“This is a landmark moment in the fight for climate justice as it is likely to provide clarity on how existing international law, especially human rights and environmental legislation, can be applied to strengthen action on climate change. This will help mitigate the causes and consequences of the damage done to the climate and ultimately protect people and the environment globally.” 

This is a landmark moment in the fight for climate justice.

Marta Schaaf, Director of Climate, Economic and Social Justice, and Corporate Accountability Programme, Amnesty International

“We salute this remarkable achievement by Vanuatu, and other Pacific Island states, which originally brought this urgent call to advance climate justice to the UN. Their resolution was adopted by consensus, endorsed by more than 130 countries, backed by a broad civil society coalition and has widespread popular support.

“Today’s victory sprang from the efforts of youth activists in Pacific Island states to secure climate justice. Like other states in the region, Vanuatu has been hit by a series of powerful cyclones, and faces an existential threat from rising sea levels and intensifying storms, caused primarily by fossil fuel use in industrialized countries, over which it has no control or responsibility.

An advisory opinion from the court can help put a brake on this accelerating climate disaster.

Marta Schaaf

“The ICJ can now choose to provide a robust advisory opinion to advance climate justice. We know from this month’s IPCC report that the 1.5°C global warming limit agreed to in Paris in 2015 is likely to be breached before 2035 unless urgent action is taken. We see some fossil fuel-producing states both resisting calls to phase them out, and falsely promoting carbon capture and storage as a technological fix for the climate. An advisory opinion from the court can help put a brake on this accelerating climate disaster.”

The post Global: UN backs Pacific Island states by asking the International Court to advance climate justice appeared first on Amnesty International.

The climate crisis is already upon us – yet most governments have chosen to remain in the deadly embrace of the fossil fuel industry, submitting desperately inadequate emissions targets and then failing to meet even those.

Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International

“COP27 comes in the wake of a terrifying summer in which the Arctic burned, scorching heatwaves ravaged Europe, and floods submerged huge swathes of Pakistan and Australia. In short, the climate crisis is already upon us – yet most governments have chosen to remain in the deadly embrace of the fossil fuel industry, submitting desperately inadequate emissions targets and then failing to meet even those,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“These failures mean we are currently heading for global warming exceeding 2.5°C, a scenario which would see famine, homelessness, disease, and displacement unfold on an almost unfathomable scale. These violations are already happening in many parts of the world.

“As the climate crisis unfolds, the people who are least responsible for causing it are being hit hardest and first, exacerbating the marginalization they already face. At COP27 we need to see measures that will radically shift responsibility-sharing and address this injustice. Wealthy governments must increase their commitments on climate finance to help lower-income countries phase out fossil fuels and scale up adaptation measures. They must also establish a loss and damage fund in order to provide speedy remedy to those whose rights have been violated by the crisis they helped to create.”

“I’m getting poorer every day”

Amnesty International’s new briefing ‘Any tidal wave could drown us’: Stories from the climate crisis, includes case studies featuring seven marginalized communities from around the world, including in Bangladesh, Fiji, Senegal, and the Russian Arctic.

Amnesty International worked with local activists to interview marginalized people, including those living in some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable places, and shared their stories and calls to action. Their accounts provide a glimpse of life on the frontlines of the climate crisis, characterized by discrimination, forced displacement, loss of livelihood, food insecurity, and destruction of cultural heritage.

In Bangladesh, interviewees from impoverished and marginalized coastal communities, including Dalits and Indigenous Munda people, explained how frequent flooding means they have had to rebuild their houses again and again, or else live in the ruins of their flooded homes. Floods have also damaged water and sanitation infrastructure, leaving the communities with salty drinking water and unusable toilets.

The Indigenous peoples of the Arctic region of Yakutia live in the far north-east of Russia, where the average temperature has risen by 2-3°C in recent years. This has caused permafrost to thaw, intensifying wildfires, and leading to biodiversity loss.

Unpredictable weather has a severe impact on the way of life of Indigenous peoples, as one Chukcha man explained: “The weather is essential for the traditional way of life of Indigenous peoples. Based on weather patterns, we determine where the reindeer will graze, where to set up a camp between migrations, when the snowstorm will come, when and where animals, birds and fish will migrate.”

