Fiji, the land of bula smiles, kava sessions, and Sunday lovo, has recently found itself starring in a new kind of drama, one that doesn’t involve Bollywood movies or rugby finals. Instead, the spotlight now shines on an endless stream of news reports and social media videos showing daylight robberies, pickpocketing, and thieves who run faster than Olympic sprinters, although sadly, not in a sanctioned event.
Everywhere you look on Facebook feeds, TikTok videos, Instagrams and WhatsApp groups, there’s another clip of someone’s shopping stolen from their car, a phone snatched from their hand, or a burglar breaking into a pharmacy, as if it were a midnight snack raid.
Eventually, what happens next? Half the people feel sorry for the victim and say, “Au sa rarawa, that’s so sad!” Meanwhile, the other half laughs, share memes, and calls the victim a coward for not fighting back. Apparently, the heroic thing to do when someone points a knife at you is to whip out your Bruce Lee moves, right?
Now, let us ask the real question here: Who is the real coward?
Is it the man or woman who works day and night, sweating in the hot sun or crunching numbers in an office to earn an honest living? Or is it the thief, the lazy parasite who hides in the shadows and steals what others worked hard for?
In reality, the real coward is not the person who gives up his wallet when a thug with a machete says, “Give me your money!” The real coward is the thief who can’t earn like everyone else and decides that stealing is easier. That’s not bravery, that’s weakness, weakness dressed up as smartness!
The parasite problem: Why stealing is cowardice?
To begin with, let’s be clear: these thieves are not “street-smart entrepreneurs.” They are social parasites, like those leeches you find in muddy rivers, sucking blood without permission. Honest people in Fiji wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning, or work through late-night shifts, catch the bus, put in long hours, and come home exhausted just so they can put food on the table, pay bills, and cover family needs.
Eventually comes this lazy fellow who decides, “Why work when I can just grab and run?” They hide in corners, alleys, plan in darkness, and then attack when no one expects it. Is that courage? Certainly not! That is cowardice in its purest form, the fear of working hard.
Moreover, what makes it even worse are the social media cheerleaders. Yes, those clowns who type things like “Master thief! Skills level 100!” or “Easy money, bro, mad respect!” These people are the real germs of society, the obstreperous fools who think crime is comedy. If Fiji is a big pot of curry, these are the rotten potatoes that spoil the whole dish. Just like bacteria in bad food, they spread negativity to others until the whole system is sick.
Why do people mock the victims?
Interestingly, this part is worth exploring. Why do some people laugh when someone gets robbed? Why do they type comments like “Weakling! I would have given him one uppercut!” when, in reality, the only uppercut they’ve done is to a mosquito?
The truth is that in Fiji, and everywhere else, people love to look strong on Facebook. Social media is their wrestling ring. Consequently, mocking others makes them feel big and important, and laughing at someone else’s misfortune gives them that small rush of power, even if, in real life, they would run faster than Usain Bolt if a thief came near them.
Sadly, instead of supporting victims, we are turning crime into entertainment. Once we start laughing at crime, we’re in trouble, for the more we normalise it, the more it grows.
What is real courage?
At this point, let us set the record straight. Real courage is not fighting a knife-wielding thief while your aunty is screaming “Lako mai, mai vukei au!” Courage is not risking your life for a few dollars in your pocket.
Rather, real courage is waking up every day and working hard even when times are tough. Real courage is paying your bills, looking after your family, and doing it all without stealing a cent from anyone.
Indeed, stealing is easy. Working hard is hard. Therefore, doing the hard thing every day is courage.
The social cost of laughing at crime
When we start glorifying thieves or laughing at crime, we create a dangerous culture. Today, it is “just a wallet.” Soon after, it becomes a break-in at your home. Eventually, it escalates into a big scam that wipes out pension funds.
Once people believe that stealing is acceptable or even “cool,” the whole system starts to rot. Very soon, honest people will feel like fools for following the rules. That is how societies collapse, not because of one big disaster but because of small moral cracks that we ignored.
So, what can Fiji do? (solutions)
Now that we understand the problem, how can Fiji stop this crime wave before it turns into a tsunami?
1. Teach values in schools
First and foremost, greater emphasis must be placed on instilling moral values within our education system, ensuring that students understand integrity and responsibility from an early age. Children need to learn early that stealing is not just illegal, it is shameful and cowardly. They must understand that true respect comes from hard work, not from being a criminal celebrity on TikTok.
2. Smarter security
Next, we need more cameras, better lighting, and quick police action. We do not need cameras that don’t work or that just record for fun, we need cameras that actually help catch thieves fast. Additionally, police need to act quickly. If people see thieves getting caught and punished, they will think twice.
3. Community watch
Furthermore, neighbours need to look out for each other. We love the word veiwekani (relationship), but it should not be just for weddings and funerals. Communities should form watch groups and use WhatsApp alerts. If everyone stays alert, thieves will not find it so easy.
4. Social media responsibility
Finally, instead of laughing at victims, use social media to share safety tips and report criminals. Stop making memes that make crime look funny. If you see your friend praising a thief online, remind them that tomorrow it could be their house.
Final thoughts: The real coward
So, the next time you see a video of someone getting robbed, do not call the victim a coward. The real coward is the thief, the lazy person who hides in the dark and steals from someone who worked hard. That thief is not brave, he is just a failure in flip-flops, a pusillanimous fool.
To those who clap for these criminals online, you are just helping spread the disease. You are turning Fiji into a place where honesty is laughed at, and crime is celebrated. Do you really want that?
Fiji deserves better. We are a proud, hardworking people. We play rugby like warriors, we survive cyclones with resilience, and we still smile and share kava even in hard times. That is courage, not running away with someone’s phone.
Therefore, let us stop praising cowards and start respecting the real heroes, the people who work hard every single day without stealing a cent. Ultimately, a nation that rewards thieves is a nation that loses its soul.
VIKRANT KRISHAN Nair is a lecturer at the Fiji National University under the Department of Aviation Studies. The views expressed are his and not of this newspaper. For comments or suggestions please email Vikrant.Nair@fnu.ac.fj or criznan@gmail.com.
