Page 17 - IB April 24

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Late last year, the Coalition government passed a motion in daughters) last visit to [me in] Nukulau. Hardly a word was
Parliament for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Do spoken as we held each other, sobbing uncontrollably the
you support that? whole time, except to say that Tiara (his sister) was not
Oh yes, I think everything I’ve been saying so far points that allowed by the officers at the naval base to come to say her
way. goodbye. That was very painful. I remember thinking that
people can be cruel, especially when the girls explained that
Do you think it’ll help those that are still incarcerated to it was to be their last visit. Then the picture in my mind of
come out and speak about what happened in 2000? Heilala sitting alone under the turret of the navy ship as she
Well, not only that but the important thing is [addressing] tried not to look back. I had asked her not to look back. I
the general [racial] divide. If that’s where we should start, deserved what I got. But not them. I would not wish the same
then we should start there. That’s how I’m looking at it – the things I went through on anyone else, not even those who
bigger picture. It’s not trying to manage the problems or were malicious towards me. It is the family that suffers. The
issues of the last 24 years. People are still hurting from [the family is always the silent victims. It is the family that stands
coups of] 1987. And what happened in 2006 - nothing has by you. They may not agree with what you did. Perhaps it is
divided this country so much. Anybody who’s thought about among the great gifts of God, that children forgive parents
this would want this to go beyond just solving the problem and love them still despite the betrayal, abandonment,
of 2000, excusing, and accusing and after that, there’s and pain. For I betrayed the two women I love most in the
forgiveness and pardon. That’s a small part. That too if it world. I betrayed ‘Ulukalala (son) who was born the same
needs to happen. But after all that, I don’t want anybody to year I went to prison. I betrayed and brought shame to my
go to prison because of their participation or involvement family and my village of Waciwaci. I betrayed friends of all
in anything from 1987 to 2000. If they cooked the books ethnicities and those who helped me in my chosen profession
later, while they were in government, then that’s a different and later, in business. I betrayed the people of Fiji. That
matter. betrayal was officially confirmed when the court judgment
But I saw on TV, the weeping and the very public expression called me a traitor. I accepted that portrayal and have to live
of pain of [the late, former Prime Minister, Laisenia] Qarase’s with it. The judges - at least one of them - even opined that I
grandchildren when he was convicted and taken away [to masterminded the whole thing. I have to decline that dubious
prison]. It brought tears to my eyes. There is always a lump honour. That belongs elsewhere.
in my throat at the memory of my Heilala’s (elder of two

PRISON ‘DARK CULTURE’

Josefa Nata claims Fiji’s prison system is perpetuating what
he describes as a “dark culture” of cover ups of the abuse of
prisoners’ rights, including uninvestigated deaths, and has
met with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to relay the need for
a reform of the prison system.
“The prison management spends a good portion of their
time covering up. They go to the extent of stopping calls to
relatives, stopping visitations, all of which could be avoided
if there is a normal process of reporting in place, followed by
proper investigations, preferably by independent investigators
instead of prison officers doing the investigation,” Nata told
Islands Business.
“The [internal] Board of Inquiry is a joke. They come from
head office and you see them laughing and joking [among
themselves]. Witnesses are transferred to other prisons, Nata at a church gathering in Suva.
including both prisoners and officers, so when the police or
the military come to investigate, the witnesses are gone.” A major issue is prison officers lining up to be ‘taxis’ to
Nata says civil society organisations need to get involved bring contraband for prisoners they know can afford it,
because by the time the reports get to the Fiji Human Rights according to Nata.
Commission, the prison management “have already got their Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga,
story”. told Islands Business he has been given some documents by
He claims there is corruption, ration clerks selling off Nata and is waiting to meet him.
prisoner provisions, smuggling, officers getting meals from Turaga said the Board of Inquiry reports are submitted to
prisoner rations, and drunkenness on duty. him but he can only comment once he has met with Nata.

Islands Business, April 2024 17