It falls on May 13, the anniversary of the island's cession to the United Kingdom in 1881.
[2][3] The 2005 events marked the 124th anniversary of the annexation of the island to the United Kingdom.
Speaking at the Suva celebration, Fiji's High Commissioner to Australia, Major Jioje Konrote, himself a Rotuman Islander, commended Rotumans living outside Rotuma for maintaining their links to their homelands.
Joji Kotobalavu, Chief Executive of the Prime Minister's office, told Rotumans that their island would always be a special part of Fiji, recognized alongside the fourteen provinces.
He commended them for their disproportionate achievements and contributions towards the development of Fiji as a country, while Labour Minister Kenneth Zinck paid tribute to the many Rotumans to have distinguished themselves in the fields of education, medicine, business, and society.