In Québec, Canada, the Indigenous Innu people in the community of Pessamit face similar threats. Rising temperatures have led to reduced coastal ice and other weather changes which have severely impacted the community’s way of life. For example, the fact that lakes do not freeze in winter means elders are less able to travel on their ancestral territory and cannot pass on their traditional knowledge about wayfaring.

“If you are no longer able to talk about your knowledge, there is a certain shame. You lose some dignity,” David Toro, environmental adviser at Mamuitun Tribal Council said.

The case studies also reveal how people facing loss and damage due to climate change are often left to fend for themselves after disasters, forcing them to take out exorbitant loans, migrate, cut down on food, or pull their children out of school.

“I used to be able to send my son to school… but now I don’t have that luxury, I’m getting poorer every day,” said a fisherman who lives in the Fonseca Gulf area of Honduras, which suffers regular flooding and cyclones.

“We are not listened to”

Some interviewees shared information about adaptation strategies they have developed. These provide important learnings for the rest of the world and underscore the importance of including the worst-impacted communities in developing strategies to address the climate emergency. For example, the Pessamit Indigenous community in Québec, Canada, have initiated projects to protect salmon and caribou.

“For the past ten or twelve years, community or even individual hunting of the caribou has been prohibited,” Adelard Benjamin, project coordinator for Territory and Resources in Pessamit, explained.

The resourcefulness of the hardest-hit communities underscores the importance of genuinely including them in decision-making concerning responses to the climate emergency. For the Pessamit people, the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation have entrenched inequalities caused by long histories of colonialism, racism and discrimination.

As Eric Kanapé, environmental adviser for the Pessamit community said: “We are consulted for the sake of it. We propose new ways of doing things but we are not listened to. We are not taken seriously.”

The Langue de Barbarie is a sand peninsula near the Senegalese city of Saint Louis, where around 80,000 people live in densely populated fishing villages at high risk of flooding. Coastal erosion has led to the loss of up to 5-6 meters of beach every year; “the sea is advancing”, as one fisherman put it.

Interviewees in Saint Louis have developed several of their own initiatives to cope with the climate crisis. For example, one community-led project helps locals affected by sea-level rise to build houses and set up income-generating recycling activities. Others have set up a community solidarity fund to help people through times of hardship, although it is sometimes left empty because of economic problems affecting the whole community.

The lack of support measures and effective remedies for loss and damage caused by climate change is a major injustice. The wealthy countries that have contributed the most to climate change, and those with the most resources, have a heightened obligation to provide redress. At COP27, this should start with an agreement to establish a loss and damage fund and commitments of adequate funds dedicated for this purpose.

Last chance

Amnesty International will be attending COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, between 5 and 19 November. The organization is calling on all governments to urgently ensure that their 2030 emissions targets are compatible with keeping the global temperature increase below 1.5°C.

Meeting the 1.5°C target would mitigate some of the worst impacts of climate change, but the window to do so is rapidly closing. Despite the COP26 Glasgow Climate Pact Decision requesting all states to strengthen their 2030 targets, only 22 countries have submitted updated pledges in 2022. In addition, most national policies that are currently being implemented are inadequate to meet countries’ pledges.

Wealthy states must present a clear plan to increase their contributions to climate finance, so they can collectively meet the long overdue goal of raising at least 100billion USD annually to help lower-income countries phase out fossil fuels and scale up adaptation measures. In addition, wealthy countries must ensure the rapid provision of new funding to support and remedy communities who have suffered serious loss and damage caused by the effects of climate change.

Civil society participation in COP27 is severely threatened by the Egyptian authorities’ years-long crackdown on the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly which Amnesty has been documenting. All states attending COP27 must pressure the Egyptian government to protect civic space and guarantee the meaningful input of NGOs and Indigenous peoples.

“We are living a natural phenomenon caused by global warming and, caused by ourselves for not obeying the ecological damage we did,” said a resident of Punta Ratón in Honduras. “Now we must take care of what is left for the generations to come.”

