By gdevreal

Bring in $1billion.
The faster you lose it, the sooner you become a millionaire.
That is progress! Charter style.
All that “blue skying” about pillars and buzz words doesn’t help the rubber to meet the road.
No traction except accident victim “in traction”.
Voreqe has milked this thing dry and waiting to borrow more money to milk and someone else to pay for (taxpayers).
A classic “namu” but on a grander (national and international) scale. Fiji has become a “namu” nation and it is reflected in the rugby performance. There is no pride in being a namu or an ape, for that matter, and Voreqe is both by mentality.

By Wame Toloi

I am so amazed by some who still embrace the Dictator in our land. You all should know that dictatorship is the form of government derived from the concept of “divine authority,” which is built on the belief that certain individuals are chosen by the gods or by providence to rule the masses and exercise authority over the less fortunate or so-called “inferior” peoples. This is the form of governing we find in the  biblical records and other sources such as the Egyptian pharaohs, who believed they were products of the gods and were destined to rule people by virtue of birthright.

Dictatorships have emerged in every generation and continue to do so to this day. They come in many forms and titles, but the principle and results are the same. A dictatoship is government that concentrates its power and authority in the hands of one individual who wields absolute authority unrestricted by laws, constitution or any other social/political factor.

Dictators are considered despots and usually are driven by personal ambition or private interests. They focus in on themselves and their goals. Self-worship is also common in this form of governing. Historically, dictatorships have never succeeded for long, usually ending in tragedy and chaos. No dictatorship will survive forever. At some point, the people will revolt.

The dictatorship is also a twisted attempt by man to reestablish the original form of government established by the Creator in the Garden of Eden when He delegated total rulership and dominion control to the man. Adam was given absolute power, but the distinction was that his power and dominion were never intended to rule over human beings but over the animal, bird, plant and water kingdoms. Whenever the attempt is made by any individual to dominate humankind through any form of dictatorship, the natural result is rebellion and resistance. This is natural and always will be. Dictatorship over humanity is not God’s original form of Government.

Democracy on the other side of the coin is the best form of civil government as we know it because of its basic tenets and because of the checks and balances of the system. It is also built on the premise and priciple of the majority rule and the protection of individual rights. Democracy has served our nation well in that it has given voice to the people and provides opportunity for broad-based participation in the political process by the people of our nation. Its checks and balances system further protects the masses from monopolization of power by one or by the few.

This woman and her thieving husband Zarin Ali are said to be anxious about possible attacks on them and their property by many who dislike their role in milking taxpayers money through their nephew Aiyaz Khaiyum.

So much so that their security detail has been beefed up at their Princes Road, Tamavua home where Police often set up road blocks while the Ali’s entertain their “illegal guests”.

Their well lit wall has been free of any graffiti but we won’t be surprised if it turns into an anti-regime fresco soon.

Updated September 28, 2011 16:36:55

But first, Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Affairs, Richard Marles, says Australia is now more engaged with the Pacific than ever before.

In a speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney, he says accusations that Australia does not take the Pacific seriously are simply not borne out by the facts.

He tells Bruce Hill that while the situation in Fiji is very challenging, he’s confident that people there realise that Australia’s conflict is with the coup installed military government, not them.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Affairs, Richard Marles

• Listen:
• Windows Media

MARLES: We want to make it really clear that our beef is not with the people of Fiji, in fact quite the opposite. We want to stand with the people of Fiji in what is a very difficult time for them. Our issue is with the interim regime in Fiji and in fact what it is doing both to the country of Fiji and its people. I mean what we’re seeing is the economy of Fiji is going backwards when the rest of the Pacific economies are going forward. We’re seeing more people living in poverty now than have ever lived in poverty before in Fiji and we’re seeing that in a context where human rights are being removed. There isn’t the freedom of the press, there isn’t freedom of association. Church organisations have their meetings banned and we’re seeing ILO Conventions being flagrantly breached, that’s what’s going on and the people who are affected by that are actually the people of Fiji who we want to stand with. The people who are doing that are the interim regime of Fiji and they’re the people we’ve got an issue with.

HILL: Is the Australian government coming under pressure to soften its stance on Fiji? We hear often business groups and also the Lowy Institute that you were giving the speech to came out with this poll showing that most Fijians support Commodore Bainimarama’s coup?

