AVARUA, Rarotonga, Cook Islands (May 27, 2000 ? Cook Islands News)--The Leader
of the Opposition is dismayed with the
international reaction to the crisis in Fiji, saying it is an over-reaction
more likely to inflame the situation rather than solve it.
Sir Geoffrey Henry believes "the kind of window-shutting and door-closing
from the international community will fire up the
situation, polarize the people of Fiji at the wrong ends of some very serious
and confrontational issues that could counter-productively
lead to some deadly results."
While he does not condone the methods of coup organizer George Speight in seeking
the overthrow of the properly elected
government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, Sir Geoffrey feels that the
international community needs the wisdom to let the
Fijians work this out the Fijian way.
He said, "The issues are far more complex than they first appear. Much
of it reaches deep into the pre-history and recent history of a
people subjugated by three waves of colonialism, the last being the most recent,
Chaudhry’s government.
"The international community should step back, give the people of Fiji
plenty of space but offer assistance where needed as they seek
to fashion for themselves a system of governance that gives dignity to their
heritage while recognizing their responsibility as a
modern day nation."
"Everybody from Wellington to Canberra, Washington to London has jumped
on the same bandwagon decrying what is going on,
but few of those statements show a real understanding of the deep issues involved,"
Sir Geoffrey said.
"The Fijians are simply saying that ‘Fiji is our only land; we have
no other land in the world, yet we are not in charge’."
"If Fiji isn’t given a chance we will see at work the face of modern
day colonialism that is far uglier than that of old-fashioned
colonialism. An amorphous international ethos colonizes us and, as of old, continues
to tell us how we should be running our affairs."
Sir Geoffrey said President Mugabe’s high-handed seizure of over 800 white-owned
farms in his country has produced no threats of
sanctions, no talk of Zimbabwe being expelled from the Commonwealth club, just
polite expressions of concern."
Sir Geoffrey also cited another example of Malawi in 1972.
When asked recently for his thoughts on the situation in Fiji, Prime Minister
Dr Terepai Maoate told Radio New Zealand it was
possibly too early for an ethnic Indian to be accepted to lead Fiji.
This text may have been edited to protect the writer.
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