 |
Early Morning Release for Fiji's Women Hostages
Four women members of Fiji's parliament held hostage by a group of coup plotters for 37 days, were released early Sunday, one of their captors told reporters.
They were were among 31 hostages seized by coup plotter George Speight on May 19. The hostages still being held captive include Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, his cabinet and MPs.
Speight media adviser Jo Nata said in an interview that the women were released at 12.20am (1220 GMT Saturday).
"They were woken up and told they were being freed," Nata said.
"They were surprised, pleasantly surprised. They were given a few minutes to pack their things and then they were taken to the gates."
A few minutes earlier, the aunt of one of the hostages, who lived nearby, had been told to come and get the four.
Nata said the released women MPs were Lavinia Padarath, Akanisi Koroitamana, Adi Koila Nailatiku and Marieta Rigamoto.
There are now 27 hostages, all men, still in captivity.
Once the women were freed into the aunt's care the Fiji Red Cross picked them up and with police escorts they were taken home.
Red Cross director John Scott said the four appeared to be well.
"They are obviously quite drained out," he told reporters
"They have been through a very emotional experience. They are very happy to be out."
One of the women was at Red Cross headquarters going through a debriefing process while another was unwilling to come in because of the media camped outside.
"They appear to be quite emotional."
Padarath's husband Adishwar told local radio he thought he heard his wife early in the morning calling to be let into the home.
"I thought that I was dreaming, then we all ran down then the realisation dawned on us that she was standing right in front of us," he said.
"We praised the Lord and thanked the Red Cross for the part they played, and continue to pray for the rest of them, that the whole lot are out today, if not tomorrow...
"This is a welcome sign, a very very welcome sign, that the ladies are out..."
Nata said that on Saturday his group had received a plea from the Nailatiku family to allow her home to attend a family funeral.
"We considered it and then we decided, what the heck, we would release all the women... We feel the women have suffered enough."
They were released early in the morning to spare them the "embarrassment and humiliation" of having to walk through the crowd of Speight supporters in parliament, Nata said.
Avoiding media attention was also a consideration, he said.
Suva schools will open Monday and Nata said this had been a factor in the release.
"As mothers of children they needed to be with their children when this happens because of the agony and trauma the children will have gone through. The mothers need to be with their children."
Fiji's Sunday Times quoted a senior figure among the coup plotters, special forces soldier Ilisoni Ligiari, as saying hostages would not be released until a deal was signed and implemented with the martial law authorities.
"Because when you take hostages, you need to make sure that your demands are met before you release them," Ligiari said.
Talks between Speight's group and the martial law authorites were due to resume at 2 pm (0200 GMT) Sunday.
In This Section
|