GO TO SOURCE


SUVA, FIJI, August 3, 2002: A Fiji cabinet minister who likened ethnic Indians to “weeds taking up space” this week came under fierce attack from politicians, Fiji’s ethnic Indian community and women’s groups. Minister for Women Asenaca Caucau made the remark in Parliament and Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase’s silence over the issue has not helped his government’s image. Race relations are tense among Fiji’s 830,000 people, 51 percent of whom are indigenous Polynesian or Melanesian, while 44 percent are ethnic Indian. An Indian-dominated government was overthrown in a coup in 1987 and the first Indian Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, was overthrown in a 2000 coup. Caucau told Parliament Monday that Indians were like weeds taking up space just as they were doing globally. She was speaking in Fijian. She blamed Chaudhry for the 2000 coup attributing it to his “arrogant leadership style.” Later she told television her comments were “not racist.” Unlike previous reactions to such widespread outcry against this government, there has been no letter in support of Caucau or the State and no government official has come to her defense.

Post Views: 536