The coup had some degree of success in its forcible takeover of Parliament and a relatively unchallenged move to establish a civilian government. When invited, some of the officials of the former governing group accepted positions in the new rebel government; however, because neither the Fijian Army nor the police force or any other major institution in the country publicly supported the attempted takeover, the coup eventually failed. George Speight and a number of his leading coup followers were charged with treason. The trials produced convictions and a sentence of life in prison for George Speight and significantly lesser sentences for those who chose to take positions in his short-lived rebel government. The author believes that the trials firmly established the rule of law in Fiji and the professionalism of its criminal justice system, such that a deterrent effect against future coups was achieved; however, this coup, along with the legacy of the 3 coups in Fiji between 1987 and 2000 has been the permanent departure of over 100,000 Indo-Fijians out of a total population of only 800,000. Those who left were largely the professional, educated, and affluent Fijians. Indigenous Fijians once again constitute a majority of the population. The price of this racial shift has been the commercial and economic deterioration of the country, which is likely to last for decades. 57 notes