THE Fiji Human Rights Commission says it will not bother replying to a recent United States report on human rights on Fiji because it was not consulted before the report was published.
Commission chairperson Doctor Shaista Shameem said in a statement that no one wanted the USA to be the guardian of human rights for the rest of the world.
"USA should tell Fiji how it intends to deal with gross rights violations committed by itself in Iraq, while it destroys that country," she said, adding the USA should let the people of Fiji know whether any weapons of mass destruction were found.
"As for Gauntanamo Bay, when is that house of horrors going to be closed down and every inmate get due process?
"People should also read the USA non-government network report of racism in every sphere of government in the USA."
Dr Shameem said the USA bought off non-government organisations with "tin badges and a handshake in Fiji". She was referring to a report recently released by the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, which commented on Fiji's political situation since the military takeover.
The report questioned human rights abuses in Fiji and the steps taken to address them.
"Under the interim Government, the military and police arbitrarily detained and sometimes abused individuals, resulting in three deaths; conducted searches without warrants; engaged in intimidation of the media; and restricted the right to assemble peacefully," the report said.
"Other problems during the year included poor prison conditions; attacks against religious facilities, particularly Hindu temples; government corruption; deep divisions between indigenous Fijians (57 per cent of the population) and Indo-Fijians (38 per cent); violence and discrimination against women; and sexual exploitation of children."