Christian Concern or Complicity ñ the Choice for the Chiefs and the Church

The Fiji military has appealed to the churches and the chiefs to put pressure on rebel leader George Speight to release the hostages. How the church and the chiefs of Fiji are handling this crisis will have long term effects on the behaviour of not only Fijians but future generations of Pacific Islanders.

Already, one generation of Pacific Island students were brought up in the wake of the Fiji coups of 1987. This generation saw how you can use guns to overthrow a democratically elected government, change the rules to suit your own ends (or the ends of your supporters) in the name of culture, tradition and indigenous rights. And eventually gain acceptance by the countries most vocal in their opposition at the outset. 

George Speight has indicated his strong belief that after a couple of years, he will be accepted by those countries now most vocal against him and his supporters just like Rabuka. 

Speight and hostages, Chaudry and Baba

In the meantime, the poor can suffer the consequences, the rights of the Indians and others can be trampelled upon and the law can be implemented by those with the guns. 

As the hub of the Pacific, Suva has long been the home of regional educational institutions such as the University of the South Pacific, the Fiji School of Medicine,  the Pacific Theological College ; the base for regional organisations such as the Forum Secretariat, United Nations agencies and other aid donors. 

Many Pacific Islanders who were students in Fiji at the time of the 1987 coups are now in positions of power in their own governments. This might explain the lack of a strong response from some of Fijiís neighbours, who are preoccupied with their own problems. The latest coup in the Solomon Islands (dubbed a copy cat coup by the media) is a testimony to what a generation of Pacific Islanders have learnt from the example set by Rabuka in 1987

In addition to the US$30 million worth of damage caused in the central business area in Suva, millions of dollars have been spent in evacuating students from all around the Pacific; the amount of energy and time wasted on arranging for the safety of regional students plus the productivity lost due to the closure of organisations, many of whom are serving other Pacific Island countries. And thatís not counting the trauma and psychological suffering of the hostages, their families and the rest of the nation. 

Much of the aid for the Pacific is spent in Suva because of costs, convenience to the aid donors and the trust by Pacific Island governments that their people will be safe in Suva. But at the beginning of the new millenium, Pacific Island governments must be questioning the wisdom of this trust. And the aid donors, many of whom focus their programmes on the development of good governance, must also be questioning the wisdom and long  term effects of operating their programmes from Suva.

The people in the Pacific are continually reminded of their growing inter dependence as part of the regional and global economy. The Pacific Islands are linked in regional and national development efforts to improve the standard of living of the Pacific community. 

The Secretary General of the Commonwealth Don McKinnon recently urged the Melanesian countries (PNG, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Fiji) to work out their own problems. 

In Polynesia, Samoa is reeling from the effects of the assassination of one of its government Ministers, Tonga is beset with problems arising from what some describe as the inflexibility of the monarchy to accommodate pressing changes. Tuvalu and Kiribati are faced with sea level rising, population increases and AIDS.

What is needed is a clear vision of the type of society Pacific Islanders want to develop for their children. A vision of the principles and values Pacific Island citizens should practice and live by in the future, especially how to treat their fellow human beings. A vision which encompasses the best of the multicultural environment which Suva used to embody and what is required to strengthen the ongoing support required for that vision to become a reality. 

Not the interpretation of traditions, culture and religion to suit the ends of interest  groups being fronted by few gun toting rebels holding everybody to ransom. 

In one of the reports broadcast by the BBC, Jonathan Head said ìIt is Fiji's tragedy that, such is the weakness of its democratic institutions and its political leadership, a half-baked bid for power by an unapologetic racist, might actually succeed.î

The fires after the looting....

While everybody has a role to play, the chiefs and the church are the two institutions which can best help to bring about peaceful change and acceptance of a participatory political system to help meet the needs of Pacific Islanders. 

Both of these institutions have failed miserably in this role. Which of the two can best face this challenge for the future? 

