Page 13 - IB April 24

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JO NATA’S JOURNEY FROM THE DARK

‘WE LET THE GENIE OUT OF THE BOTTLE’

Emerging out of 24 years in prison, Josefa Nata is now
convinced that the George Speight-led takeover of Fiji’s
Parliament in 2000 was not justified and that all it did was
let the genie of racism out of the bottle. He spoke to Islands
Business Fiji correspondent, Joe Yaya on his journey back
from the dark.
They kept you for 24 years. That’s a very long time. Are you
bitter?
I heard someone saying in Parliament that “life is life”,
but they have been releasing other lifers. Ten years was
conventionally considered the term of a life sentence. That
was the State’s position in our sentencing. The military
government extended it to 12 years. I believe it was out of
malice, spitefulness and cruelty, no other reason. But to
dwell in the past is counterproductive. If there’s anyone who
should be bitter, it should be me. I was released [from prison]
in 2013 but was taken back in after two months, ostensibly Nata sits behind Speight as the latter addresses the media during the 2000 coup.
Photo: Joe Yaya,University of the South Pacific Journalism
Islands Business, April 2024 13