Fiji suspended from Commonwealth business

Commonwealth ministers meeting in London have decided to exclude Fiji from Commonwealth business until the rebellion by ethnic Fijians led by George Speight is over.

The move falls short of full suspension.

The meeting of the Commonwealth Ministers Action Group called for a timetable to be set for the restoration of constitutional rule, and demanded the release of the ethnic Indian Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry and all other hostages who have been held in Fiji's parliament building for more than two weeks.

The ministers said they would not recognise any new government that included Mr Speight or his followers.

The meeting went on to express deep concern about the situation in the Solomon Islands, where armed rebels seized control of the capital on Monday and took the prime minister captive.

The ministers threatened similar suspension from Commonwealth councils unless consitutional rule is speedily restored. Commonwealth missions are to be sent to both terrirtories.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service