Wednesday, August 5, 2009

More about Fiji

Tensions between the 300,000-strong Methodist Church in Fiji and the military government continue to grow.

Kim Cain, of Ecumenical News International, writes that just singing hymns in Fiji could destabilise a whole government.


The Fijian Methodist Church's annual conference, which usually brings together up to 1000 church leaders for a week of discussion, celebration and singing, is the supreme decision-making body for the Methodist church.

However, the military government of interim prime minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama has attempted to stop the Conference from taking place in late August. Two top Methodist Church ministers and a paramount chief were charged with defying the Public Emergency Regulation over the conference plans.

Paramount Chief Ro Teimumu along with church president, Rev. Ame Tugaue, and secretary general, Rev. Tuikilakila Waqairatu, were granted bail on 23 July after being held in custody for two days. They were ordered to appear in court in three weeks.

Bail conditions included surrender of travel documents and bans on holding any meetings for 21 days. The two ministers are not to be seen in public or to conduct anything that might be construed to be a meeting.

It is believed to be the first time a Fijian government has clashed so openly with the Methodist church, which has a local reputation for moderation, conservative social values and harmony.

About one third of Fiji's almost one million people are Methodists.

In the days prior to the conference up to 10 000 singing Fijians normally gather for the nation's biggest social gathering: the Fijian choir hymn singing contest. Now church members say the government has also banned the choral feast, fearing it will lead to further political instability. But in a show of religious conviction and support for their church leaders that may have political reverberations for Bainimarama's fragile hold on power, it is rumoured that many more choirs plan to come to Suva to sing their hymns of God's power and might.

Ecumenical News International reports that between 20 000 and 50 000 Fijian Methodists plan to flock to the national capital, Suva, to ensure the hymn singing - and the church conference - goes ahead. "The tension is growing and there is a great deal of anger," an Australian church leader in regular contact with Fijians told ENI.

"People are concerned that it will just take a clash between a couple of angry young people and the military for violence to erupt, he said. "While there may be only two roads into the area around the airport and the military may think they can control the area, many are concerned that 50 000 people will be beyond their capacity and then they may resort to violence," he stated.

Meanwhile Methodist church leaders are reported to be finding alternative leadership structures to deal with the muzzling of their president and general secretary, whose strict bail terms prevent their from talking to more than one person at a time.

At this stage, the church is determined to hold its annual conference. ENI has learnt that many church members will still attend the location of the conference, even if church leaders call the gathering off. Radio New Zealand reports that Fijian church leaders fear that the government monitors their electronic communications - telephone and email.

As the stand off between the church and the military grows, the national assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia, which includes former Methodists, has pledged its "prayerful support" for the Fijian church, sending an envoy to Suva as a sign of support for the Methodists.

This is a situation calling for the prayerful support of Christians world-wide.

This blog is adapted from an article in Insights, the official publication of the Synod of New South Wales and the ACT, part of the Uniting Church in Australia. Last modified July 28, 2009 and republished by Rowland Croucher on Facebook.

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