Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission files complaint against Chat (Fiji)

by KC Madeira

The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission, along with the Fiji Police Force and Online Safety Commission, has filed a complaint against the social media platform Chat (Fiji) after a recent post targeting a child with hate speech, homophobic content and serious cyberbullying.

In addition to sharing derogatory remarks, the post’s language and tone violate the child’s rights and dignity, including that of the child’s family, according to Loukinikini Lewaravu, director of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission.

Director cites related case 

The director also stated that since the child is already dealing with severe health issues, the hurtful and insensitive comments are creating more severe grief and putting them at risk of more emotional and psychological damage.

In accordance with the Commission’s concern, the director cited a case wherein a person died last year as a result of commenters, some of whom were anonymous account holders, dehumanizing, threatening and abusing the individual on a well-known public chat platform.

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Contents of the complaint

Meanwhile, the complaint urges the concerned parties to investigate the platform’s operators and administrators in detail and act quickly to shut it down to stop additional harm, as reported by fijivillage.

According to Lewaravu, such remarks are against both the Constitution of Fiji and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Fiji is a State Party, which guarantees children’s rights.

In line with this, she cited the Republic of Fiji’s Constitution, section 41(1)(d), which guarantees every child the right to be shielded from abuse, violence and cruel treatment, while Article 16 of the CRC states that every child has the right to be shielded from unjustified or illegal interference with their family, privacy and dignity.

States are also required by Article 19 of the CRC to take all necessary precautions to shield children from abuse, mistreatment and bodily or psychological harm. 

In this instance, there has been an obvious violation of these international commitments when a child has been publicly demonized on a digital forum, she continued to say.

The Commission is urging all media outlets, digital platforms and community members to respect children’s rights and dignity and to use online spaces responsibly.

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