Regime Change in Fiji, should we also consider using force as an option to achieving this end?

As we near the 4^th anniversary of Vorege’s coup in Fiji, the situation in Fiji is becoming so untenable that I fear Fiji may already be a ‘failed State’. The continual militarisation of the Civil Service, Statutory bodies and now Sporting bodies, unfair dismissals, etc are all clear indications that Vorege isn’t going anywhere soon.

I have very grave doubts to his dubious claims of holding General Elections in 2014. He’s already lied to the Pacific Island Leaders when he turned back on his assurance to holding General Elections, so what's stopping him from doing it again?

The economy is plummeting downwards and the increases in basic food commodities, such as butter, shortages of water and electricity supply, etc all signs of things are not getting any better and will not get any better, unless there are some fundamental changes, such as regime change, the return to democracy & the rule of law.

Regime change has been on the minds of many freedom bloggers, yet very little has been spoken about it, so I want to bring it out in the open and invite positive and constructive dialogue on this sensitive issue.

Should we as freedom bloggers in desiring a regime change in Fiji and the return to democracy also consider and support the use of force as an option to effect this regime change? Are the use of force and democratic principles compatiable?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Samuela Tawakilai on April 12, 2010 at 8:39pm: Tui,
A meca i a fika ga! A fijifijia ni VERE ka no mai Viti sa vinakaji kina e dua na computer ka sa bera ni buli, me fikatakina a wakolo me muri; me bula na lewenivanua kei na dina, ka ra qaqauraki na tamata CA kei na lasu.

Ena vica na vula sa oti, au a vakatututaka kina e dua na noqu nanuma ena kena valuti ka vakamalumalumutaki na matanitu nei Vore. Au na via vakaruataka tale na nanuma o ya, ni sa qai rairai kena gauna 'qo me veivosakitaki kina:

1. O ira na noda sotia ka lewe tiko ni UN peace keeping mai vanua tani, me ra kere vakacegu mai na mataivalu ni Viti (optional), ka vakacurumi (directly) ki na mataivalu ni UN, ka digitaki e dua vei ira na turaganivalu (high ranking officer) me liutaki ira.

2. Me ra lesu ki Viti ena Manua se waqavuka ni UN, ka "confrontaki" Vore... me vakasuka na veiliutaki ki vei ira na lewe ni vanua.

3. Ke sega ni rawa na nodra i naki; sa rawa ni ra curu tale ki na mataivalu ni Viti; ka lokibui yani vei Vore ka tawamudu. Sa na oti talega vakakina na vakaitavi ni mataivalu ni Viti ena UN.

4. Ke rawa nai naki, ena soli vei ira na veiliutaki ni mataivalu ni Viti; ka ra vesu kece na VETA E CAKE ni mataivalu e dai ka ra tokoni Vore tiko.

5. Na veilecalecavi me nodra na sotia; ka tokona na lewe ni vanua na i to e donu vua!

O ya Tui na noqu nanuma mai liu; ka'u sega ni sa se veisautaka ena gauna 'qo.

Vinaka vakalevu na kauta cake mai na ulutaga e vakavuvakasama, ka veivakauqeti. Na kena logistic me ra qai cakacakataka na Sotia.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by sky on April 29, 2010 at 11:44am: @samuela tawakilai....na vakasama o ni kauta mai qori,sa dua na i murimuri ni vakasama...qori me kau saraga i vale lailai,vosa vakasama tiko.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tui Savu on April 12, 2010 at 7:46pm: Bula vinaka Tifare Sosefo,

can you please eloborate on this unitied democratic political opposition?

Cheers.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Keep The Faith on April 12, 2010 at 8:16pm: For whatever it is worth, the use of force or violence has always been proven to fail. Therefore nonviolent resistance should and must always be explored.

If you have time check out the Albert Einstein Institute and specifically their publication "From Dictatorship to Democracy" which is downloadable for free from their w-site @:

http://www.aeinstein.org/organizations/org/FDTD.pdf

Sample Content: FROM CHAPTER 1...

In recent years various dictatorships—of both internal and external origin—have collapsed or stumbled when confronted by defiant, mobilized people. Often seen as firmly entrenched and impregnable, some of these dictatorships proved unable to withstand the concerted political, economic, and social defiance of the people.

Since 1980 dictatorships have collapsed before the predominantly nonviolent defiance of people in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Slovenia, Madagascar, Mali, Bolivia, and the Philippines. Nonviolent resistance has furthered the movement toward democratization in Nepal, Zambia, South Korea, Chile, Argentina, Haiti, Brazil, Uruguay, Malawi, Thailand, Bulgaria, Hungary, Zaire, Nigeria, and various parts of the former Soviet Union (playing a significant role in the defeat of the August 1991 attempted hard-line coup d’état).

In addition, mass political defiance has occurred in China, Burma, and Tibet in recent years. Although those struggles have not brought an end to the ruling dictatorships or occupations, they have exposed the brutal nature of those repressive regimes to the world community and have provided the populations with valuable experience with this form of struggle.

The collapse of dictatorships in the above named countries certainly has not erased all other problems in those societies: poverty, crime, bureaucratic inefficiency, and environmental destruction are often the legacy of brutal regimes. However, the downfall of these dictatorships has minimally lifted much of the suffering of the victims of oppression, and has opened the way for the rebuilding of these societies with greater political democracy, personal liberties, and social justice.
[....]; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tui Savu on April 12, 2010 at 8:34pm: Keep the faith,

Point taken, but not all use of force has ended up in failure. For instance, the US as we now know it was formed after armed resistance against the British.

