Issue No: 655; 4 April 2001

Today's Daily Post reports that the NTB has been sending letters to farmers leasing native land which make numerous demands. The letters state the following conditions for lessees:

· the lessee shall not use the contract for any purposes other than obtaining lease security over this land. Negative purposes includes activities such as cane harvest boycotts, farmers strike and any other political or union activity that may jeopardise and purport to cause detriment and economic loss to the overall welfare of the lessor and the respective landowners;
· if the lessee transfers or sells the lease within the first 20 years of the lease, the lessee must pay the lessor 10 % of the consideration sum of the transfer or sale; and
· the lessee will indemnify the lessor of any claims or damage that may arise out of court actions or claims instituted by the landowners for breach of the lessors duty under the Native Land Act.

These conditions are not only unlawful, but a serious violation of the human rights of farmers to join unions and engage in lawful actions to better their welfare.

The conditions are also against the provisions of the Agricultural Landlords and Tenants Acts, as well as a breach the Constitution.

Most tenant farmers are members of the National Farmers Union which backs the Fiji Labour Party. The conditions are designed to destroy the National Farmers Union and the Fiji Labour Party's support within the rural areas.

That the NLTB has proceeded to lay these conditions to the tenants give a clear picture of what the NLTB had in mind when it was calling for ALTA to be scrapped and leases be granted under Native Lands Trust Act.