Case studies

Bangladesh

People from impoverished and marginalized coastal communities, including Dalits and Indigenous Munda people living in coastal villages in south-west Bangladesh, described the impact of regular flooding and cyclones. These communities live in poverty, and some are subject to pervasive and systematic discrimination, and as a result they are extremely vulnerable to climate shocks. Interviewees explained how frequent flooding has meant they have had to rebuild their houses again and again, and has also damaged sanitation infrastructure, leaving them with salty drinking water and unusable toilets.

Russia

The Indigenous peoples of the Arctic region of Yakutia, in the far north-east of Russia. Yakutia is one of the coldest inhabited regions on earth, but its average temperature has risen by 2-3°C in recent years, causing permafrost to thaw, intensifying wildfires, and causing biodiversity loss.

This has a severe impact on the way of life of Indigenous peoples, as one Chukcha man explained: “The weather is essential for the traditional way of life of Indigenous peoples. Based on weather patterns, we determine where the reindeer will graze, where to set up a camp between migrations, when the snowstorms will come, when and where animals, birds and fish will migrate.”

The impacts of climate change in Yakutia are compounded by the Russian government’s plans to maximize extraction and production of oil and gas in the region.

Austria and Switzerland

In 2022, Europe experienced its hottest summer on record, with multiple heatwaves, record-breaking temperatures, drought, and wildfires in several countries. Amnesty International interviewed people in Austria experiencing homelessness, and older people and people with disabilities in Austria and Switzerland, who were all especially badly impacted by the heat.

Fiji

Amnesty International spoke to residents of a safe house – many of whom were LGBT – in an informal settlement in Fiji, one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. Fiji has experienced rising sea and air temperatures, more intense tropical cyclones, storm surges, droughts, and changing rainfall patterns as a result of climate change. Residents reported struggling to access sufficient food immediately after cyclones and having to evacuate several times in recent years as the shelter got damaged by several cyclones. They also explained how people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity may bear the brunt of public anger or administrative disruption in the context of disasters, including community and police harassment, as a consequence of stigma and discrimination.

Honduras

Communities in the Fonseca Gulf area of Honduras rely on subsistence fishing and are therefore highly vulnerable to climate shocks. Extreme weather events and the reduction in fish species have drastically reduced the standard of living among these communities and caused deepening poverty. Residents described how they are often reduced to cutting mangrove to sell as timber or firewood, contributing to the further degradation of their environment.

One fisherman in Cedeño village said: “You have no idea what the mangroves used to be like, it was a pleasure to see and appreciate them. Today you can no longer see them, they have been destroyed, it is a desert over the water.”

Canada

The Pessamit are an Indigenous community of the Innu Nation in the province of Québec, Canada. Rising temperatures have led to reduced coastal ice and other weather changes which have severely impacted the Innu peoples’ way of life and culture. For example, the fact that lakes don’t freeze in winter means elders are less able to travel on the territory and cannot pass on their traditional knowledge.

“If you are no longer able to talk about your knowledge, there is a certain shame. You lose some dignity,” one man said.

The Pessamit community is also living with the impacts of hydroelectric dams located in their ancestral territory, while the forestry industry has stripped their land of trees. One Pessamit Elder said “Those who made the dams, they install them but they don’t pay attention. There are fish in the rivers, but they don’t care. There are animals, they don’t care. Even if it floods the land, they don’t care about humans, let alone animals.”

Senegal

The Langue de Barbarie is a peninsula in Senegal where 80,000 people reside in densely populated fishing villages. It is one of the most climate vulnerable places on the African continent, exposed to sea-level rise and experiencing frequent flooding and storm surges.

Residents described how these weather events had damaged fisheries and left them with no means of making a living – but the prospect of moving is devastating for some:
“We’re thinking of moving, but we don’t really want to. Because if you want to kill a fisherman, you have to take him away from the sea,” said one local fisherman.

The post COP27: Accounts of climate crisis victims underscore urgency of action appeared first on Amnesty International.

“These baseless charges are a new low for the authorities. Only last week the International Labour Organisation (ILO) called on the Fiji government to stop its intimidation of workers and trade unions.  Giving comments to a news organization is not a crime but a right. The charges must be dropped.

“Last month Felix Anthony was arrested by the police and held for two days for planning a protest by workers. The repeated arrests and recent charges are a baseless and brazen attempt at silencing critics.”

