From: Julian Fox [jbfox@is.com.fj]
Sent: Monday, 17 July 2000 9:41
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:@homer.is.com.fj;
Subject: 'austraLasia' #383
Sent: Monday, 17 July 2000 9:41
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:@homer.is.com.fj;
Subject: 'austraLasia' #383
FIJI: A KIND OF PEACE
Julian Fox SDB
SUVA: 17th July -- It has only recently become possible to speak of a 'post-coup' Fiji, since hostages held for some 55 days were released a little less than a week ago. The world's media, who had drunk deeply of the Pacific potion mixed by George Speight and co. have gone home. Everyone beyond the fleck of foam that is Fiji in Oceania's vast expanse, knows that constitutional democracy has had the flick for the time being, and possibly thinks that there is little more one needs to know. They can though, they believe, breathe a sigh of relief that Fiji has at least achieved a kind of peace.
Just what kind of peace has been achieved in Fiji at the moment, for those who live here, is uncertain. In the final days of the coup, if one can indeed speak of it as any kind of past event, the outbreaks that had characterized the first few hours of 19th May spread to many parts of the country, while Suva itself sat in some sort of quiet trough between the low of early lawlessness and the high of hope that hostages would be freed. It was then, in those last days, that the Monasavu power station was taken over, reducing power output by 75% throughout the nation; and that a gaggle of police posts throughout the land were captured by rebels sympathetic to GS at one level, but seeking redress for old wounds quite unrelated to him, at another. Symbolic of the general malaise was the breakout of some 20 prisoners just two days ago from Naboro Maximum Security prison, and the holding hostage of warders by those who didn't break out. One of the oddest demands of this group that had even the Attorney General of one week (and no more) bemused was that prison warders should get a pay rise! It would be funny were it not for 14 prisoners shot in the bygoing, one dead.
And yet, ordinary citizens get on with life that has eased just a little. The schools have gone back after two false starts, and look like staying back now. Tertiary institutes have indicated firm dates of return and given notice to students and governments around the Pacific of these. The curfew, only a Suva phenomenon these days, operates now between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., and has most of us applauding a little peace and quiet anyway. Retailers too are happy to have it till Christmas if needs be. So I suppose all that is a kind of peace.
And yet, it is peace without justice, something the prophets of old railed about. Reconciliations galore have gone on, and you have to understand Fiji culture to appreciate the importance of these events. People here can forgive almost anything. Again, it has to be better than the violent intransigence of the warring groups further West of us in the Solomons, but it depends how short or long a view one has of life in Fiji. The landowners who took over Turtle Island Resort had a beef concerning lack of compensation from around 1870. There are long memories at stake in everything here. What happened on 19th May will not be quickly forgotten by those who were hardest hit either. The culture seems to admirably allow the lion and the lamb to sit down together around a bowl of 'grog', whatever has occurred - but that would not stop 'apocalypse now' if anyone were to seriously and with political intent question the new doctrine of Fijian supremacy. If peace is the absence of war, then we are struggling towards it. If it is a much deeper concept of minds and hearts made one, then we are nowhere near it.