MARLES: Well, I think the first thing to say about the poll from the Lowy Institute and I say it with all respect of the Lowy Institute. They do fantastic work and I really appreciate the interest that they’ve shown. But obviously doing a poll in Fiji now is absurd. If you’re sitting at home in a country where human rights are being repressed and somebody comes and knocks on the door and asked you what you think about the government. I mean what do you think people are going to say. So I don’t think there’s any sense in which we can treat the outcome of that poll with any credibility. I think, in fact, the stand that we’re now seeing around the world in relation to Fiji is becoming more and more firm. People, countries do understand that what’s happening in Fiji is a concern, that the interim regime needs to be moving to a democracy as soon as it can.

HILL: One of the things in your speech, which was pretty striking was the tone I think almost of annoyance. There’s a perception that Australia is ignoring is in disengaged with the Pacific. You seem to really take very strong issue with that idea?

MARLES: Well, I think we have never been more engaged in the Pacific than we are at the moment. Certainly from my point of view, I’ve visited every country and territory of the Pacific, at least all of them that have a runway. I haven’t as yet been to Pitcairn but it’s on my bucket list and it’s not just me that’s visiting the region, nor is it just visits to the region, but there are many other ministers and members of the executive who are also visiting the region and that is evidence of a very strong relationship that exists. But if you look at what we’re doing in RAMSI, where we’ve restored a long with the other nations of the Pacific, peace and security to Solomon Islands. They now have experienced economic growth in five and six per cent over the last couple of years. That’s a fantastic situation compared to what existed in 2003, if you look at the work we’re doing in Papua New Guinea, around seeing more children attend school, more children being immunised against disease, working with PNG in relation to the LNG project, which is a giant resources project in PNG to really try and see the benefits of that project go to everyone in PNG and I might say we are doing that very much with the strong commitment and cooperation of the PNG government itself. If you look at what we’re doing in education across the region with the University of the South Pacific, but not just that, the Australian Pacific technical colleges, what we’re doing with Australia awards, where we’re 500 people across the Pacific in the last year had the opportunity to study under one of these awards and these are the future leaders of the Pacific.

I think what all of that shows is that there is a greater engagement in the Pacific, in terms of our foreign policy than there has ever been. Actually, when you look at what we’re doing, it’s pretty impressive.

HILL: And yet like Rodney Dangerfield, Australia doesn’t seem to get any respect, why?

MARLES: Well, first and foremost, it’s not about us getting respect, first and foremost, it’s about us doing good in the region and I hope we do that and I think actually the respect does come as a consequence of that. It follows the work that we do. But I think that as I travel around the Pacific at least, the sense that I get from the countries of the Pacific is one of incredible warmth to what Australia does and to the way in which we engaged. We’ve just come back from the Pacific Island Forum in Auckland, and one speaker after another from the countries of the Pacific talked about the projects that were being undertaken in their countries through Australian support and there was I think enormous well respect, but thanks that was being given to Australia for the role it played.

By Real Jack

bada bing, bada boom.

guys buy at $FJD500k on Sale and Purchase Agreements and then attempt to offload at $FJD1.4 million even before the the S& P’s are concluded – assigning their purchase interest under the S & P and walking away with a tidy profit without having to account for any tax whatsoever in Fiji (they’re not registered as Fiji taxpeyers – and its the assignment of an interest, albeit under a Sale and Purchase Agreement, contingent on fulfillment of conditions set out in that agreement – its in essence the sale of a contingent interest).

Boy, nothin’ in life is free
That’s why I’m askin’ you what can you do for me
I’ve got responsibilities
So I’m lookin’ for a man whose got money in his hands

‘Cause nothin’ from nothin’ leaves nothin’
You got to have somethin’ if you wanna be with me
Oh, life is too serious, love’s too mysterious
A fly girl like me needs security

===========================
here’s the link http://www.professionalsrealestate.com.au/properties/405270/details

and here’s what it says:

NAISOSO RE-SALE

FJ$1,104,000 Neg

- Large site – river frontage
- Moor the boat at the bottom of your lawn
- Upmarket Naisoso – seeing is believing
- Amazing views
- Secure gated community

Naisoso Island is only 5 minutes from Nadi International Airport.
It leads the way for secure gated community living in Fiji and has
To be an investment that offers capital gains, whilst enjoying all
The fruits life can offer while your dollar works quietly in the background
For you. This Rivage block offers exclusive living – with privacy and space.
Land bank or build your tropical dream home – and sit back and relax.
Naisoso Island – the cream of the cream.

