DECOMMISSIONED army officers enlisted in the Counter
Revolutionary Warfare, which carried out the May 19 coup will not lay
down their arms even if the Muanikau accord was signed.
George Speight's adviser, Ratu Timoci Silatolu, revealed the new twist
to the hostage crisis.
Ratu Timoci said the soldiers normally carry the arms wherever they go
and saw no reason why they should be returned.
"We have made this point very clear to the army and we are not
changing our stance," he said.
"I cannot understand as to why they are asking us to do that when they
have more sophisticated arms than anybody else," he said.
Ratu Timoci said it was normal for these soldiers to be armed at all
times.
Army spokesperson Captain Ratu Eroni Volavola refused to talk on the
issue and said it was being discussed on the negotiating table.
However, Captain Volavola said the decommissioned soldiers were
struck off the pay roll after their final payment had been made last
week.
"There are 36 soldiers in there and the Commander Commodore Frank
Bainimarama had given his word that he was willing to take them back
in his fold, he claimed.
Ratu Timoci said that Commodore Bainimarama had 10 men as
bodyguards and they too wanted some sort of protection.
"I find it amusing to see him with all those men around him.
"He is only concerned for his own life, not for the hostages or for anyone
else," he said.
Ratu Timoci said if he were really interested in the welfare of the hostages,
he would have at least tried visiting
them and not walked away from negotiations as he was in a habit of doing.
Fiji's Daily Post
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