CONCERNED Fijian youths are planning a Freedom March scheduled for Saturday,
July 1.
According to the spokesman for the freedom march committee, Sakaraia Tamani,
the march is a show of protest against the actions of Mr Speight and his group.
Mr Tamani has written a letter to the district officer, Suva asking permission
for the march. According to Mr Tamani the group is not happy with the current
political crisis which has really affected many Fijians youths who have been
laid off from their jobs.
They are calling on the support of indigenous Fijian and Rotuman youths to
join the freedom march. "This march will be a culmination of meetings to
be organised all around Viti Levu where we hope to co-ordinate an assembly of
about 10,000 Fijian and Rotuman youths," Mr Tamani said. The political
crisis today enters its 41st day and there's still no clear sign of it ending.
With the trade ban still in place, more than 4,000 workers had been laid off
and more are expected to be affected. Most of the laid off workers are indigenous
Fijians which is the same group Mr Speight and his group are claiming to be
fighting for. All theses job losses are the direct result of the illegal take-over
of Mahendra Chaudhry's government.
At present 27 of its members including the prime minister and his son, Rajendra
Chaudhry are still being held hostage in the parliamentary complex by Mr Speight's
group.
The freedom march group highly praised the military's attempts to solve the
crisis saying they were genuine in trying to restore peace and normalcy in the
country. After closely following the negotiations and Mr Speight's unpredictable
stand, the group has come to the conclusion that
Mr Speight's does not have the interests of the nation at heart. They are there
to serve their own interests. Whether the march will eventuate is still to be
seen.
The DO's Suva office yesterday said they had not received any application from
the group seeking permission for the march. With martial law in place, the military
yesterday confirmed that marches and meetings are not allowed.
Fiji's Daily Post
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