Dear Sir,

It is really disappointing to note that the people who wish to register or voice their opinion through peaceful means are quick to be probed and investigated for allegedly planning to disrupt the peace and good governance.

But, on the contrary those who have so far threatened physical violence in the false hope that they will be able to scare the Court of Appeal from holding that the conduct of the terrorists on May 19 was illegal and thus the interim regime is not in effective control have so far enjoyed the protection of the law enforcement agencies who have failed in their duty to arrest these scum bags who are really in breach of peace and are causing an enormous amount of fear, suspicion and distrust amongst the majority of our law biding citizens.

For God sake those entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order in these difficult times should wake up and realise that their abstinence from discharging their professional duties in fairness rather than employing double standards is evidence of the agency's incompetence to understand that a mere threat to execute physical violence is an infringement of Fiji's penal code provisions.

For argument sake even if there were no such provision in the penal code pursuant to which the scum bags could be properly investigated and charged there is a specific provision in the penal code which in fact saves the common law thus enabling the state to lay charges at law against those who have threatened such violence who are currently roaming Scot-free because of the agency's lack-lustre attitude in up holding the rule of law .It is point less to speak of upholding the "rule of law" when the implementation of it against the perpetrators of violence is hindered because it seems in my interpretation violence supersedes the rule of law and this great concept once enjoyed by every citizen is slowly becoming a thing of the past or obsolete.

From this one can only deduce that if you want peace you must succumb to the rebels and only after violence will come peace. I think it is about time to reverse the penal code provisions by making peace an offence whilst recognising violence as an acceptable norm of human behaviour in Fiji. This may then properly reflect the current mood of those entrusted with the duty of maintaining security in the country. What a bizarre state of circumstances in Fiji, nothing short of a banana republic or should I correctly say a "violent republic".

God save our Fiji and restore it as a paradise long lost.

Yours Faithfully

Mohammed Faiyaaz Shafiq
Sydney
Australia.