Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Human rights groups scathing about Fiji claims to UN body

Posted at 02:51 on 10 February, 2010 UTC

Human rights organisations have dismissed as false a report by Fiji’s interim government to the UN Human Rights Council on its human rights record.

The Swiss-based body will examine Fiji’s human rights record in Geneva tomorrow.

It will base its review on three documents, including one submitted by the interim regime.

Amnesty International’s Pacific researcher, Apolosi Bose, says the regime’s report is full of lies.

“The abrogation of the constitution brought about significant changes in Fiji, one was the public emergency regulations put in place and that has brought in media censorship and other human rights violations that Amnesty International and other organisations have been documenting.”

Apolosi Bose says further proof is the sacking of the judiciary and the violation of religious freedoms, such as the targetting of the Methodist church.

The organisation, Human Rights Watch, is expressing similar concerns.