Editorial comment | Unity, resilience and security! - Voice of Asia

Minister for Defence, Pio Tikoduadua, believes that the National Security Strategy should not merely be a policy document, but rather a blueprint for the nation's future security. This strategy represents a shift from passively responding to threats to proactively building a security system, ensuring a more robust and preventative approach.

The strategy ensures that security is not just about responding to threats, but more importantly about enhancing the resilience of national institutions, communities, and national identity. It embodies a commitment to building a safer, stronger, and more just Fiji. The Minister emphasized that Fiji's security vision is clear: to build a nation where every Fijian feels safe, not only from crime or external threats, but also from the uncertainty brought about by division, exclusion, and institutional failures.

The Minister pointed out that security is not just about the presence of law enforcement or military forces, but about ensuring that every Fijian, regardless of their background, ethnicity, or status, feels valued, protected, and included. "That is why I have always maintained that national security and national unity are inseparable." A nation divided by ethnic, economic, or political divisions is not strong; a nation where people feel marginalized or ignored is not stable; and a Fiji where democracy is undermined by force, fear, or exclusion is not secure.

The Minister recalled periods in Fiji's history when the military was used to undermine democracy rather than protect it, such as in 1987, 2000, and 2006, when the military became involved in political affairs, used as a tool to suppress dissent rather than uphold the will of the people. He emphasized that the nation cannot heal without acknowledging the past, nor can it move forward while allowing history to repeat itself. Therefore, the military must maintain its role as a stabilizing force, rather than becoming a tool for political control, safeguarding democratic principles and the rule of law.

The Minister concluded by emphasizing that the National Security Strategy is a vision for Fiji's future, where national security is inseparable from national unity. He called for facing past mistakes and ensuring that the military remains depoliticized. Only in this way can Fiji have a future filled with peace, democracy, and resilience. The Minister's statement is particularly important in light of the former Police Commissioner's call for military intervention after the 2022 general election, citing "threats to minorities," and it points in the right direction: the military must remain a stabilizing force, free from political influence, upholding the will of the people, and serving as an instrument for the nation's well-being.