I write to offer my support and solidarity to the Gone Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi, who was unjustly and unceremoniously detained in the past few days.
The boldness and courage of this Lady and leader in making a stand against the devious, self-serving, and ultimately self-defeating manipulation of the present illegal Regime, is a breath of fresh air in the cynical and dishonorable times we now live in.
As disgraceful as her detention is though, we must nonetheless accept in faith that this IS all part of God’s Plan, as the lady herself so eloquently put it in her letter to her people.
Jesus, Himself began the battle to throw off darkness and evil, and to replace it with His Kingdom, with His death on Calvary’s Cross.
Since then, Christians have always been impelled by the implications of their faith to struggle and stand against evil. St Telemachus for instance was, by his own death, instrumental in ending the barbaric practice of gladiatorial death sport in the Roman Empire. William Wilberforce, by his life of sacrifice, spearheaded the abolition of slavery in Victorian times. Lord Shaftsbury’s exertions kick-started the dawn of industrial emancipation and worker’s rights during the same era. Elizabeth Fry was the first prison reformer. Samuel Plimsoll spearheaded shipping safety regulations and reform. John Wesley, St Vincent de Paul (Ladies of Charity) and William Booth (Salvation Army) founded pioneering organizations to succor and minister to the poor in the preceding Century. Later the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King forfeited even his own life for his stand of faith and principle against the insidious scourge of racism.
In all cases, these Christian saints acted out of the dictates of their faith, at great personal cost and risk, often against brutal or hardnosed Governments that were either indifferent to the injustice, or who were part of it themselves under the lobbying and control of those, who were directly benefitting from the status quo. But not one of them ever backed down, as to do so would mean betraying their consciences as well as their God.
Fiji once again finds herself faced by this kind of evil. In 2000 it was Speight. Now it is Bainimarama. In 2000 it was rebellion. In 2006/9, the rebellion has succeeded and the Barbarians have risen to power on the back of guns, brutality, lies and intransigence. The situation seems hopeless and the usurpers seem to hold all the cards that count.
But just as the injustice and evil of the past always raised up Christian movers and shakers of conscience to opposition, so are the lies, wickedness and travesty of Bainimarama’s Fiji raising up champions like Ro Teimumu Kepa.
The question for people like her is “Are we our brother’s keeper?” According to God’s law, and people’s man-made constitutional law and values, yes we are. These are for two reasons, the work of the Church in the community, and its prophetic role against the injustice of this coup. The Regime is WRONG to try and stop either.
In any crises management there are four pitfalls that stakeholders may fall into. These are panic, apathy, fear and denial. Good leaders are able to communicate the truth, and inspire peoples’ spirits in order to strategically motivate them out of those pitfalls into just and righteous action. Winston Churchill is the best crises manager known in history when he fearlessly asked for the British peoples’ steadfastness knowing that the technically superior German Army were preparing to bomb London. And England won the battle and the war.
Like the infamous Nazi propaganda machine, Bainimarama’s illegal Regime also hopes to use its ridiculous PER and hand-picked judiciary to deny Ro Temumu-Kepa and the Methodist Church leaders’ right to be their “brother’s keeper”.
But whatever unjust and unjustifiable trumped up charges and punishment they dream up, they will NOT prevail!
Dr. Mere Tuisalalo Samisoni, SDL member for Lami Open Constituency.
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