The Mau protest march and future

Dear Editor,

If someone has the same thought that I have that Samoa is heading to the wrong direction then this discussion could be a helpful message for that person. Samoa really needs help right now and therefore right now is the good chance and the right time to start figuring out what our beliefs are and why we believe our beliefs in order to change the direction of Samoa to a better one.

Remember, there is no point of having all our beliefs sorted and ready, if the right process to deliver it is not followed. So it is very important to follow the right process because it is the only way to handle the wrong direction. 

The first step to start with is humility and patience but not arrogance and anger. The next step involves studies and researches to support our beliefs. Studies and researches is the crucial part of the process because the ‘working’ and ‘not working’ of what is needed to be achieved is relying on studies and researches.  

It is not going to work when things are starting with arrogance and anger. It is not going to work when insults and attacks are used to express the messages.

It is not going to work when ‘Anonymous’ and ‘Ghostwriters’ are used to relay the messages and it is not going to work either when information from hacking is used to support the messages.

The meaning of all those things is hypocrisy. Calling people and other government officials as liars, corrupt and with other different names but the situations of anonymous and ghostwriters are used for those insults and attacks. There is no care and hope in those things.

I do respect the opinions from the anonymous and ghostwriters on the social media because I believe that the information regarding corruption and nepotism in government they have been floating on the social media are facts. However, they have to remember that the other biggest problem of the government especially the leadership that we are dealing with right now is hypocrisy.

Telling everyone in Samoa and promising to Samoa the Transparency and Accountability but they didn’t deliver it. They went the opposite way and they are still going in the opposite way. When Afualo Dr. Wood Salele proposed a corruption tribunal to solve serious crimes of corruption, they slammed it and said that there are enough laws to deal with corruption.

Since that time until now, no one knows what those laws are, no one has been brought to justice, no one has been prosecuted, no one has been arrested and they are still obstructing access to the information of crimes of corruption.  

Apart from those ones, there is more. They are still acting as if the establishment and the contents of the law for leasing out Customary Lands are okay but the truth is according to the right process or the proper process that should be followed, it is not okay.

Did each member in Parliament collect all opinions of sa’o and matai of each village in their constituencies including the opinions of sa’o and matai who are living overseas? Did the government departments responsible with that responsibility do the same thing?

O le tulafono i fanua fa’aleaganu’u ua latou faia ma le fa’aletatau, e pei o le lesitalaina o fanua fa’aleaganuu mo le fa’anofolisiina. E amata lava i le fa’avevesi ma le fa’amalepeina ai o aiga ae le’i taitai ona o’o ane lena o isi aafiaga matuia o lo o mulimuli mai. 

We understand that when we make our plans we have to look at two important things; the opportunity and fear. If we focus only on fear, we might miss out of the opportunity.

If we focus only on the opportunity, we might lose everything we have. The government was looking only at the opportunity because that was the reason why the government established the law without taking proper consultation. The country’s view based on the law that is already established is focusing on both things; opportunity and fear but mostly fear.

That is the main reason why our people challenged the government on social media. Also, that is the main reason of the Protest March (Mau March) on 16/12/2017.

The cause of all those things is because of not following of the right process. Proper consultation comes first and then the establishment. We can all agree together with the opportunity without fear when the right process was followed in the beginning. However, the government is still denying its mistake regarding that situation. The alteration to the Constitution of Samoa is the other hypocrisy.

The Constitution of Samoa was re-modified with the new amendment of Christianity to become as the Official Religion of Samoa. After making that amendment in just a little while they impose tax on Church Ministers earnings. 

So, for our friends under anonymous and ghostwriters, we already understand where their hearts are; they love our country so much. However, the using of anonymous and ghostwriters do not work according to the reasons as explained above and according to our objective.

In addition, the outcome of hypocrisy is the other side of this situation that should also be taken into consideration. We can tell from the government’s desperation and the government’s strange leadership that the leaders were also struggling for a very long time because of hypocrisy.

The result of hypocrisy we have been noticing for a long time now is that the leaders have been facing lots of criticisms and oppositions from the public because people are not benefit from hypocrisy. How can Samoa benefits from intentional and provable double standards, contradictions and lies.      

Therefore in my humble view, the right step to deal with the problems of the leadership is engaging in discussions with real identity, humility and patience. Also, if our objective is to have Samoa heading to a better direction, we must consider the effective manners such as humility, patience and respect. We can arrive successfully to our objective if we follow the right process.

So there is no need for us to wait for another time but right now is the right time to start thinking about our beliefs. Search for facts, evidences and authenticity. As a reminder, there is no point of just having beliefs without communicating them to our people and should be communicating in the right way. Also, it is not enough if we explain to our people just our beliefs.