Reported by Real Jack and extracted from the Fiji Times

By Real Jack

last December (less then 8 months ago) this story below was out on the Govt website. Funworld opening up in Nadi.

last week the whole property was advertised on mortgagee sale in the local papers. its on page 56 of the Fiji Times of Saturday 24th September 2011.

By Sai Lealea

Dictator Bainimarama – out of place & out of depth at the UN

by Sai Lealea

Reports reveal that Bainimarama’s lack of education and intellect continues to be shown up at the various international fora he attends.

His recent contribution at the UN General Assembly can only be described as abysmal, lacking in substance and depth.

For one with an illegal mandate and guilty of repressive rule over the people of Fiji, to be preaching about the virtues of equality before the law and unity among citizens, is hypocrisy at its maximum. Yet he seemed totally oblivious to all that is known about his repressive regime which continues to terrorise the people of Fiji. Such is the mindset now rampant and deliberated cultivated by his regime. To ram through all and any reform which in their eyes are the solution to Fiji’s multifaceted problems, never mind if the rights of the people are tramped underneath. Yet one can sense innate fear in Bainimarama as he seeks to justify his illegal and repressive rule.

Bubbling away inside of him is the guilty conscience resulting from his part in the deaths and murders of a number of Fiji citizens. The evidence is there for all to see each day as his security retinue continues to elongate in the attempt to preserve his life and rule. A ruler with a popular mandate would not require such bloated security detail, let alone afford it.

A man with intellect and inner conscience will sooner or later come to realise when the life of pretence, fake and stolen mandate runs out. But this only happens when the contrast with reality becomes pronounced over time and only when the sense of reality is shared widely. For Bainimarama, he has in fact created his own reality, in which he and his closest of supporters and family exist. Those outside of that reality do not matter to them or are just tools to preserve their ongoing existence. It therefore becomes a self sustaining existence.

Of great concern is the value placed on being part of the inner sanctum of the dictator’s life as supporters and sycophants compete for his attention and favour. This is why dictators become entrenched in their rule over time, and as such, the cost for their removal escalates accordingly, whether in human or financial terms. Earlier attempts to remove Bainimarama were therefore wasted opportunities and such opportunities will even become rarer. The dictator himself knows this. This in turn will drive him further to extend his followings whether within the military or outside, especially those unaware of the true extent of his illegal rule.

The reverse scenario is equally true – removing the dictator Bainimarama would be far more cheaper now than later. That is precisely what Fiji needs in order to avoid a great deal more sufferings for its people. For Bainimarama’s foot soldiers, even those untainted will inevitably be dragged and sucked into the repressive cycle of deceit and at worse, become agents of inflicting physical abuse, torture and even deaths on the citizens of Fiji.

That is why soldiers within Fiji’s military, in particular those currently untainted with any direct criminal acts, have a personal interest and responsibility to Prevent and Stop Bainimarama. 

Unlike the rest of the civilians in Fiji, each one of you have the opportunity to take direct action to end all the madness that has now engulfed Fiji. Picture yourselves as Fiji’s saviours, receiving the everlasting gratitude and blessing of all Fiji’s people when you act to remove Bainimarama, Khaiyum and their supporters from power. Would that not be a far worthy and honourable tribute than to be labelled as agents of torture, abuse and repression? Where is the glory when you, your family and friends become tainted with the blood of those murdered by Bainimarama and his torture squad led by Ben Naliva and others?

The answer to those questions lay well within your hands each day you receive your issue from the Australian government funded armoury at Nabua. Each day you fail to act is a day longer for the suffering, humiliation and degradation for the people of Fiji and those closely connected to each of you. The majority of the people of Fiji want a return to a government that respects human dignity and the rule of law. Bainimarama and Khaiyum have shown no indication over the last 5 years of ever returning Fiji to its citizens because they fear the consequences for them.

So act Now to Prevent Far Worse Suffering in Future.

News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand

PRESS RELEASE

Lack of Transparency in Mortgagee sale

THE Consumer Council would like to voice out the unfair practices imposed by financial institutions when

selling repossessed properties.

