PrernaLal.com

Are the Foreign Fijian Students Going Back Home?

// November 5th, 2009 // Fiji Coup Coverage

They raided the law society in Fiji, sacked the judiciary, put journalists in jail, punched and deported academics. I have a BA in Political Science, an MA in International Relations, currently a law school candidate and enthusiastic blogger. What am I supposed to do when I go back? Can I go back?

We go to foreign countries (in this case, dragged), have our accents ridiculed, adjust to different cultures, customs and ways of life while still yearning to come back home. Many of us see no reason why Fiji cannot be a thriving country instead of the pariah state it is turning into.

But what incentive do we have to come back to Fiji when our own are being detained, interrogated and deported?

The last Fijian student I spoke to was trying to get into a nursing program so that she could get a visa and adjust her status to live in the United States instead of going back. My own sister (MS in Engineering) married and became an American citizen. None of them have gone back to Fiji lately.

After getting citizenship here, it costs $3000 per person to reinstate the Fijian residency. What’s the incentive Bainimarama? Your criminal activities and infringement on basic human rights and liberties? Is that how you will treat your educated Fijians when they decide to give up their privileges to come back and serve Fiji? There is no reverse colonial effort here. We simply want to be proud of Fiji instead of hanging our heads in shame each time you do something utterly ridiculous.

Technology is the great equalizer. The illegal military regime can ban the press and throw out academics. What is it going to do about online media and blogs? Are you going to ban the Internet too and start hunting down bloggers in other countries?

And yet, after everything that the illegal regime has done, some people still hope and think that Bainimarama is the best thing for Fiji. Really? People in Germany also thought that Adolf Hitler was their only hope until it was too late. For people to sanction this behavior under the guise of ‘refuting colonial intentions’ is uneducated and ill-advised. Wake up! You always have another option. Another Fiji is possible. You don’t need the likes of Qarase and Bainimarama to lead you into the future.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!