Fiji's military says the activities of its former soldiers purportedly employed as mercenaries in Bougainville is a threat to national security in Fiji.
A military spokesman, Captain Neumi Leweni, has told Radio Legend that the presence of the group in Bougainville is a clear indication of the trend of events which originated in the upheavals of the May 2000 coup in Fiji.
Captain Leweni says the Bougainville incident shows that the "do anything regardless of the law" syndrome is still very much alive.
He says the Fiji military is concerned that the former soldiers purportedly have access to high-powered weapons in Bougainville.
Meanwhile, the former prime minister and 1987 coup leader, Sitiveni Rabuka, has backed the former soldiers.
Mr Rabuka, who set up the now disbanded Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit after his two coups, says many of these soldiers will be lured into overseas jobs as they are unable to find work locally because of their reputation.
He says action must be taken now to ensure that other soldiers of the discredited unit who are convicted of mutiny or coup related charges don't end up in similar illegal activities.
