FIJI: COUP LATEST: GEORGE SPEIGHT

(13 Jun 2000) English/Nat
XFA
Fiji's rebel leader George Speight cancelled a planned trip to his home village on Tuesday, fearing further attacks a day after soldiers peppered his car with bullets as he sped through a roadblock.
The attack occurred on Monday afternoon when Speight returned from a meeting with a church leader.
His car was hit as he approached Fiji's parliament where he and his rebels continue to hold 31 hostages.
Speight called the incident a deliberate attempt by the country's military rulers to kill him.
A military spokesman blamed the incident on misjudgement by soldiers, saying they had acted with excessive force in firing around 20 shots and would be disciplined.
Speight has demanded a written apology from military commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
He also warned that the hostages - who include ousted prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry - would have been harmed had he been injured in Monday's attack.
SOUNDBITE (English)
"The fact that they have fired at us with the intent to kill confirmed in my mind perhaps what the army's hidden agenda has been all this time. But as you can see for yourself, I'm here, I'm alive and well, I'm of good cheer. I'm not discouraged in any way with regard to the interests or the principles for the cause which we started on the 19th of May."
SUPER CAPTION: George Speight, Rebel leader
SOUNDBITE (English)
"I would like to see a written apology from Commander Bainimarama, confirming the fact that somewhere in the army there is a plan within the army, from within his ranks. He tells me, he told me last night that he was very apologetic and sorry for what happened. I told him that whatever happened confirms that either he's lying or someone within his force is planning this and that he has absolutely no control over the army."
SUPER CAPTION: George Speight, Rebel leader
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I know for certain that we have."
SUPER CAPTION: Military commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama
SOUNDBITE (English)
"Well you don't have to be Einstein to work that out. I mean I can't understand why this overall concern for the hostages but it's obvious that if anything happens to myself or to any part of my group that the hostages - particularly if the army does it, like the police are doing it - something will happen to the hostages - their lives are in danger, obviously."
SUPER CAPTION: George Speight, Rebel leader
Fiji's military ruler is expected to name a civilian government within days, a government which is not expected to include coup leader George Speight or his supporters.
Negotiations between Bainimarama and Speight - who is holding 31 hostages including deposed prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry - have been deadlocked for more than a week over the makeup of Fiji's next administration.
Speight claims to be acting on behalf of Fiji's indigenous majority in his fight for a new government system that
discriminates against the ethnic Indian minority by denying them political power.
Chaudhry last year became the first ethnic Indian to become Fiji's prime minister.
Fijian nationalists have been angered by Chaudhry's attempts to persuade Fijian landowners to renew at existing peppercorn rents expiring leases on sugar plantations held by thousands of ethnic Indian tenants.
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