had always been called all over the globe to restore peace in other countries and we are only saying this because we do not want to do it in our own country," he said. On 3 September, spokesman Rabukawaqa insisted that the Military was not opposed to the Qarase government as such, but only to the controversial Unity Bill, which he said had security implications. He also said that to offer pardons to only one category of criminal was inconsistent. "If we are going to forgive people, why don't we just forgive everybody and let everybody out of prison." He said that the Military opposed the principle of compensation to coup victims being paid by the taxpayer; rather the perpetrators should be held accountable, he said. The Military had learned its lesson from the 1987 coups, Rabukawaqa said. Then, they had deposed the government of Timoci Bavadra (who was supported mostly by Indo-Fijian voters) in support of the Fijian ethno-nationalist cause, but later came to realize that they had been used. Those responsible for the 1987 coups cannot now be prosecuted, because Sitiveni Rabuka, the chief instigator of the coups who later became Prime Minister, had presided over a rewriting of the Constitution and had ensured the insertion of amnesty provisions. "History unfortunately teaches that if you come out successful, you can rewrite the books to reflect well on you and poorly on others," Rabukawaqa said. No pardon for Speight - military On 6 November, Captain Leweni reiterated the Military's total opposition to any possible pardon for the coup's front man, George Speight. Leweni's public statement coincided with an Australian Broadcasting Corporation interview with Commodore Bainimarama on its Asia Pacific program. Bainimarama vowed that Speight would never be released, and called the bill a "gimmick" to win the votes of Speight sympathizers. His own greatest challenge, he said, was to hold the loyalty of his troops. The two military statements provoked a mixed reaction from politicians and other public figures. Home Affairs Minister Josefa Vosanibola declined to comment until he had seen Bainimarama's interview. Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Opeti Laladidi defended the Commander's right to speak his mind, but Cabinet Minister Samisoni Tikoinasau, Speight's older brother, said that Bainimarama's comments could take the country backwards and that he should be more cautious. He asserted that the government would not back down in the face of "threats" from the Military. Attorney-General