Fiji Methodist leader defiant over banned church conference
Updated
Several key leaders of Fiji's influential Methodist Church have been detained for questioning by police. They included the General Secretary, Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu. The detentions come amid tension between the church and the interim government over the church's annual conference, which is supposed to take place towards the end of August.
Presenter:Bruce Hill
Speaker: Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu, General Secretary of Fiji's Methodist Church
- Listen:
- Windows Media
WAQAIRATU: Yesterday a group of policemen from the major crime office came to my office and asked me if we can go to their office for an interview. The interview was about the paper that I did send in the last Standing Committee that was on Friday 17th June. In that Standing Committee, I presented the paper, which was a concert paper presented in order to help the Standing Committee members for their decision about the negative response of the government on the issue of annual conference of the Methodist Church in Fiji, and as well as the Choir Festival.
HILL: So the police were concerned about the preparations for the conference? My understanding was that as far as the government was concerned, they've cancelled the annual conference?
WAQAIRATU: Yes, they did cancel the annual conference and there was another discussion, a dialogue between the president of the Methodist Church in Fiji and the interim prime minister on the 13th of this month and we had hope that the prime minister was going to change his position.
HILL: So at the moment as far as you are concerned, you are going ahead with preparations for the conference in defiance of the government's cancellation?
WAQAIRATU: Yes, that was the position of the last Standing Committee and the purpose of the interview was that the police, particularly the major crime section that look at the paper that I did present in that meeting on 17th July. There are some portions or some paragraphs [which] may be including or are including some elements that may incite the public to have some kind of uprising and violence, but for the question of security, that was why I was taken up yesterday.
HILL: Well obviously with this annual conference you are going to have around 10,000 members of the Fiji Methodist Church all gathered in Suva. The Methodist Church [is] not a particular friend of the interim government. I suppose you could see why the interim government would be very nervous at the prospect?
WAQAIRATU: Yes, and the decision of the conference of the Standing Committee that we still be having the annual meeting or the conference in accordance to the resolution of the Bau conference, that conference will take place in Lomanikoro, Rewa, which is not in Suva, but somewhere close to the Suva airport.
HILL: Well, you've been taken in for question by the police, clearly the government is not very happy with this. Is this going to affect you at all? Are you going to be intimidated?
WAQAIRATU: Eh not at all. The way we were treated by the police personnel in that major crime office was very good, actually they were members of the Methodist Church and they were concerned about their responsibility. We know that there were some little bit of worries that they show in their physical expression, because they are taking the man of God and we told them, don't you worry, just do your responsibility and we will do ours. Ours is to defend this paper and you have to question us according to your responsibility. And Bruce, it was well done, we were well cared, and we ended up in morning tea, afternoon tea and then debriefing and then a word of prayer, but the conclusion was very good and it should not be worrying to those people who have listened to us, particularly our families over their in Australia, that they are worrying about their relationship between the church and the state. But we professionally and thoughtfully, prayerfully handled the situation and we hope that the truth will always be victorious.
