Former Fiji commander seeks political asylum
Updated
With the interrogation of Professor Brij Lal, a colleague at Australia National University and former Fiji Land Forces Commander, Colonel Jone Baledrokadroka, says he is proven right in currently seeking political asylum.
Colonel Baledrokadroka was once a close associate of the head of Fiji's military, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, but fell out with him in 2006 when he suggested the military should be apolitical.
Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Colonel Jone Baledrokadroka, former Fiji Land Forces Commander and current visiting research fellow at the Australian National University College of Asia and the Pacific
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BALEDROKADROKA: Well, you know this is just the ongoing tit-for-tat retaliation by Bainimarama I think, following on Fiji's High Commissioner here in Canberra, Kamlesh Arya, being expelled yesterday by the Australian government I think.
COUTTS: But what point do you think Bainimarama is making with this in tossing out a professor of politics and a political commentator?
BALEDROKADROKA: Well, you know he is a colleague of mine Brij. He's quite well known to be a critic of Bainimarama and a critic of all coups, dating back to Rabuka. So I think he's just sending a message to Australia that he doesn't want anyone sort of butting in on what's happening in Fiji at the moment.
COUTTS: Colonel Jone Baledrokadroka you've had quite a close relationship yourself with Commodore Bainimarama, I just wondered whether you could explain that for those who might not know or understand what that is?
BALEDROKADROKA: Well I used to be the Land Force commander up until 2006 actually and then we got into a bit of difficulty as to where the military was heading and I thought that the military should be apolitical. He wanted obviously to politicise the military as it is at the moment. I mean you can hear what Brij has said about the military, it's effectively running the country in all departments of government.
COUTTS: So you think that this desire by Commodore Bainimarama to take over the country and be more involved in politics dates right back to those days?
BALEDROKADROKA: Yeah that's right. Ever since 2000 and the George Speight coup he's seen himself as the guardian of Fijian politics. He reckons he's come into power because he's trying to suppress the ethno-nationalism. That hasn't sort of been good enough and it was then against corruption, and the latest he reckons it's against the electoral reforms, he's been well rather quiet about that the last few months about that so it seems to be changing on an almost monthly basis the reasons for the coup.
COUTTS: And the ethnic affairs and cultural divide that do exist in Fiji, you don't think that's the real reason for Commodore Bainimarama taking over the country. What reasons would you give?
BALEDROKADROKA: Well that's what people are trying to find out, in fact academics have been writing extensively. I mean this has been dividing Fiji. It's just been overblown the reason put up by these coup mongers for the problems in Fiji. I think the problems are good governance and the leaders actually.
COUTTS: Opinion's divided, some commentators have been saying that why does Fiji need a military at all, and others are saying, like Commodore Bainimarama, that it needs to be and it has a role to play. Do you think that this could be part of the reason that Commodore Bainimarama is protecting his domain and increasing the power of the military in Fiji?
BALEDROKADROKA: Well that's basically it, I think that's where he actually gains his power from, the military. There's been a couple of white papers that have been done on defence white papers in Fiji. I mean it's recommended the military be halved mainly because it's just too big for such a small country like Fiji. This business of peacekeeping and stuff, that is secondary to the problems in Fiji. I mean most of the money could go into things like building schools and hospitals and stuff like that. I don't see why Fiji needs such a huge military. There's no threat in the Pacific.
COUTTS: Commodore Bainimarama says that he'll hold elections in 2014 after there's a raft of reforms approved and passed and implemented, and that covers just about everything in the country. Do you think that elections will be held by Commodore Bainimarama in 2014?
BALEDROKADROKA: Well the man is a serial liar, I'm telling you. He's promised so many things since 2006 and it doesn't materialize. The only thing that is happening is that he's being isolated because of his lies. And I guarantee that it will never materialize.
COUTTS: Colonel Baledrokadroka you had a fairly close relationship as we've described with Commodore Bainimarama, but you had a parting of the ways over political opinion. Will you be allowed back in the country?
BALEDROKADROKA: Well obviously no, I mean it seems that he's held back on for this tit-for-tat childish sort of response, and he sees everyone that speaks out as his enemy. At the moment he's just hell bent on retaliating against Australia and New Zealand. Any sort of people like, I suppose, myself, speaking out there's a heavy news media censorship in Fiji, so obviously he'll use that to throw one out of the country.
COUTTS: And so you consider yourself now a political refugee?
BALEDROKADROKA: Well basically I've put in for a protection visa here and I'm awaiting my status in the coming weeks, I suppose.