Conflicts are not evil in and if itself, but rather can be agents of change and present opportunities that never existed before. I think Fijians by nature tend to shy away from conflict because it is seen as 'sega ni vakaturaga' hence our comfort and reliance on passive resistance, which has its limits.

Should we continue to engage in 'passive resistance' when Vorege is opening using 'active domination?'; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Keep The Faith on April 12, 2010 at 9:53pm: Tui Vinaka - OK you have a point there re US and the UK.

I believe conflict is good as long as its controlled and civil. We have necessary elements of conflict within the democratic process eg the elected govt and the opposition -- and these elements of conflict are vital as checks and balances. The same goes for all the various parliamentary select committees consisting of executive and opposition etc

As for conflicts and the shying away of Fijians from it -- this may have been true before but judging by the increased and increasing numbers of NLC title challenges, may not be true anymore. We will wholeheartedly "conflict" with one another (even if we are related as in the NLC title challenges), if it means more benefits.

We struggle here in the mainland to mobilise our people because the ideals of a free society living under democratic rule sadly resides only with the elite and is not necessarily based on fear. If you followed the recent issues of daylight savings, abortion, homosexuality and the alleged rape of the 8-yr old girl, there was absolutely NO FEAR in the public outrage there. So the challenge for us freedom loving groups is 3-fold: to educate; motivate our people to demand our freedom and channel the passion that we know we have towards a regime change.

If I read correctly an early posting of yours on this topic, where you are suggesting is for Kai Viti from outside to come and lead the resistance -- that could well be the way forward HOWEVER it doesn't necessarily need to be armed.

As Tifare Sosefo has rightly pointed out what the masses are missing here is a leader to champion and lead the cause. Disappointingly political parties such as the SDL and NFP have become strategically drowned out by threats from the miltary regime --- and you can understand why.

However if Fijian Citizens of say the US, EU, UK, Aust, NZ and heck even Samoa were to be part of your said group planning and implementing the undermining of the regime's plans, what would be the worst LEGALLY that could happen to them -- arrest and deportation only I'm guessing?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tui Savu on April 12, 2010 at 10:11pm: Keep the Faith,

you are raising some good ideas and how about the others?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by rosylene james on June 17, 2010 at 4:08am: Tui savu,be cool and calm everything in this world belongs to god alone.and everthing we do has the begginning and end.....
we here onlyjust like flower that flourises one time it will vanished.if anything you want say or do we should seeks ye first the kindom of and things shall be added, why cant ask all the people of fiji all over the world weather you working,playing,studying migrated to other parts of world to pray for whats happening in our beloved home in fiji.be on our knees rather trying to find solutions with our own knowlege and skills and experience,if all the fijians comes together in unity trying to help your country find a sensible peaceful way,only god is the way,truth and life,be on kness more times in prayer,thank you,; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Maciu Koto on June 22, 2010 at 5:09am: We can't rely on foreign powers to free us, simply because there is nothing in Fiji worth fighting for.There is nearly not enough sugar to go around every household in Fiji for breakfast. Super powers like US, UK, Australia WOULD NOT INVEST their money invading a country that will give them nothing in return. That's why they never bother invading poor countries in Africa. Its not about doing what is right, it's about politics, maths, and eliminating the threats in a tactical way within the jurisdiction that they create themselves.
So it's up to us Fijians....Ke ka sa dou sa sova mada ga na mena yaqona.....lol, never know it might work....lol.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ladynibua on June 29, 2010 at 11:06pm: hahaha so tru!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Keep The Faith on April 12, 2010 at 8:19pm: May 09, 2009
Whence Comes Their Power?
http://intelligentsiya.blogspot.com/2009/05/whence-comes-their-powe...

"Dictators require the assistance of the people they rule, without which they cannot secure and maintain the sources of political power. These sources of power include:

Authority, the belief among the people that the regime is legitimate, and that they have a moral duty to obey it;

Human resources, the number and importance of the persons and groups which are obeying, cooperating or providing assistance to the rulers;

Skills and knowledge, needed by the regime to perform specific actions and supplied by the cooperating persons and groups;

Intangible factors, psychological and ideological factors that may induce people to obey and assist the rulers;

Material resources, the degree to which the rulers control or have access to property, natural resources, financial resources, the economic system, and means of communication and transportation; and

Sanctions, punishments, threatened or applied against the disobedience and noncooperative to ensure the submission and cooperation that are needed for the regime to exist and carry out its policies."

Dr Gene Sharp, The Albert Einstein Institute.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Motoka. on April 12, 2010 at 8:19pm: Definitely this Regime now needs be forced out of occupation....!! They forced their way in and took over Government watched by the world and used corruption as an excuse.......later on racial division when they couldn't prove corruption at any level!

Now by implementing their cause for Racial Equality they had abolished the constitution and set up decrees after decrees to silence people off and deprive them of their rights to protest even in a fair manner of non violent way.
The whole world bought their reasons and turned away.......allowing them to control everything and brainwashed people especially Fijians by controlled media newspaper,radios and tv!!

What people don't realise is the decrees they're making which enables them by depriving citizen to exercise their rights to set up their stregetic plan and force it into action.This happens in China nearing the Olympic when bulldozers were sent to clear lands and reoccupy landowners by force...all because they don't have any rights as understood by Government to the suprise of ill informed landowners!!

If this is where we're heading to then most likely the Kalabu Land area will be targeted and Suvavou eventhough they've been moved once this time they'll be forced.
This regime is set to force land issue under the barrel of the gun so its reasons may work out as promised to the outside world.Tevita has been advising us to read and understand decrees dished out at will at us.Later on they will begin knowing their decrees has settled and we didn't bother!!

They needs be forced out one way or the other!Best way..........sanctions more sanctions by western countries because China and India can only give so much!; ▶ Reply to This