China Making Play for the Fijian Mahogany That Triggered Speight Coup
Copyright 2001 Agence France-Presse
November 15, 2001
By Michael Field
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (November 15, 2001 -- Agence France-Presse)---Fiji's lucrative mahogany trees were the trigger for George Speight's failed coup, according to a popular theory in the Pacific island, and now China's communist rulers are after them.
But just as Speight was eventually repelled, local landowners Thursday rejected a bid led by China's fourth-ranking leader, Li Ruihuan, for a stake in the industry.
"We want to inform the Chinese delegation presently in the country that mahogany landowners do not wish to deal with them on the mahogany," the Fiji Sun quoted the Vanua Mahogany Landowners Association (VMLA) as saying at the end of a business trip by Li and 100 other Chinese businessmen and politicians.
Li told Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase during his visit that China was interested in Fiji's forestry resources, saying the Chinese had the technology to help process timber for export.
The most lucrative Fijian timber resource is mahogany.
Fiji has 43,600 hectares (108,000 acres) of the timber, which is one of the world's largest mahogany plantations, developed over 50 years and worth up to 217 million dollars.
The industry is regarded as one of the reasons why Speight launched his coup in May last year.
Then Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry fired Speight in August 1999 as chairman of the government-owned Fiji Hardwood Corp. Ltd. (FHCL), which was expected to manage and cut the mahogany plantations.
The civil strife during and following the coup put the mahogany contracts in limbo.
But VMLA Secretary Peceli Tuisawau said his association feared Qarase was attempting to strike a deal with the Chinese that would exclude the mahogany landowners.
"We want the nation to know that nobody owns the mahogany in Fiji and the government should pay us our dues," Tuisawu said.
"We have waited 50 years for our trees to mature and we do not wish to share it with the Chinese or with the government.
"We have suffered enough and the last thing we want is for them to close the door on us.
"The government must act with honesty and integrity with the landowners, as our patience is running out."
Senior civil servant Joji Kotobalavu said Qarase welcomed possible Chinese investment but stressed the issue was at the discussion stage and no agreements had been signed.
A meeting of about 2,000 mahogany landowners will be held next month to decide their next course of action.
Michael Field New Zealand/South Pacific Correspondent Agence France-Presse E-mail: afp.nz@clear.net.nz Phone: (64 21) 688438 Fax: (64 21) 694035 Website: http://www.afp.com/english/ Website: http://www.michaelfield.org