Racial tension 'problem for Fiji'


From correspondents in Suva

March 1, 2005

THE United States has highlighted tension between indigenous Fijians and Indians as a major problem in Fiji, and said the Indian community was under-represented at all levels of government.

The State Department's worldwide human rights report for 2004, said that senators appointed by the prime minister continued to make racial slurs against Indo-Fijians and "the ruling Soqosoqo ni Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) government worked to ensure the political supremacy of ethnic Fijians."

The issue of land ownership remained a highly sensitive problem with ethnic Fijians holding more than 80 per cent of arable land and the government another eight per cent.

"Many Indo-Fijians, particularly farmers, believed that the absence of secure land tenure discriminated against them," the report said.

Racial tensions and grievances over low rents for agricultural land resulted in several alleged illegal evictions of Indo-Fijians and re-occupations of land by native Fijian landowners.

"There were also reports of Fijian landowners extorting higher rents from their Indo-Fijian tenants. Almost none of these violations were prosecuted," the report said.

It also noted an emerging problem with the minority Chinese community continuing to grow dramatically, primarily through illegal immigration.

AFP

FROM: http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1274&storyid=2742856