LEADER of last month's coup in Fiji, Lt-col Sitiveni armed forces and promoted to the rank of colonel. This honour was bestowed on Rabuka by the Queen's representative in Penaia Ganilau. The move provides further evidence of British government support for the overthrow of the democratically-elected Bavadra.
It takes place against a background of mounting opposition government. Sugar mills scheduled to start crushing cane a week ago remain idle as a result of industrial action. Fields have been burnt near coves are snal l a show of defiance against the new regime.
The huge wave of protests has caused unease amongst the governments of New Zealand, Australia Britain, keen to maintain a pro-Western stability in this Rabuka has been placed in command of the country's Fiji, governor-general Ratu Sir government 'Timoci key region of the South Pacific The US was strongly rumourea to nave master minded the coup following the islands of General Vernon Walters, US ambassador the United Nations and an individual with a long history CA-backed coups.
Now the US has joined Zealand in cutting aid. Other coloul economic measures taken include insisting that all FiJall tade Is palu 101 In duyance in hard currency. The imperialist collapse of the Fijian dollar as a result of the economic problems associated with the decline of tourism ad ding to the industrial action against the coup.
There is now open talk of an external military tervention, possibly by New Zealand. New Zealand has Fiji established the country's 1949, alilly which maintains close links.
No externalv imposed solution be it by the Queen's representative in Fiji itself, or by the government of another imperialist power will answer the demands and aspirations of the Fijian people independence, their own government.
imperialist France as well as Australia and New Zealand have launched an international campaign ole devs a descen mask Press reports of Libyan Soviet 'interference' have been the backdrop to the announcement by the commander-in-chief of the Pacific fleet, Admira James Lyons, ol an armade of warships being sent to exercise in the Pacific, the likes of which 'hadn't been seen In more ran a cecoc Despite the rhetoric, no evidence been forthcoming to justify the claims of interterence'. All that has happened is that the Soviet Union signed the Rarotonga Treaty - - banning nuclear operations in ine souln racic - and has been prepared to buy local fish at more just rates lan une imperlalsis have been prepared to tolerate Meanwhile, Libya has established diplomatic relations with the government of Vanuatu. The imperialist powers seeking pressurise ine governmen of Vanuatu which is trying break tron economic dependence on Australia and New Zealand and its former colonial rulers, Britain and France They are equally trying to prevent the emergence of governments Timoci Bavadra in Fiji, a product of the breakdown of racial divisions amongst workers and farmers, whose Vanuatu in becoming of LUC Non-Aligned Movement, and to itself police the Rarotonga Treaty.
Socialist Action 5 June 1987