Lauans living in Tovata, seven miles from Suva, are being chased away from
their homes by Speight's
rebel group.
A reliable source told fijilive last night that some armed rebels visited individual
homes and told the
Lauans to leave.
The supporters have also uprooted crops belonging to Lauans. Some Lauans are
already leaving their
homes.
The source said Speight supporters also forcefully took merchandise from Fijian
vendors at Laqere
market.
Tovata is near Kalabo where Speight's supporters have set up camp.
Former President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara is also a Lauan.
AN estimate to the damages of facilities within the parliamentary complex will
be done after the military
completes its security checks.
Secretary to Cabinet Mary Chapman said a rough calculation will be carried
out by the Public Works
Department to the damages incurred from May 19 to July 19, the period in which
civilians occupied the
complex. "We are aware of the damages in there," Mrs Chapman said.
"I have received word that two symbolic tabuas that hung in the house
are missing. "These were
presented when the complex was built in 1992 but apart from that we are yet
to establish the loss
incurred." Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini said
what they have been doing
for the past two days is normal military procedure given that arms were involved.
He said the engineer corps of the FMF have been carrying out checks on the
premises for explosives and
these checks were to be completed yesterday.
Fiji's Daily Post
THE international community should give the Interim Cabinet a chance to take
Fiji forward, says
Interim Trade and Commerce Minister, Tomasi Vuetilavoni.
Mr Vuetilavoni said it was disappointing that some sanctions had been imposed
despite the
appointment of an interim administration. "We have a new President and
a Cabinet, who are ready to
take the country ahead and these sanctions make us wonder as to what other options
we are left
with."
Mr Vuetilavoni said sanctions by Australia will have a big impact on Fiji.
"We have a lot of trade with
Australia and so that will be keenly felt. I don't think New Zealand will make
much effect but it is
one of the things that we have to take into account and look into the future."
Mr Vuetilavoni said in the last few days as the trade minister in the Care-taker
Government, he had
been meeting with the business community, garment manufactures discussing the
problems they
were encountering during these times. He also said he was also going through
some of the
investment projects, which had already been approved.
"We will be trying to get these projects moving ahead and will be closely
working with the business
community to create a stable atmosphere to restart businesses." Mr Vuetilavoni
said it was a difficult
time for everyone in the country and so everyone had to work together to stabilise
the country.
Fiji's Daily Post
THE Savusavu Airstrip will be closed again on August 18 if landowners' demands
are not met said
spokesman Sairusi Taganeniwai.
Landowners closed the airstrip on Monday but reopened it yesterday after talks
with the Native Land
Trust Board, District Officer Savusavu and the Roko Tui Cakaudrove's representative.
He said their
grievances were put forward three months ago, but these public offices ignored
them.
There are over three landowning units whose land the airstrip is on but central
to this dispute are land
belonging to decendants of Viva Baleta and Rosalia Cau of the yavusa Nakorocau.
The Tui Savusavu
Ratu Suliano Naulu is the head of the yavusa. Mr Taganeniwai said all landowning
units whose land is the subject of the closure joined them at the airstrip on
Monday and showed their frustration to the lack in response to their long standing
demands.
The disputed land is understood to be state land leased to the Airports Fiji
Limited but landowners claim that it was under native authority and demanded
that papers pertaining to the former. Mr Taganeniwai said authorities concerned
should produce maps and documents to prove this because as far they are concerned
the land is theirs and they have documents to prove this.
DO Savusavu Sakiusa Rabuka, NLTB representatives and the Roko's office were
present on Tuesday after the Monday closure. The group were met by Ratu Naulu
who had been briefed on the situation.
The landowners are demanding that the subjected land be returned to them with
compensation to cover for its usage for the past 49 years. The compensation
should also cover the loss of resources and the impacts on the immediate environment
which should be calculated through an Environmental Impact Assessment. "When
these demands are met then a lease agreement will be designed," Mr Taganeniwai
said.
He clarified that their actions were in no way politically motivated. "We
have been fighting for this well before the coup and it would be totally unfair
for the authorities to say otherwise. "We are giving them until August
18 to come up with something concrete other than that I don't think people will
like what we are going to do."
Fiji's Daily Post
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