Page 20 - IB September 2018 Edition

cover Story

Processing plant at the mouth of the Ba River

Smoke and mirrors Bainimarama has portrayed himself as
a Climate Change champion, going as
far as to proclaim that no environmental
Fiji’s COP untruths damage will take place on his watch.
But between the Sand Dunes and the
Sovi Basin, a Korean company closely
linked to the ruling Fiji First Party was
“Frankly, we are not ready. I don’t think able to cut down iconic rain trees more
that statement should surprise anyone than 100 years old at Navua.
in this room. A public outcry on social media forced
“Around our world the effects of cli- the Department of Environment to issue
mate change are becoming more evident and order for the controversial Grace
and more severe. No country or region Road Company to stop work.
By Netani Rika is spared and the effects in one region The company won contracts to rebuild
are felt in others.” the official residences of Bainimarama
WHEN Fiji’s Prime Minister, Rear-Ad- As he spoke, contractors were dig- and President, Major-General Jioje
miral Frank Bainimarama, told a global ging sand from a National Heritage Konrote.
summit of leaders in Bangkok that the site at Sigatoka, less than 150km from It has been under the media spotlight
world was not ready for COP24, few – of Fiji’s capital, to provide raw material after its spiritual leader was arrested on
any – would have been surprised. for a Chinese-funded and implemented charges related to human trafficking
From a euphoric high in 2015 at the building project. and questionable financial transactions.
Paris Climate Change talks, to the low- The Sigatoka Sand Dunes were de- Just weeks later two royal palms and
est of all levels post COP23 in Bonn clared a National Heritage and protected a mango tree were hacked to the ground
where the Pacific held the presidency area 20 years ago. But under Fiji’s in Central Suva less than half a kilome-
through Fiji and its military strongman current government there has been tre from Bainimarama’s office and right
and political bully. little respect for heritage sites and the next to the office of his deputy, Aiyaz
Bainimarama was unable to bully environment. Sayed-Khaiyum.
international leaders into submission Only a comprehensive effort by land- It is Khaiyum who is responsible for
in the way he does at home. owners in Namosi forced the suspen- the Green Bonds launched by Fiji at
And his high-profile, stage-managed sion of Bainimarama’s efforts to create COP23 in Bonn to fund mitigation ef-
public relations messages eaten up a copper mine in the Sovi Basin – a forts related to climate change.
readily at home, failed to tickle the taste National Heritage and home to several Ironically the palms were chopped
buds of the global media. endangered, endemic species. down in front of the Fiji Development
That forced him to say in Bangkok: On the international stage, however, Bank, the institution ear-marked to

20 Islands Business, September 2018