Arrests over separatists secret military training

AUTHORITIES in Fiji believe a British Army veteran has been overseeing secret military training in a plot to form a breakaway ‘‘Christian’’ state.

The allegations emerged as authorities in the Pacific archipelago charged about two dozen people with sedition and promoting a plot to overthrow the government. The group has been accused of engaging in military training in the northern province of Ra, where a movement has reportedly been pushing to break away and declare the ‘‘Ra Sovereign Christian State’’.

According to the governmentaligned Fiji Sun, the militarystyle training started about three months ago led by ‘‘a former British Army soldier’’.

The veteran reportedly conducted training for about 20 villagers in the hills around the Yaqara Valley, a remote region best known as the source of Fiji Water, the internationally distributed bottled water.

Asked about the alleged involvement of a former British soldier, a Fiji police spokesman said: ‘‘Those are the allegations that were made. The investigations are continuing.’’

The veteran has not been identified – and authorities have not confirmed his role – but plenty of people from the Commonwealth nation serve in the British army, with the country being a British colony until 1970.

Fiji’s director of public prosecutions released a list of the latest 16 people to be arrested and asked the court for the group to be held in jail ‘‘due to the seriousness of the charges and the ongoing police investigations’’. They will appear in court again on August 26. Several others have been arrested on charges of sedition in the past week.

Fiji police said arrests began recently following reports of ‘‘training of a seditious nature being conducted in the interior of Ra by certain groups’’.

Police Commissioner Ben Groenewald said officers did not confiscate weapons and could not confirm guns were involved.

Authorities have reportedly been sent to persuade villagers not to support the separatists.

Fiji has had a series of coups since 1987 which have been largely linked to tensions between the indigenous population and the Indian community, who are descended from labourers brought in by Britain in the 19th century.

The last coup in 2006 was led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who won an election last year.