Rewa High Chief and former United Nations security official Ro Naulu Mataitini has warned that Fiji is "undermining our own diplomats" by failing to prioritise and resource its overseas missions as foreign powers deepen their footprint in Suva. In a blunt social media statement on Sunday, Mataitini said political behaviour and poor strategic focus have left Fiji vulnerable to outside influence and weakened its ability to defend national interests.
“There is something about politicians. To get elected, they will promise anything. But once inside Parliament, too many follow their worst instincts,” Mataitini wrote, accusing some elected leaders of succumbing to “ceremonial glorification” and flattery that blinds them to the damage that follows. He said Fiji’s foreign policy has “suffered for years” as other countries “are establishing a presence in Fiji at an accelerating pace,” sending well-resourced teams and non-resident ambassadors to Suva.
Mataitini argued the imbalance is stark: while foreign missions in Fiji are strategically staffed and funded, Fiji has not matched that effort in capitals that matter for its national interest. “Do we place the same priority on our ambassadors in Canberra, Beijing, Wellington or Washington? The honest answer is no,” he wrote, questioning whether Fijian missions have been reduced to protocol and consular offices rather than being empowered to advance and defend Fiji’s interests.
He singled out Australia as a prominent example of the asymmetry. “Take the case of Australia. We have now had three Australian High Commissioners who exerted and continue to exert enormous influence over our government. The current HC is selling Australia’s interests brilliantly. His success is built on our political gullibility,” Mataitini said, urging Fiji to be more proactive in Canberra and to ensure its own envoys have the access and resources necessary to shape foreign policy, not merely react to it.
Mataitini also called on Fiji to better leverage the expertise of its Heads of Mission (HOMs), and asked whether the government is allowing foreign envoys with “unfettered access to our ministers” to shape policy to their advantage. “These questions go to the heart of why our foreign policy engagement is ready for a strategic reset, especially now!” he wrote, without offering a detailed roadmap for that reset.
The remarks add new emphasis to an ongoing debate about the Pacific’s growing geostrategic importance and how island states should respond as more countries establish diplomatic presences in the region. Mataitini’s critique — combining cultural, political and strategic observations — is likely to increase pressure on the government to publicly address how it allocates diplomatic resources and manages relations with powerful partners.
There was no immediate response from government spokespeople or Australia’s diplomatic mission in Suva to Mataitini’s comments. His statement, published on social media and reported by PACNEWS, represents the latest public intervention from a prominent chiefly and security-sector figure into Fiji’s conduct of foreign policy.