After hours of darkness, power is returning to the Fijian capital, Suva.
Supporters of Fiji's rebel leader George Speight today put the country's main
power station out of action, plunging Suva into darkness.
The electricity authority says they cut the water supply that drives the turbines
at the
hydro-electric station.
However, services are now being restored.
The ACTU has called on the Federal Government to act quickly to apply sanctions
against Fiji.
The council's president, Sharan Burrow, says Fiji is close to falling into
civil war and Australia
must do everything possible to avoid that.
"It's our view that unless the Australian Government acts instantaneously
and
incisively overnight, that the military will simply lose control of the situation,"
she said.
"We've been warning of this situation. We lifted our bans in good faith
last week, and
irrespective of what the ACTU decides to do, the Australian Government can't
sit on its hands
any longer."
The Australian Government is supporting the creation of an exclusion zone around
the Fijian
Parliament.
The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, says the military has been too lenient
for too long.
The exclusion zone was established around the compound last night.
Those inside have been warned by the military they have until midnight Friday
to leave.
In a show of defiance, rebels have paraded some men in warrior dress
and raised a hand-made flag in the Parliament grounds.
The rebels, holed up in Fiji's Parliament, are having face-to-face talks with
the military regime for the first time in a fortnight.
A member of the military council is in the Parliamentary complex for a
meeting with the rebels.
The emissary is Ratu Epeli Ganilau, the previous head of Fiji's military, and
a member of the council overseeing the martial law regime.
Ratu Epeli is having talks with the commander of the renegade troops in
the compound, former officer Ilisoni Ligairi, who has emerged as a key
figure in the George Speight group.
The rebels say the talks are exploratory and unofficial.
They come as the army moves slowly to enforce the exclusion zone
declared at midnight last night.
Mr Downer has welcomed the tougher stance of the Fijian military.
Despite the formation of a civilian Government two days ago, 27
hostages remain under the control of the rebels, 49 days after the coup
began.
Mr Downer says pressure is mounting on coup leader George Speight
and he should end the stand-off immediately.
"There is very little community support for Mr Speight and Mr Speight
has
no further options," he said.
"He should take the opportunity of releasing the hostages, doing the one
decent and honourable thing he can do."
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