Tears And Sadness With Fiji Arts Delegation

* See earlier reports online: http://www.usp.ac.fj/journ/docs/news/nius3087shoot.html

By Donna Hoerder

USP's Pacific Journalism Online

NOUMEA: Tears and sadness hit the Fiji delegation at the Eighth Pacific Festival of Arts in New Caledonia after the participants received the news of the mutiny in the Suva's military barracks.

Following Fiji’s performance at the Berheim Library on Thursday, the delegation was told to return to its accommodation at the Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre for an urgent meeting.

Assistant Minister for Women and Culture Adi Sainimili Dyer and the director of the Fiji contingent, Ms Sivia Qoro, broke the news to the rest of the delegation.

Apart from the reports of tension in Suva, there were also reports of tension within the group leaders of Fiji’s delegation in Noumea.

Ms Qoro rejected these reports, saying "we’ve come with an objective and despite what has happened we have stayed together."

"When we came to Noumea we were well organised but the organisation here was not what we had expected, and in some way that had initially affected us," she said.

"But we have solved it and sorted out things."

She said the trip had pulled the delegation together and it intended to work together to finish it.

"Nothing that has happened at home will take us away from our purpose of representing Fiji," she said.

"I believe we have a major role to play in terms of reconciliation."

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