Thursday, May 31, 2007

Personal Vendetta??

I couldn't believe my ears when I was told about a circular distributed to all government entities with the directive to no longer use Fiji's most experienced legal giants - Munro Leys and Howards!

A directive such as this is a classic example of the bullying tactics this current regime resorts to when its caught between a rock and a hard place. And that is putting it quite mildly.

These two firms combined include some of the most brilliant legal minds in the country. Lawyers who are willing to stand up for what they believe. Lawyers who make known their honest interpretation of the rule of law because it is their forte.

We now not only have an illegal regime - we have an illegal regime with a personal vendetta!

So...we have the experienced and very-much educated two (small) legal firms on the one hand and the big brother IG on the other.

Reminds me of David and Goliath. And we all know what happened to Goliath don't we?

Monday, May 21, 2007

To Blog or Not to Blog....

So much has happened in my beloved country during my short absence from blogging.

The beatings and warnings continue - Young being the latest victim after Taoi; the suspension of the august GCC; The FHRC is still waffling crap; and continuous attempts by the military to block freedom of speech by trying to shut down blog sites....

None of this has slowed down any of the bloggers however. Intelligentsiya, Good Men and Women, Hearts and Minds, Hyde n Ceek and Discombobulated are still here. Thank heavens for their unbiased forthright opinions :-)

The RFC hosts must be patting themselves on the back as well - they have been a thorn on the side for IG with their spot-on leaks! And there are even newer bloggers springing up each day - both for - and against - the Fiji IG which makes for healthy debate.

What the illegal IG must understand is that blogging is not a weapon. It is our only source of protesting anything that is undemocratic, illegal and against the Constitution.

And this coup is wrong. As was the first coup. And the coups in between.

It makes me sick to hear any educated person - especially people who are supposed to uphold the law - condone this coup. Regardless of how anyone analyses it - any coup is illegal. And that is the last thing a small country like ours need.

Strangely enough - I understand where the military is coming from. But theirs is a motto of discipline and obedience - to the Army first and foremost. Not anybody else. And for anyone to use that blind obedience of any army to further their own agenda - is treason!

Watching Fiji's judicial system fall apart was a sad day for Fiji. These were the people who were supposed to uphold the law. In their arrogance a group of these people helped oust the Chief Justice and invented legal loopholes to support their actions.

Ignoring its Pacific Island neighbours, Australia, New Zealand and the United States etc may not be wise. Ignoring the EU and its conditions attached to badly-needed money is worse!

But thats why I blog. To vent my frustration at how my country is run in the vain hope that someone may take heed.

Anyway - to all my blogging associates - Blog On. Peace.