18 Aug 2004

Fiji police commissioner warns Taukei Movement its members are being watched

9:51 am on 18 August 2004

Fiji's police commissioner has gone on the offensive against people threatening to destabilise the country in an effort to free the jailed vice president Seniloli.

This follows reports that members of the ultra-nationalist Taukei Movement, who were involved in the agitation in 1987 and 2000, are behind the moves.

Commissioner Andrew Hughes told Radio Legend this morning that police are now monitoring the individuals and any remote sign of trouble will be tackled immediately.

"We are monitoring this particularly carefully. Taukei Movement - call them what you like or whoever they may be. What we are saying is we are monitoring it. If they overstep the line and start inciting people to commit unlawful acts, we are going to come down firmly on these people. There will be no repeat of May 2000. Let me be quite clear on that. There will be no repeat of the events of May 2000. We will be on the front foot and taking preventive action long before the situation is allowed to escalate into anything that remotely resembles what occurred in May 2000."

Seniloli and four others who have been in jail for 12 days will have their bail applications heard by the president of the Appeal Court, Justice Gordon Ward, this morning.