March 16, 2012

Radio NZ International: Samoa PM renews call for Fiji military to be disbanded

Posted at 02:39 on 16 March, 2012 UTC

Samoa’s prime minister has renewed his call for the Fiji military to be disbanded.

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi says the military should let the boys go out and fish and farm and play rugby and not keep them cooped up in military forts thinking up schemes to overthrow their government.

Fiji’s military carried out four coups in 19 years.

As for the proposed constitutional review in Fiji, Tuilaepa says it is unnecessary, adding that the 1997 constitution should be reinstated.

Despite promises to hold elections, he says the Fiji interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has done nothing to convince him he will take Fiji back to democratic governance.

Tuilaepa also says he has seen some gruesome photos of soldiers, he says, were killed under Commodore Bainimarama’s orders.

He says the photos were taken by a priest and he is now more convinced at the level of violence and ruthlessness this man is capable of.

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