Fiji (to Nestor)

[Philip Ferguson <plf13@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Nestor wrote:
>Now, this is a bit different to what I have read from Phil on the
>Fiji issue. But the problem still remains that while there does not
>exist a "national" Fijian party tht seeks to establish a common,
>unified, power for Indo-Fijians and Fijian Melanesians, this party
>does not exist on EITHER side of the ethnic divide (which of course,
>is loathable and has been a gift from Britain to the island).


The Fijian Labour Party is a cross-communal party.  Although it's not my
cup of tea, it *has* made substantial attempts to involve
Melanesian-Fijians and to share power in government with Melanesian-Fijian
representatives.  Chaudry's government was democratically elected and
remains the legitimate government, however it has not been reinstalled.
Nor, at present, does it look like it will be.

By contrast to the FLP, Speight wanted a Melanesian-only regime.  Speight
is not anti-imperialist, he is anti the Indo-Fijians, and would like to see
them driven out of the country.

The politics of the 1987 and 2000 coups were right-wing and exclusivist.
They have nothing to do with with Fijian nationalism and anti-imperialism.
Rabuka in 1987 and Speight in 2000 are not Fiji's Peron; they are Fiji's
Pinochet.

The problem for Speight is that imperialism doesn't need a Pinochet in
Fiji.  So he and his gangs are being cleaned out by the Fijian military,
which is probably imperialism's most reliable institution in the country.

Cheers,
Phil