A first-hand account of George Speight's 2000 coup in Fiji

By Nirmal Singh Cheema*

First person - This week, both George Speight and Shane Stevens were pardoned and released from prison custody.

Speight went to prison for treason by overthrowing an elected government of Mahendra Chaudhry. Shane Steven went to jail for his role in mutiny at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks (QEB).

Several of our men in uniform lost their lives and forever changed our armed forces. It destroyed the colourful history of our armed forces and seriously dented its proud reputation and credibility.

However, it seems that those who were directly affected by this have accepted the decision for them to be pardoned and have forgiven them. Chaudhry's son, Rajendra, who was one of the hostages and faced brunt of the violence, accepted their pardon. It seems Chaudhry has also forgiven Speight but wants strict conditions placed on him so that he never plays racial politics again and brings destruction and division among Fiji's people.

He should be banned from holding or vying for public office. As far as Stevens is concerned, our armed forces are on reconciliation and healing process, so it seems they have also accepted the pardoned of Stevens.

The military has gone to a great extent to reconcile by even reaching out to those who harmed the unity among our men and women in uniform. Usually, we would expect those who are at fault would reach out for forgiveness and reconciliation.

Having said that, it is important to respect different feelings people have towards the pardon and release of Speight.

Some are celebrating his release, especially his family and those who subscribed to his political views for the supremacy of our indigenous people over other races, there are those who are hurt and sceptical about his release because of the harm and mayhem he caused the country and people especially Indo-Fijians.

There are those who have accepted because they were not around or were infants when he wrecked the country because they were not affected by it neither they were around to see and understand what their fellow citizens went through.

So, under these circumstances we must allow people to have varied views and feelings in the release of a prisoner who was sentenced to death and later his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment for committing crime against Fiji and its people.

A first -hand account of 'when all hell lose broke'

Let me share my first-hand view and experience of his actions that ripped our country apart and brought down our people to their knees.

It destroyed the strong fabric of our society and pitched people against each other based on racial and religious lines with brunt of violence targeted towards Indo-Fijians.

Indo-Fijians didn't capture political power. A man of Indian origin was elected as the prime minister through ballot box where significant number of indigenous people voted for his party.

I can write a book on events leading to coup of 2000 but that will be done on another day.

Read more:

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Today, let me focus on the May 19, 2000 and afterwards. During that time I was the Political and Public Diplomacy Specialist at the American Embassy and closely monitored the political developments and although I was a Fiji citizen, I had access and respect among all stakeholders in the country including the military, media, government, opposition, other political parties and generally the people of Fiji.

On the day of the march, my political officer and I went to the flea market where the march was supposed to begin.

There were only about 100 or so people who were getting ready to march through the streets of Suva. I went and spoke to Apisai Tora and other leaders of the march and they assured there will be no violence.

It will be a peaceful march and they will present their petition to the President and assemble in Albert Park and disperse from there.

I was right in front of the march. As the march proceeded people started joining in the march and by the time the march came to Suva City Council, I believe the crowd had ballooned to around 20,000.

There were tense moments and some Indofijians were threatened but organisers diffused the situation.

As the march arrived near Albert Park, marchers started gathering at the Albert park and the leaders of the march and a small group proceeded to the presidential gate on the Nasese seaside front to present their petition against the government to the permanent secretary to the president , Joe Brown.

While accepting the petition, Brown announced that the parliament has been taken over by the armed elements. That's when all hell lose broke. The word of parliamentary takeover quickly reached the people in Albert Park and people went berserk.

The only senior police officer with us and was visible was Jahir Khan and sensing that things were going to get violent he directed me to get into the police vehicle right in front.

Many would have seen me rushing to the police vehicle in a Fiji TV footage that ran for many years on TV. While getting into the police vehicle, I also pulled a Fiji TV journalist Imraz Iqbal in the back of the police van.

The protestors started getting violent and started throwing stones at the police vehicle and I am not sure, but I think one stone hit Imraz on his hand.

'Indo-Fijians became the primary target'

But here is the thing: We were right in front when our police vehicle started going towards parliament house and thousands of protestors were running after us.

They were also headed towards the parliament.

When we turned into Ratu Sakuna Road the police started shouting to shop owners to close and secure their shops.

The protectors jump on to the vehicles parked along the road breaking its glasses and damaging the vehicles. It's was like a tornado that was following us with massive destruction of cars and properties along the way.

When we reached the front gate of the parliament house along Sukuna Road the rabels seeing police vehicle aimed their guns on the vehicle and the police van driver pumped on the gas and we were nearly thrown out.

