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| Army and police in Fiji standoff | Army and police in Fiji standoff |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Fijian soldiers have taken up positions at the headquarters of the country's only armed police unit, amid continued fears of a military coup. | Fijian soldiers have taken up positions at the headquarters of the country's only armed police unit, amid continued fears of a military coup. |
| Soldiers are patrolling the perimeter while others have entered the compound. | Soldiers are patrolling the perimeter while others have entered the compound. |
| However there has been no confrontation between the police and the troops, and the situation remains calm. | However there has been no confrontation between the police and the troops, and the situation remains calm. |
| The army has threatened to unseat the government of PM Laisenia Qarase over controversial plans to grant amnesty to those behind a coup in 2000. | The army has threatened to unseat the government of PM Laisenia Qarase over controversial plans to grant amnesty to those behind a coup in 2000. |
| The commander of Fiji's military, Cmdr Voreqe Bainimarama, originally gave the government until last Friday to resign or face Fiji's fourth coup in two decades. | |
| The army takeover did not take place - but in a TV interview at the weekend he said he expected Mr Qarase to step down on Monday. | |
| Ongoing feud | |
| Troops arrived at the headquarters of the police's Tactical Response Unit outside the capital, Suva, early on Monday. | |
| Witnesses said soldiers loaded weapons belonging to police on to army trucks. | |
| "The army asked to examine what weapons this unit has. It is not violent," assistant police commissioner Moses Driver told Fiji radio. | |
| "We are hopeful that no confrontation of any sort is going to occur. The Fiji police appeal to members of the public to remain calm," he said. | |
| Australia and New Zealand have warned of dire economic and social consequences if the military deposes Fiji's elected government. | Australia and New Zealand have warned of dire economic and social consequences if the military deposes Fiji's elected government. |
| The feud between the prime minister and the army chief goes back several months. | |
| It relates to legislation that Mr Qarase is seeking to pass, which offers a pardon to people involved in the 2000 racially-motivated coup and allocates the ownership of coastal land to ethnic Fijians. | It relates to legislation that Mr Qarase is seeking to pass, which offers a pardon to people involved in the 2000 racially-motivated coup and allocates the ownership of coastal land to ethnic Fijians. |
| Cmdr Bainimarama played a key role in putting down the uprising and was at one point forced to flee for his life. | Cmdr Bainimarama played a key role in putting down the uprising and was at one point forced to flee for his life. |
| He has made it clear that he does not feel the government has done enough to bring its perpetrators to justice. | He has made it clear that he does not feel the government has done enough to bring its perpetrators to justice. |