We were basically arrested for having lunch at the sea wall......I mean why arrest us??? for just gathering for a picnic??
Oilei and this budget!!
I know that people are raving about the budget, where is the money coming from?? Like a friend of mine said. Here is the shopping list but where are the receipts??? Where is the money coming from for all this??? Are we so naive to rave about the budget but not care about how we are sourcing this???? And with no Auditors report made public how do we know that this money is being utilized for its true purpose!!
I salute my 13 other friends and colleagues that joined us.......
Earlier story: A group of activists have been arrested for wearing T-shirts against the 2014 Budget.
The activists from PCP, Dialogue Fiji, Fiji Women's Crisis Centre and FSPI were having a picnic in front of the budget address venue wearing T-shirts that said "C'mon Fiji make budgets public now".
After the arrest, an activist said on social media "so how else do women and communities define their peace and human security".
The regime announced the budget today but are not making documents like the audit review and budget proposals public.
Budget highlights:
- Airport departure tax will increase to $200 from January 2014
- Excise duty will increase by 10%
- $92 million allocated for pay rise for civil servants
- $15 million allocated for 2014 elections
- Primary and Secondary education will now be free
- Tavua to Korovou region declared a tax free zone for commercial activities and not just agriculture and dairy.
206 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 206 of 206In the immortal word of Frederick Douglas, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
editor,
Savenaca Vakkaliwaliwa tries to raise peoples' consciousness regarding "the consequences of raping our environment" (Fiji Sun 20/11).
I also think that is very important but not for any divine reason.
My reason is more earth bound!
Spaceship Earth is our only habitable home. It sustains us as a species. We should therefore take due care of it (and not harm it)so that it can continue to have the capacity to care for us and our future generations.
The same is of course true regarding the rape of democracy. Our inalienable human rights and our political and civil rights and liberties are put under serious threat when democracy is raped.
I am sure Savenaca is also aware of the deleterious consequences of the rape of democracy.
The people of Fiji has had direct experience of that on 4 occasions now in its short 4.5 decade post colonial history.
sincerely,
Rajend Naidu
sydney
the USP vc and president rajesh chandra should be charged for bringing the university into disrepute by getting his staff into a bula wearing competition.
what a joke! is that what this higher institution of learning is suppose to expand its energy on?
editor,
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets Sunday in the biggest anti-government demonstration since the 2004 Orange revolution to protest President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to reject a EU trade pact under Russian pressure. The protesters are demanding the President reverses the decision not to sign the pact(Al jazeera 25/11).
One protester put the issue very simply when he said " I don't want to live in a country where one man decides, the people should decide".
He couldn't have been more simple and succinct.
I think the pro-democracy campaigners in Fiji will know what that Ukrainian protester has in mind.
sincerely,
rajend Naidu
sydney
editor,
A woman protester among the thousands protesting against the government in Thailand for trying to introduce an immunity from prosecution law told a reporter on live television "The Prime Minister is a liar, a cheat.She is just like her brother" (ABC news 29/11).The PM's brother is Takshinsinawat the former PM who fled the country to escape a jail sentence for corruption after being ousted in a military coup ).
What the protester said about the PM could be untrue. But she felt she could speak her mind freely.
And on her part the PM of Thailand has promised not to use violence and force to crackdown on the protesters. Peaceful protest must always have a place in a democracy.
The PM has kept her word so far to her credit.
sincerely,
Rajend Naidu
sydney
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