Viliame Seruvakula
Encyclopedia
Viliame Seruvakula is a former Fiji
an military
officer who played an instrumental role in the aftermath of the Fiji coup of 2000
.
He attended Ratu Sukuna Memorial, Queen Victoria
and Lelean Memorial School
s. He was a member of the Deans Trophy
winning Lelean Under-19 Team side that defeated Ratu Kadavulevu School
in the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union (FSSRU) competition finals in 1979. The 1979 Lelean Under-19 team's battle cry was "sink the Bismarck"
Seruvakula joined the Army in the early 1980s. He opposed the 2000 coup, and when rebels from the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit
mutinied
at Suva
's Queen Elizabeth Barracks
on 2 November 2000, he led the third infantry battalion in a counter-offensive to retake the barracks from the rebels.
Following the mutiny, Seruvakula made some controversial statements in the media. He alleged that he had been offered F$250,000
to support George Speight
's attempted coup in May
, and that former Prime Minister
Sitiveni Rabuka
(who led two coups
in 1987) had incited the mutiny and attempted to overthrow the military commander, Commodore
Frank Bainimarama
. His police statement is now the subject of several investigations.
Seruvakula, now a Lieutenant Colonel
, resigned from the military in early 2006 to take up a post with the Peace and Security division of the United Nations
.
His father, Ratu Semi Seruvakula, is a retired school principal. Viliame was commissioned as an officer in New Zealand. He served in Lebanon and Sinai. He was in Lebanon from 1986 to 1987 as a platoon commander in the Charlie company of the First Battalion, Fiji Infantry Regiment.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an military
Military of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
officer who played an instrumental role in the aftermath of the Fiji coup of 2000
Fiji coup of 2000
The Fiji coup of 2000 was a complicated affair involving a civilian putsch by hardline Fijian nationalists against the elected government of a non-native Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority on 27 May, and...
.
He attended Ratu Sukuna Memorial, Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria School (Fiji)
Queen Victoria School is a school in Fiji, established in 1906.The school was originally established in Nasinu to provide education to the sons of Fijian Chiefs...
and Lelean Memorial School
Lelean Memorial School
Lelean Memorial School is one of the largest co-ed schools in Fiji today. It was established in 1943 and is run by the Methodist Church of Fiji. It is co-located at the Davuilevu Methodist Compound with the and the Young People's Department, which runs training for Methodist catechists...
s. He was a member of the Deans Trophy
Deans Trophy
The Deans Trophy is the top prize of the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby. The competition introduced in 1939 is the oldest competitive tournament in Fiji rugby. It was first won by Queen Victoria School ....
winning Lelean Under-19 Team side that defeated Ratu Kadavulevu School
Ratu Kadavulevu School
Ratu Kadavulevu School is a school in Lodoni, Fiji. It has some 625 students and claims to be the largest boarding school in the country. Its students are multiracial, but predominantly Fijian....
in the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union (FSSRU) competition finals in 1979. The 1979 Lelean Under-19 team's battle cry was "sink the Bismarck"
Seruvakula joined the Army in the early 1980s. He opposed the 2000 coup, and when rebels from the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit
Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (Fiji)
The Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit or CRWU was the common name for the First Meridian Squadron, the unit's formal name, which had been disbanded in 2000...
mutinied
Mutinies of Fiji coup of 2000
Two military mutinies took place in connection with the civilian coup d'état that rocked Fiji in 2000, the first while the rebellion instigated by George Speight was in progress, and the second four months after it had ended....
at Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
's Queen Elizabeth Barracks
Queen Elizabeth Barracks (Fiji)
Queen Elizabeth Barracks is a Fijian Army base, located in the suburb of Nabua, in Suva. It is the national headquarters of the military.The barracks, commonly known as QEB, was the scene of an unsuccessful army mutiny on 2 November 2000...
on 2 November 2000, he led the third infantry battalion in a counter-offensive to retake the barracks from the rebels.
Following the mutiny, Seruvakula made some controversial statements in the media. He alleged that he had been offered F$250,000
Fijian dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
to support George Speight
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000...
's attempted coup in May
May 2000
May 2000 was the fifth month of 2000. It began on a Monday and ended after 31 days on a Wednesday.-Portal:Current events:This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from May 2000....
, and that former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Fiji
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji is the head of government of Fiji. The Prime Minister was appointed by the President under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution....
Sitiveni Rabuka
Sitiveni Rabuka
Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...
(who led two coups
Fiji coups of 1987
The Fiji coups of 1987 resulted in the overthrow of the elected government of Fijian Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra, the deposition of Elizabeth II as Queen of Fiji, and in the declaration of a republic...
in 1987) had incited the mutiny and attempted to overthrow the military commander, Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Frank Bainimarama
Frank Bainimarama
Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...
. His police statement is now the subject of several investigations.
Seruvakula, now a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
, resigned from the military in early 2006 to take up a post with the Peace and Security division of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
His father, Ratu Semi Seruvakula, is a retired school principal. Viliame was commissioned as an officer in New Zealand. He served in Lebanon and Sinai. He was in Lebanon from 1986 to 1987 as a platoon commander in the Charlie company of the First Battalion, Fiji Infantry Regiment.