Former G.G. speaks on Fiji coup

letters

The recent military coup in Fiji has no doubt sent shock waves through out the Pacific, the world, and in particular to the Federal Labor Government of Australia and also to the Labour Government of New Zealand.

The natural trend of military coups in Africa, Asia, South America or elsewhere takes a familiar path of a military take over, followed by the execution by hanging or by a firing squad of all the members of the overthrown elected govern ments followed by severe harassment and execution of the followers of the overthrown government. Simultaneously, the military coup would sus pend the country’s constitution and proclaim itself as the legal government.

How many of these coups has Australia and New Zealand officially recognised, not with standing that they were in fact military coups? It would be interesting to know this, in spite of their condescending, sanctimonious, and hypocritical pronouncements by falsely be lieving that they alone have answers to any problems arising either in the Pacific or else where in the world.

The Fijian military coup should be seen in its proper, wider perspective, especially by Australia and New Zealand.

One should not blame the Indian migrants from becoming a majority in Fiji because they were brought into Fiji by Her Majesty’s Government of Great Britain. On the other hand, the Fijians apparently took no part in Great Britain’s open foreign migration policy at that point of time which has worked against them!

The Conservative govern ment of Great Britain seems to have conveniently forgotten her previous infamous immigration policy in Fiji which played a

major role in the military take over in Fiji. Many Pacific lead ers, with the exception of Aus tralia and New Zealand, knew it had to come sooner or later.

The military take-over in Fiji is not and cannot be classified with the military coups in Africa, Asia, South America and small Grenada which were always followed by a blood bath. This did not happen in Fiji. I per sonally know the present Gov ernor-General of Fiji as a friend.

He is a gentleman, a war hero, and a person of the highest integrity of dedication and loyal service to his land and people. I admire him for his courage in the current crisis in his homeland.

The former Governor-Gen eral is equally known for his dedication and loyalty to his land and people. I personally know him also as a friend and a real gentleman. After their initial official pronouncement with other Pacific countries in con demning the military take-over in Fiji, both Australia and New Zealand continued with their sanctimonious public state ments.

Australia continued to advise Pacific leaders not to attend the Forum meeting at Apia should Fiji send her delegation to Apia.

If this is not blatant interference in the domestic affairs of inde pendent Pacific countries, then I must be forced at gun-point to believe in the actual existence of goblins and fairies in Aus tralia.

These continual public state ments by Australia and New Zealand government leaders re garding the Fijian situation smack of conceited and false intellectual and racial superior ity, especially when one of these leaders publicly called a prominent Fijian world figure, a statesman, and the founding father of his nation, a traitor.

The proposed gun-boat di

plomacy by both these nations is fraught with political danger.

These two leaders should devote some of their political energy to study their own backyard in the growing racial tensions before preaching to the island nations from the high pulpit on moral principles.

I believe that the situation in Fiji will be ultimately solved under the democratic and wise leadership of the Governor- General of Fiji. It is in the interests of everyone that he be assisted by the Melanesian and Polynesian leaders of the other Pacific island nations.

Following the condemnation of the military take-over in Fiji,

the lessons leamt are that Papua New Guinea must al ways ensure without any reason of doubt to maintain at all times the Melanesian people’s dominance in all politi cal, economic, social, educational and on all land development projects of this na J* on - M New Guinea must be *° prot f th ® n 3 hts of her peoples . m her foreign ,mm, 3f °" poky m order to pr f v h ent and d.s- Solut,onment her up-and co™" 9 T 9 l «? dcrsh tP- Papu l New Guinea is not unique from other developing nations of the World. John Guise, Port Moresby.