Open Letter ad al

PDF copy for printing: Bainimarama20090707 Open Letter

P.O. Box 1005
Nelson 7040
New Zealand

Commodore Ratu Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama
Office of the Interim Prime Minister
P.O. Box 2513
Government Buildings
Suva

Fiji Islands

Ni sa bula vinaka Ratu Voreqe,

We have for some time been expressing our concerns, as Christian missionaries, to the governments of Australia and New Zealand that they would show mercy to the people of Fiji, and no longer seek through sanctions to punish the people in an effort to get at your Interim Government, or destabilise the situation, or call, as one New Zealand Prime Minister did, for rioting in in the streets and violent revolution.

After some time, we have this week received what may be synchronised replies from both New Zealand and Australian Government people.

Ratu, two themes seem to have come forward. through all that we have heard and had expressed to us.

We can not judge from the media reports what has actually gone down – but it appears that many men feel that a word was given for a timetable for reform and elections – and feel that word has been broken. This creates a deep set dangerous feeling towards you in the hearts of many good men who are powerful enough to actually be helping Fiji but seem to feel repulsed at the moment.

Is it true?

“The Lord honours him who keeps his word even to the hurting of it”

This will lead them into taking even stronger and cleverer steps than have been attempted  ready.

This would cause considerable interim and even long-term suffering for the people of Fiji and this should be averted at all costs.

This is because there are steps you have expediently carried out – which in a cross cultural understanding – are sending much deeper messages that you may yet fully appreciate.

For in the Western mindset ever since the time of the Magna Carta Libertatum, things like removing judges, restricting speech and the press, and taking people into custody, are seen to have a far greater significance than you may realise, and at so deep a level, that it makes some Kai Valangi shudder inside themselves.

Such things ancestrally represent to Westerners the murderous ways of some of the previous evil kings who did not walk with Christ and have true love for the people. And in essence through lack of democratic representation, even led to the breaking away of the American colonies from the British crown.

And so any honourable aims and objectives will be ignored in the light of some of the things that have been done.

Yet Ratu as a monarchist you will appreciate that Oliver Cromwell's best efforts finally led to the restoration of what became a Constitutional Monarchy.

We believe in our hearts that your whole reform programme risks being undone at some future date, and the whole thing is even at risk presently of unravelling badly, with no long term good coming from it – at all for the people of Fiji.

We believe that the Lord Jesus says that this time is a very important cross roads.

Please prayerfully seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and act very wisely for the glory of God and the good of the people.

Sa moce,
Yours in Christ's service,

Paul A Norman        Michael Fa'amoana Vala'auafea