The Iceberg Just Got Bigger....

Bula....

I just took a break from doing chores around the house to post these comments for you to read....

And stay glued to your monitors...the next protest is coming soon....very soon.

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Anonymous said...

God bless the ones who stayed home and the ones who have to go because of the coward 'THREAT' made Taina to civil servants.

Fijilive also need to rewrite their headings..Civil Servants didn't 'defy' the protest called and went to work...they were 'THREATENED' by their superiors...a sign of human rights abuse in the verbal sense.

May 2, 2007 8:05 AM
Anonymous said...

AWESOME stand and God bless you for suggesting it. There were 6 of us who had a mokosiga day away - so please add us to your list. Keep up the fight - there are many people behind you !

May 2, 2007 3:09 PM
Anonymous said...

the mere fact that PSC went to great lengths to ensure that all civil servants were at work is victory indeed. The free mileage they gave to the protest was victory in itself.

Keep up the good work. the end is near. God Bless Fiji.

They can run but cant hide.

May 2, 2007 4:55 PM
Anonymous said...

Honestly, we went to work BUT didnt do much. We just spent most of the time reading magazines, newspapers, talking, etc... anything but work.
We didnt file reports as expected, we didnt finish tasks that was given...

May 2, 2007 4:56 PM
Captain Freedom said...

6 of my friends were at my place drinking grog that day. We all work at different places but all came up with the excuse of having 'running stomach'..

And we will do it again.

May 2, 2007 4:58 PM
Anonymous said...

Apart from May 1, my every day now is a protest against what is happening and not a day goes by without me talking to people , like-minded or not, about issues that we need to consider seriously and not accept lying down. I'm continualy surprised (though I really shouldn't be) by the number of people who just abhor the current situation, the army, the IG etc...and even more pleasantly surprised that this is not just blind, bigotted , xenophobic hatred but a stand based on quite a good grasp and analysis of information that is available to them. Given that we're not getting much from the mainstream media, you and the other freedom bloggers will have to take the credit for providing us with good and reliable information.

Don't, even for a second, think that what you and other freedom bloggers are doing, are not having an effect. You provide us with a lifeline to our sanity, our conscience, our principles. Your blogs provide fuel that we need to endure another day of oppression, repression and just plain aridity of the spirit. Don't worry, it will all translate into action...even if it does not seem that way now.

May 3, 2007 4:35 PM

And just to show that there are a lot of us, and more than those idiots who are trying their damndest to ruin this paradise...this is the latest result taken from the poll that I have had running on here for almost 2 months:


God Bless Fiji,
mawdsomething

The Reactions...positive and negative....AKA anecdotal evidence

Ni Sa Bula,

"There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world and that is an idea whose time has come."

Victor Hugo.

This post is dedicated to those of you who have heeded the call that is now ringing out around the nation and throughout the world, and have decided that you will protest this regime, by staying home on May 1st.

For reasons of security, both personal and for your families, the vast majority of you will be faceless, nameless and anonymous. While we wish that this was not the case, the situation in this nation dictates that we must employ methods that we would not normally use. Chief amongst these is anonmyity. The fact that they cannot identity us, makes it impossible for them to quash us. That there are those who will not bow to their tyranny is now evident, and your actions are giving hope, and instilling courage in the hearts of those who wish to act but are shackled by fear and doubt.

There are those who wish us ill. These are a few emails and comments that have been send to me since this idea was mooted:

you sound like a coward , if u want to stand up for democracy don't be such a sissy write your name. If people stay home like u say may we please have your name so that you will pay for day our pay gets dorked. imagine what will happen if we gather as a crowd you will know what to do, we will not have an escape plan.

You must think of us as willing pawns in this regime...... u know what we have shoved aside by people like you for so long that we are thankful for the military who are finally doing something for us.

If you think that maybe we should have said something earlier, WE HAVE, it is people like you who would not have listened.

