Alexander Downer, disappointed with Fiji situation
Attempts to end the five-week-old hostage crisis in Fiji have failed. The military authorities and the rebel leader, George Speight, who's holding more than thirty hostages at the parliamentary building, have disagreed on the manner in which a Vice-President should be appointed. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer condemned the rebels for what he described as their cruelty in still holding hostages as the political crisis entered its sixth week.
