Page 16 - IB JAN 2017

Politics

Land sold for as low as US$10 as repressive law takes effect

Fiji deports land reform critic

the Fiji Land Owners Association rejected
this claim by the Fijian Government. They
said most of their members are not rich,
and were merely buying land in Fiji to
build their holiday homes. They would
understand if local authorities would
want to impose tighter controls on land
sales, but to apply the changes retrospec-
tively to include those who had bought
land way before the new land came into
force in December of 2014 was just not
acceptable and wrong in principle. Even
by Samisoni Pareti Paradise lost ... the view from Karen Seaton’s home claims by Sayed Khaiyum that objectors
on Koro, where foreigners have bought land and set
up home. Photo: Supplied to the changes could seek a review were
OUR ‘Paradise Lost’ story last month of the changes to the land sale laws in dismissed by the land owners. They said
about controversial land sale law changes parliament Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has the review only applied to owners who
was just hitting the streets in Fiji when however rejected claims made by Seaton have already begun construction of their
news broke of the deportation of one of and members of the Fiji Land Owners homes, and they are also skeptical about
the law’s biggest opponent, Karen Seaton Association. He said Seaton was deported the transparency and independence of the
of Canada. not for her objections to the new law, work of the review committee.
Seaton is a member of the newly formed but because she had screamed exple- As reported in our December story, the
Fiji Land Owners Association, and she tives against the President of Fiji, a claim firesale triggered by the land sale law
and association spokesperson Dave Rand Seaton had vigorously denied. changes have begun. By early last month,
contributed heavily to the story we pub- She admitted to this magazine that she news broke of a land owner putting up
lished last month. had used the F word when her bags of his land in the market at a price of F$20
“They broke into the (hotel) room and groceries was torn while walking past a (US$10). This prompted an open letter
at that point I made a formal request for an function in which the President was pres- from Seaton addressed to Fiji’s Prime Min-
ambassador. It was denied. They forcibly ent. But she denied that she had directed ister Frank Bainimarama with the subject
twisted my arm to remove my phone from the expletives at Fiji’s head of state. At line, ‘is this what you want?’
me and they forcibly took ååmy purse least two other guests present at the “This morning it was brought to my
from me to take my passports. At one same function verified Seaton’s claims. attention that a home owner, someone
point I asked why was I being deported One of them, a senior church minister of who invested decades worth of labour to
and she said it’s from the highest author- the Methodist Church the Reverend James secure property in Fiji, wants nothing to
ity in the nation,” Seaton explained in an Baghwan said he did hear a woman yell- do with the country, so deeply, that they
email she was only able to send upon her ing and using expletives, but never did have posted a lot for sale for FJ$20. The
arrival in Los Angeles on a Fiji Airways he hear her mentioned the name of the disrespect they have been treated with
flight from Fiji. President. She did mention the words and loss of faith in the legislative system,
Although a Canadian and US passport ‘Attorney General or Sayed Khaiyum,’ they just want out now, believing the
holder, Seaton has been living in her home Rev Baghwan added. worthlessness of their investment, now
on Koro Island, about eight hours of sail- “This so-called association is using this just want to prevent loss of freedom, with
ing northeast from Suva, Fiji’s capital. deportation to call for a travel boycott of terms of imprisonment for noncompliance
She had traveled to Suva to appear before Fiji but let me use the opportunity as it your government initiated. This is the
a Fijian parliamentary committee on 2 presents itself to respond to this hysteria canary in the coal mine, the beginning
December to lobby for support against and outline the facts. Following numerous of collapse of investment from countries
the amendments to the country’s land concerns against the practice of land grab who value human rights,” Seaton wrote.
sales regulation. The land owners group by foreign citizens acquiring freehold land “The last thing I wanted to see, two
felt the retrospective application of the in Fiji for residential purposes without years ago when I began petitioning on
amendment was wrong in law, and that undertaking any actual development, in this to you was that this land so richly
the penalties to be imposed on land own- 2014 the Fijian Government introduced blessed by divinity, would be secured by
ers who do not build on their land by 31 a number of amendments to the Land those who would use their power to steal
December were too steep. Stipulating that Sales Act to regulate the sale, transfer from another, that they would till the soil
such a house must be constructed at a cost and lease of state land or freehold land with their racist vindictive nature. Till that,
of no less than FJ$250,000 (US$125,000) for residential purposes to non-residents,” taking advantage of the disenfranchised,
is excessive and unrealistic, the associa- The Fiji Times newspaper quoted Sayed minority group, into the soil. Today it is
tion also complained. Khaiyum as saying. becoming a reality, land viewed as worth-
Fiji’s Attorney General and the mover Seaton and Rand and other members of less for sale for $20.”

16 Islands Business, January 2017