HAVE SOME BACKBONE, STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE SAY IT WITH YOUR NAME!!!!!!!

and

You are about to be taught a lesson in how few people actually have access to the internet and pay attention to blogs in Fiji

and of course the military, whose actions in trying to track us down, are speaking louder than their feeble mutterings.

Now the point must be stressed that the decision to actually stay home on 01/05/07 is yours and yours alone. No one can force you, and make the choice for you. If you don't agree with this course of action, by all means, go to work. If you lack the courage of your convictions, then you must look deep within yourself and examine what you value. The decision is yours.

The disadvantage that the lack of internet access poses, is more than negated by the wide media coverage and the good old coconut wireless that is the fastest means of information dissemination in Fiji. So to those of you who are wishing we will fall flat on our faces, sorry....

For those who do decide to stand up against this dictatorship, I cannot thank you. Nobody will reward you. You will become the object of ridicule and scorn from those who do not, or cannot, grasp the gifts that democracy, true democracy brings us. You will become points of division, the"eye" of the political storm that is now tearing apart our nation. Your sacrifice, though silent, will ring out down the ages to our children that we did not run when Fiji needed us most.

Be brave. Be strong. Be calm. Those who condone this evil that now passes itself off as governance in Fiji, will accuse you of being cowards, of not having the spine to come out in the open.

Sun Tzu's The Art Of War states:

"You should not oblige your enemy by allowing him to choose the battleground."

It is not to our advantage to be known for now. We are like the wind that blows wherever it pleases, and nobody knows where it came from, or where it goes. All they can see is the evidence of its passing.

This is our battleground. This is where we hold the higher ground, the moral advantage, where the guns, the threats and the posturing of the oppressors mean nothing. This is where we are strong, and our enemy is weak. This is where we cannot be attacked, and we can, passively but convincingly can tell them unequivocally that we will not cower in the shadows any longer.

We can bring down this enemy. We can halt this regime, and make them realise that we are the ones who will stop them. So let us show them the real caliber of the sons and daughers of these islands. Let us make them see that Fiji will not suffer their delusions a moment longer.

I leave you with the following messages from those who will stand with you, if you stay home on May 1st.

ex Fiji Tourist said...

Great article! You have the nail right on the head!

You summarise what the NZ commissioner said yesterday; things have gone quickly backwards since these morons have held Fiji hostage.

The people of Fiji are the only ones who can really tell these fools that the entire world are sick of their bumbling antics.

Take the day off on 1st may. I hope that a cruise liner comes in and the passengers find that there are no tours or hotel lunches; you good people might be able to put some posters up around the wharf to explain why there are no services in Suva that day.

Fijians, YOU have to stand up and be counted; you can't sit back and complain and not do anything!

newsfiji said...

Don't let anyone fool you into thinking it's not going to work.

We will not go to work on May 1st because we believe it is the right thing to do.

Choosing what is right over everything else whether it be money, being famous, glory, whatever:

It is doing what is right always that will define who you are.

A man or woman of principle.

So, to all readers, tell everybody anybody, pull in a sicky on Tuesday May 1st!

God Bless You Greatly (to goodmenandwomendoingsomething)
and God Bless Fiji!

newsfiji said...

Good on you, at least you've come up with something to do, rather than all talk!

Let's do it!

Stay away from work on 1st of May!

Go Fiji Go!

Anonymous said...

good idea, Sick of IG day, 1st of May.

Anonymous said...

This is like the DAY WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS in California. It works and I know that it will work in Fiji.
Ke sa rawa ni ra cakava na illegal i Mereke, e sega ni dua na kena dredre e Viti.

Bai Ni Vore said...

Vinaka for your post.
1st Day of May it is.

I'll post it on my blog.

Good post, Good reminder to all on where things stand, and where we go from here.

ramatau said...

You can do it!!!
I'm calling in sick on that day... 1st May! I agree with ex fiji tourist, why don't we email each other and get the ball rolling... let's do something funny... just like in the movies aye... cool! we won't be obvious, coz they don't know us!

