FIJI TIMES Saturday, June 14, 2008
A NON-GOVERNMENT organisation which came under attack by the military at the height of the takeover in 2006 has launched a website.
In launching its website, the Young Peoples Concerned Network said the organisation was a group of strong minded and strong willed young people who were concerned about issues that affected them.
The group's spokesman, Peter Waqavonovono, was among those taken in by the military on Christmas Eve in 2006 over concerns about a democracy shrine at the residence of former businesswoman Laisa Digitaki.
The organisation said it represented youths who were willing to stand up and make their voices heard on issues close to their hearts, including the principles of free speech and human rights, the rule of law and basic tenets of the Constitution.
The YPCN was formed in 2005.
On its website, the network bravely points out that the threat against democracy came from the Commander of the Military Forces Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.
"YPCN took to the streets trying to bring this to the attention of Fiji's leaders. Ours is a young voice of reason. It is a young voice of plea," the website reports.
The website also features job vacancies for youths and a "weblog" page.
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FIJITIMES Saturday, June 14, 2008 Update: 2:25PM
A NON-GOVERNMENT organization says it has received overwhelming response to its new website.
The Young Peoples Concerned Network launched its website last week and has had close to 300 hits so far.
But its secretary Miri Lalagavesi and spokesman Peter Waqavonovono have refused to reveal the members of the organisation for fear of victimization.
"We members of the YPCN work in the weekdays and do YPCN when we are free. It's good character building exercise, although we miss many important emails.
"I am not comfortable releasing the names of the members because we know only too well what happens to military dissidents when a few cages are rattled," Ms Lalagavesi said.
She said the YPCN was made up of young people from around Fiji who were concerned about issues that affected young people in Fiji today.