Transcript
The Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama at Government House in Auckland.
Photo: RNZ/ALEX PERROTTET
MANASA KIKAU: Clearly, from our sources on the ground, people are scared to talk about the government and what they do. They are scared of being hauled into prison in the police station and interrogated. They have just, I think, passed a bill, about to pass a bill that will give him the power to charge anybody with treason if they speak against the government on any issue. Now where's the transparency in that? If you cannot take the heat in the kitchen, get out and resign. There's a lot of issues. This year there was a few hundred million dollars according to the Auditor General that's been unaccounted for. That is scandalous.
BEN ROBINSON DRAWBRIDGE: Now the prime minister himself is an indigenous Fijian, but you think his regime is not looking after the indigenous population?
MK: No, not at all. This is one of the lies he continues to preach. He says that the indigenous land owners, their lands are protected under the constitution. But if you read the constitution, and read the land ban decree, they contradict each other… and he has removed the Great Council of Chiefs and the Senate, the upper house. These two institutions discuss everything and anything on indigenous rights and land and Qoliqoli bill. If they don't agree, it doesn't move through, but he has removed it and it is under his ministry and he has a sole responsibility of missing out, giving the approval of missing out native owner's land. Which is ridiculous. How safe can that be under one man? I mean an investor can come in and say 'I'll give you 10 million dollars. I want 30 acres of land or 200 acres of land to do mining.' He doesn't consult anybody else. The law says he has the right to do it and the land owners cannot take him to court for that.
BRD: So how are you planning to display your displeasure with the prime minister being the guest of honour in San Francisco?
MK: What we're going to do is write up placards and write in big letters what he is doing to the country back home and what policies he is doing at home that are against the indigenous people. And by-the-way, there's only two people that are running the government, the Prime Minister and the Attorney General. I think the Attorney General has eight portfolios and the Prime Minister has seven. The rest of the government ministers are just there to raise hands if they want to pass a bill [inaudible] because they have the majority in the house. So as Frank leaves the country, like he is leaving the country now to come out here, the assistant Prime Minister does what he wants to do.
BRD: So you'll be having a protest?
MK: Yes, we'll be having a protest. We'll be standing up there and waving our placards and just letting the people know that we do not support the Prime Minister and we do not support his policies or the 27 decrees that he has put out and the constitution. And highlight the lies he's been saying, they've been saying.
