The National Federation Party has condemned the presence of armed soldiers outside the Fiji National Provident Fund’s branch in Lautoka yesterday.
Party president Pio Tikoduadua said the military should have realised the people were “unarmed and harmless ordinary workers”.
“Whoever decided to send armed soldiers on to the streets among the public must be held to account,” he said.
“What are armed soldiers with automatic weapons doing among ordinary workers?”
He said Fijians needed to know what the rules of engagement were for the armed soldiers in Lautoka.
“We are dealing with civilians, not armed thugs and hardened criminals.
“The last thing one needs to see is armed soldiers keeping an eye on you when you are exercising your right to source your own funds because of government’s inability to directly help you.”
Republic of Fiji Military Forces commander Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto has apologised to members of the public for the unnecessary panic his armed soldiers may have caused to more than 200 people outside the FNPF’s Lautoka branch yesterday.
He said the five soldiers were called in to assist police control the crowd and were returning from their normal patrol of looking after vital assets in the greater Lautoka area.
