SUVA (Pacnews) — Fiji’s interim administration has announced that the state of emergency decree enforced since the bloodless coup on Dec. 5, 2006 remains in force and no one will be taken to the army camp for questioning unless it is warranted.
Fiji Times reports that this was decided by interim Prime Minister and military commander Voreqe Bainimarama after discussions with Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and police.
The state of emergency, said Sayed-Khaiyum, will continue and joint police and military checkpoints will remain to provide security. The meeting also discussed the 13 automatic weapons which are still unaccounted for since 2000.
Sayed-Khaiyum, at a press conference at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, said it was decided no one was to be taken to the camp for questioning or disciplining unless it was warranted. All complaints against members of the public will be directed to the police.
It was also agreed that the military will only help police in its investigations and to keep law and order where necessary.
Sayed-Khaiyum said because Fiji is still in a state of emergency, members of the public should be aware that certain rights and freedoms such as personal liberty, freedom from servitude and forced labor, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly are limited.