By EUGENE BINGHAM
The daughter of a captive Fijian MP is helping lead a silent revolution on the lapels of the people of Suva.
Anna Padarath and a network of supporters are wearing blue ribbons as a silent protest at the actions of coup leader George Speight and his gunmen.
Speight's group continue to hold more than 30 MPs hostage, including Anna's mother, Lavinia, a Women's Affairs Minister in the deposed Government of Mahendra Chaudhry.
"The ribbon just shows everybody wants Fiji to be free," Anna Padarath said yesterday.
"A lot of people are unhappy but are keeping silent. If everybody would just get up and do something, maybe this could end."
The blue ribbon campaign was begun last week as part of a strategy by the National Council of Women in Fiji to denounce the May 19 coup and create pressure for the safe release of the hostages.
Each day, supporters gather for a lunchtime vigil in Suva's Anglican Cathedral to pray and draw strength from each other. Yesterday, Anna Padarath was joined by Joana Bale, the wife of another hostage, Regional Development Minister Manoa Bale.
"Among the families [of the hostages], there is a feeling of anger but there is not a whole lot we can do except wait," said Anna Padarath.
"This is something that brings us together."
The rebel captors allow the families to write to their loved ones, though now the correspondence is vetted to prevent them receiving any news of the activities associated with the coup.
"When I was still able to write freely to mum, I told her about the vigils and she was really grateful. Right now they don't know much at all but they know we are thinking of them."
The secretary of the council and a long-time friend, Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls, said the ribbons were made of Pacific blue material to symbolise Fiji's flag.
She called on people around the world to join in and demonstrate their support for the hostages by wearing ribbons.
Already, the residents of Suva have responded, despite the risk of Speight supporters lashing out. People of all races have taken to the idea, defying Speight's attempts to exploit differences between the indigenous Fijians and Fiji-Indians.
"It is a peaceful symbol which people are willing to wear," Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls said.
"There is no point being confrontational because at this stage you are dealing with people with guns and there is the safety of the hostages [to think about.]"
One cafe, which has become a distribution point, has a message on the wall to sum up exactly what the ribbons mean: "Our country is being held hostage and we the silent majority want it back."
George Speight talks to IRN's Barry Soper
(10 min).