Wellington:  The Fijian military, which seized power in a coup last week, has been rounding up opponents and hunting the country's finance chief, who is in hiding after moving to restrict the new regime's access to government money, reports said today (Dec 11, 2006).

Finance Department chief executive Paula Uluinaceva tops the army's wanted list after advising commercial banks not to honour cheques for more than $10,000 a day from the military or any other government ministry or agency, the Fijilive website reported.

Army Colonel Pita Driti said Uluinaceva should 'stop playing games' with the military, which seized power in a bloodless coup and declared a state of emergency. The coup was led by armed forces Commander Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama.

Cabinet ministers and political leaders are among the takeover critics detained by soldiers, the report said.

People writing letters to local newspapers and radio jockeys have also claimed being taken to the military camp by armed soldiers, sworn at, told to do push-ups and made to run around a rugby field, the website reported.

Military spokesperson Major Neumi Leweni denied knowledge of those accusations, but said people would continue to be taken to the army barracks if they spoke out against the coup.

Driti said that people should not make threatening calls to provoke the army.

"Let me make it clear that the military is in control of the situation, and we wish to reiterate that no one should disturb the peace," Driti said.

Ousted prime minister Laisenia Qarase, who fled to his home village after the takeover, has told media that he planned to return to the capital Suva in the next few days. Driti, however, said Qarase would be arrested if he did so.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said Monday that Fiji's military leaders were not listening to international opinion despite clear messages of opposition to the coup from the British Commonwealth, which suspended Fiji's membership, the UN, the EU, the US and South Africa.

She told Television New Zealand that Fiji was starting to feel the impact of the coup, with tourist numbers falling and businesses hurting from the loss of revenue.

"And the military itself seems to be having trouble because the Ministry of Finance isn't co-operating," she said.