Fiji Army Sets Up Road Blocks in Suva, Disarms Police

Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Fiji's army set up road blocks in the capital, Suva, and seized weapons from the country's only armed police unit after the military commander threatened to stage a coup against the government.

Soldiers deployed in the city today, Pene Nonu, a spokesman for Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase said in telephone interview. The disarming of the police tactical response unit is ``part of the clean up'' in the country, Land Forces Commander, Colonel Pita Driti, said earlier by telephone.

Military commander Voreqe Bainimarama has threatened to topple Qarase's government, accusing the administration of corruption. He set a Dec. 1 deadline for the prime minister to meet demands, including scrapping legislation that would grant an amnesty to perpetrators of a coup six years ago. Bainimarama said yesterday his ``clean up'' would begin today.

Fiji has suffered three coups in the past 19 years and Qarase has said another would have ``dire consequences'' for the tourism industry, the country's biggest direct employer and earner of foreign exchange. Between 300,000 and 400,000 tourists each year visit the 332-island archipelago located 3,240 kilometers (1,950 miles) northeast of Australia, according to U.S. government data.

Qarase is on his way back to the capital from a function in the highland province of Naita Siri and the military has blockaded the road on which he will travel, Nonu said.

``The information we have is that they will not have him arrested,'' said Nonu, citing unidentified military officials manning the road block.