30 Jan 2007

Fiji NGOs accused of feeding anti-military information to Australia and New Zealand

9:58 am on 30 January 2007

Fiji's military commander and interim prime minister has blamed non-government organisations for feeding anti-military information to New Zealand and Australia.

Commodore Bainimarama has told Fiji TV that as long as this happens NGO representatives will be taken in for questioning by the military.

Commodore Bainimarama says the NGOs' misinformation campaign is the reason why New Zealand and Australia are against the people of Fiji and their military when there is no basis for this stand.

He says the New Zealand prime minister, Helen Clark, and Australian foreign minister, Alexander Downer, have not only lost the plot, they have lost the fight.

He says only NGOs are keeping the fight alive for New Zealand and Australia to retain their foreign sources of funding.

NGO have been invited to a meeting with the interim cabinet today where they will be briefed on the administration's position and will have the opportunity to seek explanations.

Meanwhile, the military has lodged complaints with the police that certain NGO representatives have been inciting the public which is against Fiji's 30-year old Public Order Act.