Fiji army returns to barracks but coup fears remain

SUVA, Nov 30 (Reuters) Fijian troops returned to their barracks today after taking control of parts of the capital in a show of force, but the embattled prime minister said he was confident that talks could still avert a coup.

Fears of a fourth coup in Fiji in 20 years had risen overnight when troops stretched along the waterfront past the governor's residence and the national parliament and secured utilities such as telephone and electricity headquarters.

The military said the overnight exercise was a precaution against feared foreign intervention over Fiji's political crisis and told the public not to be alarmed by troops in battle gear.

But many Suva residents were stockpiling supplies and money from supermarkets and bank cash machines today in readiness for trouble.

Military chief Commander Frank Bainimarama has repeatedly threatened to remove Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's government unless it drops several pieces of legislation, including a bill that would grant amnesty to those involved in a coup in 2000.

Pacific Island Forum foreign ministers are to meet in Sydney tomorrow to discuss Fiji's crisis under the same regional pact that enabled Australia to lead a mission into the Solomon Islands.

Bainimarama has warned them to back off.

Residents said the 2,000 soldiers who had secured strategic locations around the capital overnight were no longer on the streets today. Roadside checkpoints erected for the three-hour exercises were also gone.

Qarase said he was not worried about the night exercises because the military had explained why it was necessary and had given advance notice of the operation.

''At the moment everything is calm. Things are normal,'' Qarase told Australian radio on Thursday.

But an Australian army Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the sea south of Fiji late yesterday, killing one Australian soldier and stoking the Fiji military's fears of foreign intervention.

Qarase said crisis talks with Bainimarama in New Zealand on Wednesday made him confident that Fiji's political crisis could be resolved without a coup.

''I am looking forward to further talks because we need to follow up on some of the discussions we had yesterday,'' he said.

Bainimarama gave Qarase a list of ''non-negotiable demands'' and a two-week deadline last week, at the same time threatening a ''clean-up'' of Qarase's government.

Fijian aid and human rights groups under the banner ''The Concerned Citizens for Peace'' have written to ailing President Ratu Josefa Iloilo urging him to intervene, local news service www.fijilive.com said on its Web site.

''We call for you to articulate a vision of active peace -- a voice that expresses the desire within the grassroots people of Fiji for a just and peaceful society,'' said the letter.

Fiji has suffered three coups since 1987. Bainimarama was almost killed in a failed but bloody mutiny linked to the 2000 coup and blames Qarase for being soft on those behind those upheavals.

Australia, Britain and New Zealand have advised their nationals against travelling to Fiji. Australia believes a coup is imminent and has begun evacuating family members of embassy staff from Suva.

The UN Security Council has also expressed concern about a possible coup.

REUTERS AKJ BST1002