The two largest cane farmers unions in the country have come together to jointly
protest the hostage situation.
The Fiji Cane Growers Association and the National Farmers Union are demanding
the release of the deposed prime
minister Mahendra Chaudhry and his colleagues.
FCGS general secretary Jagnath Sami says the union is a show of solidarity
for upholding the 1997 Constitution and for
support of the democratically elected government.
The FCGC is generally supported by the National Federation Party while the
NFU is aligned to Chaudhry's Labour
movement. Labour and NFP have been at loggerheads with each other for some time
now.
More than 2500 canefarmers are boycotting harvest: an estimated 4.5 million
tonnes of cane is to be harvested this season.
And about 1200 native land leases will expire this year, most of in the cane
belts.
It is understood that very few of the leases will be renewed.
Several doctors are considering moving overseas with fears of some being targeted
for looting and harassment around
Suva. Fiji One reported tonight that one doctor was confronted by a group of
man at his domain home after an all-night
shift. CWM medical superintendent said:
"If things continue some of the doctors might leave and it will put us
in a bad situation". Most not doctors are turning up
for work out of fear and unavailability of public transport.
CWM has closed non-emergency services to counter doctor shortage at the moment.
A Tailevu man has been jailed for three years for breaking into the Vieuto
house of Rajendra Chaudhry, the son of former
prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry.
Chaudhry, along with his father and others, are still held hostage at the Parliamentary
Complex by coup leader George
Speight. The man was charged with three offence: house-breaking, larceny and
breaking the curfew laws.
He appeared at a special sitting of the Suva Magistrates Court this afternoon
after being arrested at a checkpoint last night.
The man will appear again in court on July 18 to answer to the charges of larceny
and breaking the curfew for which he
has pleaded not guilty.
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