The lack of transparency in the system is a concern for us whereby home owners are left in the dark without having a say while their property is being disposed. This happens in a very dictatorship style where the financial institution and their lawyers open tenders in the absence of the homeowner. There is lack of transparency in the whole process where it is often seen the mortgaged property is not sold at market value. Generally the information on the amount owed by the homeowner is leaked to bank officers from other banks or their acquaintance. Such practice must stop to protect homeowners. With the current practice, homeowners are simply butchered with a million dollar axe and forced to be tagged as bankrupt in most cases.

The Council has observed the increasing number of homes going on mortgagee sales in recent months. Many home property owners have suffered and are still suffering for repossession of properties or mortgagee sale losing their entire life savings. This leaves the client in a very vulnerable state with all rights denied and not forgetting to mention the social and mental consequences the person goes through. Financial institutions use mortgagee sales to recover arrears and costs at the client’s expense.

This lack of transparency in the sale of repossessed property exposes many risks where bank employees and lawyers can have unfair advantage over property that are put up for sale from defaulters. The Council believes the delay in selling the property is a profit making mechanism for the bank the other parties involved since the client is forced to pay the interest until the property is sold and also is held accountable for the shortfall incurred.

The downturn in the global economy and the rise in the cost of living is wreaking its toll on homeowners who divert a significant portion of their salaries and wages to home loan repayments and yet go deeper in debt.

The Council is therefore of the view that Public Auctions would be a fairer and more transparent way of selling off repossessed properties. We are calling on policymakers and stakeholders to seriously consider implementing rules to govern the sale of mortgaged property. Auctions can be made mandatory and regulations be imposed to control the bidding process so that everyone knows their rights, responsibilities and obligations through the auction process. This would avoid the current discrepancies in the system. Auction laws should take modern business practice into account and go into in-depth detail about what an auctioneer must say at an auction, how auction companies should advertise and what their contracts must say. We should take our cue from countries like Australia for instance that have real estate auctions with strict mandatory provisions to govern the auction process.

Unlike mortgagee sales, auctions can reveal the true market value of a property and are conducted in an open forum where all bids are known and participants are given immediate feedback on the property’s value. Auctions eliminate long negotiation periods where interest pile up, buyers know they are competing fairly and on the same terms as all other buyers and receive comprehensive information on property via due diligence packet. Any consumer taking part in an auction can easily and quickly make market comparisons when they see biddings at the same place and at the same time.

Meanwhile, Council advises home owners facing foreclosure to make immediate arrangements with their banks on ways of making their payments. Intending homebuyers should seek pre disclosure statement from the financial institution to understand their financial obligation before they engage in any home dealings.

There is confirmation from our Fiji sources today that the deal struck by Aiyaz and Guatemalan Mega Maderas to be his exclusive supplier for Fiji’s golden mahogany tree will be one of the most hotly pursued legal matter by the next democratically elected government of Fiji.

Mega Maderas like to boast itself as one of the world’s best supplier of fine wood from world sources.

Their website highlights the banana republic Fiji on its global map, possibly to punctuate their illegal exclusive contract they’ve signed with Fiji’s murderous regime through Aiyaz Khaiyum.

So who exactly is this Mega Maderas company to whom Aiyaz has sold out Fiji’s golden mahogany trees to, and how are the  Fijians benefiting from the deal, keeping in mind that it was these forgotten trees that had something to do with the George Speight failed 2000 coup d’etat?

What were the terms of agreement mega Maderas illegally entered into with Aiyaz Khaiyum as wannabee Minister of Public Enterprise that controls Fiji Hardwood Corporation who manages the world’s largest mahogany plantation in Fiji.

There has been on and off reports about the mahogany industry in Fiji but not much has been revealed by Aiyaz Khaiyum on how much the people of Fiji are getting from the deal he struck with Mega Maderas because he probably doesn’t want to reveal this other cash cow he’s milking straight into his and Frank’s offshore bank accounts facilitated by his Aunty Nur Bano Ali.

With increasing corruption by Frank’s regime now becoming the “in” thing in that militarized Fiji, Mega Maderas must have thought that the Fijian natives are too dumb and helpless to figure out their exploitative illegal exclusive contract with Aiyaz and Frank.

