By Angela Marie Watkins
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Fiji’s interim Prime Minister has confirmed that several Methodist church leaders were taken into police custody and will appear in court Thursday afternoon.

The arrests follow several ongoing tussles over the past few months between the interim government and the church as to whether its annual conference can go ahead. Fiji’s military government has already banned the meeting once, accusing the church of being too political and setting conditions for future talks.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Neumi Leweni said Wednesday that the overnight arrests followed the Methodist Church leaders’ decision to include “political issues” in the program for the church’s annual conference rather than promoting “spiritual development.”

“This was a clear breach of the Public Emergency Regulation and also not a matter for the church to discuss,” Leweni said. Under the regulation, meetings and protests are banned. Leweni said the church leaders would be released when investigations were completed, but the conference was canceled.

Among those arrested was former president of the Fiji Methodist Church, Reverend Manasa Lasaro; General Secretary, Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu; the Secretary for Pastoral Ministry, Tomasi Kanailagi; and the Church’s Finance Secretary Viliame Gonelevu. The general secretary was taken in on Tuesday night and others were detained the next morning.

The country’s most senior female High Chief, Rewa Province’s Ro Teimumu Kepa, was also taken into custody, allegedly for a letter outlining her intention to allow the church to hold the conference in her province next month.

Commodore Frank Bainimarama says both Ro Teimumu and the church leaders breached the conditions of the permit given to them when the standing committee met seven days ago.

The Methodist Church in Fiji has said that eight of its senior members are being held by police for questioning.

For more information, please see:
BBC – Fiji police hold church leaders – 22 July 2009

Associated Press – Methodists arrested amid Fiji military crackdown – 22 July 2009

New Zealand International Radio – Fiji’s interim leader confirms Methodist leaders in court this afternoon – 22 July 2009

New Zealand International Radio – People of Fiji’s Rewa province fear for detained high chief’s safety – 22 July 2009