Pacific Journalism Online, http://www.usp.ac.fj/journ/ - which has been
covering the Fiji crisis with student journalists and hourly updates and
pictures since the start of the insurrection on May 19 - is now
temporarily off-line. It was shot down late yesterday afternoon by the
university administration as the result of threats against the university and
student journalists.
However, some student journalists are still working and the next edition
of their newspaper Wansolwara is due out soon. Some of their reports
will also be distributed by other means... The administration was asked to reopen
the website as
soon as possible.
This was one of the reports filed yesterday before the shutdown and martial
law:
SUVA: As civil unrest and uncertainty continues in what was once a peaceful
land, residents living in suburban Nasese surrounding Fiji's Parliament complex
are today living in fear.
Since the beginning of the illegal takeover of the elected government on May
19, "strange" people have been sighted along neighbouring streets.
As you walk along streets, gates are padlocked day and night.
When the roadblocks were set up outside the front entrance of the Parliament
complex by the police, supporters of rebel leader George Speight immediately
looked for the shortest path to the back entrance of Parliament at Vuya Peters
Road.
As frightened residents witnessed this last night and locked up their houses,
they saw that the protesters marching into town - and who later raided the Fiji
Television station - watching their houses.
The residents seemed to be worried that they would be future victims of harassment
and break-in.
Since then, police have stepped up patrols in the area.
Also, day and night, cheers and shouts can be heard from Parliament.
Any visitor would clearly see that what was once a beautiful meeting place
in Fiji's democratic government has been turned into a "pigsty".
Tents have been erected, pit toilets dug, clothes hanging on the fences along
the main entrance and people singing church songs and cheering.
Life goes on for many, and being a day of worship yesterday, churches around
Suva were full.
The President, Ratu Sir Kamasese Mara, attended the early morning service at
Suva's Sacred Heart Cathedral.
He appeared to have aged a lot since the crisis began as he walked out of church
at the end of the service.
In the latest incident to happen, around 9.30pm last night, more than 150 men
singing Fijian songs marched along Ratu Sukuna Road enroute to Parliament after
terrorising downtown Suva.
They were stopped for a while, which led to more abuse and shouting from the
men, and they later proceeded.
A few people living nearby, came out of their houses to see what was happening.
Seconds later, gunshots erupted.
Moments later police vehicles raced up and down to the Parliament complex.
At 10pm, radio FM96 reported the gunshots came from the back entrance of the
President's residence.
A policeman had been wounded and later died in hospital.
Today, the neighbourhood family shops remained open as they have for the past
10 days, but the shopkeepers have barricaded themselves in for self-protection.
This text may have been edited to protect the writer.
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