Raj: Human rights body continues job despite COVID-19 pandemic
Despite the restrictions, movement, and COVID-19 surge, the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission continues to provide its services to members of the public.
The commission’s director Ashwin Raj said they continued to receive complaints and advocate through mainstream and digital media platforms on key human rights concerns particularly in relation to accessibility of health and medical services, COVID-19 vaccination including access to critical information pertaining to the vaccine and access to food.
He said others included cruel and degrading treatment at the hands of law enforcement agencies, right to economic participation employment relations matters, right to free speech, fake news, hate speech, limitations on freedom of movement, and how to interpret limitations to rights using international human rights guidelines such as the Siracusa Principles.
Role of the Commission
The Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission has the constitutional mandate of developing a culture of human rights in Fiji by promoting the protection, observance and respect for human rights in both public and private institutions.
It does so by educating the public about their rights and freedoms, receiving and investigating alleged violations of human rights and taking steps to address these violations including conciliations and making applications to court for redress, making recommendations to Government in relation to existing and proposed laws to ensure compliance with human rights standards as well as ensuring compliance by the State in fulfilling its international human rights obligations with respect to international human rights treaties and conventions.
Commission’s COVID-19 response
The commission was operational during lockdowns in 2020 and remains operational in the second wave of this pandemic.
The commission continued to receive complaints and concerns on intersectional human rights issues in the context of curfews and lockdowns.
Some concerns brought to the attention of the commission include:
Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination as a new precondition for employment
Allegations of discrimination faced by persons in quarantine facilities and hospitals
Lack of food during the lockdown in certain areas. Misinformation, hate speech, and fake news on social media platforms
Job losses and concerns over the invocation of Force Majeure (“Act of God”) by employers to terminate work contracts or pay cuts
Rights or arrested detained persons in the context of arrests made for alleged breach of curfew hours and breach of COVID-safety protocols such as failing to wear a mask
Other employment-related matters such as non-payment of maternity leave
Domestic violence and request for filing of Domestic Violence Restraining orders
Violation of the right to access information by the deaf community and request for the provision of sign language interpreters for news hour.
Mr Raj said rights of vulnerable groups including women, children, persons with disabilities and the LGBTI in the context of COVID-19 remains central to the work of the commission.