‘My family paid the price,’ says Rabuka

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says his family suffered directly from his 1987 coup actions, with his village still known as "the coup village."

Speaking at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing on Friday, Mr Rabuka revealed his daughters lost school friends and faced social isolation after being brought to military camp on coup morning.

"They lost friends from school and some who stayed didn't quite see eye to eye with them," he said.

His wife faced difficulties at Lelean Memorial School, while his sisters who were teachers also lost workplace friendships.

"One of my daughters told me that a friend of hers refused to play in the other team when they played against hers," Mr Rabuka said.

He acknowledged his family collectively carries guilt for his actions, saying they simply tried to "get on with life" as their coping mechanism.

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