Page 11 - Islands Business September 2023

Fiji Fiji

“They (FFP) had this great majority, they had some good
people and a fairly progressive policy platform,” she said.
“They could have worked with the Opposition and brought
a bipartisan approach to government. But over time, they “We know that the biggest impediment to democracy
became increasingly arrogant about their position, their in this country is the Constitution itself. But we haven’t
power, their ability to do whatever they wanted. The given it any priority.”
- Fiji Labour Party leader, Mahendra Chaudhry
Opposition’s role was denigrated and belittled, and we really
lost what could have been a wonderful opportunity to do
things differently. But then they won the second election
(2018). And then they became even more focused on their
power. And the very undemocratic way of doing things which with disabilities; and trafficking in persons.”
had the semblance of a democracy, but not the style and Said Tarte: “People have recognised that human rights are
substance.” everyone’s business. This idea that ‘democracy and human
In a five-point human rights agenda for Fiji published ahead rights are a foreign flower’ that we used to hear so much
of the 2022 general elections, Amnesty International said in the past, you don’t hear that now. We recognise that it’s
it was “particularly concerned about ongoing targeting of something we all care about, we all need. And I think those
people who are critical of government and its policies. Fiji’s fundamentals are now probably well established, in the way
they weren’t established 20 years ago.”

The shift
Speaking at the recent USP discussion, veteran sociologist
“I really don’t think that we’re going to see the kinds
of ruptures that we’ve seen in the past with coups and long-standing Fijian academic, Professor Vijay Naidu
or where rogue elements seize power. I don’t see a described the demographic shifts and focus on socio-economic
discontented element in society that is willing enough
to take that kind of action.” wellbeing and the pursuit of economic opportunities that have
- Professor Sandra Tarte contributed to these changes.
“Fiji has become a predominantly urban society,” said
Naidu. “iTaukei are the majority population in [the capital]
Suva and the country. Social and economic changes have
broken down the pseudo-apartheid state that Fiji had been
laws, policies and practices continue to suppress freedom of for more than a century with segregated housing, schools, a
expression, especially when it comes to criticising government racially and gendered segmented economy, and communal
policies”. systems of representation. Social inequality and poverty have
The United States Department of State 2022 Country Report increased.
on Human Rights Practices in Fiji observed: “Significant human “Our young people’s aspirations are no longer limited
rights issues included credible reports of: cruel, inhuman, to agriculture and rural livelihoods. They search for new
or degrading treatment by government agents; serious opportunities of education, employment and livelihoods
restrictions on freedom of expression and media, including in business, law, IT and services among other areas in the
censorship; substantial interference with the freedom of domestic, regional, and international labour markets. With
peaceful assembly; serious and unreasonable restrictions more than 20% of Fiji’s people living abroad, opportunities
on political participation; lack of investigation of and for short-term and long-term labour migration, and the
accountability for gender-based violence including but not possibilities of settling in Pacific rim countries and beyond,
limited to domestic and intimate partner violence; significant Fiji has become a transnational and globalised society. We
barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health services, have become a ‘remittance economy,’ and our diaspora
including coerced abortion or forced sterilization of persons populations are a valuable market, source of remittances,

“The iTaukei’s eyes have been opened”

Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) Executive Director, Vani Catanasiga:
“I believe the iTaukei [thinking] is beginning to evolve that a suggestion for a coup in 2023 would not warrant the
same response as in pre-2006. I think 16 years of systematic weakening of iTaukei support services via the laws that
attempted to reform the iTaukei administrative structure by a government that initially came into power through a
coup opened iTaukei eyes.
“FCOSS has over 270 community-based organisations and 7 national non-government organisations—that’s an
estimated 25,000 individuals. The majority are iTaukei. These are the communities I’ve worked in. I’d say that
within these communities — spanning across four divisions, and all provinces except Rotuma — that’s pretty much the
sentiment. That’s both rural and urban areas.
“Our members work in disaster and humanitarian support. That often means we are working within the iTaukei
administrative structure and alongside the military. These observations are based on the experiences we’ve had
through this work and more.”

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