http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,4852277%255E17... Police reject new chief August 06, 2002 WELLINGTON, New Zealand: The Vanuatu government held an emergency meeting after the police rejected the appointment of a new chief and officers arrested him and 14 other senior civil servants and civilians. Prime Minister Edward Natapei has condemned the arrests on Sunday of the 15 people on charges of seditious conspiracy as "unlawful and irresponsible." But he denied that the police action amounted to a revolt that threatened the government of this tiny 80-island nation in the Pacific Ocean. "No coup has taken place in Vanuatu. What happened was triggered by dissatisfaction by police officers over the appointment of the new commissioner of police," he said on Sunday. He said the government, which was re-elected for a second term in May, had the situation under control. Among those arrested was the newly appointed commissioner of police, Mael Apisai, a former police captain who had been made redundant in 1998. He was appointed last week by the Police Service Commission - a government-appointed body. Also arrested and charged with sedition were attorney-general Ham Bulu, several senior civil servants, three members of the police service commission, the private secretary to the country's head of state, Father John Bani, and a senior member of Natapei's staff. A spokesman for the 700-strong Vanuatu police officers' corps, Api Jack Marikembo, said they had not broken the law in making the arrests. He said police were simply enforcing the law based on solid evidence of a plot to conspire against the state. He did not elaborate. The 15 detainees were released on bail by a judge, who gave police until August 19 to complete their investigations. The arrested men were scheduled to reappear in court at that time. Martin Jones, publisher of the main newspaper, The Trading Post, said the Cabinet was meeting today to discuss the matter. "Business is normal, there is no danger on the streets," Jones said in a telephone interview. A mostly Melanesian nation of 200,000 formerly known as the New Hebrides, Vanuatu gained independence from Britain and France in 1980 after 74 years of joint colonial rule. A country of thinly populated, fertile volcanic islands, it lies near the equator. With an economy based mainly on tourism, Vanuatu also exports dried coconut along with small amounts of coffee, cocoa and other farm products.