Page 13 - IB June 2020

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Vanuatu student protest Photo: USPSA

Times, have also created an outcry. Fiji’s NGO Coalition on Pacific Conference of Churches General Secretary, Reverend
Human Rights was among the organisations to protest: “The James Bhagwan, asked: “As a regional institution of learning,
Fiji authorities must respect the rights to freedom of expres- what does this saga at the university teach the young people
sion and peaceful assembly for university staff and students of the region? And what does it say about the people who
and immediately cease intimidation tactics.” are guardians to what should be a fountain of knowledge in a
USP has a long history of protest and political activism, region parched with the need for the waters of knowledge?
from regional independence movements to anti-nuclear pro- “All our regional institutions must be places of integrity in
tests to calls for action on climate change. A statement from which people are treated fairly and with justice.’’
14 USP Gold Medallists acknowledged this, declaring: “During The crisis has also flushed out calls for transparency over
our tenure as students, we were inspired and felt great pride funds collected by the USP Students Association, which Pro
about the leading role that USP’s staff and students took in Chancellor Thompson says will be looked at.
championing these principles and the influence they had on In a letter to the USP Council before its June 19 meeting,
such issues as decolonisation, nuclear testing, environmental Professor Ahluwalia wrote: “I inherited a University marred by
degradation, climate change, economic justice, sustainable corruption, ineffective marketing, senior members appointed
development, women’s rights, LGBTIQ rights, human rights, without consultation, senate regulations which ignored finan-
and so on” and expressing concern about the presence of cial implications, reduced Government funding and deferred
police on campus. donor funding.” He says he wants to get on with his “reform
In Fiji, students moved to online protest, using hashtags agenda”.
such as #wewantpal and colour-coded clothing as a show of Pro Chancellor Thompson maintains he can work with Pro-
support. On other regional campuses including Vanuatu, Solo- fessor Ahluwalia, despite not agreeing with Council’s decision
mon Islands, Marshall Islands and Samoa, students were able to reinstate the Vice Chancellor. “I have worked with him
to gather and express their support for good governance and since the beginning and with these things you might have dif-
transparency. ferences but you work within the terms of reference that you
If students tried to keep the spirit of regionalism alive, so work under” he told the Fiji Times.
too did other regional organisations. Pacific Islands Forum Sec- Is this really tenable, given their long animosity, and is
retary General Meg Taylor—no stranger to the balancing act it fair to the USP’s students, academics, staff and funders?
required to manage diverse Pacific members and agendas— The Vice Chancellor and Pro Chancellor, senior university
called for common sense to prevail. “USP represents our col- leadership and the Council guiding them need to get on with
lective determination to chart our own development course, addressing the real issues of sustainability facing USP and
as Pacific islanders, nations and as one Pacific continent… it is restoring confidence in the institution.
important that it upholds the principles that bind the Pacific
Islands Forum – good governance, respect, transparency, ac- publisher@islandsbusiness.com
countability and the rule of law.”

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