Speight gets his way: Fiji for Fijians

Rebel leader George Speight successfully brought an end to democracy in his native Fiji that includes, among others, the abolition of a multi-racial constitution.

It’ll be a long dry and scorching summer for Indo-Fijians who have enjoyed freedom in the land they have called home for over 100 years.

I would assume the elite Indo-Fijians–educated and successful businessmen–would head to jetways for another place somewhere where they could find peace of mind. How sad the coup that now displaces them by the thousands.

For those of us who hail from democratic societies, the initial reaction is the instant condemnation of fanning the fire of ethnic supremacy. But like a friend wrote in a recent letter, the CNMI too is equally guilty of ethnicity when it decided to limit land ownership to its indigenous people. I couldn’t agree more. Anyway, I have never supported such statutory provision that makes a mockery of the rights of citizens to own land.

The single most troubling issue is the seeming quiet notion of peddling ethnic supremacy that is now ingrained in the minds of the ignorant.
It runs contrary to our commitment to democracy, freedom and justice we so grandly approved in a plebiscite in the early seventies by over 78 percent. We are a part of the United States of America and must, therefore, learn to fight for justice and freedom however unpalatable it may be against our well-oiled sense of ethnic privileges.

Land alienation has served its purpose and no longer holds merit against its original intent. We must not tolerate employing insecurity to perpetuate discriminating against fellow US Citizens. It is an insecurity that we must outgrow as we work with diligence and commitment to refine our democratic institutions.

Mr. Speight got his way. I have my own reasons for disagreeing with his undertaking. But only he and fellow indigenous Fijians understand their sentiments and aspirations.
Perhaps he envisions a form of government that doesn’t necessarily embrace American Democracy but one that is fair in its dealings with its people. Such undertaking entails a long journey, its success or failure in the palms of Fiji’s ethnic leaders.

Beg to differ for a reason.

Part of my ancestry came from the Western Carolines. Although I claim to be a Chamolinian, there’s in my subconscious, a constant reminder that a majority of my being is without roots. How embarrassing, but equally true.

I also refuse to promote any notion of ethnic supremacy given that the lower caste of Chamorros, the Manachañg, were never allowed as warriors in the olden days. Thus, it stands to reason that when the higher Chamorro went to war against missionaries from Spain, many were killed. It gave the Manachañg a chance to multiply. Logically, many of us Chamorros are descendants of the lowest class.
So why are we promoting ethnic supremacy?
I grew up a victim of bigotry because of my mixed blood and strange Chamorro name. Sablan and DelRosario hide the fact that I’m partly Carolinian. I was able, therefore, to listen to venomous racist statements against my other blood right smack in Chamorro gatherings. It was a weird experience that tells me of my fate had the alleged real Chamorros were to send non-Chamorros back to their island of origin.

The point to remember is the grand advantage of capitalizing on our similarities rather than differences. To embrace the latter is a perfect acknowledgment of immaturity. It isn’t surprising that even on such a small island, there’s a lot of it, a dangerous sentiment that we must overcome via the education of our people.

With it, we can conquer greater heights in our collective effort to foster harmony between and among all peoples, citizens and non-citizens alike. Well, at least I take comfort in the fact that our democratic form of government has derailed the notion of catering to the privileged few! Equality, freedom and justice reigns supreme! Si Yuus Maase`!