Latest news with #RatuTevitaMara
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Fiji enthralled by the return of the Mara chiefly dynasty
On the program this week: Excitement in Fiji as Ratu Tevita Mara, son of the country's founding prime minister, becomes the high chief of the Lau islands in a series of sacred rituals over several days. Pressure on the International Seabed Authority to finalise regulations to govern deep-sea mining in international waters as the United States looks to forge ahead on its own. Tonga's government strengthens its cyber security capabilities after data at the country's largest hospital was hacked and encrypted for ransom. Australian Federal Police to be embedded with Fiji's police force to combat multinational drug syndicates using Pacific islands as smuggling staging points. And a partnership between the Australian and Papua New Guinean Defence Forces is helping PNG military pilots get their commercial pilots licences.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
A ceremony of silence: Echoes of mana and a chief's ascent
Protocol had dictated that the onlookers maintain complete silence and keep still for up to three hours. Photo: Facebook / Fiji Government In Fiji, a new chief from an eminent dynasty emerged before the crowds, shrouded in silence, accompanied only by the sound of birds. Ratu Tevita Mara - the son of Fiji's first prime minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, was elevated to chiefly status this week in two grand ceremonies that took place on Nayau and Lakeba Islands in Lau. The crowd, estimated at several thousand, remained silent and still on Thursday as the newly crowned chief walked solemnly out of the church in Tubou. He was accompanied by an entourage of warriors, religious figures and dignitaries. A tall, dignified, statuesque figure, commonly known as Roko Ului, he easily towered over the people sitting on the sacred ground. Ratu Tevita Mara is the son of Fiji's first prime minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Photo: Facebook / Fiji Government He too was quiet, head down, which seemed fitting for a high-born chief who is described and humble and private. What was notable, was the total silence that pervaded. There was only the birds and the breeze and the movement in the environment. Protocol had dictated that the onlookers maintain complete silence and keep still for up to three hours. Even the warriors guarding Roko Ului stood still, a sign of dedication and commitment, despite the heat and mugginess that day. People in the villages on both islands and around the Lau group fell simultaneously silent. His story is like something out of a Hollywood movie. He walks in the shadow of his father, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, deemed to be the father of Fiji. Silence is engrained in the Fijian psyche and expected and observed on during a variety of ceremonial occasions. Photo: Facebook / Fiji Government Roko Ului, a former military general, fled to Tonga in 2011 and went into exile after the then Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama wanted him tried for treason. The royal family sheltered him in their Nuku'alofa palace, where he worked as an advisor to King Tupou VI. The Bainimarama administration banned him from re-entering Fiji - something that only became possible after Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka's government came into power in December 2022. He returned to Fiji in 2023 and now there are predictions that he could well enter politics and become prime minister in the future. A Fijian academic based in Aotearoa says the country is celebrating its new chief, because leadership is innate to iTaukei culture. Victoria University's Asia-Pacific programme manager Maciu Raivoka told Paciic Waves says silence is a vital and symbolic part of Fijian culture. Silence is engrained in the Fijian psyche and expected and observed on during a variety of ceremonial occasions. It was not just a mark of respect for Roko Ului, it allowed him to dominate the space. Psychologically, from a cultural point of view, it created the right ambience to magnify his mana or status. It enabled people to be alone in a communal setting, to meditate or engage spiritually in the moment. Raivoka says the occasion was a chance for iTaukei to celebrate the beauty of culture as a way of life, and as a system of governance, where people can demonstrate the best of themselves. It was about "spotlighting" the role culture, of time-tested wisdom, that can be applied today. Culture is something Fijians feel deeply inside, a spiritual connection, because that's what they know best. The Fijian people subscribe to a communal world where one person represents everybody. The bigger context is that Fiji as a country is looking at culture as a way of enhancing its leadership capability. Culture is a way of life for iTaukei, it is not "history", it is being practised today. Raivoka said people in the developed world do not appreciate that the cultural and modern world compliment each other and they need to be enhanced equally. Roko Ului, a former military general, fled to Tonga in 2011 and went into exile after the then Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama wanted him tried for treason. Photo: Facebook / Fiji Government At Tuesday's ceremony, Roko Ului took off his ornate ceremonial attire and had a fully-clothed "dip" in a special salt water pit, dug in the sand. He emerged in a bright red sulu (sarong) and white long-sleeved shirt. Raivoka explained that the practice parallels christian baptism and is a form of spiritual cleansing. The whole process of being "installed" as a chief is about making connections with ancestors and allowing people in the village to play their specific role. Chiefs are no longer considered individuals, they become a personification of their people, the vanua (land) the environment, and connections to other tribes and countries. Sir Kamisese formed the Alliance Party in the early 1960s. It was Fiji's first ruling party from 1966 to 1987, when the party was beaten by a Labour-led coalition led by Timoci Bavadra. After less than a month in office, the new government was deposed in a military coup led by the then Lieutenant Colonel Rabuka.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 11 July
