The Marama Bale Na Roko Tui Dreketi, Ro Teimumu Kepa says the word “vulagi” cannot be derogatory.

Breaking her silence on the much talked about issue, Ro Teimumu says the definition for vulagi is simply honoured, visitor or guest.

Speaking at the Forced Labour and Migration Conference at the University of Fiji Saweni Campus today, Ro Teimumu says the indigenous Fijians themselves are regularly called vulagi when they visit another vanua or place.

She says, for example, if she visited a village in Vanua Levu, the villagers would ask as to who the vulagi is, basically meaning who is the visitor or guest.

Ro Teimumu says if you call yourself a Fijian, there is no need to take offence if sometimes you are addressed as vulagi.

According to Ro Teimumu, all the uproar about this issue denotes a lack of understanding of how Fijian social system works and the knowledge and use of the indigenous language.