COMMONWEALTH MINISTERIAL ACTION GROUP MEMBERS DOWNER AND GOFF SPEAK AT SUVA AIRPORT, 2000-06-16 (photo)

Members of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, Alexander Downer (C), Australia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his New Zealand counterpart Phil Goff (L) speak to the media at Suva Airport June 16 before flying out of the country. The group, also consisting of Roy Blackbeard, High Commissioner of the Republic of Botswana and Tan Sri Musa Hitam, special envoy of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, met with former Prime Minister and chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs Sitiveni Rabuka along with 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