NICOSIA, April 12 (Reuters) - British military authorities in Cyprus arrested a member of the European Parliament on Thursday, triggering a Cypriot government protest to Britain, its former colonial ruler.

Marios Matsakis, an MEP for Cyprus, was arrested for offences the army said he had committed on British military territory on the island last year. He refused to pay bail and was spending the night in a jail cell, witnesses said.

"The Foreign Ministry has made strong representations demanding his immediate release," said Christodoulos Pashiardis, a spokesman for the Cypriot government.

Britain has kept two military bases on Cyprus since giving the east Mediterranean island independence in 1960.

In London, a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that a man was today arrested by police within the sovereign base area on Cyprus in connection with outstanding warrants relating to alleged acts of criminal damage."

Matsakis has refused to recognise British jurisdiction over the bases, a territory of about 98 square miles (157 km) separated into two compounds on Cyprus's southern coast.

Previous attempts to arrest Matsakis triggered riots at the British bases in 2000. Then a member of the Cypriot parliament, he was protesting against the erection of large surveillance antennae that he maintained were a health risk to local residents.

He was arrested on Thursday when he took a group of MEPs to the area.

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