A man and his six children were banished from his village in Savaii in September last year, he is calling the action taken by his village council as unfair and unjust.

Autagavai Upa, 49, said a decision was made without him having a chance to have an input.

“My family and I were banished from the village of Vaitoomuli Palauli. They had the village meeting without me, and they did not inform me about it. They arrived at this decision without even letting me know about what was happening,” he claimed.

Autagavai said in December last year when his daughter took the last boat to Savaii and arrived at the village. She was approached by the village matai and was told she must leave the village once daylight broke.

“My daughter was scared and in shock that she would be treated in such a way in the village she was born in. She didn’t commit any crime in the village and we don’t even know what wrong we did to deserve this.”

Autagavai believes that his family’s unfair treatment resulted from him inquiring about a piece of land for the project funding from the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD).

He said he had written a letter to the Ministry to halt the progress of the project until a financial report was given so that the village could see how the money was distributed in the project.

His query is against the Faipule of Faaala Palauli, Lagaaia Siaki who he approached and presented his questions about ownership of the piece of land. According to Autagavai, after the Faipule had met with the village council, it led to the banishment of his family the next day.

Autagavai was left puzzled on how his actions had led to his entire family having to relocate.

“There are only three reasons why someone would be banished from the village and its murder, infidelity and being a peeping-tom. I didn’t  do any of those things and I was chased out of the village,” he said.