Three people are wounded after they were shot today at around quarter to mid-day at a check point on the seawall side of Vuiya road outside the Parliamentary complex.
They include two soldiers and an English cameraman from Associated Press Television.
Our reporters at the hospital say the cameraman was shot in his wrist ; one
soldier was shot in the arm and other in his lower half of his leg. We have
yet to establish what provoked the shooting incident.
Three people, including an overseas cameraman, have been shot in a battle between Speight's gunmen and soldiers at a checkpoint outside Parliament.
The cameraman was caught in a cross-fire between the soldiers and the Speight's gunmen.
The Associated Press television cameraman was shot in the right arm, a soldier suffered an arm wound while another was shot in the leg.
It is also believed that Commander Bill, the purported leader of the coup, is now back in command of the forces at the Parliamentary Complex.
He was relieved of his command after talking openly to the media about how
he planned the coup and that Speight was only a last-minute addition.
The shooting of a civilian and two soldiers puts a bloody taint to Fiji's third coup.
The first two coups were violent but not bloody. The shedding of blood puts a new twist to the political impasse that Fiji will now have to deal with.
With tension high, and expected to get higher as the stand-off force loyal
to the President and the rebels drags on, flashpoints are taking place frequently
between rebels and
government troops. In most cases, cooler heads prevail.
In the shooting incident at the Parliament Complex, a deliberate attempt was
made to instigate reaction from the soldier. It resulted in a civilian being
caught in the crossfire between
the two parties and two soldiers sustaining hits also.
While the government soldiers were firing warning shots at the ground and in
the air, Speight's gunmen took potshots at them - with the unarmed supporters
as a human shield for
the gunmen.
Army Commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama says the Royal Fiji Military Forces,
being a Fijian institution, supports the cause coup leader George Speight is
fighting for but
does not approve of his methods to overthrow government.
"We understand their feelings but we do not agree with the method used," said Banimarama at a press conference at the Nabua Army Barracks a short while ago.
He insisted that there was no split in the military.
The 18 members of a territorial unit entered the parliamentary complex in support of Speight "in blind obedience and as private individuals," he said.
The man who led them, former Major Jovesa Savua, was discharged some time ago.
"Itís unfortunate they went in uniforms," said Bainimarama. He will recommend
to their
commanding officer that the rebels be discharged.
He says there is total military support for the President, Ratu Sir Kamisese
Mara and the resolutions passed by the great Council of Chiefs, which addresses
most of Speightís
concerns about indigenous Fijian rights.
"The solution is there," said Bainimarama.
Shooting has broken out between Fijian Government
troops and rebels who are holding hostages, including
the prime minister, in the parliament building.
A press cameraman was wounded in the arm and a
government soldier was also reportedly injured.
Government soldiers opened fire when about 200
supporters of the rebels left the compound to try to
overrun an army barricade which was preventing others
trying to join those inside the parliament.
The rebels are demanding the abolition of the
multi-racial constitution and the resignation of President
Ratu Mara.
They have found some support from Fiji's Great Council
of Chiefs who have called for ethnic Indian Prime
Minister Chaudhry to be replaced by an interim
government and for a pardon for the rebels.
But our correspondent says negotiations appear to have
hit a brick wall.
The chairman of Fiji's Great Council of Chiefs, Sitiveni
Rabuka, says a mediation deal offered to the rebels
two days ago is final.
Even though it amounted to capitulation to most of the
gunmen's demands, their leader, George Speight,
wants much more.
A delegation of chiefs is expected to resume dialogue
with Mr Speight inside the parliament building on
Saturday.
Outside, well-armed troops loyal to the president have
for the first time taken up positions on all approaches
to parliament.
The shooting came during a brief but tense
confrontation between armed rebels and the security
forces as dozens of George Speight's supporters broke
through a road block minutes after a small group of
soldiers had defected and marched into the parliament
compound.
In the capital, Suva, the police say they are cracking
down on people breaking the night-time curfew.
Thirty-eight were arrested on Friday night and face up to
two years in jail.
International condemnation of the coup continues.
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer
said Fiji should be suspended from the Commonwealth.
Canberra is also considering a range of economic,
political and military sanctions.
