14 Apr 2008

Protestors in Fiji could face charges of unlawful assembly

5:31 am on 14 April 2008

Charges of unlawful assembly are expected to be laid early this week against seventeen people in Fiji arrested at a vigil outside the Chinese embassy.

The group was taken away by police after protesting over China's human rights abuses in Tibet outside the Embassy in Suva on Thursday afternoon, and detained until late that night.

A spokesman for the Fiji Police Corporal, Josaia Weicavu, says an investigation is ongoing.

"We still have to obtain a statement from the district officers office, with regards to the permit, to confirm that there is no permit issued to the group, and we also have to record all statements from the arresting officers before we'll summon them to court."