Ratu ''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to r ...

'' Viliame Seruvakula is a former Fijian

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

officer and politician.

Biography

He is the son of former politician ''Ratu'' Semi Seruvakula. He attended Ratu Sukuna Memorial,

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

and

Lelean Memorial School Lelean Memorial School is the largest school in Fiji. It was established in 1943 and is run by the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma. It is co-located at the Davuilevu Methodist Compound with thDavuilevu Theological Collegeand the Young People ...

s. He was a member of the

Deans Trophy The Deans Trophy is the most prestigious and oldest sports award among Fiji Secondary Schools sporting competitions. The boys rugby union annual competition was first introduced in 1939 and is the oldest tournament in the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU). ...

winning Lelean Under-19 Team side that defeated Ratu Kadavulevu School in the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union (FSSRU) competition finals in 1979. Seruvakula joined the army in the early 1980s and served in the

Sinai Peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai ( ; ; ; ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a land bridge between Asia and Afri ...

and in

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

from 1986 to 1987 as a platoon commander in the Charlie company of the First Battalion, Fiji Infantry Regiment. He opposed the 2000 coup, and when rebels from the

Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit 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. It was a special forces group of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, and was the brainc ...

mutinied Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, bu ...

Suva Suva (, ) is the Capital city, capital and the most populous city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rew ...

'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 George Speight (; born 1957), also known by his pseudonym Ilikimi Naitini, is a Fijian businessman and politician who was the leader of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état, in which he and rebel soldiers from Fiji's Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit sei ...

's attempted coup in May, and that former Prime Minister

Sitiveni Rabuka Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka (; born 13 September 1948) is a Fijian politician, sportsman, and former soldier who has been serving as Prime Minister of Fiji since 24 December 2022. He was the instigator of two military coups in 1987. He was de ...

(who led two coups in 1987) had incited the mutiny and attempted to overthrow the military commander, Commodore

Frank Bainimarama Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama (; born 27 April 1954) is a Fijian former politician and naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. A member of the FijiFirst party, which he founded in 2014, he began his c ...

. His police statement became the subject of several investigations, and Rabuka was charged but ultimately acquitted as a result of his allegations. Seruvakula joined the

New Zealand Army The New Zealand Army (, ) is the principal Army, land warfare force of New Zealand, a component of the New Zealand Defence Force alongside the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Formed in 1845, as the New Zealand Mil ...

in 2001. He resigned from the military in early 2006 to take up a post with the Peace and Security division of the United Nations. He was elected as Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs in 2024.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seruvakula, Viliame Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People educated at Lelean Memorial School Fijian soldiers People educated at Queen Victoria School (Fiji) Fijian expatriates in New Zealand Fijian expatriates in Lebanon I-Taukei Fijian people Fijian chiefs