The coup has also been strongly condemned by the
United Nations, Commonwealth and countries including
the United States, Britain, and Australia.
Mr Downer denounced coup leader George Speight as a
"terrorist" and called on the country's Great Council of
Chiefs to resist caving in to his demands.
"If Speight and his gunmen are successful then this will
be an international disaster for Fiji," he added.
Australia told Fiji that an unconstitutional resolution
of the crisis could lead to the suspension of aid from
its major donors, and the US warned of sanctions.
The coup leaders want a constitution ensuring the
country can only be ruled by indigenous Fijians.
But Mr Downer described the situation in Fiji as "Pacific apartheid".
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon added: "Aiming a
loaded gun at the constitution to marginalise sectors of Fiji's society is
a
totally unacceptable start a new millennium."
Mr McKinnon, who met Mr Speight in Fiji this week, has
convened a meeting of Commonwealth members to
discuss the crisis.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the council's
proposals went "well beyond the scope of the powers
vested in the Great Council".
"It is only by upholding the democratic process that the
long-term stability and prosperity of the population
of Fiji, as well as the international standing of
Fiji, can be secured," he added.
US State Department spokesman Philip Reeker
warned that Washington would be legally forced to
impose sanctions if the crisis was not resolved in a constitutional manner.
Soldiers who were fired at by supporters of coup leader George Speight this morning could not retaliate for fear of injuring civilians.
Army commodore Frank Bainimarama said civilians were used as "human shields."
Two soldiers and a cameraman received gunshot wounds during the attack.
It happened after a horde of Speightís
supporters overran two checkpoints around the parliamentary complex. This is
after they received reports that Speightís supporters were not
being stopped
Some people from the mob tried to wrestle weapons from the soldiers, who fired on the ground and above the crowdís heads.
Bainimarama said the attacks came despite assurances from Speightís camp that there would be no confrontation.
Speightís was informed that the take over of the check points by armed soldiers was not a prelude to a military strike.
Bainimarama said they do not want the
situation to escalate and prefer a political solution.
A television cameraman has been shot just outside Fiji's Parliament
House during a confrontation between George Speight's gunmen and
soldiers manning a road block.
The incident forced many media outlets to withdraw from the
compound.
The incident occurred during a confrontation between Mr Speight's
supporters and the military unit, stationed just outside the
parliamentary compound.
Automatic weapons were discharged into the air as the two groups
jostled and a wire service cameraman was hit in the forearm.
The wounded man has been taken to hospital by colleagues and his
condition is not known.
The man has been identified as Gerry Harmer, an Associated Press
cameraman from Bangkok.
Several media outlets have pulled out of the compound following the
clash.
© 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Three men have been wounded in an exchange of shots outside the
Fijian Parliament in the capital, Suva.
The short battle took place after a clash between Fijian soldiers and
supporters of the kidnappers, led by George Speight.
About 150 supporters of the kidnap team marched out of the
Parliament about 200 metres to a line, manned by Fijian troops.
There was a struggle, apparently when the rebels tried to take down
some of the soldiers' tents, and rocks were thrown.
Within moments, shots were being fired. About 30 to 40 shots were
exchanged as the Fijian troops withdrew.
A Fijian army lieutenant was wounded in the shoulder, one of his
troops was shot in the leg and a cameraman was wounded in the arm.
© 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The military has pulled back from the parliamentary compound in
Suva after a clash between soldiers and supporters of coup leader
George Speight left three people wounded.
Two soldiers and a British TV cameraman were taken to hospital with
gunshot wounds.
Fired up by speakers inside the parliamentary compound, Speight
supporters marched up to soldiers watching the perimeter.
There, they tried to disarm the troops, and an exchange of gunfire
followed.
Two soldiers were hit, one in the shoulder, the other in the leg.
Associated Press cameraman Jerry Harmer was also taken to hospital
with a gunshot wound to the forearm, the result of a ricochet off the
bitumen road.
Coup leader George Speight says his supporters were provoked into
the clash.
"I want to confirm the fact that the army has been deployed, is not of
our doing," he said.
"I believe that it is a plot and it is an orchestrated move by His
Excellency Ratu Mara to create tension."
This Bulletin: Sat, 27 May 2000 14:03 AEST
© 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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