Fiji is getting a new flag for its 45th birthday. Why?
"Fiji intends to the lead the way by adopting a truly authentic expression of who we are and where we are, rather than honour someone else's flag," [Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama] said in a speech.Which is pretty much why we need to change ours. The Union jack is British, not kiwi - a sign of an oppressive colonial past. The sooner we're rid of it, the better.
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"The Union Flag belongs to the British, not to us.
"The shield on our flag has the British Lion and the Cross of St George – a British patron saint. What does this have to do with us?
"They are the symbols of the coloniser – Britain – a country with whom we are friends and will continue to be so. But they are not symbols that are relevant to any Fijian in the 21st century."
