It's always something
There has been a military coup in Fiji.
Really.
The governments of Australia and New Zealand have protested, and have threatened to impose sanctions, so let me first say that I take the right of self-determination of all peoples seriously, and it is with the deepest respect for the Fijiian people that I continue this post.
(yawn).
What happened, did a couple of guys in a Ford Bronco with an M-1 and a tackle box crammed behind the seat show up and announce that they were taking over?
The term military coup makes this sound ominous, but really, what is the status and strength of the military on this small collection of South Pacific islands?
From all the reports that I have read, this does not seem to be causing a great upheaval among the general population, and the biggest impact that this may have might be a dip in the Christmas holiday tourist season.
This is the fourth overthrow of the government in 20 years. Until I see a bit more on this, I am going to assume that this is a p*ssing contest between some old rich guy who is a general and another old rich guy who is a politician. They are probably neighbors, owning adjacent pineapple or cocoanut plantations. As a British protectorate, they fall under the Supreme Authority of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. (Check Google News---the Brits are apparently real excited about the whole affair...). If she would just knight one or both of the guys, they would probably just go away and stroke their sceptre's......
Pay close attention to this. At least as much as the indigenous population appears to be.
Really.
The governments of Australia and New Zealand have protested, and have threatened to impose sanctions, so let me first say that I take the right of self-determination of all peoples seriously, and it is with the deepest respect for the Fijiian people that I continue this post.
(yawn).
What happened, did a couple of guys in a Ford Bronco with an M-1 and a tackle box crammed behind the seat show up and announce that they were taking over?
The term military coup makes this sound ominous, but really, what is the status and strength of the military on this small collection of South Pacific islands?
From all the reports that I have read, this does not seem to be causing a great upheaval among the general population, and the biggest impact that this may have might be a dip in the Christmas holiday tourist season.
This is the fourth overthrow of the government in 20 years. Until I see a bit more on this, I am going to assume that this is a p*ssing contest between some old rich guy who is a general and another old rich guy who is a politician. They are probably neighbors, owning adjacent pineapple or cocoanut plantations. As a British protectorate, they fall under the Supreme Authority of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. (Check Google News---the Brits are apparently real excited about the whole affair...). If she would just knight one or both of the guys, they would probably just go away and stroke their sceptre's......
Pay close attention to this. At least as much as the indigenous population appears to be.
posted by eccentric recluse at 8:25 AM
6 Comments:
4 in 20 years?!?
Fuji you say!? Well damn, where are queenie and I goin a vacation at Christmas now? We had the lear jet all gassed up and the flight plan submitted.
JB
So you're saying the indigenous population appears to be yawning too?
go away and stroke their sceptre's...
LMAO! You're too much! :D
I'm saying that it appears not to be causing much turmoil just yet. Some reports indicate that the police forces appear to be passively resisting the coup, but there has been no bloodshed reported, no mass demonstrations as yet, the vox populi seems to be either biding its time, taking a longer view, or keeping things in perspective.
According to some reports, the coup seems to be rooted in a centuries-old class/ethnic conflict between native Fijiians and the descendants of Indians who came to the islands to work on the plantations in the 19th century.
The deposed prime minister was put into power in 2000 by the same general that dumped him this week.
It seems that the general was unhappy with the slow progress of 'reform', and other political issues that included pardons given to those deposed in the last coup.
The US has halted sales of military goods and training of the military in response.
E_R
Fuji you say!?
No no no. Fuji makes fiber-optic multiplexers. Or film. Something like that.
-Roy
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