I am not making this confession as the current Prime Minister but as the initiator of the 1987 coup.

This was the confession made by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka during the Reconciliation Service between the Methodist Church and the Girmitiyas in Suva moments ago.

Rabuka admitted that he had wronged the Girmitiyas descendants and all Fijians in 1987.

“I am not making this confession as the Prime Minister for Fiji because I do not hold the government accountable for my actions of 1987. I do not claim to be making this confession on behalf of the Vanua Navatu, I’m not Tui Navatu, I’m just a member of the Yavusa Navatu, vanua Navatu of Cakaudrove, but I make this confession on my own behalf and on behalf of all those that took part with me on the military coup of the 14th of May, 1987. We confess our wrong doings, we confess that we have hurt so many of our people in Fiji.”

Rabuka commended the efforts of those who stayed on and struggled to try and restore our relationship to date.

“I thank the community leaders who have worked tirelessly. to bring the two communities of Fijians and Indo Fijians together. The work is not complete, we will have to continue, I do not make this as an excuse but I wish those before us had done this in the years gone by.”

Rabuka admits that they have wronged Fijians, particularly the Indo-Fijians community and their sons and daughters, forcing some to leave our shores for a better living.

“I admit our wrong doings, you are correct to have blamed us, you have every right to blame us for the difficulties you went through, we do not blame you for being angry with us or even hating us, you are justified in your anger and your hate. I stand here to confess and to ask for your forgiveness. I have made my confession personally to some for my deeds in 198 .Those that I did not reach, I hope I am coming across to you today here and on live stream. Please forgive us. As you forgive us, you release us and you are released, you are released from hatred and you are released for your anger and we can feel the peace of God coming to your beings, coming to our lives.”

The Prime Minister says as we move forward with God, starting today, we will not have to carry the burden we had in our lives as we continue forward together for a better Fiji.

Rabuka says reconciliation can never be successful if the two parties involved do not agree.

“Those of us that have wronged you come and confess our wrong doings, it’s up to you to forgive us .I pray that God will give you that power, it’s beyond the human power. The power to forgive is not human, the power to forgive is Godly. The power to forgive can only come from God. We all know that old verse, to err is godly to forgive divine. Today I Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka on behalf of those who were with me in 1987 ask for forgiveness and pray that God will grant you the serenity and the power to forgive us.”

He thanked the Girmit Committee for accepting the request from the Methodist Church to allow the reconciliation service to be part of the Girmit celebrations.

The service was attended by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, the government, Fiji Labour Party President Mahendra Chaudhry, government ministers, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Methodist Church members, and Girmitiyas.