NEWS RELEASE: NGO Coalition on Human Rights raises concerns over continued restrictions to freedom of expression in Fiji The NGO Coalition on Human Rights (NGOCHR) condemns the arrest of a 40 year old market vendor criticizing the current regime and the Prime Minister, and the actions of police officers and security personnel in assaulting him. As reported on FijiVillage on 02 July 2013, the accused, Ram Chandra, was alleged to have made comments criticizing Frank Bainimarama and the military regime, and was alleged to have been physically assaulted at three different locations by police and security officers. Chandra, who was granted bail on 28 June 2013, is also suffering from mental health problems and is an outpatient of the St Giles Hospital. "This incident is deeply worrying for two reasons”, said Shamima Ali, Chair of the NGO Coalition on Human Rights. “Firstly, the criminal prosecution of an individual for being critical of those in power, and secondly, the violation of the accused’s human rights by excessive exercise of Police authority.” “Since the purported abrogation of Fiji’s Constitution on 10 April 2009 and the enforcement of laws on sedition in Fiji’s Crimes Decree, freedom of expression continues to be restricted and those found criticizing the government are faced with harassment and intimidation,” added Ali. “The regime continuously promotes the fact that it upholds democratic principles, respects human rights and maintains its belief in the rule of law, and yet victimizes, persecutes and treats people unfairly when they try to practice their fundamental right to voice their opinion about a certain issue, an individual or an institution. The Universal Declaration on Human Rights protects this right under Article 19, and to restrict a person from stating their views on the current regime is a total violation of that fundamental right.” “The fact that the accused was a mental health patient exacerbates the situation even further,” said Ali. “This is especially concerning since the regime had made efforts to provide a proper legal framework for persons with mental health problems through the review of the Mental Health Act, the signing of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 2 June 2010, and the implementation of the Mental Health Decree. The purpose of creating this legislative framework was to administer and offer further protections to persons suffering from mental health illnesses in Fiji.” “For a person with mental health problems the social stigma and the discrimination they experience can make their difficulties worse and make it harder to recover, therefore the alleged assault that was inflicted on the accused by police and security officers may have a far damaging effect on his current condition.” “This attempt at smothering dissent also does not augur well with plans to hold credible, transparent and inclusive elections in September 2014, and, the actions by law enforcement officers do not engender the public’s confidence in the Fiji Police Force. We demand that the Fiji Police launch a thorough and impartial investigation into the assault of the market vendor.”
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 05:49:44 +0000
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