Catholic Archbishop of Suva supports Fiji coup objectives

The following statement was made today, 23 January 2007, by Archbishop Petero Mataca of Suva

We may have arrived on different ships but we are all in the same boat now.

In addition to the comments of the Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Suva, reiterating our Church's position in regards to the takeover on December 5 as illegal and urging us to move on with our lives, I wish to add the voice of the Archdiocese of Suva to the Methodist Church and the Great Council of Chiefs' voices of support of the recently appointed Interim Administration by the President.

I recognise and support the statement of the Fiji Law Society that the appointment of the interim government is legitimate and legal by law.

In this regard, I urge all citizens of goodwill to strengthen the bonds of solidarity, forged by our common experience of recent events, so that we may rebuild our beloved nation with a sense of purpose, duty and loyalty.

I wish to further reflect on the status of our democracy and the rule of law as experienced in recent weeks.

We have had a situation, where, at one time some of our leaders flaunted the rule of law and labelled democracy as a 'foreign flower' and at another time stoically upheld them.

There were those among us who courageously upheld the rule of law and democracy since 1987 but have taken a different view in the latest coup, in the belief that these were abused and circumvented long before the military ousted the Qarase Government.

If democracy and the rule of law are relative then why do we continue to harp about or lament the loss of democracy and the rule of law in the latest coup? But if we believe that they are absolute than why wasn't the Bavadra Government returned in 1987, the People's Coalition Government in 2000 and the Qarase Government early this year? We must make up our minds on whether democracy and the rule of law are relative or absolute. Otherwise, democracy and the rule of law will continue to be easily expendable, and coups will continue to happen.

The Church believes that a democratic framework that upholds our human dignity and equality, our rights and responsibilities, the common good and the protection of the minorities and the vulnerable must be absolute in our public consciousness.

These are basic principles that must undergird a principled and responsible democracy.

It has taken developed countries like Australia, New Zealand, the United States and England hundreds of years, some of which involved structural racism, civil war, the cruel suppression of indigenous people and the denial of universal suffrage to get a system of democratic governance that they feel comfortable with.

The least that we can expect from these countries is their understanding of our situation.

It is this lack of understanding the dynamics of the Fiji situation that the Australian and New Zealand governments' refusal to recognise the legitimate appointment of the interim administration is very regrettable and shallow.

It is deeply regrettable that before our own legal experts could declare on the legality or otherwise of the appointment of the interim government, the New Zealand and Australian governments had pronounced it illegal. It is very condescending and a throw-back to colonial times.

Like the previous coups, our people, their communities and organisations will have moved on, regardless, long before the legality or otherwise of the latest coup is established and accepted by these governments. But as we move forward, we must not forget the requirements of justice and forgiveness.

Justice is that moral virtue and legal guarantee which ensures full respect for rights and responsibilities and the just distribution of benefits and burdens. Our progress will be hollow if we ignore issues of social justice in the process. We need to address a variety of issues; some are recent and others have been outstanding since the 2000 coup. Here are some:

the allegation of human rights violations by the military during detention;

proper investigation of those who died during detention;

to seek the forgiveness of those grievously harmed in the 2000 and the latest coup;

the alleged rigging of the 2006 general election;

poverty and inequality;

proper investigation of the 2000 coup and those behind it;

proper completion of investigation of the agriculture scam;

review national reconciliation framework and search for a more inclusive one;

review of policies of racism and discrimination such as the affirmative action;

addressing religious prejudice and intolerance, especially desecration of places of worship.

The late Pope John Paul II once said that if we want peace we must work for justice.

The science of peace is patience and our work towards a genuine peaceful and just Fiji requires mental toughness and marathon energy.

Our work for a peaceful, just and inclusive Fiji must be based on the conviction that even after the darkest night will come a bright dawn.

At this time of vulnerability we are best guided by simple moral principles.

I suggest that they are restraint, contribution, creativity, co-operation, compassion and conservation. These are not meant as decision-making procedures.

Rather, they are proposed as direction pointers, allowing us to determine whether we are going in the right direction or not. What is fundamental is the direction that we are going. Policies, procedures and systems tell us about the direction we are going.

The Catholic Church believes that these are to be judged by their impact on human dignity.

Any policy, legislation or system that affronts a significant proportion of our people is indefensible.

I wish the new interim government well in its efforts and I call upon all women and men of goodwill to assist in whatever way they can to rebuild our beloved country.

We may have arrived on different ships but we're all in the same boat now.

God bless!

+ Petero Mataca
Archbishop of Suva

ENDS

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