Race and the 1987 Military Coups in Fiji: Culmination of Fijian Fear of Indian Political Control

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the areas of conflict that brought about the military coups in 1987 in Fiji. These included factors that originated within both the Fijian and the Indian communities as well as external ones, including the policies pursued by the colonial rulers. The 1987 Military coups in Fiji represented the culmination of racial prejudices, tension and fear between the two major racial groups, native Fijians and Indians. The major reason for the political crisis was Fijian fear of Indian political domination in addition to their substantial control over Fiji's economy. Political conflict has revolved around the attempts by the two racial groups to assume control over the country's decision-making process so that they could promote their own special interests. Their attempts to devise mutually accpetable power sharing arrangements have failed. For the Fijians, it was imperative that they must exercise political paramountcy to counterbalance Indian economic power. So long as they were able to maintain their political control, open confrontation with the Indians was avoidable. Unfortunately, especially designed constitutional guarantees proved inadequate when their community itself got politically divided, thereby offering the Indians the opportunity to make a bid for power and came very close to securing it through the ballot box. This thesis is divided into 6 chapters. Chapter I, the introduction covers the profile of the country, identification of problems involving the Fijians and the Indians, and the methodology and approach that have been used. Chapter II discusses the political setting, including the roots of the conflict between the Fijians and the Indians as well as the internal divisions among the Fijians. Chapter III deals with the 1970 Constitution and the origins of communalism that is entrenched in the constitution. Chapter IV focusses onn the 1977 election which first provided the opportunity to the Indian to assume political power through the ballot box. Chapter V discusses the 1987 election and its outcome leading to the military coups that were attracted to reestablish and perpetuate Fijian political control. Chapter VI contains conclusion.