Police cancel ‘national threat’ march
Nanise Loanakadavu Saturday, September 22, 2012
THE Fiji Police Force yesterday cancelled a march by the Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and Advocacy citing it as a “national threat”.
The march that was supposed to begin from Vanua Arcade to Civic Centre as part of ECREA’s celebration for International Day of Peace was stopped at the eleventh hour.
Father Kevin Barr of ECREA said they had prepared themselves with placards, posters and banners but were told that they could not go ahead with their plans.
“We had been issued with a permit but I don’t know why our march was cancelled,” Father Barr said.
When contacted yesterday, Senior Superintendent of Police Rusiate Tudravu referred all questions to Fr Barr.
“When the permit is cancelled that means it’s cancelled,” SSP Tudravu said.
However, later on during the day, another march took place at Battery Rd where more than 200 people wore T-shirts with “Just Peace-Just Wages for All” printed on them.
They had carried their placards and banners, which were also part of their submissions to the Constitution Commission.
Fiji Today FijiTodays Open Forum Blog 
Father Barr is a naive fool. He will always be remembered as the idiot who supported a human rights abusing junta. Perhaps the senseless idiot can’t work out what a coup is – like petero mataca?
Barr gets what he deserves and must now learn a very fundamental lesson: There is no compromise with a dictator, there is no chance for realpolitik under a regime that is determined to hang onto power in order to steal from the people on a massive scale. He must learn that supporting a human rights abusing junta has not given him any credibility and that his attempts to redeem himself will be carefully scrutinized.
If this specific march was supposed to be in celebration of the ‘International Day of Peace’ the banners shown being held in todays Fiji Times picture did not really tie up with the theme ?
As always there’s two sides to every story.
We are ready to defend ourselves-Ali
Publish date/time: 22/09/2012 [09:19]
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“We are ready to defend ourselves”.
That is the comment of Industry and Trade Permanent Secretary Shaheen Ali who confirmed that government is looking forward to justify to the United States Government why Fiji should continue benefitting from the US Generalized System of Preferences Scheme.
Ali said they are planning to engage in a bilateral dialogue process.
Ali said on 2nd October they will be attending a public hearing to give further written submissions and have more dialogues in this regard.
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While highlighting that 39 Fijian companies and 15,000 jobs will be lost if Fiji is removed from the scheme Ali said unions should be fully responsible for their actions.
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However, Fiji Trades Union Congress National Secretary Felix Anthony highlighted that the government is in a position to prevent Fiji’s withdrawal from the GSP scheme.
He said certain decrees imposed by government have violated workers and Trade Union rights.
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The US Trade Representative in Washington DC announcement in June that Fiji together with Iraq would be listed for General System of Preferences (GSP) hearings to examine whether the GSP for exports from Fiji should be withdrawn.
Ali has stated that the Fiji Trade Union Congress (FTUC) and other unions want to stop Fiji from benefitting from the US GSP Scheme which allows duty free excess into the US imports from developing countries.
Story by: Ronal Deo, Sofaia Koroitanoa and William
Army five in military custody
Nanise Loanakadavu
Saturday, September 22, 2012
FIVE army officers are in military custody for more than one week over allegations of discrepancies in the regimental funds.
Republic of Fiji Military Forces chief of staff, Brigadier-General Mohammed Aziz confirmed this to The Fiji Times, saying the officers were arrested more than one week ago for allegedly embezzling military funds.
“There are five of them and not seven as speculated. They have been kept in the military cell,” he said.
“The pay officers have been referred to the board of complaints within the military force.”
When asked if it was true that families of the officers were only allowed to visit them twice a week, Brig-Gen Aziz said he could not comment on this because investigations were being carried out. He further revealed that the investigations were being carried out by the military police.
Several telephone calls were made to this newspaper on Monday, with callers saying family members were concerned that they were only allowed to take food and clothes to the suspects at the military headquarters in Nabua at a certain time.
When contacted earlier this week, Lieutenant-Colonel Amani Suliano said all information about the investigations would be released by Brig-Gen Aziz, who said an official statement was expected to be released soon.
The idea that there will be 15,000 jobs lost is not supported by any evidence.
What will happen though is a removal of preferential duties arrangements that had benefitted Fiji, meaning the competitiveness of Fijian products in terms of pricing will be affected Stateside.
If we proceed on the notion that all companies have been making handsome profits (as Khaiyum has been advising) then any increase in prices due to removal of preferential duties arrangements will probably reduce profit margins, but whether or how much it reduces those margins below cost is not established.
How that will erode Fiji jobs is pure speculation at this junture because there is no evidence showing direct correlation between loss of those GSP preferences and jobs losses.
Wonder who from the original fellow travellers of the regime are left now With fallouts like Fr Barr and others coming thick and fast we could only speculate the regime will soon run out of friends and support. This is good since it may hasten the return to democracy when the regime capitulates under growing pressure.
@ Dredd
The barrel is deep.
Fiji can sustain this regime for a very long time.
Nobody trusts anybody, least of all, all our most recent leaders.
The simple question is there a leader you are willing to die for?
Was the democracy we had worth dieing for?
Time will tell.
fijian need to wake up before it is too late.khaiyum and bai will runaway to hong kong or china with all the loot.
father barr well done keep it up.