Brigadier General Ratu Jone spells Out State’s role In an emergency
In a personal column published in the Fiji Sun yesterday, Brigadier General Ratu Jone Kalouniwai spelt out the role and responsibility of the State in a state of emergency.
It answers a lot of questions that some people are asking about limiting freedoms. These include travel, socialising and even free speech and expressions.
He has made it very clear that actions taken by the governments during this period are designed to protect their people and national interests.
We are in a state of war against an invisible enemy in COVID-19. Around the globe COVID-19 has caused thousands of deaths, sickness and huge economic losses.
The last thing we want to see is some people going against the measures that have been put in place to save lives and protect all of us.
Some of these measures like the restrictions on the movement of people are for the greater public good. The tight scrutiny of what people are saying and spreading on social media particularly if it’s false, damaging and causes unnecessary panic, fear and alarm is justified.
We live in abnormal times similar to times of conflict against foreign enemies. CONVID-19 is a foreign aggressor trying to inflict damage on our health and economy.
These restrictions may limit our freedoms but are necessary to keep everyone safe.
As long as we comply with them then it makes the job of law enforcers easier and helps towards defeating the killer virus.
No one likes restrictions, curfews and lockdowns. They go against our civil liberties. But we must understand that unless these restrictions are in force, then we are at the mercy of the enemy. We leave ourselves wide open to its destructive forces.
In the case of COVID-19, if we can’t even contain it let alone eradicate it, it would put extreme pressure on our health system and our economy.
Take New Zealand for example. It has imposed even sterner measures than we have even though it has recorded only nine deaths when you compare it with other developed countries like the United States and the United Kingdom whose death toll has climbed into the thousands.
NZ says that if it had not imposed a nationwide fourweek lockdown now being extended to one more week, thousands would die. It says it’s health system would not be in a position to handle that situation. It has been praised for its hardline approach.
But this has largely been achieved because of a high compliance rate estimated up to 90 per cent. That means New Zealanders have respected the emergency laws.
It’s disturbing that in Fiji some people still continue to break the emergency law. It’s a testing time for our law enforcers. If they fail to enforce the law then things could get out of hand and allow the enemy to gain an upper hand.
Let’s heed what Brigadier General Ratu Jone has shared and let’s follow the emergency law.