Samoan Cardinal warns against violence

THE seeds of violence and possibly war are being sown in Western Samoa by forces trying to bring down the government, the head of the Roman Catholic church in Apia, Cardinal Pio Taofinuu, said. In an unprecedented move, he “begged” the government in a pastoral letter not to introduce a value added tax on food and school supplies.

In the letter he said he had heard ,i . i • • . hat a people were organising an ant.tax march on March 2 with an aim of s utting down the country s ports and international airport. He called the march organisers selfish and abusive people who were trying to fan the fires of other people s suffering for their own motives.

“It appears to me now that a real effort is being made to bring the present government to its knees,” he said in the letter to Catholics. “Some would say simply ‘that’s politics’ but something more is happening that is truly troubling for our future.” He said the people behind the march seemed willing to do anything to reach their goals. “Do they lust for raw P owe , r ’ re g ar dless of the conseouences for the q 6 Ces 0 county.

He said recently that when Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana spoke he was booed, demonstrating the “ugliness that has now been unleashed . What happens is that we lose our self-respect as citizens of Western Samoa, who have an ancient tradition of civility, and we

sow the seeds of violence and possibly even war,” the letter said, He advised Catholics not to join the protest march, although he added that the tax was unacceptable and too high, “Do not listen to other voices that promise peace but speak of war, voices that speak of hope but act to destroy,” be said.

“It is urgent that the present taxes on toodstutis be removed. 1 hat act, in itself, will be a major source of peace for all our people J A just tax *; mposed fairly, is a shared sacrifice. And people are willing to share sacrifice,” the cleric said. “At the same time the sacrifice of the many for the enrichment of the few

cries to heaven for vengeance.”

Afp