C'wealth, U.N. pressure on Speight

By P. S. Suryanarayana

JAKARTA, MAY 24. The United Nations and the Commonwealth today exerted moral pressure on Mr. George Speight, the ``civil coup'' leader in Fiji, to set free the democratically elected Prime Minister of Indian origin, Mr. Mahendra Chaudhry, as a prelude to a constitutional settlement of the continuing crisis in the South Pacific island-republic.

With the U.N. envoy, Mr. Sergio de Mello, and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr. Don McKinnon, flying to the Fijian capital, Suva, and holding talks with the President, Ratu Kamisese Mara, the focus today shifted to the options before the global community. The U.N.-Commonwealth diplomacy of moral persuasion punctuated Mr. Speight's continued resistance to the ``internationalisation'' of the crisis, which he sparked last Friday by taking the Prime Minister and others hostage. The U.N.- Commonwealth trouble-shooters met the captive Prime Minister and the ``coup'' leader. Talks will be held with Fiji's paramount tribal chiefs in Suva tomorrow. The Fijian Great Council of Chiefs met near Suva for a second consecutive day but no formula to defuse the crisis was agreed.

Although Mr. McKinnon said he and the U.N. envoy were not mandated to mediate an end to the crisis, they not only transmitted a message to Mr. Chaudhry but also tendered a piece of advice to Mr. Speight, according to some foreign diplomats whom the visiting dignitaries met in Suva today. The release of Mr. Chaudhry and other hostages was demanded by the U.N.- Commonwealth diplomats as the first priority. They also indicated preference for a solution in consonance with the present Constitution.

U.S. backs Chaudhry Govt.

PTI reports:

In Washington, a U.S. State Department official said the United States continued to recognise the democratically elected Government of Fiji led by Mr. Mahendra Chaudhry.

``Washington continues to recognise Fiji's legitimate government and any change in government should be done only through constitutional means,'' the official, Mr. Philip Reeker, said.

India against violence

In New Delhi, the Indian Government categorically opposed any change in the Mahendra Chaudhry Government through violence. The issue of Mr. Chaudhry being taken hostage figured during the talks between the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Lalit Mansingh, and the visiting U.S. Under- Secretary of State, Mr. Thomas Pickering.

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