2014 Qarase and Kepa comments are justified and not racist at all SODELPA, has in recent days, been accused of being racist. The criticisms have come primarily from the Fiji First Party. The criticisms relate to the use of the name “Fijian” and over Fijian resource issues. It is no secret that the Qoliqoli issue is being used by Bainimarama to label SODELPA as racist. The indigenous Fijians are the first settlers of Fiji. With such settlement rights comes first claim over land and other resources. Such a claim is in line with international law. The SDL government introduced the Qoliqoli Bill (QB) in 2006. The QB provided for the establishment of a mutually agreed framework between commercial operators including hoteliers and the Qoliqoli owners together with the Commission with the intention of bringing financial benefits such as fishing licences and monies payable to qoliqoli owners. In introducing the QB, the Minister for Fijian Affairs, Lands and Provincial Development, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, defended it on historical basis. Lalabalavu said the expectations by the Fijian chiefs over their traditional customary qoliqoli rights have been there for a period of about 125 years. During the Cession takls in 1874, some Fijian chiefs asked Sir Hercules Robinson: We would like His Excellency to make clear to us what our position would be (in the event of Cession taking place) with regards to our fishing and forest rights. We are confident that His Excellency will give us the kindest consideration. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qoliqoli_Bill) It is clear that the QB was designed to cover commercial operations on a mutually agreed framework and the objective was to assist the rural Fijian community receive a fair compensation from commercial operators, which included hotels. The rationale for the QB thus makes perfect sense when seen in context of equity and fairness. Why should the indigenous Fijian remain impoverished in their villages when hotels and other commercial operators, who utilise their fishing grounds and foreshore and reefs, get away with not paying the indigenous landowners anything? If native land can be utilised on a commercial basis by operators, why can’t the same apply for foreshore, reefs and sea resources? By using such resources freely, the commercial operators are exploiting precious natural resources for immense profit and at the same time depriving the indigenous Fijian community of what they are justly entitled to. There can be no justification for such exploitation. Qarase and Kepa have, as such done nothing more than raise the qoliqoli issue as a group right, given that it affects a particular group in society. Such advocacy for the indigenous community, as a group, can hardly be said to be racist.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 08:27:14 +0000
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