3 Aug 2007

Fiji military-police teams to continue operations against those inciting violence

10:08 am on 3 August 2007

Fiji's interim prime minister says the joint military-police operations team will continue to take people in for questioning if they believe inciteful comments have been made.

Radio Legend says Commodore Bainimarama gave the response when asked for the reasons why trade unionist Taniel Tabu was detained on Wednesday and his claims that he was allegedly mistreated.

Commodore Bainimarama says the military and the police will ensure that no one incites violence.

He says he is also not surprised by Mr Tabu's call for United Nations peacekeepers to come to Fiji.

Commodore Bainimarama says a lot of the people involved in the May 2000 coup also asked for intervention by UN troops after the military takeover in December last year.

Commodore Bainimarama says he wants to warn people about the events of 2000 and especially the mutiny that year which resulted in the deaths of soldiers.

He says that can happen if Mr Tabu is allowed to continue with his incitement but Commodore Bainimarama stresses that he will not allow that to happen again.

Mr Tabu maintains United Nations troops should be brought in and the International Court of Justice should intervene.