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Issue No: 948; 17 July 2001
Over one year after hundreds of families in the Muaniweni and Dawasamu areas were terrorised, the Qarase regime has decided to provide assistance of $500,000 to the refugees. The over 200 members of the families whose houses were burnt, farms raided and destroyed, and who were brutally beaten, tortured and raped, fled to Lautoka where they have been staying as refugees. Under international law, they are regarded as internally displaced people. The Qarase move has been condemned by most major political parties. The Fiji Labour Party has called the payout inadequate and suspicious. Elected Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry stated: "Its grossly inadequate and would not pay for the losses and injuries sustained by the refugees". He described Qarase as shedding crocodile tears. The Fijian Association has also condemned the payout decision
saying it was too little too late. The SVT condemned the move as politicking.
SVT leader Filipe Bole stated: "The families affected have been grieving
for so long and for them to be paid now is wrong. I don't think they would be
fooled by [Qarase]". |
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People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
