Conversations of Jone, Joe and Jaswant: Fiji Day

Beautiful Wednesday in Suva.....public holiday and as usual, grog is flowing. All the boys are together after a long lay off.

Jone: Boys, set sa ra ga this public holiday for Fiji Day man

Joe: A very significant and momentous occasion in the journey of a young nation as it finds its way through the tumultous times of this 21st century

Jone and Jaswant: What the...?

Jaswant: Why you always va fancy?

Jone: Taki

Jaswant: No, today this Kaivalagi takis. Today, is our day Jone, it;s the day we became independent from the Kaivalagi

Jone: He's right man, today we became free

Joe: (Is thinking, didnt expect Jone and Jaswant to unite) Ummmm, but we did a lot of good things for you

Jaswant: No, today you Taki

Joe: (Getting worried) See Jone, in Australia the Indigenous people are finished, in America the same but in Fiji we protected you)

Jaswant: See Jone, the same old trick: DIVIDE AND RULE!

Joe laughs under his breath and says to himself, "they will never learn"

INDEPENDENT,BALANCED,IMPARTIAL.

Fact or fiction?

New Zealand police and intelligence officers have reportedly raided several Auckland addresses over allegations of a plot to kill Fiji's leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama.

Former Fijian cabinet minister Rajesh Singh has told media he was visited by a woman claiming to be from New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service and three policeman, who took his mobile phone and his daughter's laptop.

The woman said she had "credible evidence" that Commodore Bainimarama's assassination was being planned in Auckland and asked Singh why Fiji Army Colonel Tevita Uluilakeba Mara had visited him, 3News reports.

Singh said he was friends with Colonel Mara but he did not know of any assassination plots.

The laptop and mobile phone were returned and Singh was told not to talk to media.

Victoria Cross Winner in Fiji Operations!

The most recent Victoria Criss winner is Australia's Ben Roberts-Smith. Mr Smith got the award for his bravery in Afghanistan.

But what has captured LF's attention is the following:

"He was deployed on operations to Fiji in 2004, and has also deployed on Recovery Operations..."

It is well documented that Australia deployed a Task Force in response to Qarase's request for military assistance but the Task Force withdrew from waters around Kadavu after a Blackhawk went into the water killing 2 soldiers.

But that was 2006.What sort of operation occurred in 2004?

Interesting isnt it?


INDEPENDENT,BALANCED,IMPARTIAL.

Constitution Review

The man who will guide discussions on a new constitution for Fiji has expressed concern about limits on political activity still in force in the country.

But world-renowned legal expert Professor Yash Ghai is fairly happy with the timetable for drawing up the new document.

Professor Ghai is a scholar of constitutional law. He has been the head of the Constitution Advisory Support Unit of the United Nations Development Program in Nepal and a special human rights representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cambodia.

He says a year should be long enough to complete the process in Fiji.

He told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat he has urged the Fiji government to review laws that restrict freedom of expression and freedom of association.

Groups to complain of restrictions on their activities include the Methodist Church, trade unions and the legal profession.

Professor Ghai said the government should be given the opportunity to demonstrate that its efforts at reform are genuine.

"If people don't take this opportunity to test the intentions of the prime minister and the government, it's very hard to see how the country moves forward," he said.

"My advice to them would be to engage in the process.

"And as for this harassment, if they're not allowed to speak, then it will be the case that the government is not very serious."

He added: "Let's see how sincere the prime minister is before we conclude this is a sham."

Free Poets Society: Rain and more Rain

So much rain , all around rain

At least the plants and veges get to gain

 

Lucky it hasn't been a full blow hurricane

Even though it was a lot of rain

 

Its been a while since we had a big one

And that was no fun

 

Remember Oscar and Nigel

That made life very dull

 

And before that Hurricane Bibi

That had all of us climbing onto our bilibili

 

So let's hope we don't get another one soon

Lets fold our hands and pray for God's boon

Martial Law lifted

So, martial law has been lifted.

Good!

Even the regime's opponents will have to welcome that. And for those who were starting to think we may never come out of this dark period, well this shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Of course, this is only a first step in the right direction. There is a lot more work to be done. But it is a significant big step.

Now comes the challenge of drafting a new Constitution. It wont be easy. But, we have overcome major obstacles in the past and it can be done.

So, we will take this as one step forward and look forward to democracy to be returned to our beloved land!


INDEPENDENT,BALANCED,IMPARTIAL.