18. Families: John Scott and the Red Cross

Speight of Violence 27

As the crisis dragged on the hostages tended to become somewhat abstract. Nobody was seeing them and, while they were alive, their condition was a mystery. Thirty-two days into the crisis Bainimarama got around to meeting hostage families at the military headquarters, saying he was 'very hopeful' their captivity would end soon. He admitted that the hostages were at the mercy of Speight and his men since neither the military nor the Red Cross were supplying food to Parliament. Two weeks later the hostage families wrote a joint letter to Bainimarama: 'We, the undersigned spouses, children and family members of the hostages held in the Parliament Complex make a humble plea to you . . . to immediately accommodate all demands of the rebels for the safe release of hostages. The hostages have suffered a lot and along with them, we have also been experiencing trauma and hardship of various forms.'

John Scott in Parliament visiting hostages. Reuters