Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry has condemned the decision to release George Speight from prison. The leader of the 2000 civilian coup was among seven individuals granted Presidential Pardon on Thursday following a Mercy Commission review of mercy petitions.
George Speight led the violent coup that overthrew the democratically elected government of Mahendra Chaudhry in 2000, resulting in months of chaos and unrest across the nation. Chaudhry expressed particular concern for the Indo-Fijian community, who were primary targets of the violence perpetrated by Speight and his associates. He noted that countless innocent families in rural areas were traumatized, forced from their homes, and suffered from the ongoing terror.
Chaudhry recounted that members of his government were held hostage for 56 days in Parliament, subjected to threats and torture by rebel forces. He questioned who would now ensure justice for the victims of Speight’s actions and criticized the decision to pardon those guilty of treason without first addressing the needs of victims and providing avenues for reconciliation.
“The release of a treason convict ahead of a Truth and Reconciliation process is disheartening, reopening the wounds of 2000 and hindering essential healing,” he stated, emphasizing that Speight’s release undermines national justice and could have significant impacts on unity and public trust in the current government. Chaudhry pointed out that Speight’s release was anticipated, given comments made by Prime Minister Mr. Rabuka during his election campaign.
Reflecting on Rabuka’s government priorities since taking office, Chaudhry indicated that Speight’s freedom was inevitable after the earlier pardons granted to his co-conspirators, Joe Nata and Timoci Silatolu, last December.
Chaudhry expressed hope that Speight would now take the opportunity to reveal the truth about the coup, noting that Speight had previously claimed he was not the main instigator. He urged that if Speight feels remorse for the suffering caused by his actions, he should share the truth about the events of 2000.