Mega Madera has been busy buying Fiji’s mahogany for some years and the least of their worry right now is the legality of their exclusive supplier contract with Aiyaz or how the mahogany makes its way from the forest to the shipping containers they’re ready to send to their customers all around the world.

At the same time, Aiyaz doesn’t really wanna make a big PR spin about these golden trees because his mostly muslim owned timber logging and mills in Fiji are really the ones who are also making a killing from these trees while a few cents and dollars goes to the forever confused dull-headed native Fijians.

As always, when these so called resource owners finally wake up, Aiyaz and his muslim mafia with Mega Maderas would have wiped out clean all the mahogany golden trees these natives nurtured on their backyard all these years and we bet yah, they will then go running to and after Aiyaz with their mahogany wood off-cuts demanding their share for being asleep all these years while these thieves steal under their very noses.

Do native Fijians care about these kinda daylight robberies happening around them every waking minute of their lives?

We don’t think so which means that the native Fijians deserve being exploited for their ignorance and inaction.

But Mega Maderas should know better. The very act of sleeping with an illegal regime will become its own undoing as lobby groups consolidate their efforts to shoot down mega Maderas sales, marketing and public relations efforts to off-sell the illegally acquired mahogany stock they get from Fiji’s dictator.

See their website here http://www.megamaderas.com

MICHAEL FIELD

A Fijian bid to provide the wood for the world’s best guitars is in doubt after military strongman Voreqe Bainimarama was forced to cancel a press conference in Nashville with the makers of Gibson guitars.

Fiji has the world’s biggest commercial mahogany plantations and control of its lucrative revenues was long believed to be the reason behind the coup in 2000.

Earlier this year Gibson Guitars gave Bainimarama – who came into power in a 2006 coup in which he said he was ending corruption – a US$4000 ($5100) guitar in a bid to get access to the wood.

Bainimarama was yesterday to have been in Nashville with Gibson CEO Henry Juskiewicz to announce a partnership giving the guitar maker the right to be the exclusive buyer of certified Fiji mahogany.

But the Nashville Business Journal said Juskiewicz suddenly called it off.

“We have been approached by a supplier with close ties to Fiji with promises of responsible and sustainable supplies of wood and are currently exploring the potential,” he said.

“No absolute commitment will be made until we conduct an extensive review of the situation.”

US Federal agents earlier raided Gibson factories in Memphis and Nashville where they seized pallets of wood, guitars and computer hard drives.

An affidavit supporting the search warrant for the recent raids alleged that shipments of imported Indian ebony and rosewood were given false labels to circumvent import restrictions.

Gibson had been the subject of a similar raid in 2009 over ebony imported from Madagascar.

Bainimarama was in the US to address the United Nations General Assembly and was to have made a side-trip to Nashville for the announcement.

Fiji has 43,600 hectares of mahogany which has been valued at around US$100 million, but may be worth much more.

Under an earlier coup leader, Sitiveni Rabuka, two international groups fought for control with the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) winning rights to it.

In 1999 the new government of Mahendra Chaudhry continued the CDC contract.

He fired the then chairman of state owned Fiji Hardwood who was found to have been paid cash by a shadowy American company; that man was George Speight, who in May 2000 seized control of Parliament.

Following the latest coup, Bainimarama’s military have seized control of mahogany and decreed the industry be operated on a basis that is sustainable and long term.

The military lifted a piece of New Zealand marketing to create “Fiji Pure Mahogany” which would certify it was legally grown, harvested and produced.

Earlier this year, Gibson’s lobbying for control of mahogany included the presentation of a guitar to Bainimarama.

The Fiji Ministry of Information in a statement at the time said Bainimarama was surprised when told the guitar cost more than US$4000.

- Stuff

News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=63287

Andy Cook rejects Air Pacific CEO David Pfieger’s claims of hiring him 

There are more revelations today on how Aiyaz Khaiyum and his trusted partner in crime David Pflieger are exercising trickery on the Fijian people and their co-investors, Qantas shareholders, who are the second biggest stakeholder in doomed Air Pacific.

Pflieger had earlier claimed that Andy Cook, CEO of an employees relations consultancy firm in UK, was commissioned to address concerns raised by ILO on the newly adopted Fijian Essential Industries Decree masterminded by Pflieger himself.

As it turns out now, the truth is that Pflieger had name dropped Andy Cook only, hoping it will overwhelm the native Fijians in just how well connected he is with some other foreigners willing to be part of his scam.

