The rise of ethnic supremacy

The current threat in the dissolution of democracy in Fiji and the Solomon Islands is at best, a case of bigotry. Indigenous islanders want forced acceptance of racial supremacy in the conduct of government and land ownership.

Mr. George Speight may achieve his goal of Fiji for Fijians against 44 percent ethnic Indians who, through sheer hard work 18 hours a day, have provided Fiji with wealth and jobs creation for its 812,00 people.

Both the tourism and sugar cane industries have plummeted since the onset of the coup. Trading partners from within and without the region have started imposing sanctions. The ultimate victims are Fijians who would have to endure the price of political instability.

Successful or otherwise, two coups in such a short period of time is a bit too much for well-meaning investors to risk lifetime investments. They’d head elsewhere as Mr. Speight and cabal live it out like royal kings at the expense of their poor and helpless people.

If unity in diversity is the very trophy or crown jewel of phenomenal success of my country, the great US of A, then perhaps Mr. Speight needs to revisit the essence of that colorful rainbow that sits across the horizon from the shores of his island country. The answer to such egregious political insurrection is in providing its people with lifetime skills (education) to deal with the difficult task of building a stable island nation that embraces and begins the preamble of its constitution with “We the people…”, not Mr. Speight and Cronies.
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The Nasion Chamorro Movement on Guam may be a legitimate cause, historically. First, they had to endure the indignity of being sold (like some cheap commodity) by Spain to the US. Their inalienable rights as a people was annihilated by such sale.

If I read their quest correctly, all they ask of Uncle Sam is the restoration of their dignity as a people under the Stars and Stripes Forever. Until such dignity is reinstated with all the trappings of “We the people…”, ethnic tension will rise and fan the ugly fire of discordancy between those who claim to be indigenous Chamorros vs. Guamanians and US Citizens.

I seriously doubt it that the divisive and contentious limitation of land ownership to Indigenous Chamorros is an appropriate bargaining chip. In fact, it will never make it across the negotiating table, muchless before committees of the US Congress. You may question the Land Alienation provision under the CNMI Covenant. I don’t support such provision today.

If land ownership rests as a right of an individual, must we violate such right through the approval of protectionist provision in the Covenant. How could such statutory provision be allowed to violate a citizen’s rights to dispose of his or her land in the best way he or she sees fit? Would the continuance of such provision prevent the loss of land to other indigenous people here? Isn’t true that after the sale of the last family property, the same people get to acquire homestead lots that should have been prohibited. So much for the infamous Article XII scam!

Finally, if you don’t want to sell it, then lease it! Need we protect our unfounded fear of land losses, a policy we end up violating ourselves? Think about it. And whether you like it or not, all must accept the equal application of law be it on land and other statutory mandates for as long as one is legally situated. In other words, we have a lot of growing up to do! Let’s start growing-up, today!