Fear of the repercussions families back home in Fiji could face is restricting what Dunedin Fijians feel they can say about the political unrest.
Members of Dunedin's Fijian community spoken to by the Otago Daily Times yesterday did not want to be identified, fearing a backlash on their families in Fiji.
One man said he was concerned for the safety of his family, who did not feel free to talk about the political situation.
He believed someone else was listening on the telephone line whenever he called home.
"We feel helpless. It's not stable. It's uncertain. They're not sure what tomorrow holds."
Most Fijians still "carried the scars" of the last coup, so feared the intimidatory measures favoured by the military, he said.
"They are suffering silently, so they do not end up being the victims. What they are going through, it is not really good."
A Dunedin student also had concerns for his family's safety if he spoke out publicly.
"It might be a risk with the authorities back home."
The student, whose family lives near Suva, said his family felt the political situation was out of their control.
"They're living everyday life, but in a political sense feel they cannot say anything, voice their concerns. They keep their comments to themselves."
He felt sad to see his beautiful country turn into what it was today.