The reputation of the chiefs looking after the interests of their own people has been more than tarnished in many Pacific Islands. 

The recent revelation by Rabuka that Ratu Mara knew of his plans to carry out the 1987 coup before he executed it has not contributed to an increase in the respectability, reliability and integrity of the chiefs. 

In Fiji, many members of the chiefly families benefitted from the Rabuka regime. The National Bank of Fiji (NBF) scandals led to the depletion of the national coffers in excess of $40 million. So many chiefs were implicated that the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) was sometimes referred to as the Great Council of Thieves. And the NBF became No Bloody Funds. 

Many would agree with the description by Dr Brij Lal (Fiji Times June 8, 2000 page 7) that ìsadly, the GCC stand today a diminished body of dithering men and women, confused, partisan, manipulable, unable to exercise their much sought after -ñand much hoped for role as the custodians not only of indigenous Fijian but Fijiís broad national interests as well.î 

And what about the church?

The church is the major institution influencing the beliefs, moral values and principles guiding Pacific peopleís behaviour. In the case of Fiji, they have failed miserably in developing principled, upstanding Christian leaders. 

They have helped to raise children such as Rabuka and Speight and their supporters. People who will stop at nothing to gain what they want. As long as they pray on Sundays, push for a Christian state and denounce idol worshipping foreigners. 

The vision of  a gun toting group of Fijian young men walking along singing hymns after having shot and killed a policeman and gone on a rampage of destruction of equipment in the Fiji TV station, threatening Radio Fiji employees and intimidating journalists at the Centra Hotel, will always stick in my mind, a departing expatriate said. 

The picture symbolises the confusion and aims of Speight, and his supporters. And begs an answer to the question How can people who claim to be Christians support Speight and his band of terrorists? How can those people who have sworn on the bible to uphold law and order, defend the government and uphold the Constitution readily forget these vows and openly support violence and terrorism to achieve their ever changing objectives? And do it all in the name of God? 

The church can therefore do so much more to ensure that the behaviour of their flock is guided by Christian principles rather than the laws of George of the jungle. 

On day 15 of the hostage crisis, the Methodist Church of Fiji admitted ìresponsibility for failing to teach its people who make up the majority of the perpetrators and supporters in the unlawful activitiesî. To admit some responsibility is a big step. 

On day 21, the military appeals to the chiefs and the churches to put pressure on the rebels in Parliament to give up the hostages. 

The churches should be more involved in trying to address the root causes of abuse of human rights and social injustices, not promoting the interests of the elite and the powerful. The silence of the church can only be interpreted as complicity. 

As Father Winston Halapua of the Anglican Church once said ìChurch Ministers should do more than just sing Hallelujah. Where we see injustices, it is our duty to speak out and work towards changing things. Silence breeds Violence.î 

The events happening in Fiji (and the Solomon Islands) are a testimony to church leaders not speaking out enough about the injustices ordinary people are facing in the Pacific today. 

Hopefully, there is a solution in sight. In the meantime, the church in Fiji must review its role and responsibility to develop a more principled future generation of Fiji Christians. For the rest of the Pacific Islands, it is vital that future generations are brought up to understand that the behaviour of Speight and his thugs is totally unacceptable to Pacific Island people. 

And more importantly, how they can use the democratic processes and institutions to work towards making the necessary changes to improve their lives. 

The Pope recently apologised for the harm caused by the Catholic church because of their intolerance for people with different beliefs. It took the Catholics over a thousand years to do this. Let us hope and pray that Fiji does not take as long to learn this valuable lesson.

Now that the Methodist church has admitted some responsibility for the action of the looters and those who support Speight, the Fiji Council of Churches and other faiths are challenged to work towards a just solution. While prayers are necessary and can be powerful, as the Bible says, it is the truth which can set us free.

comments: Email S.Masina
 

Armed rebels hold the democratically elected Government hostage.
 

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