Soldiers assist in weapons search

SUVA – Fiji’s Military Forces Commander Land Force Colonel Sitiveni Qiliho says the military is taking a proactive stand in deploying its men to the Western Division to assist police in investigations on alleged firearms use. “The military’s concern is if there are weapons involved. I’m not saying there are weapons involved,” said Colonel Qiliho. He said the 140 troops sent to the Western Division from Suva would assist police following claims that a group of men, alleged to be involved in a military type training, were allegedly using firearms.

“The police investigations as reported widely in the media have reported some military type training,” Qiliho said.

“If there were weapons, it is a serious concern for the military because the police in Fiji are unarmed.

“It is military presence for the protection of our brothers and sisters in the police who are doing investigations and for the protection of the people of Fiji who are in that area.”

Qiliho said the military had been working with the police for some months now in gathering information.

“We are not taking over the police job. Police are investigating, we are going there as per our role in the Constitution to reassure the people and taking a proactive stance. But like the Commissioner of Police has said, ‘everything is under control, we are on the top of it’.”

He said the military’s role was clearly defined in the two-year-old Constitution that placed the security of the nation and its people under their care.

He said people should not create an environment that would bring fear and unjustified alarm among Fijians.

Minister for Defence and National Security Timoci Natuva confirmed that some of the 140 men were initially part of a training group at the Black Rock Military camp in Nadi preparing for deployment to Lebanon in October.

He said other members were part of the second rotation to the UN Disengagement Observer Force in Golan Heights.