THE JET ON LINE. For readers seeking more news on Fiji visit Shalendra Prasad's
The Jet Online, a fortnightly paper published in Nadi with the support of local businesses and the City Council. All issues since January 2010 are available through
this link.
INNOCENT PEOPLE JAILED. This from
FijiLive: "Innocent people have been convicted of crimes on the basis of confessions obtained through police brutality or unfair means,
says former Fiji High Court judge, Nazhat Shameem. “People who should not have been convicted for crimes, have been convicted of those crimes on the basis of police confessions made in custody,” she told the Criminal Investigation Department workshop in Suva yesterday. Shameem said in almost every serious case, allegations of police brutality and unfairness are made."
Unsurprisingly, the anti-blogs were delighted with Ms Shameen's statement though I doubt she has yet won enough Brownie points for Coup 4.5 to withdraw its allegation that the Shameem sisters and the Chief Justice have already drafted the new constitution (See
Disinformation #1) or that she is part of a Muslim plot to steal Taukei land (See
Disinformation #2).
th
What the local and anti-blog media did not report, however, was that innocents being jailed is not a new thing in Fiji. They could also have reported on the measures Ms Shameem recommended the police adopt to safeguard against injustice including, most importantly, the video taping of interviews. They could also have said the measures recommended were intended to protect those interrogated
and protect the Police against false allegations.
Given these omissions, on behalf of FijiLive and the anti-bloggers, I congratulate the police for holding this workshop, Ms Shameem for running it, and the Fiji media for reporting it. It takes guts to admit to shortcomings, courage to seek ways to eliminate them, and a post-PER media to report them. I will publish Ms Shameem's full address to the Police Workshop on Saturday in the Weekend Readings.
WADAN ON THE CONSTITUTION PROCESS. Prof Wadan Narsey has a thoughtful and interesting paper in Coup4.5 on Prof Yash "Ghai's Dialema." He argues the 1997 Constitution still stands, and that nothing can be decided until a new short-term interim government in 2014 votes on recommended constitutional and electoral amendments, the GCC, the Charter, amnesty and the Bainimarama decrees. I agree with some of his arguments, and am too untrained in the law on others, but I don't like the prospects for dialogue or for Fiji if the Commission simply follows his advice. Too much can go wrong on the way and Fiji could well see itself back in 2006 — as of course some people want. See Wadan's article on Coup4.5 or here (without photos) on
Mediafire .
FLP's SUGAR ACCUSATION RESPONSE. The Fiji Labour Party
has responded to the Ministry of Sugar's statement, published in this blog on Monday, by saying its figures did not allow for the devaluation of the Fiji dollar and by refuting its claim that politics and unionism had impeded the industry's recovery. The FLP also attacked the Fiji Sun, saying it was "a puppet of the regime."
WILL ARABS HELP FINANCE RURAL ELECTRICITY? Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola was recently in Abu Dhabi to seek money from the Abu Dhabi Development Fund for Government's $9.5 million two-year Rural Electrification Project that aims to connect 200 communities (about 20,000 people) in the main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu where the potential for grid connected rural electrification existed.
Ratu Inoke said Government recognized the importance of rural electricity in creating "a new dimension" of rural services in medicine, telecommunication, education and important social actvities. He said brighter lights will make studying easier, surplus food will be preserved in refrigerators, new domestic appliances will ease women's workload, and schools will have access to information technology, electric audio visual aid and be able to extend teaching to include computers, power tools and other vocational activities.
Ratu Inoke, pointing the value of the new embassy in Abu Dhabi, said he expected the project would be considered by the board of the ADDF in its next meeting. -- Based on article by Maika Bolatiki on Lemeki Delainukunawa's Facebook.
SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS $10.6 MILLION DEBT. The Public Service Commission (PSC) is owed $10.6 million from scholarship holders for the past seven years. Permanent Secretary
Parmesh Chand said they have been able to recover $6.3m over the past two years. “We have $15.1 million committed for the distribution of scholarships and loans,” said Chand. “To date we have provided 1080 scholarships and loans with 623 for multi-ethnic affairs, 411 for local scholarships, 32 student loan scheme, 8 overseas scholarships and six donors funded,” he said. As former US President John F Kennedy said: My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Had he been addressing Fijians, he'd have said repay your debt. Your selfishness is denying others scholarships.
FEMLINK TO UN ADVISORY GROUP. Fiji’s Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls, founder of FemLINKPACIFIC,
has been included as part of a global civil society group to advise the UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet.