Fiji has a long way to go to fully achieve the integration of human rights as a way of life, says Nalini Singh, the chair of the NGO Coalition on Human Rights.
“With respect to our Constitution, it shows progress of human rights as it has removed all forms of discrimination but on the flip side, we see what COVID-19 has done where we can see more and more people who are living in poverty,” she said.
Ms Singh said poverty was also a violation of human rights as human rights included people’s right to quality life.
With regards to police brutality, Ms Singh said mandated action from the relevant authorities was not taken to address brutality cases.
“It’s the nature of human beings that we are hesitant to speak against those that are more powerful and we have seen that perpetrators are not being punished for their crimes, so what kind of confidence does this build in citizenry?
Of course, there is fear in public,” she said. Social Empowerment and Education Programme executive director Chantelle Khan said people remained quiet about brutality because they did not know where else to go.
Ms Khan said human rights was about building solidarity among the people.
