RABUKA LEAVES MEETING WITH COMMONWEALTH MINISTERIAL ACTION GROUP IN SUVA, 2000-06-16 (photo)

A bodygaurd holds an umbrella above the head of former Prime Minister and chairman of the great Council of Chiefs Stiveni Rabuka (R) after he had a meeting with the members of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group in Fiji's capital city Suva June 16. The group, consisting of Alexander Downer, Australia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Phil Goff, New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister, Roy Blackbeard, High Commissioner of the Republic of Botswana and Tan Sri Musa Hitam, special envoy of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, met with Rabuka and representatives of political parties, religious and indigenous groups and the military in an effort to restore democracy and gain the release of the 31 hostages, who include deposed ethnic-Indian Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and many members of his former Fiji Labor Party government, that are being held in the Parliament compound. DG/PB