coup-related crimes in 2000. "Who's promoting the Bill? These are people in the current Government who participated in the 2000 coup. Some have been convicted, others are facing trial, there are still others left whom the long arm of the law should get at." The commander took pains to emphasize, however, that the Military was not against the government. The issue, as he saw it, was the rule of law, not the government of the day. "The Bill will legitimise the 2000 coup and will weaken the law and order agencies," he said. "All the good work of rebuilding Fiji to what it is today will be undone." The world community would see a country that condones law-breakers, he maintained. "Why should only a few people be freed and not others when we are all serving under the same law? he asked rhetorically. His speech, laced with quotes from the Bible, urged the chiefs to "do right in the eyes of God" and reject the bill. "If you honourable chiefs agree that those involved in the coup be forgiven, it will prove that we support the wrong and will be at odds with the integrity of God," he declared. The commander criticized the Methodist Church for supporting the bill. "When we wrong God, he does not let us go ... When God's people (Jews) wronged him, he weakened them in battle and caused them to be captives in Babylon for 70 years," he stated. He considered that reconciliation would be possible only after justice had been served. He reminded the chiefs that in 2000, they had not agreed to forgive the perpetrators of the coup, but had insisted that justice should take its course. He urged them to stand by that decision now. The commander did not get his way, however, as the Great Council ended up endorsing the bill, though with the qualification that the government should "consider" the objections raised by its opponents, including the Military. Bainimarama ended his address by reminding the chiefs that in 2000, they had not agreed to forgive the perpetrators of the coup, but had insisted that justice should take its course. He urged them to stand by that decision now. He closed by quoting Amos 5,24: "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-falling stream." Bainimarama criticizes chiefs On 29 July, Bainimarama issued a statement critical of the chiefs'