Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry has expressed that the release of George Speight, the figure behind the 2000 coup in Fiji, has caused widespread unease across the country. In a recent statement, Chaudhry, leader of the Fiji Labour Party, emphasized that Indo-Fijians were particularly targeted during the chaos and violence triggered by Speight and his followers.
Chaudhry highlighted the trauma endured by countless innocent families in rural areas, who were forced out of their homes and farms as they became victims of prolonged violence and terror. He recounted that members of his government were held hostage in Parliament for 56 days under threat of gunpoint, experiencing constant intimidation, humiliation, and both physical and psychological torture from the rebel soldiers.
He raised concerns about justice for the innocent victims affected by Speight’s actions, arguing that any steps to release individuals guilty of treason should have been preceded by efforts to deliver justice and foster reconciliation for those harmed. Chaudhry noted that treason is a grave crime with a mandatory life sentence, and expressed disappointment that Speight’s release occurred before a Truth and Reconciliation process, reviving the anger from the events of 2000 without the necessary healing taking place first.
He warned that this development undermines the nation’s sense of justice and could have significant implications for national unity and public trust in the current government. Chaudhry remarked it was not unexpected, as Speight’s release had been hinted at in an election promise made by the Prime Minister during a rally in Nasinu just weeks before the 2022 general elections.
Given the government’s actions since taking office, Chaudhry indicated that it was only a matter of time before Speight was released, especially after the earlier freedom granted to his co-conspirators, Joe Nata and Timoci Silatolu, just six months prior. Now that Speight is free, Chaudhry expressed hope that he will finally shed light on the truth behind the 2000 coup, noting that Speight has claimed he was not the true instigator of the events.
Chaudhry recalled Speight’s statement during his sentencing in February 2002, which suggested that if the police were honest about the evidence in his case, many others would share his fate. The former Prime Minister emphasized that if Speight genuinely feels remorse for the turmoil his actions caused, he should at the very least reveal the truth about the events of 2000.