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Wednesday December 31, 1969

A case of reverse descrimination - A fake coup?

By Bhupen Maurya

    SINGAPORE, MAY 22,2000. The political future of the Fijian Prime Minister of

Indian origin, Mr. Mahendra Pal Chaudhry, today hung in the balance in the capital, Suva,

ahead of tomorrow's planned crisis breaking summit of the Great Council of Chiefs, the

supreme moral-political conscience-keeper of the majority community of indigenous people.

By nightfall today, the signs were ominous for the Prime Minister's continuance in

office, as both the leader of the Great Council of Chiefs, Gen. Sitiveni Rabuka, and the

country's President, Mr. Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, made it clear that Mr. Chaudhry's tenure

might be abruptly terminated if such a political denouement could help resolve the

constitutional crisis caused by a group of armed men who were holding him and several

others hostage in the Parliament complex in Suva for the fourth consecutive day. Mr.

George Speight, leader of the armed group and a self-styled architect of a presumptive

`civil coup', raised the political stakes to a new high by organising a show of support

for his action within the Parliament premises and by asserting that the die was firmly

cast against Mr. Chaudhry's claims to stay on in office.

Diplomats and observers in the Fijian capital and elsewhere in the South Pacific region

confirmed that there were ``eyewitness accounts'' on how Mr. Chaudhry was today dragged

out of the Parliament House by the rebels holding him there and ``threatened'' at

gunpoint.

While the speculation related to either an internal military- police action or even

some external intervention to save Mr. Chaudhry, he himself did not suffer any physical

harm as a result of his being dragged out of Parliament today. There were ``reports'' that

some relatives of Mr. Chaudhry had pleaded for military action by India.

The most outspoken comment was made by Gen. Rabuka in his status as a leading

decision-maker in the current context of efforts to defuse the hostage-crisis. Gen. Rabuka

said: ``I think it is that his (Mr. Chaudhry's) position right now is untenable. And, if

he feels for the country (and if) he sees (the) demonstrations (against him) and the

damage that happened in Suva - the destruction (in the post - `coup' rioting) on Friday

afternoon, he might feel that he wants to step down.'' If Mr. Chaudhry were to resign

``willingly'', that could still have a salutary effect on the efforts to end the crisis,

even if such a step were to be seen as a response to what he had so far endured in

captivity, Gen. Rabuka hinted.

More significantly, the President, who had declared a state of emergency and put the

troops and police on alert to checkmate Mr. Speight, said in Suva today that he ``cannot

give (anyone) the assurance'' that Mr. Chaudhry would not be asked to quit the centre

stage. Mr. Mara said his intention, on the eve of tomorrow's conference of the Fijian

chiefs, was to ask Mr. Chaudhry for ``a possible solution'' in the light of ``what has

happened'' since Mr. Speight's action began.

Foreign countries warned

AFP reports from Melbourne:

Mr. Speight today warned foreign countries to stay out of the country's political

turmoil. He could guarantee the safety of those detained if outsiders stayed away, Mr.

Speight told Melbourne Radio. "

Looking at the way the rebels have easily made a duly elected government

hostage I see two things, one that country is long way to go for democracy, second the

Prime Minister has trusted his people too much. As we read in the article reclaiming the

dreamtime. This looks like reverse of the situation. Here the aborigins are doing a

reverse discrimination. Mr. Chaudary is in trouble just because he happens to be of an

Indian origin other than aborigins. Even though country is govern by the Tribal chief

council body but the equal rights for Indian origin people seems to be a problem for

native Fijians. This is where when looses faith in fair play and in democracy. But I hope

the truth and justice will prevail ultimately.