Charlie Charters
Riverside,
Despite the best attempts of Graham and others to paint me as a vassal of my mother in law, personally, I am not anti-Bainimarama or pro-Qarase. But I am deeply anti-coup. These things just don’t work out as intended.
I was a young reporter working at FM96 during the first two coups. There was a lot of after-the-fact justifying of why the coups were necessary: the easiest to understand narrative was that Fijians/i Taukei had not had fair access to the economic benefits of the country, and therefore the coups happened as a logical consequence of that disenfranchisement.
I always thought that was a lot of self-serving nonsense. For me, the real motivation behind those coups (and subsequent) was that there existed in Fiji a tightly associated clan of business and political figures who felt an overweening sense of entitlement, and whose jobs for life were threatened by the Bavadra victory in April 1987.
It was that unholy alliance of Coup-Enablers that conspired to create the circumstances that delivered 1987, 2000 and 2006.
Certainly there was and remains a huge number of Fijians/i Taukei who feel marginalised and passed over by the many and conspicuous benefits of development (electricity, piped water etc.). But these same disadvantaged people did not lead the coups; the coups were not mass uprisings (along the lines of the Arab Spring); all four coups were events of huge national significance (and great long-lasting economic damage) that were done in all our names but by a tiny few who self-selected themselves based on what they feared they had to lose, and who subsequently have enjoyed the huge trappings that come with high political office, salary, entitlements, pensions, or in the case of the cabal of business leaders, have enjoyed preferential tariff protection, access to loans, etc.
Fiji Today FijiTodays Open Forum Blog 
well said charlie.
people just need to open the eyes and see how fijian are used for self proclaimed fijian elite called messiah.
we fijian learn from our mistake and correct them now.
look at khaiyum and frank using the army and police against the fijians to hold on power.
Ratu Jai and YP reddy
Acted as lawyer: Jai Ram Reddy
Jai Ram Reddy acted for Reddy Group as a lawyer so his decision to act for YP Reddy’s sister was in itself a conflict of interest. The JR Reddy caveat was defeated in the Appeals Court. Probate was then granted to Rosy Reddy and at that time, her husband’s estate held 21% shares in RCCL and 25% shares in RHL, both of them Reddy Group companies.
Good on ya Charlie! And who gives a flying toss what Shazza’s personal vassal thinks anyway. He can never hold a candle to what seasoned, credible and RELEVANT journo’s like yourself have under your belt.
One of the most sensible comments I have read regarding the coups in Fiji for some time. That simply sums it all up… the core of the problem in Fiji.
Very well said. Far too many entitled sociopaths in Fiji who feel free to do whatever they wish to serve their own purposes.
Good one Charlie. Such comments keep us focussed on the relities of the coup and the hidden agenda of the perpetrators. While we are bombarded by the inevitable propaganda and good work for show only by the regime we must not buy into these and concentrate on the ulterior motive. All dictatorships have as their survival tool a strong propaganda setup.
I think you should also print my comments in Grubsheet – just to be fair.
The crux of my argument is we need to all (pro or anti VB) work together to build a better Fiji. Rather than being stuck to pointing fingers at each other.
Our nation needs all of us and please for all our sakes and our future generations we need to come out of this vicious circle of hatred – but rather be filled with love.
We need to really work together and build a prosperous Fiji.
Thank you and God Bless.
I think readers need to read my comments also – which is in Grubsheet.
The crux of my argument is we need to work together. Please let’s stop this hatred and be filled with love and help build our dear Fiji.
Please stop the finger pointing as it’s poisoning our nation. It will not get us anywhere.
We need to come out and accept each other with respect and move Fiji forward.
God bless you all.
I think readers need to read Riverside’s comments also which is in Grubsheet.
The crux of his/her argument is we need to work together. I agree.
Please let’s stop this hatred and be filled with love and help build our dear Fiji.
Please stop the finger pointing as it’s poisoning our nation. It will not get us anywhere.
We need to come out and accept each other with respect and move Fiji forward.
God bless you all.
Its not hatred its telling it like it is. Sa rauta na were ubiubi.
Vinaka Riverside, but Oilei something is going on in Fiji, i think its a curse or something i dont really know. Everytime we are about to thrive politically, socially and economically, someone comes up with some bullshits as Charlie said which is true. One example is the the issue of identitty. It was not a debate after the General election in 2006 when non Fijian accpeted to be called Fiji Islanders based on the 1997 constitution. whether Fijian, Itaukei or Fiji Islanders in the Passport is simply Fiji Citizen.
I think we need to read the Melanesian Community’s Constitution submission, where they raised the issue of identity for the last 42 years of independance and the question Melanesians asked is whether the name Fijian will benefit them economically, or allow them to access government programmes. I am supprised to read that they claimed to be closely linked to the iTaukei apart from other ethnic groups in Fiji including Rotumans, because they are Melanesians, Vasu, speak the language, practiced the cluture, customs and values, think like Fijians and live like Fijians similar to Fijian village structure although they live in settelments; however, they claimed that they do not benefit in anyway and still discriminated not by ordinary Fijians but by the Constitution, government systems and programmes.
Reading Melanesian submission made me think hard, because some submission seems to be political but submission from Melanesian were mainly on governments negligence in recofnising their existance and unfair distribution of government services abd programmes which is an issue that are common to all fijians in the rural areas as well. We in Fiji tend to divert from the truth or we have been led astray to divert from the truth from some as Charlies had mentioned.
On identity Melanesians argued that if they are not accepted by the iTaukei who they see as their first cousins, than how the name Fijian will bring to the people of Fiji together. There was a slogan used be the previous government “Unity in its Diversity” is that not enough for us? There is no division between ethnic groups in Fiji, it is the leadership in government, politics and vanua that is playing with power to control people and resources to gain them perosnally.
Hello there, just become aware of your blog via Google, and found
that it’s really informative. I’m gonna
watch out for brussels. I will be grateful for those who continue this in future. Numerous other people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!