Justice Movement wants $100,000 for evicted farmers

Issue No: 808; 30 May 2001

 
The Movement for Justice and Freedom in Fiji wants the state to pay $100,000 per family which is evicted from land.

Media reports state that the $100,000 demand was made for rehabilitation and for the farmers to start a new life.

The Movement was started in Fiji during the height of the terrorist crisis by concerned Fiji citizens. It started by collecting signatures from citizens of Fiji for Australia and UK to accept responsibility for the ethnic Indians in Fiji. A vast majority of ethnic Indians were brought to Fiji in the 1800's by the UK and Australian governments from Indian under conditions resembling slavery. Over 120,000 signatures were reportedly collected. There are over 350,000 ethnic Indians in Fiji out of a total population of 800,000.

The Movement, led by former civil servant Dildar Shah, has now opened branches n New Zealand.

Meanwhile, the Qarase regime has made provisions for material assistance to evicted farmers to the value up to a maximum of $10,000. But most evicted farmers have yet to receive this aid.

In contrast, the People's Coalition Government had made a provision of a cash rehabilitation grant of $28,000 per leaseholder evicted. The evictees also had the option, in place of the cash grant, of settling on land made available by the state. When the People's Coalition Government announced this policy, its major opposition came from the National Federation Party which asked for $50,000 per farmer. But now the NFP has accepted and welcomed the Qarase regime's aid offer of up to $10,000.

 

People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands
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