Fiji tsunami and earthquake prophecy fails to eventuate

[Stacey King]

Updated June 23, 2010 16:38:32 ABC Radio Pacific Beat

In Fiji today at 2.30 pm local time, nothing happened. Ordinarily, that wouldn't exactly make the news, but the nation had been told via a prophecy by a church minister in Nadi that Fiji would be struck by earthquakes and tsunamis today at that precise time.

Such was the level of concern by the government at the effect this was having that the head of the Fiji Rugby Union, Bill Gavoka, was taken into custody for forwarding e-mails about the alleged prophecy to tourism operators. Public servants were warned they had to turn up to work today, amid reports that some parents were going to keep their children from going to school.

A prominent Fiji NGO, the Citizens Constitutional Forum, says having Mr Gavoka arrested was unwarranted, as he had committed no actual crime. Reverend Aquila Yabaki, head of the CCF tells Bruce Hill that part of the blame for the public reaction to the prophecy rests with the interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Reverend Aquila Yabaki, head of Fiji's Citizens Constitutional Forum ABC