The prestigious titles of Turaga Tui Nayau, Sau Ni Vanua Ko Lau and Tui Lau are being be bestowed upon Ratu Tevita this week. Photo: Facebook / Ministry of itaukei Affairs China's Ambassador to Fiji Zhou Jian has handed over a FJ$100,000 (approximately US$44,600) donation to the newly installed chief of the Lau group. Ratu Tevita Mara received the chiefly title of Tui Nayau on Tuesday, and on Thursday the Sau ni Vanua o Lau , Na Tui Lau titles. Solar street lights, household solar facilities, and a mini bus for the people of Lau have also been donated by China. Zhou said with the strong relationship that Fiji has with China, China will continue to provide support and assistance to the best of its ability for Fiji's rural development. He said China will continue to assist Fiji in responding to climate change through both bilateral and multilateral channels. A 37-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in prison for reckless driving that caused the deaths of his two children. Matangi Tonga reported the court heard that on 22 January of this year, in an attempt to overtake a vehicle at excessive speed, he lost control of the vehicle which had defective tyres and veered off the road. The crash caused the deaths of his two children who were in the car - the youngest was nine years old. Justice Tupou sentenced him on 8 July at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa, after he pleaded guilty to the charge in May. A prominent Samoan businessman and former Samoa National Provident Fund chairman has died. Local media reported Papali'i Panoa Moala died on Wednesday night. He was a long-serving board member of the Fund, and also served as its chair from 2021 until earlier this year. Papali'i was previously the Fund's chief executive and remained on the board following his resignation as chair. Family, friends, and community leaders have been sharing tributes online. Cook Islands is projected to achieve record visitor arrivals in 2025, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. The latest ANZ Research Pacific Insight report forecasts 180,000 tourists. Cook Islands News reported this being due to increased air connectivity. However there are still challenges ahead in the balance of growth with environmental and workforce sustainability. The Cook Islands marine resources ministry is exploring solutions to revive a shrinking pearl farming industry. Local media reported that discussions around new cultivation methods and international partnerships are still underway. Marine resources minister Tingika Elikana said there are just a few farmers on the island of Manihiki. Opposition leader Tina Browne added that the Manihiki lagoon can no longer support the growth of pearl shells. Because of this, she proposes a hatchery be set up to cultivate the shells before transferring them to Manihiki.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
'Political dynamics in Fiji are unpredictable': Will Ratu Tevita Mara step into politics?
Ratu Tevita Mara is the son of Fiji's first prime minister, the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Photo: Facebook / Ministry of itaukei Affairs A Fijian political commentator predicts that Ratu Tevita Mara well could become prime minister in the future, once he gains chiefly status. The King and Queen of Tonga are in Fiji this week to celebrate two historic ceremonies in honour of Ratu Tevita, the son of Fiji's first prime minister, the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. On Tuesday, a huge crowd gathered on Nayau Island in Lau - northeast of the main island - for a grand ceremony to witness the island's kingmakers present his first title, Turaga Tui Nayau . Ratu Tevita, a former military general, fled to Tonga in 2011 and went into exile after the then Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama wanted him tried for treason . The royal family sheltered him in their Nuku'alofa palace, where he worked as an advisor to King Tupou VI. The Bainimarama administration banned him from re-entering Fiji - something that only became possible after Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka's government came into power in December 2022. The prestigious titles of Turaga Tui Nayau, Sau Ni Vanua Ko Lau and Tui Lau are being be bestowed upon Ratu Tevita this week. Photo: Facebook / Ministry of itaukei Affairs Tuesday's ceremony was highly significant because the titles had been vacant for more than two decades, following the death of Ratu Sir Kamisese in 2004. Ratu Tevita will receive two more titles, Tui Lau and Sau Ni Vanua Ko Lau , on Thursday during a ceremony at Tubou village in Lau. University of Canterbury's distinguished professor Steven Ratuva believes his chiefly status and mana will pave the way for him enter politics. "It has been the practice in the past that chiefs stand for elections, because it gives them more status and power," Ratuva said. "I am not sure if he would put himself forward, he is quite a humble man and will have responsibilities as a provincial leader. But it is likely he will be approached by at least two political parties: Rabuka's ruling People's Alliance Party and Sodelpa." Professor Steven Ratuva Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis Ratuva said that even if he did not want to stand in next year's election, Ratu Tevita could be asked to support the parties and mobilise votes in his traditional constituency. "He might say no to both of them, so other parties might decide to approach him," he said. "Others might say keep away from politics, it's dirty. A lot of chiefs who are politics now get tangled up in all kinds of controversy, so he'll probably be torn between those two forces." Ratu Tevita has kept his political leanings to himself and it is unclear if he would back Rabuka's government. "Chiefly alliances change all the time, especially at this point in time, the political dynamics in Fiji are unpredictable." Ratu Sir Kamisese formed the Alliance Party in the early 1960s. It was Fiji's first ruling party from 1966 to 1987, when the party was beaten by a Labour-led coalition led by Timoci Bavadra. After less than a month in office, the new government was deposed in a military coup led by the then Lieutenant Colonel Rabuka.