Andy Cook has decided not to allow David Pflieger’s dishonesty to discredit his name and Marshall James, the company he works for, and has denied working for Pflieger, Air Pacific or Bainimarama’s murderous junta.

And here is Cook’s way to expose Pflieger’s lie……

A Statement by Andy Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Marshall-James in relation to Fiji

– London 16th September 2011

An article appeared on a blog (Coup 4.5) recently naming me as being engaged to help enforce the Essential Industries Decree which has been introduced in Fiji. This article is inaccurate and misleading. There are some very important points to make in relation to my work and my position:

- I support the rights of organised labour. I believe wholeheartedly in the value of Trade Unions.

- I have not been engaged by Air Pacific or the Fijian Government to support or help implement the Essential Industries Decree

As a Labour Relations Specialist, I get asked to look at many different scenarios and situations. Having been asked my opinion, I have been urging the Fijian Government to adopt a policy of engaging with the International Union Movement and the ILO to begin to address the concerns and issues expressed by these communities with a view to finding a way forward. This is very important for all concerned. If there is a desire for engagement, then I am willing to play a part in making that happen.

Lastly, I confirm that I am not currently working in any capacity on anything related to Fiji or Fijian Employers.

http://www.mjgsl.com/index.php

Fiji’s military strongman Voreqe Bainimarama has ordered a “special audit” of a New Zealand businessman who chairs one of its public companies.

In a statement to the South Pacific Stock Exchange in Suva, Fijian Holdings Ltd (FHL) said the audit was ordered “regarding the allegations received against Carl Ngamoki-Cameron.”

It added the “special audit is focused on corporate governance related issues and the recent appointment of the general manager for merchant finance”.

Lawyer Ngamoki-Cameron was also Bainimarama’s nominee on the board of the Fiji Rugby Union. He is a New Zealander who has become a naturalised Fiji citizen and until recently was close to the Bainimarama regime.

After he took over FHL, the company announced a sponsorship of the Fijian rugby side at the Rugby World Cup and created a song, Never Give Up, which was to sweep the tournament in New Zealand. It failed to get a hearing.

The statement said Ngamoki-Cameron was appointed chairman in June this year.

The audit will be run by staff from Bainimarama’s office and the Ministry of Finance.

FHL said Greg Cathcart, the general manager appointed by Ngamoki-Cameron, had now resigned.

Prominent Fiji lawyer Victor Lal, who lives in London but retains high level access in the regime, revealed two days ago on the anti-military blogsite Coup Four and a Half, that  a group of FHL shareholders earlier this month wrote to the company expressing concern at Ngamoki-Cameron’s management.

They claimed potential abuse of his position as chairman.

FHL is the only one of 16 stocks traded on the Suva market that is restricted to just indigenous Fijian owners.

Shares are only lightly traded but the stock rose 3.99 percent following news of the audit.

FHL, an equity investment company, owns shares in 22 companies in Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

This includes 100 percent holding in Blue Lagoon Cruises as well as part holdings in Amalgamated Telecom and RB Patel Group.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/5666769/NZ-businessman-facing-special-military-audit

Written by: The Angle.org
September 21, 2011

By Alex Schlotzer

Workers in Fiji may enjoy a reputation as being super-friendly and bursting with positive vibes and good will. The reality though is that they have no rights.

The ruling military regime under Frank Bainimarama has recently issued a decree that effectively stamps out union activity and removes basic workers’ rights. Unions are required to apply for permits in order to hold meetings of members, which can take months to be approved. The permits require that the military sits in and observes meetings; taking notes and the details of those that attend. Permits can be revoked without notice allowing the regime to violently break-up meetings, especially those meetings it sees as a threat to its legitimacy and authority.

Reports are coming out of Fiji that union leaders and delegates are being physically threatened and intimidated. There are confirmed reports of union leaders being detained and beaten. In one case a union leader had to tell frightened hospital workers that he’d had an accident in the cane fields before they would treat him, despite having significant injuries including kidney damage.

Needless to say that the recent decree revoking basic workers’ rights must be of significant concern to the region as a nation takes drastic actions to curtail rights.

Unfortunately, Bainimarama’s regime maintains its regional legitimacy through successfully winning the control of a regional committee for Micronesian states. However the regime’s continued clamping down of human and workers’ rights only weakens the country’s ability to trade. While the regime may think it clever to entice foreign investment and businesses to open through smashing workers’ rights, it in fact signals an unstable political and business environment.

