Statement by Shamima Ali on release of George Speight and Shane Stevens

4 Oct, 2024

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I make this statement today as a human rights activist, working for the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre in the year 2000 during the coup. I remember the fear, the experience of all the people and what we all went through when the coup happened. It was so frightening. It was a time when terrible things happened, almost like all hell broke loose. There were people who suffered so much.

The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre visited communities across this country following the 2000 coup and listened to heartbreaking stories. Some stories were great, where people stood up for each other, but there were a lot of people who suffered. There was rape, sexual harassment, lives were lost and there was a lot of humiliation and dehumanization that people went through. People lost their livelihood, and girls did not go to school because of the fear.

While I do believe that everyone deserves a second chance in life and although Mr. Speight and Mr. Stevens have served over 20 years each in prison – I think they have a lot to answer for.

What Mr. Speight and Mr. Stevens both do now is very important. At the moment, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission is being set up. They must genuinely and honestly participate in this and honestly come to terms with what they did, what they led and give the reassurance that people need.

As far as Mr. Stevens is concerned, we are hoping that he will be part of the reconciliation process within the military.

We are already getting questions and hearing from some sections of the community who are panicking and fearful because they are remembering what happened in 2000. It was a time of utter chaos and anarchy, so we need to reassure these people, the government needs to reassure the people that they are safe, even though there is no imminent danger but those who suffered, the trauma has remained, because we have not worked through the trauma that people went through at that point in time.

We call on our leaders to be very mindful of the impact and the messages that they send to Fijians through the policies and laws that they create, especially the words that they speak.  We must be brave and bold enough to cancel programs and policies that divide us along ethnic lines.

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