Pope Francis began a week of Christmas ceremonies with a mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in which he highlighted the importance of respect for migrants across the world and compared their struggle to the biblical story of Mary and Joseph.

“Christmas is the time for turning the power of fear into the power of charity,” the Pope said. On Monday, he delivered the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing, in which he urged for peaceful dialogue between Israel and Palestine regarding Jerusalem "that would allow the peaceful co-existence of two states."

Here at home, we are just a little over two days away from Christmas and there is a little ‘Gaza’ developing at Leauvaa.

Men carrying machetes are destroying gardens and crops, bulldozers are clearing land without any regard for those who are currently staying there and do not yet know how or where they will move.

As reported on Thursday 21 December 2023 in the article titled ‘Leauvaa families plea for homes’, a volatile situation is developing over disputed land at Leauvaa which Afega has legal authority over as men armed with machetes threaten and destroy crops of people who have occupied the area for years.

Intimidation has gone as far as the men from Afega telling the residents that they are not allowed to film their activities or cause trouble otherwise they will be dealt with accordingly. This type of behaviour is unacceptable and wrong.

There was an attempt to intimidate the Samoa Observer journalist. She was being stopped from covering a story that has national interest and ensuring that the process of fairness is followed and violations of human rights do not happen.

It was also somewhat childish in the manner the Samoa Observer was asked to remove their vehicle from the land and that they were not even supposed to park on the main road. 

The rule of law is not being respected. On one hand, the doors of the legal system are knocked when there is a need to establish ownership. However, upon receiving legal authority, behaviourism is quite the opposite of how this matter should be handled.

The media, Samoa Observer, plays an important part in keeping the nation informed and will always point out when the law has been broken, human rights are exploited, a social ill is plaguing the community, and in times of natural disasters and crisis without fear or favour.

A matai of Leauvaa said they are desperately trying to negotiate with Afega about the possibility of leasing the land they currently occupy so they do not have to relocate as the family cannot afford to do so.

For the families who are living there even on land which does not belong to them, this is the grimmest Christmas they would be having.

It is not disputed that the land is legally owned by Afega. The court has made a ruling on that and Afega is the owner of the land as much as anyone disputes. It has also been established that the Leauvaa people who are staying there are now doing so illegally. There are in legal terms ‘squatters’.

As a nation that prides itself as a country founded on the principles of God, the barbarian-like behaviour which has been adopted by some men of Afega contradicts that. Some may even say it is very un-Christian.

It is your land and you may do as you please and as owners of the land you have the authority to boot anyone off your land.

On Thursday, a child stood in front of his house and called out to the armed men to go away but was ignored while the Ulia Construction workers pushed through to clear the area. For this child is ignorant of what the law states, for him these men are not the owners of the land but thugs who have come to force his family out of their homes.

There is a better way of doing this. Legally, eviction notices can be issued advising the ‘illegal residents’ that ultimately they will have to clear the land and allow for a timeframe, and if the set time is crossed, then forceful eviction with the help of authorities can be done.

It would be even better, if the elders, the matai of Afega, and the residents could have a respectful discussion on the situation and come up with a plan where people can be helped. This could result in leases for the residents or allocation of land elsewhere within the 275 acres.

Close to 10 families in Leauvaa are scattered around the land boundary. The land around their homes has been cleared just their houses remain.

On Sunday, these same men with machetes will go to church and listen to the Gospel of God and a day later they will celebrate Christmas where they will tell their children about peace, love, respect, and compassion.

But they will not show the same compassion to the 10 families and their children. It is a funny world we live in.

The land is Afega’s and they have all the right to do what they want with it but it is Christmas time. It is a time for peace, love, and compassion. Surely, the people of Leauvaa need compassion during this time when facing homelessness and surely the people of Afega are capable of showing compassion.

Hopefully, the church leaders would have some input into this and the village council needs to think about a better solution that does not involve so much hate and possible violence.

Our lives, country, and world are far from perfect. There are always challenges and struggles we face both personally and collectively. The good news of Christmas is that even when the world or our circumstances change – the message of Christmas is timeless. Because Christmas is about the birth of God’s Son – Jesus. It is about how he came to give us love, hope, and joy.

We all can do the same.