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PRESS RELEASE: YPCN responds to Fiji Government Press Release on Public Order Amendment Decree 2012
19 January 2012
"If long standing Democracies like the United States and Australia, decide to have Anti-Terrorism Laws that are discriminatory and repressive, this does not mean Fiji can afford to do the same and its unreasonable to compare the POAD2012 with other Anti-Terrorism Laws given Fiji's Human Rights track record"
so says Young Peoples Concerned Network President, Peter Waqavonovono,
"Even in the USA and Australia, critics often allege that anti-terrorism legislation endangers democracy by creating a state of exception that allows authoritarian styles of government and they challenge the Law in their courts every day.
For this Decree to work, we should have had a generation worth of Human Rights and Civic Education programs already in place".
Responding to an earlier press release by the YPCN , the Fijian Regime labelled the young people's opinion as ignorance and accused the YPCN of attempting to manipulating public sentiment.
The YPCN is told in the said Ministry of Information Press Release titled “Government Responds to YPCN Statement”, that we have misread Fiji’s recent political history and that this Decree was a step to “prevent and Combat domestic and international terrorist threats in all their forms“.
The Government Press Release is also the first time a Government Official has revealed the type of terrorists they are keeping an eye on. Politicians and Religious Leaders who have or continue to engage in Racist and Religious Fanaticism may fall under the scope of the decree. "To also suggest that people who do not believe in interfaith and multicultural values can now be seen as Terrorist and isolated is a far cry from the amount of red tape and legislative rationale behind terrorism-like Laws adopted by The United States of America or Australia, whose judicial systems also provide much checks and balances to ensure misuse is meet with remedies. This is not reflected in the POAD2012" says Waqavonovono.
The YPCN is also very mindful of the Human Rights track record of the regime and do not see much change under the POAD2012, "Realistically speaking, we should not compare the Decree to the Anti-Terrorism Laws of other countries, but compare it with the State's own Human Rights Track Record. Where we have had various Arbitrary Detentions, Inhumane Treatment and Abuses of Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Politicians, Religious Leaders and Pro-Democracy Activists. We have also had two deaths in State organized Detention. Does this not give us a reason to be concerned and ask for a better Standard, Why than should we take the Regime's promises seriously if they can’t work to make their Decree's fit into the premise of separation of powers and human decency. The Regime should stop comparing their Decrees to other nations, when the necessary awareness and education in understanding, human dignity, Civil and Political Rights are not even understood" says Waqavonovono who has also been detained on occasions by the State for he's pro-democracy values.
The YPCN will not retract its belief, that in the wrong hands the POAD2012 can become a disabling factor to engaging Fiji’s citizens in the Consultations the regime plans will deliver Constitutional and Electoral Reform. We know that the Governments poor human rights track record and inability to defend human rights defenders, politicians, and pro-democracy advocates whilst in Arbitrary Detention is a reason to seek a re-look of the powers and provisions in this Decree and provide for more checks and balances.
In the Government Press Release, Sharon Smith Jones also praised the Governments youth development work. ".48cents, thats how much this regime values young people if we spread the $150,000 government gave to Department of Youth for 2012 to each of the 308,000 youths living in Fiji. Lets not forget that the promises in the Peoples Charter on commitments made towards youth development, to-date there is no singular youth flagship development program and they have shelved the National Youth Service Scheme. This regime also downgraded the Ministry of Youth to a Department, cut its budget, removed National Youth Day and have the audacity to turn around and tell Young People that they Value us. We need more voices to hold the regime accountable and remind them of their promises. As the nation moves towards restoring our Democracy, let us never lose sight of our responsibilities and roles in shaping this nation" ends Waqavonovono