The hostage crisis ended July 13 but Fiji’s troubles are certainly not over. Coup leader George Speight, who was granted all of his demands in return for releasing all hostages unharmed, evidently believed he was untouchable because he threatened murder when his choice for president in the new government was passed over in favor of another appointee. Speight’s threat resulted in his arrest, which produced new unrest, the temporary abduction of about 50 Indo-Fijians and two New Zealand pilots, and yet another attempted coup which the military contained. It may be some time before any sort of normalcy returns to Fiji.
