A Nauru opposition MP, Mathew Batsiua, says he believes the government panicked during last week's riot at the Australian-run detention camp.
He has taken issue with the suspension of the police commissioner and the government decision to call out reservists who then marched up to the camp, armed with knives and other implements, in a state of high agitation.
Mr Batsiua has praised the country's 42 strong police force for restoring control after the riot.
He says the police had the situation in hand - they had arrested the asylum seekers suspected of starting the riot, but they then had to confront what he calls a mob of hundreds of panicking Nauruans arriving at the camp.
Mr Batsiua says the people had effectively been told by the government that their country was under attack.
"There was a situation that could have erupted and the police were not only put in a situation where not only were they worrying about handling and controlling those that were involved in the riot, now they also had to handle and control the mob of people coming up, quite agitated, in panic."
Mathew Batsiua says the government has refused to allow state media to carry an interview in which he criticised the government's actions.
