FIJI CHIEFS PLEAD FOR FOREIGN HELP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000153

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR MARR FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI CHIEFS PLEAD FOR FOREIGN HELP

REF: SUVA 145

Classified By: Amb. Dinger. Sec. 1.4 (B,D).

Summary
--------------

1. (C) Embassy Suva has received a hand-delivered "private
and confidential" letter from the highest chiefs of Fiji
laying out a series of complaints against interim PM
Bainimarama and the "immigrant race" (the ethnic Indians).
The letter is also addressed to the UK, Australia, New
Zealand, and EU chiefs of mission, though most of them have
not yet received it. The chiefs propose that the current
situation is so dramatic a threat against traditional Fijian
values that something has to give. They intend "to correct
this anomaly once and for all"; but they are vague about how.
They seek foreign-governments' "intervention." We comment
that, to an extent, Bainimarama has targeted problems in the
chiefly system that merit correcting; however, the chiefs'
anguish is no surprise, given the derision Bainimarama has
shown and the ethnic-Fijian fears of domination by
ethnic-Indians. While the U.S. and others have pressed hard
for a return to democracy in Fiji ASAP, the foreign
governments have not suggested they would preemptively
intervene militarily for democracy, let alone to defend the
traditional chiefly system, which presumably is what the
chiefs are seeking. End summary.

High Chiefs seek foreign intervention
--------------

2. (C) Over the weekend, we received a letter dated March 20,
2008, from three of the highest chiefs of Fiji, the heads of
the Burebasaga and Tovata confederacies (Ro Tememu Kepa and
Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu) and a serious claimant to head the
Kubuna confederacy (Adi Samanunu Cakobau). The letter was
hand-delivered by a contact of the Ambassador and is stamped
"Private and Confidential." Given the incendiary content if
made public in Fiji, we agree with the drafters that
"confidential" is the appropriate classification. The letter
is addressed to the chiefs of mission for the UK, U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand, and the EU. The Aussies received
their copy a week ago. The others reportedly have not
received theirs yet.


3. (C) The letter is an appeal to "our friends to prevent
imminent chaos and civil strife" in Fiji. It notes that the
UK brought in an "immigrant race" (Indian indentured
servants) during the colonial period, and says after ethnic
Fijians allowed them to remain "as our guests," the
immigrants have come to believe their economic interests are
"justifiable ground to claim political superiority...." The
chiefs write: "It is therefore our intention now to correct
this anomaly once and for all...Otherwise, we the Fijian
people and our descendants stand to lose our inheritance
forever." The letter says interim PM Bainimarama "has
embarked on a course of action calculated to bring to its
knees the pillars of our traditional society," and lists
several grievances: attempting to neutralize total Fijian
control of native land; systematically dismantling the Great
Council of Chiefs; abusing military power, making unlawful
arrests, etc., that have resulted in death for some Fijian
youths; planning an investigation of indigenous churches;
refusing to consult; intending to stay in power for a long
time; and causing economic decline. The chiefs conclude:

"We have, with extreme patience, witnessed the erosion of our
way of life; such patience now has given rise to apprehension
for our people who may not be able to withstand the
degradation."

"It is therefore with a deep sense of fore-boding (sic) that
we seek your intervention, not for our own survival but
because of the deep and real concern for the future Fijian
generation of this country who will one day be subjugated by
others on account of our generosity."

Comment
--------------

4. (C) As previously reported, Bainimarama has repeatedly
attacked Fiji's chiefly system and has targeted it for
drastic "reforms." Some of his criticisms highlight
long-standing problems that merit attention. Still it is no
surprise that traditionalist ethnic Fijians are upset by the
effort to subvert central elements of their lives; and no
doubt many ethnic Fijians fear being dominated by the

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ethnic-Indian community. The letter, which appears genuine,
confirms that the most senior Fijian chiefs believe their
traditional system is under severe threat from Bainimarama
and "the immigrant race." The letter suggests, as we have
heard, that at least some important chiefs expect/fear that
ethnic Fijians will seek to remove Bainimarama's interim
government by force. There are rumors that some key chiefs
have been plotting a counter-coup. Direct action against the
military, which has nearly all the guns, would likely be
bloody. While the military is close to 100% ethnic Fijian;
thus far it has not split asunder over the high chiefs'
repeated public complaints.


5. (C) The letter's plea for foreign-governments'
"intervention" is vague; but if made public it would feed
into Bainimarama's warnings, reiterated recently, that
Australia, and perhaps others, have plans to invade. All the
chiefly letter's addressees have pressed Bainimarama and his
interim government to return Fiji to democracy ASAP, without
threatening force. Such vocal international pressure
presumably was one trigger for the chiefs' letter. Assuming
the request is for force, it is very difficult to envision a
circumstance in which the United States or any of the other
addressees would preemptively "intervene" militarily. None
have been prepared to do so to defend Fiji's democratic
aspirations, let alone to preserve the traditional chiefly
system. It is conceivable that foreign governments might
have to "intervene" to protect foreign citizens if an attempt
to remove Bainimarama and his group triggers civil war. But
being prepared for a worst-case contingency is one thing;
accepting the chiefs' invitation to "intervene" preemptively
is quite another. Unless otherwise advised, we do not intend
to respond to the letter.
DINGER