The Guardian 8 November, 2006
Australia fishing in Fiji’s troubled sea
"Hegel remarks somewhere that all great world-historic facts and personages appear, so to speak, twice. He forgot to add: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce."
Karl Marx
Imperialists have always fished in Fiji’s troubled waters of poverty, racism and injustice. Seru Epenisa Cakobau (1815-1883), a warlord who proclaimed himself as Tui Viti or "King" of Fiji in 1871 had within three years ceded the country to the British. Prior to that Cakobu’s violent rule had functioned as a conduit for competing imperialist interests. The 300 islands of the Fiji group were an imperialist paradise of profitable timber, fertile soil, coconut oil and a sea cucumber that produced the beche-de-mer delicacy.
The US staked an early claim for control by recognising Cakobau's "kingship", whilst the peoples of Fiji were resisting his Napoleonic claims. However, as thieves do, they soon fell out spectacularly. The US demanded $44,000 retrospective compensation for damage to property of the American Consul on Nakulau. The claim was a fabrication to pressure Fiji into accepting exclusive US colonial control. Unable to pay the claim, with the US Navy menacing Fiji and fearing annexation, Cakobau opted for the British Empire.
Cakobau, a man willing to work both sides of the street, also granted 200,000 acres for cotton growing to the Australian Polynesia Company in return for a promise to pay the US demand. It was during this period that a warship from Sydney sailed into Fiji’s troubled waters to back-up the claims of British interests.
Once more, warships are sailing to Fiji, under the cover of "evacuation" plans for 7000 Australians and 8000 New Zealanders. And Fiji’s latest Napoleonic pretender, Speight is waiting to be sprung from his prison on Nakulau.
Fiji’s current troubles have been created by the Qarase Government’s institutionalised racism, corruption and the deep economic crisis of Fiji’s neo-colonial economy. The crisis has been characterised by:
Poverty which has grown significantly over the last five years with an estimated 40% of the 850,000 Fijians living in poverty.
Investment has plummeted from 25% of GDP in the 1980s to less than 12%.
The Fiji Government is planning to axe 5000 civil service jobs from its 26,000-strong workforce
Highly controversial licence agreements have been made between the Airports Fiji Limited (AFL) and a private company Strategic Air Services Limited (SASL), Telecom Fiji, FINTEL & Vodafone for the provision of telecommunications services.
The government has levied increased fees on vegetable and root-crop sellers. There are frequent disruptions to water supply to town and country communities and there are land tenure conflicts and squatter evictions.
The neo-liberal, market-driven "development" model under Howard’s Pacific Plan imposed on Fiji after the overthrow of the Mahendra Chaudhry Government is failing spectacularly. Its main thrust is to "liberalise trade", particularly the trade in services where Australian big capital stands to make a killing.
Flashpoint issue
But the flashpoint issue that has raised tension and fear like no other is the plan by the present government to pardon the knuckle man of the big logging interests George Speight. Against its turbulent history of racial conflicts, coups and the extensive suffering of its people, Fiji enacted a new constitution in 1997. The new Constitution symbolised the determination of the people that Fiji would follow a different path, one of national independence, multiculturalism and democracy. Their determination echoes through the Preamble of the 1997 constitution:
"…committing ourselves anew to living in harmony and unity, promoting social justice and the economic and social advancement of all communities, respecting their rights and interests and strengthening our institutions of governance:"
Within three years Speight led a coup against the Constitution, unleashed a wave of violence against workers, their trade unions, burnt and desecrated temples, mosques and some churches and held a gun to the head of the democratically elected Prime Minister, Chaudhry of the Fijian Labor Party.
Even today many of the perpetrators of these crimes have not been held to account. The truth about their crimes still remains hidden as do the names of the people who financially supported coup leader George Speight. It was clear at that time that the Australian Howard Government had no intention of seriously backing the democratically elected Labor government of Mahendra Chaudhry.
Serious crimes
Speight was convicted of the most serious crimes against the people of Fiji. Sentenced to death for treason, Speight’s sentence was commuted to life imprisonment under the very Constitution that he tried to destroy with his M-15s.
The attempt to pardon Speight is being strongly resisted by an alliance of democratic and national reconciliation forces in Fiji. This includes the leadership of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Commodore Bainimarama. A full or partial pardon for Speight is seen by the democratic forces as a stumbling block to national reconciliation. The outcome of Speight’s pardon will be crucial to the future of Fiji and any real possibility for meaningful and lasting peace.
Much at stake
Much is at stake. Fiji has the largest and best organised trade union movement in Oceania. The military can no longer be relied on to enforce the old regime of racism and class violence against the people. The peoples of Oceania are restless and the voices demanding social and economic justice and sovereignty for their countries are growing.
Fiji is not an island in this sea of change. Hence the attempt to spring Speight from his prison. The standover man and his supporters could be used once again to threaten and put down, if required, the growing movement for change.
And into these troubled waters Australia’s imperialist deputy sheriff, Howard, comes sailing. As Marx wrote, history is both tragedy and farce.