SUVA, Fiji (19 May 2000) -- Seven masked gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles entered Fiji's parliament at 10:00am this morning and took Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and his cabinet ministers hostage. President Ratu Sir Kamisese Maru declared a national state of emergency as rioters looted shops in downtown Suva. Chaudhry took office exactly one year ago as Fiji's first democratically elected ethnic Indian Prime Minister. Racial tensions between indigenous Fijians and descendants of migrant Indians have plagued Fiji for decades. Fiji's legitimately elected government was overthrown by a military coup in 1987. | | Racist rebel leader George Speight In 1992, ethnic Fijians drafted a racist constitution arbitrarily limiting representation for Indo-Fijians, which make up about half of Fiji's population. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
