feeling too.
It grips you when you read media reports that repeat the outright lies of politicians without question..."
Cecilie writes with reference to the Israeli government and politicians and their lies regarding the Palestian resistance to Israeli oppression and occupation.
But Cecili is right.We do indeed " know that feeling " of being lied to and people who abuse their power and get away.
But they don't get away altogether because Fijileaks has diligently exposed the lies and the abuse and although the public might not speak out for fear of persecution - they know the truth thanks to Fijileaks and all the other alternative media.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

Tualeita

25/12/2015 09:46:57 pm

Well said Mr. Naidu. We all feel that way. But this numbskull of a dictator and his cohorts do not really care how we feel. They will just carry on filling their own pockets, laughing away at our confusion because we really do not know how they are spending our tax and other income dollars. Now and again we hear and read of $100 million or other funds that have gone missing without any valid or genuine explanation but they simply do not care which is a worse trait than having a guilty conscience after having made a mistake or even abusing legal privilege and authority.

rajend naidu

25/12/2015 09:30:56 pm

Editor,
VIOLENCE DONE BY THE STATE
The Political editor of The Age, Michael Gordon, provides an illuminating account of this in his article ' My Manus Island Nightmare ' 25/12. He points out " Punishing one group of people endlessly in order to deter others is immoral". Indeed it is but that is precisely what the Australian State is doing with the indefinite detention of refugees and asylum seekers at its off shore detention centres in Manus Island and Nauru.
With a " seemingly untroubled electorate " this form of violence against innocent people - the penning of people who have fled violence and persecution, war and conflict in by gone era type concentration camp like detention facilities - is a damning indictment on Australian society.
Why has the Australian State been allowed to do this in their name?
Where is the public outrage against this State perpetrated violence?
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

Chiku

26/12/2015 12:21:03 am

In his Christmas message Pope Francis praised all those who sheltered refugees fleeing violence for their humanity and generosity of spirit.

Rajend Naidu

25/12/2015 10:06:06 pm

Editor,
Here is something that Fijileaks has exposed and brought to public attention : how corporate cheats have manipulated the political elite to advance their special interest without regard to the social costs.
In his letter to the Age 25/12 Robert Brown writes " So Australia's top 20 companies pay less than the official 30 per cent tax rate ( " Outed : The firms that pay no tax" 19/12 ). Furthermore, it has been reported that 11 companies earned revenue of $14 billion and paid no tax, yet found $723,5000 to donate to the Liberal Party. Coal and oil companies were among this group of 11. This information, although Ng with the news of the approval of the expansion of the Abbot Point coal terminal ( which environmental groups say pose serious threat to the Great Barrier Reef ) raises serious issues regarding the transparency and trustworthiness of political parties. Society is being governed for business and not for people..."
As professor Warden Narsey has revealed with his write ups about the decimation of mangrove areas for " development " we are familiar with this same phenomenon in Fiji.
In his letter ' Let our corporates flourish unhindered ' Greg Stephen writes " Quite right, I say, to make those undeserving welfare recipients and ungrateful working Australians pay more tax... So we can continue to allow our shinning beacons of corporate Australia to flourish unencumbered by ethics or a social conscience".
Fiji too no doubt has its share of " shinning beacons of corporate Fiji" who do business in the same way as Fijileaks has revealed many times.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

rajend naidu

26/12/2015 06:26:39 am

Editor,
All those things Keith Gregory points out in his letter titled ' Unfair treatment ' as the dark side of Australia is true ( Fiji Times 26/12 ). There is indeed widespread graft, corruption, abuse of authority, labour exploitation, sexual exploitation of migrant/seasonal workers, denial of access to health care, and neglect of basic services, discrimination and racism.
Many of these things happen in other places as well - including Fiji.
What is different and good about Australia is that whereas the perpetrators of these wrongdoings want these hidden from the public and the law and do all the can to keep it under cover, Australia has a robust media that is not afraid to do what it is meant to do - and that is to expose these wrongs and wrongdoings and hold the perpetrators to account and even face justice in the court of law. Many such issues have been exposed and highlighted in media programs like Four Corners, Foreign Correspondence, Dateline etc.
And Australia has a vibrant civil society community that is fearless in condemning the wrongs in society including standing up to the State where there is a need to.
Thus we learn from the Guardian article ' Petition calls for Australia to ratify UN protocol against torture in detention' 24/12 that " Nearly 8000 people sign petition asking government to ratify agreement signed in 2009 which would allow UN inspection of detention centres..."
Every day in the local newspapers people openly condemn the government and corporations for what they regard as transgressions against societal values and norms and the law.
Can people do that in Fiji now that " democracy has returned to Fiji"?
A casual perusal of the content in the local media is quite revealing.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu
Sydney

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THE TRUTH FOR FIJI IN CARTOONS: PART TWO, FIJI IN 2015

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