from
Mahendra P. Chaudhry
Labour Parliamentary Leader
[posted 04 October 2004, 16:00]
The
Fiji Labour Party wants national reconciliation just as earnestly as most
others but it must be genuine reconciliation that does not undermine the
basic tenets of democracy and the rule of law. For reconciliation to be
truly effective, there must be feelings of genuine remorse - not just rhetoric and platitudes.
I
have serious reservations about this recent move by the government to
launch a national prayer and reconciliation exercise at a cost of $700,000
to the taxpayer. The move is certainly suspect coming from a government
that has shown little desire for national reconciliation in its policies
and legislative measures. There is no doubt that this recent show of
reconciliation is motivated by a political agenda - an exercise in
mitigation for those recently convicted of complicity in the terrorist
overthrow of a democratic government in May 2000.
·
Genuine reconciliation can only take place if there is a
move to grant restorative justice to those who have suffered losses from
the coup. There has been no State assistance for the business community
that suffered losses from the riots in Suva city on 19 May 2000 or the
scores of farmers in the
rural areas of Muaniweni and other parts of Tailevu, Dreketi, Seaqaqa etc
in the North who were terrorised and whose properties were plundered,
burnt and destroyed in the wake of the coup. Scores of these helpless
families had to flee their homes in terror.
· How can there be genuine reconciliation when the State
continues to practice blatant racial discrimination against the Indian and
other minority communities?
·
How can there be genuine reconciliation when the Fiji
Labour Party is kept out of the Cabinet by sheer manipulation and in
blatant breach of constitutional provisions?
2
What
then is this reconciliation exercise, if not an insult to the victims of
the coup? The SDL government
includes nationalist hardliners in its Cabinet, has them appointed to the
Senate and sends them as heads of Fiji’s overseas missions. If this is
not a slap in the face of national reconciliation, I’d like to ask what
is?
The
Fiji Labour Party will not condone moves under the guise of reconciliation
that is meant to undermine the due process of
law. The Party has been pushing for all those with complicity in
the coup to be brought to justice so that we all can live in peace and
harmony. Fiji has paid a heavy price for the treasonous actions of these
people - they have 19 deaths on their conscience not to mention the
enormous economic loss suffered by the nation and its citizens.
Wrongs and injustices against a
community must be addressed and victims of the
coups granted restorative justice before true reconciliation can
take place. This nation must learn to get its fundamentals right before it
can begin to talk about national unity, reconciliation and harmony.
The desire for national reconciliation
has to be reflected in the policies and deeds of the government, otherwise
it becomes just plain rhetoric and an exercise in futility. To talk of
national reconciliation without granting restorative justice to those who
have been grievously wronged and without removing State sponsored
discriminatory policies against their community, is to insult the
intelligence of those most affected.
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