Anonymous said...
me nomuni na vakacegu kei na veivakalougatataki ni Kalou. may God Bless you and your works... TRUTH PREVAILS... vinaka vakalevu na nomuni tu taka tiko na dina kei na savasava e na
mororoi kemuni ka na taqomaki kemuni ko JIOVA na noda Kalou.

Your decision to join us brings this quote from Martin Luther King to mind:

"Here and there an individual or group dares to love, and rises to the majestic heights of moral maturity. So in a real sense this is a great time to be alive. Therefore, I am not yet discouraged about the future. Granted that the easygoing optimism of yesterday is impossible. Granted that those who pioneer in the struggle for peace and freedom will still face uncomfortable jail terms, painful threats of death; they will still be battered by the storms of persecution, leading them to the nagging feeling that they can no longer bear such a heavy burden, and the temptation of wanting to retreat to a more quiet and serene life. Granted that we face a world crisis which leaves us standing so often amid the surging murmur of life's restless sea. But every crisis has both its dangers and its opportunities. It can spell either salvation or doom. In a dark confused world the kingdom of God may yet reign in the hearts of men."

God Bless Fiji,
FijianBlack

The Numbers Game

Ni Sa Bula,

The days to the May Day, May "Inaction" Day or the May "Stay-At-Home" Day are passing by.

As they do, the camps for and against this coup, it's "alleged" reasons and whether is was a good or bad thing, are coalesce. People who are now aware of this protest are wieghing out the pros and cons of such an action, and whether it is worth doing so or not.

As such, the swords are drawn, and people are starting to state their support or their opposition to such a move. There is one arguement that is surfacing, that this post is intended to refute.

This arguement is the one that a commenter to a previous post, the very first post that proposed this method of resistance, put on this very blog. The commenter, who chose to remain anonymous said:

"You are about to be taught a lesson in how few people actually have access to the internet and pay attention to blogs in Fiji"

This is the hope of those who support the coup and it's intentions and the fear of those of us who oppose this regime. The fear, whether we have the numbers on our side or not.

Let's take this "bull" by the horns. Is this really an issue that will be decided by the numbers? Is this something that should be decided by the majority? Should the fact that we might be few in number deter us from making this stand?

NO!!!!!

This is not an issue that is determined by the numbers that support one side or the other of the arguement. Whether we are few or many does not matter. Our numerical superiority is moot on this issue.

The only thing, the only question that you should ask yourself is this:

IS THIS THE RIGHT THING TO DO?

The numbers do not matter. All that matters is that we are doing the right thing. In fact, at the end of all things, doing the right thing is the only thing that will ever matter.

We might be few in number. We might not even make a ripple. We might not stop this tyranny. We might become the laughstock of those who oppose us.

IT DOES NOT MATTER!!!

All that matters is that we know what is right and we have done it. We have heard the voice of reason, of conscience, of the truth that speaks to everyone's heart in our quietest moments. And we have listened, and not ignored that quiet voice that is telling us that this is all wrong, that the way to a better nation is not in the deaths of our sons, in the killings of our fathers, in the raping and harrasement of our sisters, daughters and mothers, in the torture of our loved ones, friends and relatives. It is not in unilateral, dictatorial leadership, nor in the decrees issued unthinkingly on a vunerable nation. It is not in the guns, the checkpoints or even the bluster, the war of words.

The way to a better nation is in the hearts of its people. In the hearts of it's sons and daughters. It's when we say no to cruelty, when we shun the evil that is now hainging over these islands we call home.

Even if only one person says " I will not agree to this"...that is enough to keep the hope alive that one day, this Fiji will be the way the world should be.

So don't listen to the jibes of the dissenters who try to dissenchant you, to make you waver, to instill in you doubt. We can make a difference. We will make a difference. We must, because this task has fallen to us to shoulder.

And this can either be our darkest hour, or our turning point. We can either fade into the darkness, or we can rise with the light.

The choice is yours. It's mine. It's ours.

I will protest this illegal regime that has raped my country, by staying home on May Day.

Even if I am the only one who does so.