Hold To Promises And Lift Emergency Regulations

Hold True To The Promises Made And Lift Public Emergency Regulations

The Citizens Constitutional Forum (CCF) calls on the current government to fulfil its promises regarding the lifting of the Public Emergency Regulations (PER). CCF notes that there is no civil unrest to justify the ongoing application of the PER; and reminds the current government of its promises to remove the PER once the Media Decree was brought into effect.

During the draft consultation on the Fiji Governments Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Submission, the government advised those in attendance that the PER would be lifted by December 2009. The government then made repeated representations to the Fiji public that the PER would be lifted once the Media Decree was brought into effect. This representation was also made internationally to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2010. In response to the UN Working Groups recommendations arising from Fiji’s UPR in Geneva earlier this year, Ambassador Peceli Vocea is quoted as saying, “the Government of Fiji in February this year has pronounced that it will lift the Public Emergency Regulations as soon as the Fiji Media Decree is promulgated.”

The Media Industry Development Decree was subsequently promulgated on 25 June 2010 and brought into effect from 28 June 2010. The PER have however, continued to be kept in place and extended twice since this time, on 11 June and 16 July respectively. The CCF reminds the government that it needs to keep its promises to the people of Fiji. Ongoing application of the PER only acts to stifle the discussion and genuine dialogue that is critical for Fiji to move forward with its reforms in the manner spoken of in the Peoples Charter for Peace Change and Progress, which states that, “we [the People of Fiji] seek to achieve this [rebuilding our Nation, as One Country, One People] through consensus so that our people will have a moral vision that will guide our development and governance and that will give our people the responsibility to sustain the common good.”

A number of international agencies have also raised their concern over the ongoing application of the PER in Fiji, including:

- Amnesty International – public statement released on 10 June 2010 calling for the PER to be lifted and freedom of expression and religion to be respected;

- Human Rights Watch – called for the Fiji government to immediately revoke the PER in their UPR submission on Fiji; and

- UN Human Rights Council – that recommended for the removal of the PER as part of their concluding observations and recommendations following Fiji’s UPR submission.

CCF requests the Fiji government to hold true to its word and immediately lift the PER, a move that would go a long way to building confidence both internationally and, more importantly, with the people of Fiji.

ENDS