Union leader safe. Military takeover

Date: 29 May 2000

A military dictatorship has been imposed on Fiji after 11 days of political turmoil in the wake of the attempted coup.

There are now heightened fears for the lives of the Labour Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudry, and the more than 30 other MPs being held hostage in the Parliamentary complex.

Most communications with the island nation are now down but late tonight Australian time we were able to get through by phone to the head of the Fiji trade union movement. Felix Anthony.

He is safe but he has been visited by military officers who inspected his home and informed him that they expected complete co-operation.

Meetings of union leaders and Labour MPs, which were scheduled for tomorrow, have now been cancelled because the military has imposed a curfew.

The sacking of the President of Fiji, Ratu Mara and the creation of a military dictatorship was announced soon after the head of the military had called a 48 hour curfew.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is tonight reporting that the chief of Fiji's army Commodore Frank Bainimarama declared martial law and assumed executive authority.

In a statement Commodore Bainimaram said: "All the nation has been saddened by the extent to which the country has fallen during the last week," Commodore Frank Bainimarama said in a statement.

"I have therefore, with much reluctance, assumed executive authority."

Bainimarama's move to assume power came just two days after President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara appointed himself as the country's interim ruler and dismissed elected Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and his government.

Chaudhry, Fiji's first ethnic Indian prime minister, has been held at gunpoint in Parliament since May 19.

Banaimara gave no details of how he would rule. But diplomatic sources say his intention was to dismiss the President and appoint himself prime minister.

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union
Phone:	9281 9511
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	Andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au

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