Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has issued a public apology to the Vanua o Noco after admitting he failed to acknowledge its traditional leaders and the Luvedra na Ratu during his Girmit Day address.
In a statement, Mr Rabuka said he “regretfully did not acknowledge Na Turaga na Roko Tui Noco kei na Luvedra na Ratu ni Vanua o Noco”, adding that their “support and contributions to Fiji deserved recognition and respect.” The apology is the latest development following his Girmit Day remarks and comes as commemorations continue for the descendants of indentured labourers who shaped modern Fiji.
The Prime Minister highlighted the deep historical ties between the people of Noco, the Rewa province and the Girmitiyas. In 2017, paramount chiefs of Noco and Rewa formally adopted the descendants of Indo-Fijian indentured labourers, granting them the traditional title Luvedra na Ratu — meaning “Children of the Chief.” That adoption recognised an enduring bond said to have formed after indigenous villagers rescued Indian labourers from the 1884 Syria shipwreck, an episode often cited in Fiji’s shared history.
Rabuka also underlined his personal connection to the chiefly household of Noco. He recalled that a former chief, the late Tui Noco, “served as a Warrant Officer and Drum Major in the Army when I first joined the military.” He said two of the late Tui Noco’s nephews later served in the Infantry Company he commanded and went on to become the successors to the chiefly title. He described them as “humble and exemplary servicemen who led with humility despite their chiefly status,” adding they were chiefs who understood that “those that matter do not mind and those that mind do not matter.”
The Prime Minister framed Girmit Day as “a time to reflect on unity, reconciliation and shared nationhood,” and stressed that “acknowledging one another with humility and grace” is crucial to strengthening national unity. He reiterated that “Fiji is strongest when we honour all those who have contributed to our collective journey,” tying his apology to broader themes of recognition and reconciliation that underpin the annual commemorations.
The public admission of oversight is notable because of the symbolic significance of the Luvedra na Ratu adoption and the longstanding narrative of cross-cultural rescue and kinship associated with the Syria tragedy. The chiefs’ formal recognition of Indo-Fijian descendants in 2017 was widely seen as a deliberate act to reinforce social cohesion and acknowledge historical bonds between indigenous and Indo-Fijian communities.
As Girmit Day events continue across the country, the Prime Minister’s apology is likely to be read as an attempt to reaffirm respect for traditional institutions and the historic links they represent. It also underscores the sensitivity around ceremonial protocols and communal acknowledgments during national commemorations that celebrate Fiji’s multi-ethnic heritage.