The issue has become of such concern internationally that the International Labor Organisation (ILO) sent a delegation to investigate the situation. The ILO’s delegation were witness to the reality for Fiji’s trade unions and members with Bainimarama’s regime withdrawing the permits for the Fiji Trade Union Congress (FTUC) to hold its annual general meeting. The regime went about breaking up the meeting while the ILO’s delegation was in attendance.

The issue is of rapidly growing concern to trade unions globally including in Australia, the UK and New Zealand. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is involved, working with its affiliates in the South Pacific and Australasia region to put pressure on Fiji’s military regime to restore human and workers’ rights.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) through its Your Rights at Work campaign platform has launched the Human Rights for Fiji campaign. The campaign is asking Australian unionists and supporters to tell Bainimarama to restore Fiji’s human and workers’ rights. The ACTU is working with its affiliates to organise rallies at Fiji’s High Commissions in Sydney and Canberra on September 2 in support of union leaders on trial for breaking the regime’s anti-union laws.

The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), the Australian Workers Union, the CFMEU, the education unions and a range of other unions are active in the campaign. The MUA has established a Facebook page about the campaign and a Facebook event page for the rallies on September 2.

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) is also working with its affiliates to put pressure on the regime. This will become of some significance once the Rugby World Cup begins, especially as Fiji’s team includes members of the military. New Zealand will have the world’s focus for the World Cup, which presents an opportunity to highlight the worsening situation for Fiji’s workers to a global audience.

Within Fiji itself a blog, Coup Four And a Half, operating to expose the regime’s crack down on workers’ rights, provides details of the on-going harassment and intimidation of unionists and union leaders. It is reporting from the front lines in the campaign to restore human and workers’ rights in Fiji. They have a Facebook page you can like and share with friends and family.

Undoubtedly this will prove to be an even more dangerous time for Fiji’s union leaders, organisers and delegates as the regime attempts to prevent any sign of disunity should the international media’s glare focus on Fiji. And the regime’s nepotism and corruption will only help fuel growing resentment towards it, even among Fiji’s first peoples (of which the military is predominantly comprised).

What might be an idyllic holiday paradise for Australians, is in reality a nightmare for Fiji’s workers. Workers wake up knowing that any attempt to stand up for their basic rights is met with threats and intimidation. At least 50 per cent of workers live below the poverty line, including workers with full time employment.

They need our help putting pressure on Bainimarama’s military regime to restore human and workers’ rights.

Fiji’s workers need more rights not less.

Visit Human Rights for Fiji for campaign details; including details for the rallies and ways to help restore human and workers’ rights in Fiji. There are PDF downloads available and a banner for blogs and websites [PNG download] to show your support for the campaign.

Alex Schlotzer is a straight talker when it comes to politics and loves to vent his spleen. Actively involved in Australian and international politics with a keen understanding of the dynamics of the political machine, Alex has a prolific online presence and has been a cyber activist for over 15 years. Co- editor of theangle.org, he can also be found at his blog and his exciting online project Australian Politics TV
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The Angle.org

The Angle.org is an independent and progressive news site which offers news analysis, features and multimedia, committed to quality, independent reporting covering the Australasian/Pacific region. The online journal seeks to find middle ground between the immediacy and interactivity of online media and the tradition of balanced reporting.

Gibson Guitar CEO Henry  Juskiewicz

Gibson Guitar canceled a press conference scheduled for this afternoon where the company was to announce a new partnership with Fiji for sustainably harvested mahogany wood.

According to an original news release from Gibson, Gibson Guitar CEO Henry Juskiewicz was to appear with CommodoreVoreqe Bainimarama, the prime minister of Fiji, to announce a new partnership under which Gibson would become the exclusive buyer of certified Fiji Pure Mahogany.

In a new statement from Juskiewicz, however, the arrangement does not appear to be a done deal: “We have been approached by a supplier with close ties to Fiji with promises of responsible and sustainable supplies of wood and are currently exploring the potential. No absolute commitment will made until we conduct an extensive review of the situation. The Prime Minister has expressed his desire to have Gibson make a long term commitment to this emerging industry on the island nation. We are very hopeful.”