Background

On 28 June 2019, Fiji’s Department of Public Prosecutions announced that Felix Anthony, the General Secretary of the National Workers Union was charged under section 15 of the Public Order Act for making comments to a Fiji Times reporter that would “create or foster public anxiety.”

Felix Anthony has long been a target of the Fiji government for his labour and political activism. In the most recent instance of this harassment, police had arrested him on 1 May for attempting to organize a workers’ rights protest. He was held for two days before being released.

The post Fiji: Drop baseless charges against trade unionist appeared first on Amnesty International.

This discussion must lead to quick and concrete action: it’s time for Pacific governments to realise that human rights defenders are striving to improve their countries, not undermine them.

Roshika Deo, Pacific Researcher at Amnesty International

“By researching and promoting these powerful stories, we want to create space for an urgent discussion of what it means to be a human rights defender in the Pacific,” said Roshika Deo, Amnesty International’s Pacific Researcher. “And this discussion must lead to quick and concrete action: it’s time for Pacific governments to realise that human rights defenders are striving to improve their countries, not undermine them. Governments must demonstrate their commitment to protect and promote the rights of everyone who defends human rights.”

The five human rights defenders profiled are Camari Serau, a LGBTI and women’s rights activist from Fiji; Anaweta Vukaloto an environmental activist from Fiji; Cressida Kuala a women’s rights and environmental activist from Papua New Guinea; Emmanuel Peni a LGBTI and environmental activist from Papua New Guinea; and Cruella Oshtara a LGBTI activist from Tonga.

Across the Pacific region, human rights defenders regularly experience harassment and violence, threats from their community and their advocacy targets, and arrests by the authorities. In some countries, laws limit the work of human rights defenders by restricting their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, states abuse legal provisions to prosecute them. In most of the region there are no laws that explicitly protect and promote the rights of human rights defenders. The lack of systematic data and documentation on the status of human rights defenders hinders advocacy on improving the status of human rights defenders – and raising the bar on human rights – in the region.

In Papua New Guinea, human rights defenders working on environmental rights and on women’s rights are particularly at risk. Women’s human rights defenders say they experience gender related violence directly linked to their human rights advocacy. In Fiji, violations of the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association are common among human rights defenders because of restrictive laws in this space. Tonga, on the other hand has a strong LGBTQI movement, however ‘leitis’ (trans women) experience stigma, hate speech and bullying.

As part of this launch, Amnesty International calls on the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to recognize the precarious status of human rights defenders in the region and to take steps to incorporate the protection and promotion of Human Rights Defenders in their meeting agendas.

“The governments of Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga must also take immediate measures to adopt the principles in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, and guarantee the protection and promotion of rights of human rights defenders in accordance with the Declaration and other international human rights standards,” said Roshika Deo.

• Portrait of an activist: Camari Serau

• Portrait of an activist: Emmanuel Peni

• Portrait of an activist: Cruella Oshtara

• Portrait of an activist: Cressida Kuala

The post Pacific Islands: Human rights defenders under threat appeared first on Amnesty International.

Intimidating union members is a brazen, shocking and embarrassing display of where the government's priorities lie.

Roshika Deo, Amnesty International's Pacific Researcher

The harassment is occurring ahead of the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which Fiji is hosting from 1 to 5 May. The FTUC has been planning to hold a peaceful protest on 4 May, while affiliate members are planning a nationwide strike on 3 May.

In the last couple of days at least ten Executive Members of the Fijian Teachers Association (FTA), an affiliate member of FTUC, were summoned by police for questioning one by one and threatened with ‘further action’ if they failed to attend. The Ministry of Education has also threatened teachers with further reprisals, including legal action, if they participated in the nationwide strike. The peaceful march in Nadi has been planned for Saturday, 4 May, although a police permit for it has not yet been granted.

“Police have used their regular stalling tactics to withhold a permit for the peaceful march planned for Saturday,” said Roshika Deo, Pacific Researcher at Amnesty International. “The authorities have now escalated the situation by harassing trade union officials. They should stop these intimidation tactics immediately and grant a permit for the peaceful march planned this Saturday.”

“Calling in and intimidating union members for questioning is a brazen, shocking and embarrassing display of where their priorities lie,” said Roshika Deo. “While Fiji is a current Vice President of the UN Human Rights Council, it continues to violate the rights to freedom of expression and assembly at home.”

