Colonel Mara granted Tongan citizenship, leaves for Australia

© Tevita Motulalo

Former Fijian Army Commander Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara, aka Roko Ului, has departed Tongan shores today for Australia to speak in a pro-democracy rally in Canberra.

He was granted Tongan Citizenship and a passport yesterday. 

He is still awaiting New Zealand's decision on whether they will allow him to enter the country.

He is expected to be back in Tonga in at least a week.

Mara landed in Tonga a month ago after a “fishing expedition” went wrong and was “rescued” by Tongan Navy.

He has been accused by Fijian Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama of jumping bail, after he was charged with sedition for voicing anti-government remarks.

Rescue of Fijian Army Colonel Mara: “Navy people are stupid”, and Fijian PM is Navy

Interview by Tevita Motulalo, Managing Editor, Tonga Chronicle. 3:30pm, Thursday 26th, Polota’ane, Nuku’alofa.

Former Fijian Infantry Commander Lt. Col. Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara

Tonga Chronicle: Thank you for the interview. Enjoying the stay here?

Ratu Tevita Mara: Very much.

Tonga Chronicle: Can you retell the story of your departure from Fiji?

Mara: Well there’s still a lot of versions from the other side. I’ve been told to write a book about this, the Great Escape. It’s either the Great Escape or the Fishing Expedition.

As I’ve said, it was a fishing trip.

The boundary is only twelve miles, its not the two hundred miles limit. I think people are making it out that its two hundred miles from the furthest island there. So any other boat can travel within that twelve mile without intruding into Fiji’s international waters. And that’s what I’ve spoken about. I was out there fishing and I got into troubles. Where I was you couldn’t see land anyway. One of [Tonga’s] boats was in the area.

As you know, I am not the first case of a person drifting in the Pacific. There’s people drifting from Vanuatu to Fiji, from Kiribati all the way to Fiji, and vice versa. It’s how soon you get picked up.

Tonga Chronicle: Did you have any company?

Mara: No, I was on my own. I was dropped off to Kadavu, and then I was on my own. I was rescued between Kadavu and the Ono-i-Lau area.

Tonga Chronicle: So the issue of sovereignty being intruded is irrelevant?

Mara: Well, you know, the South Pacific belongs to everyone. So, I don’t know why the issue of sovereignty has come up now. You’ve got the case regarding Minerva Reefs coming up. Now that’s a case of sovereignty. Amongst Fijians, to my knowledge, sovereignty issues between countries in the Pacific is not really an issue. Before, our forefathers traveled on canoes from one island to the other, one country to the other, without any issue at all.

But I suppose when something like this happens, countries try and bring up the issue of sovereignty as in this case, which is what Fiji is trying to do.