John Scott (humanitarian)
Encyclopedia
John Maurice Scott 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.
Scott was educated in Fiji
and New Zealand
and 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
.
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. He declined to testify in Speight's trial because he did not want to compromise the neutrality of the Red Cross.
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.
John's Story has recently become the subject of a New Zealand documentary, An Island Calling. which is based on the book Deep Beyond The Reef, written by his brother Owen Scott.
Scott was educated in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and held a number of prominent public positions for various national, regional and international councils and programmes. He was a fourth generation European
Europeans in Oceania
European exploration and settlement of Oceania began in the 16th century, starting with Spanish landings and shipwrecks in the Marianas Islands, east of the Philippines. Subsequent rivalry between European colonial powers, trade opportunities and Christian missions drove further European...
Fijian and his father, Sir Maurice Scott was the first European Speaker in the Parliament of Fiji
Parliament of Fiji
Fiji's Parliament is bicameral. The House of Representatives has 71 members. 25 of these are elected by universal suffrage. The remaining 46 are reserved for Fiji's ethnic communities and are elected from communal electoral rolls: 23 Fijians, 19 Indo-Fijians, 1 Rotuman, and 3 "General electors"...
.
Scott joined the Red Cross in 1994 and played a key mediation role after George Speight
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000...
seized parliament on 19 May 2000 and took Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
and his government hostage for 56 days. Scott was initially the only outsider allowed to see the hostages and eventually oversaw their release. He declined to testify in Speight's trial because he did not want to compromise the neutrality of the Red Cross.
Scott was involved in trying to restore Fiji's overthrown 1997 constitution and was among the members of the gay community
Gay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
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.
John's Story has recently become the subject of a New Zealand documentary, An Island Calling. which is based on the book Deep Beyond The Reef, written by his brother Owen Scott.
External links
- Tribute paid to John Scott, Fiji Red Cross Director General — International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2 July 2001)
- Tragic death of Fiji Red Cross Director General — Red Cross press release (1 July 2001)
- An island calling — documentary about the death of John Scott, including news reel (1 July 2001)