18 May 2009

Undeterred by detention, Fiji church minister says push for democracy will continue

1:10 pm on 18 May 2009

A senior Methodist Minister in Fiji says his detention by police will not stop the church from pushing for democracy and elections.

The church's secretary for Christian Citizenship, the Reverend Manasa Lasaro was questioned for two days about the church's proposition to discuss issues including the legitimacy of the military-led regime at its annual conference in August.

The Reverend Lasaro says he is still being investigated and it is likely that he and other church members could be detained.

But he says the church will continue to take a stand against the actions of the interim government.

"We stand on those high moral grounds and we know at the end of the day, we accountable to God and we accountable to the people of this country."

The Reverend Manasa Lasaro

Fiji's interim government says it will not hesitate to defer the conference if the security forces suspect any motive to cause instability.