Late last month, Gibson was raided by federal agents looking for illegally imported wood. A number of U.S. politicians, includingJohn Boehner and Marsha Blackburn, have cited the raid as a case of government overreach.

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/09/21/gibson-cancels-press-conference-on.html

More contradictions are spewing out of Frank & Cos. many mouth-pieces in regards to the fictitious Fiji general election of 2014.

While Frank and Aiyaz are working very hard to dress up their election bluff as part of their unsustainable self-preservation strategy, their subordinates are revealing more about the duo’s jumbled up plot to stay alive.

In New York, civilian basher Frank Bainimarama was regurgitating  his December 2006 – Election 2014 fairy tale story at the UN Assembly and how well he has succeeded in keeping the dull Fijians in an extended slumber while he and his pack of thieves continue to plunder Fiji’s treasury.

Meanwhile, his right-hand cherry Aiyaz Khaiyum is already cruising on top gear back in Fiji during his nicely staged Public Relations briefing with members of the diplomatic corp in capital Suva.

Alongside him was imported New Zealander and illegal Solicitor General Christopher Pyrde who questioned the integrity of the EU observers report who were in Fiji during the 2006 general election won by ousted Prime Minister Qarase’s SDL party.

Their concluding remark -that their planned methodology of preparing and executing their promised high-tech electronic 2014 election will be the “perfect” one ever for the Fijian voting populace, half of them villagers who live in the whoop whoops with zero knowledge of what electronic voting means except to tick with a simple ball-point pen then have their index finger dipped in some kind of stubborn purple ink to mark them as a “processed voter” and also to prevent them from re-voting, just like how it was done before these bandits came along.

Alas, in comes a native Fijian senior public servant by the name of Raturala from the regime’s Office for Strategic Framework for Change and starts pontificating that “there will be no political manifesto for Fiji’s 2014 election.”

He says all “approved” (by the regime) political parties will have to run their election campaign along the pillars of the regime’s National Charter authored by John Prasad and the likes (John Prasad is said to have severed his ties with the regime and the National Charter program after he came to realize that what he had done was illegal).

Now, for Fiji’s military regime to impose the National Charter as the only framework that approved political parties will have to campaign from is again removing and denying the Fijians their freedom to choose a political party that best represent or protect their interest.

The National Peoples’ Charter was birthed out of wedlock anyway following the Appeals Court ruling that made Frank’s coup illegal.

Add to that the dodgy manner in which the Peoples’ Charter was conceived where the regime’s rent-a-crowd of 10-20 people per sitting was launched to legitimize their Charter  instead of  a more credible national referendum.

And what does that add up to? Lies, illegalities, lies, illegalities and more lies.

No one should allow themselves to believe that the regime’s much touted 2014 election will ever take place. It will NOT happen with more excuses and goose-steeping by Frank, Aiyaz and Pyrde to be on show soon.

Here is Fiji Broadcasting Commission radio report:

No Political Manifestos for Fiji elections

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

There will be no political manifestos come the General Elections in 2014.

This was confirmed to FBC News by Sitiveni Raturala from the Office for Strategic Framework for Change.

Raturala says manifestos will be planned by political parties based on development approved by the people of Fiji and contained in the National Charter.

He says in the past, political parties planned manifestos according to what they could do – but most of the time it was used to buy votes and never fulfilled.

Raturala says for the 2014 elections, parties will follow the development goals outlined in the charter which he says have been approved by the people.

Report by : Masimeke Latianara

Representatives of the Fiji Methodist Church say they are managing to cope with a government ban, but it is not easy.

It has been almost a month since the church was stopped from holding any events other than ordinary Sunday worship.

The ban was imposed after the cancellation of the influential church’s annual conference.

The interim government had wanted to prevent the President and General Secretary of the church from taking part in the conference, but the church authorities refused to comply.

The associate director of church solidarity in the Pacific for Australia’s Uniting Church, Bruce Mullen, has toldPacific Beat he has been in contact with his counterparts in Fiji.

“I had a conversation with somebody from one of the congregations who said they are not allowed to conduct meetings of any kind at their congregational level and his comment was, ‘we hope this impasse will soon pass and we may be able to conduct our meetings again’,” he said.

“So it’s a kind of patient, waiting, long-suffering kind of approach I think.”

http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201109/3323074.htm?desktop