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Tongan royals to celebrate age-old ties with Fiji at high chief's installation ceremony
By 'Alakihihifo Vailala , PMN Tonga's King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau'u at their coronation in 2015. Photo: Supplied / PMN The King and Queen of Tonga are visiting Fiji to attend the installation ceremony of the chiefly titles of Sau Ni Vanua Ko Lau, Tui Nayau, and Tui Lau. The installation ceremony will be held on Lakeba Island, and the royal couple has been invited by Lauan chief Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara, who has Tongan noble ancestry. Ratu Tevita, who is also the head of Mataqali Vuanirewa, Tubou Village, will be installed as the new Sau Ni Vanua Ko Lau, Tui Nayau, and Tui Lau next week. He is the son of Fiji's first Prime Minister, the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, and Burebasaga paramount chief, the late Ro Adi Lady Lala Mara. Next week's ceremony comes 56 years after Ratu Tevita's father was last installed as the paramount chief of Lau. Ratu Tevita's maternal great-grandmother was the daughter of Lord Veikune, a prominent Tongan noble. The late Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho, mother of the current Tongan monarch King Tupou VI, was also a granddaughter of Lord Veikune. Lord Veikune's wife, Lady Vaohoi Veikune, was the great-granddaughter of Ma'afu, the first Tui Lau, who was renowned for bridging the Tongan and Fijian chiefly lineages. Frederica Lupe'uluiva Tuita, a member of the Tongan royal family, told PMN News that this royal gathering is steeped in ancestral connections, particularly between Tonga and Fiji's chiefly families, particularly the connections through the clan known as 'Ha'a Fale Fisi'. The clan descends from a Tongan chieftess and a chief from the island of Lakeba. Tuita is a niece of King Tupou VI - daughter of the monarch's sister, Princess Royal Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita and Lord Siosa'ia Ma'ulupekotofa Tuita. "Relationships between the Tongan royal families and Fijian aristocracy stretch back hundreds of years," she says. "This is embodied in a group or clan of hereditary Lords called 'Ha'a Fale Fisi' or 'House of Fiji'. "They are descendants of Tapu'osi (a chief of Waciwaci Village in Lakeba) and Sinaitakala Lotunofo (eldest daughter of the Tu'i Tonga). "Sinaitakala was a Tu'i Tonga Fefine and was sacred." From left, the Late Queen Mother Halaevalu Mata'aho, Frederica Tuita, and Princess Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita. Photo: Facebook / Frederica Tuita According to legend, the eldest daughter of the Tu'i Tonga met Tapu'osi by chance on Lakeba Island during a brief stopover. Lau is an island group in eastern Fiji, with its main island, Lakeba, located about 300 kilometres east of Suva by air. By sea, the journey can take around 10 to 15 hours, depending on the vessel and weather conditions. Tuita emphasises the importance of understanding family history for Pacific identity, noting the significance of family gatherings and obligations in nurturing these relationships. Lauan chief Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara. Photo: Supplied / PMN "Most Tongans value their blood ties as they appreciate that without knowing your family history, one's future can be light and ordinary," she says. "We travel( when affordable) to funerals, weddings, family reunions, as it's an obligation and a privilege to nurture and cultivate our family, and we have a sense of belonging." The week-long celebrations for Ratu Tevita's installation will take place from 7 to 13 July. -This article was first published by PMN .
