FIJI: COUP ARMY LEADER BAINIMARAMA SPEAKS

(31 May 2000) Natural Sound

Fiji's new military leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama said on Wednesday that he will not use force to free government hostages being held by armed rebels inside parliament.

Instead officials would try to win their freedom through negotiations.

As he spoke, armed supporters of Fiji's coup leader stoned cars and beat their drivers in the capital outside the parliament complex, and police and soldiers did little to stop them.

At a press conference Wednesday Fiji's new military leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama said he was assured that he had the support of the Fijian people.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I know for certain that we have the support of the people of Fiji. Not so much support for what we did in removing his Excellency The President, or throwing away the constitution. The support for the actions that we have taken to move us forward, to bring back stability and to bring back some normalcy into our lives."
SUPER CAPTION: Commodore Frank Bainimarama, army leader

Bainimarama throw out the nation's constitution Tuesday and began negotiating with armed rebels whose seizure of the prime minister and other hostages has sparked ethnic and political turmoil in this Pacific nation.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We are continuing dialogue with Speight and his men. Last night my senior officers returned and it seems that they keep avoiding the issue of hostages. We want to tell them that there is no need to hold those people as hostages. They're no longer the government, we are the government.
SUPER CAPTION: Commodore Frank Bainimarama, army leader

Speight has had Fiji's leaders in a stranglehold since May 19, when he and six other masked gunmen stormed parliament and took the officials hostage.

The country's military proclaimed martial law and took control of Fiji on Monday but has since accepted virtually all of Speight's demands.

Despite these concessions, Speight has not released his hostages, including former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, who was removed from power at Speight's demand.

On Wednesday, the rebels again rejected the military's newly appointed prime minister.

Bainimarama said he would take the president's powers himself and named Ratu Epeli Nailatikau as prime minister.

Nailatikau is a former army commander and husband of former President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara's daughter, Adi Koila Mara.

She is among the hostages inside parliament.

Speight and his followers again rejected this prime minister candidate saying they would not accept Nailatikau but have not put forward any names.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
" I don't know if any of them has the courage to go up and stand and talk on behalf of Fijians after holding guns to hostages. I'm sorry to say that I don't see any of them as being the prime minister of (?)."
SUPER CAPTION: Commodore Frank Bainimarama, army leader

As Bainimarama spoke growing violence in the streets from Speight supporters threatened the city.

Attacks, which seemed to target Fiji's ethnic Indian minority, men armed with automatic rifles and others carrying clubs and knives dragged drivers out of their cars close to parliament before robbing them and taking the vehicles.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"And then he pulled the door and he pulled me out from there. And he took my money, my income, my pass money around about forty five dollars." "Yep. And he took the key and his sat down in the car and drove it to the complex."
SUPER CAPTION: Taxi driver

Heavily armed soldiers, who are manning roadblocks throughout the capital, Suva, did not
immediately intervene.
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/74149cec9070f3b63f3c876dfac2b45a

Видео FIJI: COUP ARMY LEADER BAINIMARAMA SPEAKS канала AP Archive