Angry Rastafarians yesterday claimed a Bermuda Regiment Tribunal was discriminating against them.

The allegation came after two Rastas arguing against their service in the Regiment had their hearing deferred until March.

Regiment private soldiers Evan Lambert and Dion Woolridge, both 20 and of Southampton, argue that their beliefs conflict with army service.

Neither of the two would make any comment after their brief appearance before the four-strong tribunal, which met at the Hamilton law offices of Mello, Hollis, Jones & Martin.

Acting chairman of the tribunal, Wendell Hollis, told the pair that the last hearing concerning Rastafarians lasted more than four hours and that the tribunal was not prepared to sit for that length of time on this occasion.

Two Rastafarian Regiment soldiers, Juvaughan Sampson and Brian Harvey, were exempted from service recently after completing boot camp.

Mr. Hollis told the two men, who entered the hearing flanked by fellow Rastafarians, one carrying the Ethiopian flag: "The decision that this tribunal reached on the last occasion was based on the personal circumstances based on the evidence -- saying you are Rastafarians is hardly sufficient to justify this tribunal making a decision to exempt you.'' And he warned the two men to prepare as good a case for exemption as they could before the next hearing.

Mr. Lambert and Mr. Woolridge told the tribunal that an afternoon hearing would make it difficult for them to assemble their witnesses.

Regiment Capt. Larry Mussenden, who sat in on the hearing, offered to present their reasons for an evening hearing to the tribunal if the two privates contacted him later.

One Rastafarian -- who asked not to be named -- said the faith's objections to army service were "strictly biblical''.

Regiment CO Lt-Col. David Burch said he found Rasta objections to army service difficult to understand because Haile Selassie -- venerated by Rastas -- was rarely seen out of uniform.

But the Rastafarian said that the Queen was regarded by Rastafarians as the "Queen of Harlots''.

He added: "We will serve Haile Selassie the first Emperor of Ethiopia -- service to anyone or anything else is against our religious beliefs. We will not serve the Queen, we will not serve anyone who is second best.'' "We are automatically in his army -- we are in the army now. And you don't get drafted, you are elected by God.

FLYING THE FLAG -- Rastafarians leave a meeting of the Exemption Tribunal after two Rasta soldiers had a hearing deferred until March.