The Guardian Australia moderators were forced to contend with ignorant comments on their live blog about the Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s traditional dress when they posted a photo of Australian soldiers greeting him today in Canberra.
The prime minister of Fiji, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama in Canberra. Source: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Prime Minister Scott Morrison met with the Fijian PM today ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump this Friday. The last time they were together, in August, Morrison made headlines for reducing Tonga’s PM to tears over climate change inaction and the Fijian PM told The Guardian, “I thought Morrison was a good friend of mine. Apparently not.”
The Fijian PM was wearing a “Sulu Vakataga -- pronounced: sue-loo va-ka-ta-ng-ga” Fijian-Australian actor Gloria Bose explained to The Feed. “It is essentially a kilt worn to formal and traditional events from business meetings to church. It shows respect; a certain formality and modesty.”
“The missionaries brought it to Fiji so it also signifies conversion to Christianity… Australians might not get it because skirts have been gendered as female” Gloria Bose speculated.
The Guardian Australia was forced to moderate trolls trying to link Frank Bainimarama's Sulu Vakataga to Scott Morrison’s recent comments on gender neutral bathrooms.
We reached out to Guardian Australia political journalist Amy Remeikis who wrote to her readers:
"Anyone who has criticised or made a ‘joke’ about Frank Bainimarama’s traditional dress in the comment stream really needs to take a look at what they are doing and how they are coming across.
We have been through this multiple times now. Stop it."
Remeikis clarified to The Feed that she 'just [has] no time for it even beginning to head down that route... it doesn’t matter what side of politics you sit on - it’s never warranted and it’s never right.’
Speaking today at Parliament House the Fijian PM reminded Scott Morrison:
“Members of any family are entitled to their disagreements. No one expects that our differences can be resolved quickly or easily, but we must never fall down in forging common ground and common ground is what I intend to seek in our discussion on the issues that impact the lives of Fijians, Australians and all the Pacific people this morning.”
He concluded:
“Mr Prime Minister, as I said to you before we came in, I was hoping that I’d be at the grounds watching the Fijians kick the Welsh out!”
