SUVA, Fiji (20 Feb 2001) -- Five international judges from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga have begun a hearing in Fiji's Court of Appeal to decide the legitimacy of the military-appointed interim government. The interim government is appealing against an earlier ruling by the High Court that it is illegal and must step down so that the previous democratically elected government can appoint a new administration. The case against the army-backed government was brought to the High Court by Chandrika Prasad, an Indo-Fijian farmer whose home was destroyed after mobs of ethnic Fijians repeatedly attacked and looted his property. The violence that spread across Fiji erupted in the wake of the coup last May when ultranationalist rebels led by George Speight stormed parliament and took the prime minister and multi-ethnic cabinet hostage. Two months later, the military cut a deal that released the hostages but gave in to rebel demands to abrogate the constitution and bar Indo-Fijians from government. Human rights activists criticize British law firm Amnesty International and other human rights activists have criticized Matrix Chambers, the British law firm representing the army-backed interim government that has acknowledged its agenda is to disenfranchise Indo-Fijians. The law firm, which has promoted itself as a human rights advocate, includes UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife among its partners. | 
