Litia Cava 
[ Source: Fiji Government / Facebook ]
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told the Truth and Reconciliation Commission today that the 1987 coups forced him into decisions where military duty clashed with personal conscience.
He said following orders often conflicted with his moral sense, leaving him torn between loyalty to the chain of command and the ethical treatment of civilians.
Rabuka said he offered officers the chance to resign, emphasizing that the move was vital to protect their integrity and uphold ethical accountability.
He described watching colleagues wrestle with these choices as one of the most difficult aspects of leadership, noting that the consequences of these decisions went beyond the battlefield and deeply affected families and communities.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that the upheaval exposed him to ongoing personal guilt.
He said he coped by focusing on family and life after the crisis but carried the weight of responsibility for enabling events even when he had not directly committed violations.
Rabuka warned that the experience underlined how duty to the state can collide with moral responsibility, a lesson he said should guide future leaders.
He called the period a stark reminder that leadership during times of political and ethnic tension comes with profound personal and societal costs and that true accountability requires courage and conscience.
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