2000 Fijian coup d'état
Coup that overthrew Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Fiji coup d'état of 2000 was a civilian coup d'état by hardline i-Taukei (ethnic Fijian) nationalists against the elected government of an Indo-Fijian Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry on 19 May 2000. This was followed by an attempt on 27 May by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority, and then by a military coup on 29 May by Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
2000 Fijian coup d'état | |||||||
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Part of the Fiji coups | |||||||
The burnt out remains of Govinda's Restaurant in Suva: over 100 shops and businesses were ransacked in Suva's central business district on 19 May. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Hardline i-Taukei Rebels
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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George Speight Timoci Silatolu Shane Stevens | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
4 killed in the Queen Elizabeth Barracks Mutiny | 4 killed in the aftermath of the Queen Elizabeth Barracks Mutiny | ||||||
Hundreds of properties ransacked. |
The coups resulted in the removal of the elected government and its replacement by an interim regime headed by Josefa Iloilo. In March 2001, the Court of Appeal of Fiji ruled that the coups and interim regime were illegal. An elected government was finally restored by the 2001 Fijian general election.
George Speight, the leader of the coup, was convicted of treason and sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.