austraLasia #1772

Police beat army in Fiji

SUVA: 2nd December 2006 -- OK, so it's a misleading headline, but only in context.  The police did indeed beat the army in last night's rugby match, and it would appear that Fijians generally are taking hope in yet further rugby wins of more import as their 'Sevens' team defends its world championship status in Dubai with a win over Kenya.  And what of the pre-announced coup?  The deadline is a day dead already, and the Vice President of the nation, who was seen publicly discussing matters at the army-police rugby match with Commodore Bainimarama, has stepped in to mediate the crisis.  Most ordinary citizens and certainly the nation's Dailies, cannot understand how a democratic nation can have its army running wild with proposals that simply do not fit any kind of democratic scenario, but that's Fiji, sadly, in these troubled times.
    Fortunately for the Salesian community in Suva, after the ordinary (as in end of academic year) closure of the seminary for 2006, recent ordinations, most of the members are away from the area.  Those still there, and an active and well-trained Don Bosco Youth Group are preparing for the summer camps 'down the Coral Coast' where, incidentally, most Fijian Cabinet members are at this very moment, ostensibly 'having a picnic' but, this weekend, obviously, doing their best to avoid whatever happened in 2000 when George Speight caught them all napping in the Cabinet room and took them hostage.
    Oh Fiji!  One should never forget the children who are the first to suffer from all these troubled moments. Thank God there is a Salesian camp coming up to lighten their days!
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