So before we communicate anything about our beliefs, we have to figure out first why we believe our beliefs. Maybe we are sharing together the same belief of successful if the Transparency, Accountability and promises are always delivering by following of the right processes. Maybe we are sharing together the belief of fast development through simplicity by valuing responsibilities.

That is, be responsible only for serving of the right leadership and the right justice when people commit offences such as corruption and cover-up. Don’t left them behind but deal with them immediately. And, maybe we can all agree together about what is not working for leadership for finding a better direction for Samoa. That is, it is not working when the authority of the government is used in the wrong way in order to manipulate our country’s right, possession and foundation. 

To communicate those vital informations to our people, we must consider effective manners as mentioned above such as humility, patience and respect. Communicate care and hope. That is the kind of care and the kind of relationship that our country is hoping for. To prove care and hope to our country, we must carry out two important things at the same time.

Follow the right process in pursuing of our objective and support our government to the best we can no matter what. Always remember that there is no perfect person on earth except Christ. If we think that we are perfect or better than others, we certainly ended up in producing of no care and no hope.

The Protest March (Mau March) that is planning for 16/12/2017, is a good example of care and hope. The organizers should be acknowledged for following of the right process. The Spoke Person of the S.S.I.G has put in tremendous amount of effort for the purpose of having Samoa heading to a better direction. “Po’o fea lava e iai le Isaraelu i lenei lalolagi, e susu’e a lona fa’amalama i Ierusalema”.

E le mafaia fo’i e le Malo ma ana tulafono ona faia se tulaga e taofia ai le so’otaga o tagata Samoa o lo o alala i atunu’u i fafo ma a latou measina ma meatotino i Samoa. The Spoke Person’s opinions about the law, finances and the economy are still available on the social media under the real identity or the real name. The reaction (positive / negative) from every side in relation to those informations confirms the authenticity and reliability of that effort. However, that effort to the Spoke Person was not enough and hence, the Protest March (Mau March) on 16/12/2017. 

Lau Susuga i le Faatonu, o lea ua folau mai i atunuu mamao tama fanau a Samoa e tusa ai ma le ‘Savali o le Mau’ po o le ‘Solo tete’e’ ona o measina ma meatotino po o fanua fa’aleaganu’u ua aafia, ma e i’u lava ina magoto atu ai i lima o tagata ese i le lumana’i, ona o tulafono papa’u tele a le tatou Malo e saili seleni ai aua le tamaoaiga o le atunu’u. Ua talafeagai lelei lava le Savali ma lona taimi.

Ia a’o alo atu tama fanau a Samoa i le fa’amoemoe, ia aua lava ne’i popole i le taliaina ma le le taliaina. O le tulaga sili ona taua o le auai i le fa’amoemoe, e iloa ai e le atunu’u le tulaga o lo o iai loto ma finagalo. E le alo tamala le atunu’u i le latou tapuaiga mo lea fa’amoemoe. Aua ne’i popole i se to’atele, e le’i maua ni tala lelei ma ni manuia i se to’atele. Ia aua fo’i ne’i popole tele i le itu tau seleni.

E le gata fo’i i lea, ia aua fo’i nei popole i mea taumafa (meaai ma vai inu). E alofagia i le ala le Savali. E le’o lagona lava fo’i se leo fa’alaua’itele o nai faifeau i le tulafono i fanaua, ae talitonu le agaga ma le mafaufau o lo o faia pea le latou pito laau o le tapua’i ma tu’u atu i tapuaiga ma talosaga Samoa ma lona Malo, atoa ai ma mea uma o lo o tutupu ina ia manuia. 

Amata mai lava i Afioga Patele ma Patele, o le paia ma le mamalu i Tama’ita’i Sa. O le paia fo’i ma le mamalu i Susuga i Faafegaiga, o Ao o Fa’alupega po o Auauna fo’i a le Atua ma Faletua, atoa ai ma Aufaigaluega eseese a le Atua i so’o se Fata Faitaulaga. E le gata i lea, o lo o fa’availolo fo’i le tapuaiga mamalu a nai isi Tapuaiga ma Talitonuga eseese ua ou le maua uma o latou suafa.

Fa’amanuia tele le Atua i le Savali ma lana feau aemaise fo’i le fofoga o le ta’ita’i tautua, le Susuga ia Faleauto Simi Maua Taua.

Faia ma lo’u faaaloalo tele lava i lau Susuga i le Fa’atonu.

Faafetai,

 

Nanai Malonuu Lealaiauloto Nofoaiga.

Samoa Observer

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