John Maurice Scott

John Maurice Scott (1948 – 1 July 2001) was the Director General of the Fiji Red Cross and received a Red Cross award for his role in the hostage crisis during the 2000 Fijian coup d'état.

For other people named John Scott, see John Scott (disambiguation).
John Scott
Born1948
Suva, Fiji
Died1 July 2001
Suva, Fiji
NationalityFijian
OccupationDirector General, Fiji Red Cross

Scott was born in Suva, Fiji, and educated in Fiji and New Zealand. He held a number of prominent public positions for various national, regional and international councils and programmes. He was a fourth generation European Fijian and his father, Sir Maurice Scott was the first European Speaker in the Parliament of Fiji.[1]

Scott joined the Red Cross in 1994 and played a key mediation role after George Speight seized parliament on 19 May 2000 and took Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and his government hostage for 56 days. Scott was initially the only outsider allowed to see the hostages and eventually oversaw their release.[2] He declined to testify in Speight's trial because he did not want to compromise the neutrality of the Red Cross.[3]

Scott was involved in trying to restore Fiji's overthrown 1997 constitution and was among the members of the gay community that put forward submissions to keep the constitution because it protected LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) rights.

John Scott was murdered on 1 July 2001 in Suva along with his partner, Gregory Scrivener, in an apparent homophobic attack with a possible political motive.[4]

John's Story became the subject of a New Zealand documentary, An Island Calling.[5] which is based on the book Deep Beyond The Reef, written by his brother Owen Scott.

References
  1. Larkin, Naomi (7 July 2001), "Shadow of gay phobia over 'angel of light'", New Zealand Herald, retrieved 14 March 2008
  2. Mercer, Phil (7 June 2000), "Fiji hostages' long ordeal", BBC, retrieved 14 March 2008
  3. "Link to trial for Fiji murders", TVNZ, 2 July 2001, retrieved 14 March 2008
  4. "Scrivener was tortured, says family", New Zealand Herald, 10 July 2001, retrieved 14 March 2008
  5. "In the name of god", The Sunday Star-Times, 16 March 2008, retrieved 21 March 2008

Further reading
  • Scott, Owen (2004). Deep Beyond The Reef. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-301961-9.
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