After passing the gate the vehicle stopped at a safe distance and I jumped out and there was my deputy chief of mission with Ambassador's official car.

We got into the car and drove on the other parliamentary gate. We got off and were observing events unfold right in front of our eyes.

This is when Apisai Tora walked up to us and told us that he and his group had nothing to do with the takeover of the parliament and I believe him because right throughout the march he and his group leaders ensured that discipline is maintained and there is no violence.

The question still remains how come halfway through the march so many people joined the march. where did they all come from? My personal view is that there was no link between the people marching and those who took over parliament.

I believe those who took over the parliament took advantage of the march thinking law enforcement resources and manpower would be diverted towards the march. At that point in time we saw heavy smoke spewing in Suva City and we knew Suva was burning. Parliamentary complex was soon filled to capacity with people.

Violence and looting weren't happening in Suva City alone.

Simultaneously, violence were unleashed on Indo-Fijians in remote areas like Muaniweni, Baulevu, labasa , Lomaivuna and other remote areas in Tailevu and Naitasiri. Indo-Fijians became the primary target.

There was no one to defend and protect them. They were at the complete mercy of the perpetrators.

Many managed to flee and took refuge in nearby bushes until they found an exit to safely get out of the area and left everything behind and escaped to west with their family. Police Forces had completely disappeared.

The then Police Commissioner, Isikia Savua, in one of the pictures is seen standing alone on the wreckage of what remained of Suva city with his man and women in uniform nowhere to be seen. It seemed they themselves had gone into hiding.

The western Viti Levu side remained peaceful and everyone both indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians joined forces to help accommodate Indo-Fijians fleeing from Suva side.

Few days later, we drove to western side to meet stakeholders that side including one of the most outstanding high-ranking military officer, Commander West, Henry Manulevu. He and his officers made sure west remained peaceful.

'When tears rolled down our eyes'

Here is the thing that really touched us. On our way we stopped by the Vuda Village to catch up with what was happening in Suva.

We were escorted to the chiefly bure where people were watching TV to follow events in Suva.

To our surprise, it was Indo-Fijians and Fijians sitting together watching events unfold.

We were served few bowls of grog and proceeded with our journey.

Our visit to Vuda was like being in another country. It was difficult to believe that just few hours' drive from west half of Fiji was burning. We then went to Girmit Center in Lautoka where people who fled from central division were being accommodated.

Here is another pleasant experience: It was mostly indigenous people who were taking care of these people making sure they had food and felt safe.

It was like indigenous people from Rewa saving and taking care of our Girmitiyas who survived Syria shipwreck during the girmit days. We returned to Suva.

Few days later my Ambassador and I went to Muaniweni against the advice of police because of safety issues. After meeting the police officers at the police post and after their briefing we drove to the affected areas.

That's when tears rolled down our eyes without control.

The violence unleashed on innocent and poor people was beyond our imagination.

We could never believe our eyes that Fiji could come to this state of violence.

We drove to a house where we met old couple who started crying when they saw us. We could see fear in their eyes. When we spoke to them, we learnt that they asked the entire family to flee to west and they were there to look after their house and farm.

They said it doesn't matter if they got killed as long as their children are safe.

At Baulevu landing we walked into a shop that was empty. The shopkeeper was in tears and said he just opened his shop and let people take whatever they wanted. Some of the people who instigated violence had lived side by side peacefully for generations.

They took care of each other for generations and all of a sudden, they became strangers and faced the brunt of violence from the very people who ate from the same plate.

So those who are angry at the pardon and release of Speight must understand what one went through during his reign of terror.

We have moved a long way ahead. Both races regret the events of those days and I can safely say no one will ever be able to play on the emotions of our indigenous people and incite them for their political agenda. We have come a long way.

Forgiving Speight? - 'Not easy'

Today, in informal settlements there are equal numbers of Indo-Fijians and [indigenous] Fijians trying to survive and look after their families. There is no racism there.

So, it's not easy to forgive Speight especially by those who faced violence and their families were destroyed and some innocent lives were lost for one man's greed for political power.

While we have pardoned him and let him go to his family, we must ensure he and such people never ever assume public or political office. Doing so will mean taking Fiji to the dark days and rubbing salt on the wounds of our nation.

The wounds that have left scars for lifetime!

I am not digging up the past, but we should never forget our history.

When we tend to throw our history out of the window, we tend to repeat it.

We must learn from our history. The question is are our indigenous people better off today than they were in 2000?

The strength and future of both our races lies in unity, peace, mutual respect and taking care of each other! That's what Fiji is all about.

*Nirmal Singh Cheema is a former political and public diplomacy specialist at the American Embassy in Suva.