Bid to evolve plan to end Fiji crisis

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, JUNE 9. With a Commonwealth delegation forced to cool its heels instead of beginning a crisis-busting mission to Fiji today, the delay being traced to a suggestion by the military powers-that-be in the South Pacific state's capital of Suva, the focus shifted almost entirely to the efforts by the Fijians themselves at resolving the impasse.

The focus of the new efforts in Suva was the possible evolution of a political formula that could pave the way for the release of the captive Prime Minister, Mr. Mahendra Chaudhry, and his associates. But the political version in Suva tonight was that the military government, headed by Commodore J. V. (Frank) Bainimarama, was not amused over ``a freelance move of an internal diplomatic kind'' by some key traditional chiefs of the country. The efforts by some indigenous tribal chiefs, belonging to the western enclave of Fiji's main island, were not blessed by the military rulers.

The caucus of traditional leaders, all belonging to the larger Great Council of Chiefs, began talks with the ``civil coup'' leader, Mr. George Speight, on ways to ensure the release of Mr. Chaudhry and others. For Mr. Speight, the talks conferred on him a status the military rulers were still trying to deny him.

Looking beyond the importance of being Mr. Speight in having kept a Commonwealth mission at bay for the present, the ``civil coup'' leader sought to convince the western-area chiefs - the ``dissident'' faction within the Great Council of Chiefs - about his agenda. These maverick chiefs, representing the more prosperous areas of Fiji, had warned of a national disintegration if the present crisis spun out of control.

Mr. Speight, however, remained adamant that he could not free his captives without an assurance that the (alleged) political domination by the ethnic Indians, manifest in Mr. Chaudhry's rise to power last year, would be replaced by a rightful say for the majority natives.

Fiji's military rulers, who continued to dispute Mr. Speight's claims to being the chief spokesman of the indigenous people, did not hold any talks with him. However, given his intransigence, the military rulers wanted the Commonwealth to visit Suva at a more appropriate time, as seen from the Fijian Army's perspective.

It was in this context that the U.S. Ambassador to Fiji today openly condemned Mr. Speight as ``a common criminal'' as also ``a terrorist'' and wanted him brought to justice without any immunity from prosecution.

The Commonwealth team, for its part, turned its attention to the Solomon Islands amidst indications of a temporary truce among the various warring factions there.

`Ethnic Indians not panicking'

PTI reports from New Delhi:

A senior official of the External Affairs Ministry said today that despite the military presence in Fiji and an atmosphere of unease, there was no sense of panic among ethnic Indians there. Discounting reports of evacuation of Indian Fijians, the official told reporters that these people looked to India for assistance in building international pressure for restoration of the democratically-elected government in Suva.

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