KEY POINTS:
Christmas Day got off to a rocky start in Fiji with six pro-democracy campaigners reportedly being hauled in by soldiers for questioning.
The six were taken to the army barracks in Nabua shortly before midnight on Christmas Eve, the Fiji Times newspaper reported -- Fiji is one hour behind New Zealand time.
It named the six as Fiji Women's Rights Movement executive director Virisila Buadromo, her partner Arshad Daud, businesswoman Laisa Digitaki, businessman Imraz Iqbal, and youth activists Jackie Koroi and Pita Waqavonovono.
Efforts by the newspaper to contact the activists and the military were unsuccessful.
The Pacific Centre for Public Integrity slammed the military's actions as cowardly and deplorable.
Early this month military commander Voreqe Bainimarama took over the country in the Fiji's fourth coup in 20 years, drawing swift international condemnation.
Ousted prime minister Laisenia Qarase told the Fiji Times today papers were being prepared for legal action against the military.
Cdre Bainimarama has issued a Christmas statement urging Fijians to spend time with their families and reflect on the progress made in the country over the past year.
"Let us endeavour to maintain the true spirit of Christmas as a permanent part of our lives, particularly by bringing joy and happiness to the needy, the lonely and the unloved."
One of the women alleged the troops had beaten her and she needed hospital treatment.
She and four others had been made to lie face down on a concrete cricket pitch.
"They started jumping on our backs, on our lower backs, and started hitting us and kicking us, and punching our faces," the anonymous woman told Radio New Zealand.
They had been force-marched for 10km before being released, followed by armed soldiers in vans.
"They kept pushing us to keep on running and that's exactly what we did."
- NZPA
