SUVA — Rewa High Chief Ro Naulu Mataitini has issued a stark warning that Fiji is “undermining our own diplomats,” arguing that political behaviour and poor strategic focus are allowing foreign powers to shape decisions to Fiji’s disadvantage. In a strongly worded social media statement published on April 27 and reported by PACNEWS, Mataitini — a former United Nations security executive — said the country’s foreign policy is being weakened by sidelining of its diplomatic service at a time when other nations are expanding their presence in Suva.
“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 MPs of succumbing to “ceremonial glorification” and flattery from external actors. He warned this political behaviour has real consequences for Fiji’s ability to protect national interests overseas, describing it as a “delusion embraced without self-awareness — until the damage … becomes impossible to ignore.”
Mataitini pointed to an accelerating strategic push by foreign governments into Fiji, saying the new presences are “not consular offices. Not protocol posts. Their presence is strategic — designed to advance their national interests.” He noted an uptick in new embassies and non-resident ambassadors visiting Suva, and said those missions are “sending their best people” and properly resourcing them — a contrast he argues Fiji is failing to match.
“Now ask yourself: how are we responding? Do we place the same priority on our ambassadors in Canberra, Beijing, Wellington or Washington? The honest answer is no,” Mataitini said. He questioned whether Fiji’s overseas posts have been reduced to “protocol and consular offices” rather than fully empowered posts able to leverage the insights of Heads of Mission (HOMs) to advance and defend Fiji’s interests. “Are we leveraging the insights of our HOMs? Or are we allowing foreign envoys in Suva — with unfettered access to our ministers — to shape our policy to their advantage?” he asked.
The Rewa chief singled out Australia as a prominent example of the imbalance he decries. “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 wrote, urging a reassessment of how Fiji projects influence in capitals such as Canberra.
Mataitini’s statement was framed as a call for a “strategic reset” in Fiji’s foreign policy engagement, including better resourcing of Fiji’s embassies so they can actively defend national interests rather than merely perform protocol functions. He urged greater deference to professional diplomats and more coherent support from political leaders, suggesting that without changes Fiji risks being outmaneuvered in a region that international actors increasingly view as geopolitically important.
The comments add to ongoing public debate across the Pacific about the region’s growing strategic value and how island states should respond to intensified diplomatic activity by major powers. Mataitini’s intervention, coming from a chiefly leader with UN experience, is likely to intensify calls for discussion in political and foreign affairs circles about whether Fiji’s overseas representation and decision-making structures need reform to safeguard sovereignty and national interest. The government has not publicly responded to Mataitini’s statement in the PACNEWS report.