Rabuka warns of Fijian Army joining ‘revolution’

Press, 28 July 1987, Page 4

Rabuka warns of Fijian Army joining ‘revolution’

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KAREN MANGNALL

in Fiji The Fiji coup leader, Colonel Sitivenl Rabuka, says the Army would join the Fijian people in a "widespread revolution” if Fijians did not get political control of Parliament.

“It doesn’t have to be another coup, it will just have to be a revolution,” Colonel Rabuka said on Sunday in Suva in an interview with the “New Zealand Herald.” “It will not be the military on its own, it will be widespread revolution of the Fijian people.” If Fiji’s constitutional review committee rejected reforms proposed by the Great Council of Chiefs, there would be large-scale Fijian civil unrest.

“I’ve had feedback from our soldiers out in the areas,” Colonel Rabuka said. “The people in the villages now sense that victory is coming their way. “If suddenly they find we won’t achieve our objectives, then you can imagine what it’s going to be like.” Colonel Rabuka said he would have a hard job controlling the Army “be-

cause we might just go out and join them.”

“Three thousand soldiers with arms, fighting for what we want I would not stop them. I would lead them and I won’t be taking orders from anyone.”

The ousted coalition Government probably doubted such an uprising was possible “just like they didn’t believe a coup was possible.” The path back to Parliamentary democracy mapped out by the Gover-nor-General, Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, depended totally for its success on the “universal good will” of the coalition.

"If they are fighting for multiracialism just for the sake of multiracialism, then I do not believe we will have their support,” said ColoneL Rabuka. Coalition intransigence already made it highly unlikely the constitutional review committee could find any "common ground” to consider Fijian wishes for greater political control. “The Governor-General will then have proof that he has tried to work it out

democratically and that has not worked.

“The next option I see is for him to go to the Queen and say here is a constitution that will perhaps not satisfy everyone but 'will achieve the aims of the coup while not totally discarding the interests oi' other races,” he said.

Colonel Rabuka said he was also trying hard to convince the Taukei movement not to resume its campaign of civil disobedience because many members felt the Great Council’s reforms did not go far enough. “They are even more capable of violence now because they have gone so far,” he said. “If they destroy Fiji and demolish the cities and towns there will be a very, very big reconstruction programme which will be costly. There’s no need to rebuild Fiji.” As long as the Great Council’s constitutional reforms were adopted the Army was prepared to deal with such civil disobedience.

“We’ll have to be tough, even if it means shooting some of our own people.”