Firebomb protest ends

Press, 21 October 1989, Page 12

Firebomb protest ends

NZPA-AAP Suva Business life returned to normal in Fiji .yesterday with the end of a 24-hour shutdown by ethnic Indians in protest over the firebombings of holy temples allegedly by indigenous Fijian Methodists last weekend. However, for the fourth consecutive day tens of thousands of Indian students stayed at home and more than 100 Indian-run schools remained shut as an official week of mourning over the attacks continued.

About 700 Indian students at the Suva-based University of the South Pacific boycotted classes. Meanwhile amid calls for calm from both religious and government leaders, police were investigating the overnight burning of an Indianowned fleet of buses in the western city of Lautoka, where the temple attacks took place last Sunday. A police spokesman declined to comment on reports that arson was suspected.

He said the buses were unattended at the time of the fire. Four were destroyed and another four

damaged at an estimated cost of sAust2so,ooo ($342,465).

Like the other fires, no one was injured. Local media reports speculated that the blaze was in reaction to the company operating services during Thursday’s stoppage while other bus fleets remained off the road,

An almost total halt to harvesting of vital sugar cane crops led to temporary closures or production problems at Fiji’s four sugar mills. The police and Indian community leaders reported no other incidents resulting from the peaceful protest.