THIRD COUP IN FIJI
BREAKING NEWS AUDIO - A third coup is underway in Fiji. The armed group of rebels has announced it has the prime minister and some MPs in custody. It's named a new prime minister and says it is now running the country - we'll hear from the coup leader shortly. The news of the overthrow has sparked panic in the capital Suva - immediately after the broadcast we have just heard, schools and businesses began closing and thousands of people fled the city. In another broadcast, parents were urged to take their children out of school. AUDIO.
At this stage, there appears to have been no further violence and the military doesnt appear to be involved. Checkpoint has been told that top military officers are now discussing the situation. At the same time as the coup was announced, the international phone lines into Fiji went dead. Callers to Fiji were greeted with the following message. AUDIO
Communications with Fiji still remain difficult. Shortly after the coup we managed to get through to our correspondent in Fiji Shui Singh who described how the events had unfolded. PREREC IV
The Chaudrey government has been under attack from some indigenous Fijians almost since his government won the election a year ago. The attacks included a bombing campaign and disgruntled Fijians accuse Mr Choudrey of undermining traditional landrights. More than 83 percent of Fiji's land is held collectively by indigenous Fijians, but as 30 year leases held by Fiji Indian sugar cane farmers start to expire, the Choudrey government is accused of trying to extend them. In recent weeks the ultra-nationalist Taukei movement has re-emerged - this group was at the forefront of the protests before the coups that toppled the Government of Timoci Bavadra in 1987. Speaking just before today's events the movement's leader, veteran politician Apisai Tora gave this description of Prime Minster Choudrey. AUDIO
Apisai Tora says he will stop at nothing to ensure that Fijians never lose [illegible] in their country. He wants to see the non racial constitution drawn up three years ago by a Commission headed by New Zealand's Sir Paul Reeves thrown out. He says that document left him stunned. AUDIO
And this is how Apisai Tora described the relations between indigenous Fijians and Fiji Indians. AUDIO
Richard Naidu worked for the Bavandra government toppled in the first Fiji coup. He now works at a Suva law firm - I asked him how news of the coup first broke. PREREC IV
The New Zealand government has been monitoring the situation - the Foreign Affairs minister Phil Goff joins me now. LIVE IV
BUSINESS NEWS with Catherine Walbridge
5.30 HEADLINES with HEWITT HUMPHREY with CHRIS REID
Returning to our main story - and the coup in Fiji. An armed group of rebels has taken over parliament at gunpoint and taken the prime minister and some MPs into custody. It's named a new prime minister and says it is now running the country. The news of the overthrow has sparked panic in the capital Suva, with schools and businesses closing and thousands of people fleeing the city. Vinod Kumar, an Fiji Indian who drives a taxi in Wellington, has brothers and sisters in Suva. He is worried that the coup may trigger looting and violence such as erupted after the earlier coups. He is worried about his relatives safety. PREREC IV
All flights between New Zealand and Fiji have been disrupted. The first flight from Fiji to new Zealand since the coup has just landed at Auckland international airport - Our reporter Julian Robins is there, and he joins us now. LIVER
This latest coup is the third to rock the Pacific nation. The first and second coups were staged by General Sitiveni Rabuka when he seized power in 1987. Our reporter John MacDonald looks back at the events surrounding those coups. PKG
TEAM NZ ANNOUNCES NEW LINEUP
Team New Zealand has lost two of its most well known faces, with Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth announcing they will not be sailing for the team in the next defence of the America's Cup in 2003. The next defense will be headed by Tom Schnackenberg, and Dean Barker who skippered the fifth and final race, which clinched the defence earlier this year. Our reporter Todd Niall was at the conference and he joins us now. LIVER
CALL FOR TREATY FISHING RIGHTS TO BE LEGISLATED
A major commercial fishing industry conference has passed a unanimous motion calling on the Government to intervene in the allocation of Māori fishing assets. The Seafood Industry Council conference in Nelson passed a motion supporting a bid by the Treaty Tribes coalition that Parliament legislate the allocation of the first parcel of assets from the Māori fishing settlement. Earlier in the week treaty tribes released a report which found that Iwi are losing up to 14 millions dollars a year because of the non-allocation of quota. Our Māori Issues correspondent Chris Wikaira joins us now LIVER
BLINDNESS COULD BE PREVENTED
Opthalmologists say hundreds of New Zealanders are losing their sight every year, in many cases from diseases which are treatable if detected early enough. [illegible] one hundred New Zealand and international eye specialists are holding a conference in Palmerston North this weekend - they're focussing on the genetic factors which can cause blindness and on paediatric opthalmology. Jill Galloway went along to the conference. PKG
MANA NEWS with DALE HUSBAND