Fiji village mourns a patriot

By NAOMI LARKIN

SUVA - "It's OK to die like that - for the Fijians and in Fiji."

Saula Mule is talking about Kulinio Tabua, who died yesterday in Suva's Colonial War Memorial Hospital from gunshot wounds.

The 24-year-old was one of six men wounded in the shootout last Tuesday between the military and coup supporters at the parliamentary complex in Suva.

Mr Tabua, a cassava farmer and father of one, is the second person to have died since George Speight and his rebel gunmen stormed Parliament on May 19, taking former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and his ministers hostage.

The first fatality was Fijian policeman Filipo Seavula, who was shot during a rampage by rebels in the second week following the takeover.

Seated in Mr Tabua's home in the tiny village of Nakorolevu, surrounded by the dead man's relatives, Mr Mule told the Herald why his friend's death was not in vain.

"When they [Fijians] die in Lebanon or Bosnia to keep the peace there, it is not like this. It's better to die here, this way, because we are fighting for our rights."

Mr Tabua, his father and several other villagers left Nakorolevu soon after the takeover to join Speight's supporters inside Parliament. His father remained at Parliament yesterday.

"Plenty of the villagers are Speight supporters," Mr Mule said.

The dead man's namesake, Nakorolevu village leader Kulinio Tabua senior, said Speight had the village's support because his actions signalled a positive future for indigenous Fijians. "We are thinking of our children. What he did was for the country, for Fiji, for tomorrow."

Mr Tabua senior blamed the military for the death, labelling them "liars."

"They [the Army] came to us on Monday and spoke to us and they never said anything about fighting. They said everything would be solved by meeting, not fighting.

"The next day they did it. What they said and what they did - it's different."

Mr Tabua slipped into a coma the day after the shooting and remained in hospital on a respirator until his death.

Military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini said the shootout happened after Speight's supporters mistook a two-man Army patrol as a strike.

Speight yesterday said Mr Tabua's death "marks a point in Fiji's history."

"He was shot and killed by the military - another example of the military misusing and abusing its power."

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