Supplied: FTRC Members
Dawasamu chiefs have issued a strong call for Fiji to never experience another coup, saying communities are still suffering from the damage caused by the events of 2000.
Appearing before the Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Turaga na Ratu of Dawasamu, Ratu Alivereti Wesikana, said the political upheaval destroyed the close relationship that once existed between iTaukei villagers and Indo-Fijian farmers.
He told the Commission the community continues to live with the consequences of past wrongdoing and warned against repeating the mistakes of the past.
“Sa rauta, the coup should never happen again,” he said.
Ratu Alivereti said years of cooperation and mutual respect were shattered by the unrest, leaving divisions that continue to affect community development more than two decades later.
Former Special Constable and traditional chief Mosese Waqavolau also reflected on the violence of the period, recalling how he was assaulted while trying to maintain peace and order.
He said the injuries he suffered eventually forced him to resign from the Fiji Police Force.
Both men said the coup weakened trust, undermined institutions and left lasting scars on communities.
They urged Fijians to embrace truth-telling, accountability and reconciliation, stressing that future generations must understand the heavy cost of coups and political instability.
