New Zealand’s Foreign Minister at the time of the 2006 coup, Winston Peters, says the United Nations should not employ soldiers from Fiji as peacekeepers while they are part of a military dictatorship at home. We agree with this - but Mr Peters could have also helped Mr Qarase stop Frank Bainimarama from overthrowing government - but Peters did nothing of the sort!
Now Mr Peters says while New Zealand has sanctions in place against Fiji, they need to be more expansive. This is rhetoric, a Winston Peters speciality, and far too little and far too late! The NZ and Australian government's refused to help the Fiji government stop the coup. Subsequently, the people of Fiji have had to endure hardships as a direct consequence of Fiji's economic down turn since 2007 under Bainimarama's dictatorship. The hardships include high unemployment, increased poverty, increased crime and prostitution (sadly, so people can make ends meet), and increased corruption and land theft by Bainimarama and Khaiyum. So more words by Winston Peters is not going to help Fiji. What Fiji needed then, and it is still true today, was a few good men or women, who are able to make a stand against the evil brought about in Fiji by Frank Bainimarama. Fiji's Commissioner of Police, at the time, tried to solicit New Zealand's help but Nz refused. Fiji's democratically elected Prime Minister also requested help from our key neighbours, but nothing came. Action, not mere words, is needed to assist Fiji, but it seems that this may only be possible with a change of Government in NZ and Australia, and a restructure of both their Foreign Affairs ministry and departments - replacing them with more results focused and modern thinking public servants. It's of little use to point fingers at the UN when our neighbours have all the resources to do something about the problem here and now, and from right next door! This is the true paradox! The UN has a job to do and it is doing it, unfortunately the Fiji soldiers have the appropriate skills that the UN needs right now to help resolve a specific problem in another part of the world. The paradox is that our "developed" neighbours, who are right next door, with the appropriate resources and means to help us resolve a specific problem in our backyard, are still incapable of autonomous leadership. Unfortunately, they require the intellect of the United Nations assembly and a UN resolution before they take any meaningful action against a tyrant who illegally overthrew a democratically elected Government. Especially a tyrant who committed murder, treason, sedition, corruption and a whole list of other crimes against the people of Fiji. In addition, given all the evidence and proof of Bainimarama's treasonous and brutal actions and crimes against Fiji that have been posted on pro-democracy blog sites, our developed neighbours still do nothing besides more talk. They did however, give money to Fiji's dictator, to help pay for a new constitution to be drafted......even after the Fiji Appeals Court had ruled the Bainimarama coup illegal and everything done by it is therefore illegal. This appears to be the paradox!
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