The post Fiji: Cease harassment of trade unionists ahead of major ADB meeting appeared first on Amnesty International.

Where is the apology for Fiji’s own journalists, many of whom go to work every day fearing harassment and prosecution under draconian laws for doing their jobs?

Roshika Deo, Pacific Researcher

Mark Jennings, Melanie Reid and Hayden Aull were arrested on the evening of 3 April by police in Suva, Fiji. They had been trying to interview a company called Freesoul Real Estate Development, which Newsroom had previously linked to environmental devastation in Fiji, and which accused them yesterday of criminal trespass. The journalists were detained overnight before being freed on the morning of 4 April. Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama apologised for the treatment that the three journalists received, saying it was an ‘isolated incident’.

“In reality, the arrests of these journalists are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Fiji’s intolerance of freedom of expression. Fiji’s government regularly harasses and arrests activists and journalists who take part in protests or express criticism of the authorities. Where is the apology for Fiji’s own journalists, many of whom go to work every day fearing harassment and prosecution under draconian laws for doing their jobs?” said Roshika Deo, Amnesty International’s Pacific Researcher.

“While we welcome the release of these three journalists, we hope this incident will shine an international spotlight on the shocking extent of media censorship in Fiji. We are calling on the Fijian authorities to amend their draconian laws on freedom of expression and commit to protecting human rights in law and in practice.”

In November 2018 Amnesty International published a Human Rights Agenda for Fiji ahead of national elections. The organization highlighted the cases of several media workers who had been arrested for doing their jobs, as well as the increasing use of sedition laws and other criminal provisions to target activists and journalists.

Amnesty international is calling on Fiji to adopt measures set out in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders to ensure the safety of journalists who act to promote and protect the rights of others, including the safety of other human rights defenders. These measures should include issuing a public statement recognizing the status and role of human rights defenders and the legitimacy of their activities, and adopting policies to protect the rights of human rights defenders.

The post New Zealand journalists feel force of Fiji’s contempt for human rights appeared first on Amnesty International.

Fiji are vice-presidents of the world’s top human rights body, and that leadership starts with their actions at home.

Roshika Deo. Amnesty International's Pacific Researcher

The country recently acceded to the vice-presidency of the UN Human Rights Council, a step that underscores the need for human rights progress.

“Fiji is talking the talk on the world stage,” said Roshika Deo, Amnesty International’s Pacific Researcher. “But the spotlight on Fiji’s new UN role must be a chance for Fiji to increase its credibility on human rights, and redress a range of critical failings.”

“Months since its re-election and despite its human rights rhetoric, the Fijian government has done nothing substantive to address the well-documented problem of torture by the security forces,” said Roshika Deo. “Despite saying it would take action, it has also failed to take urgent steps to prevent women and girls from suffering widespread harassment, violence and discrimination. And they have done nothing to protect the country’s media and civic space.”

Ahead of the elections, in November 2018, Amnesty put forward a six-point human rights agenda that highlighted priority areas for government action.

This agenda includes the protection of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, preventing torture and other ill treatment, ending violence against women and girls, protecting human rights defenders, ensuring equality for LGBTI people, and guaranteeing meaningful inclusion of Indigenous peoples in community decisions.

Fiji’s human rights record will come under scrutiny at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nation’s Human Rights Council in October-November 2019.

Ahead of the Human Rights Council’s assessment, civil society groups have until 28 March to submit their contributions to the UPR process, and the State has until July to submit its report.”

“The UPR is an important process for human rights groups in Fiji – on this evidence, it should act as a major wake-up call to the government. They are now the vice-presidents of the world’s top human rights body, and that leadership starts with their actions at home,” said Roshika Deo.

“Only this week, the permit to stage a protest that was denied to the Fiji Trade Unions Congress shows Fijians’ rights to express themselves and to gather peacefully are still restricted,” said Roshika Deo. “As a first step the government should immediately act on the recommendations outlined in our Human Rights Agenda, including repealing repressive laws. They must also establish an independent and effective mechanism to investigate and address the systematic use of violence by the security forces.”

The Human Rights Agenda and its full set of recommendations is available here.

The post Fiji: Despite UN scrutiny ahead, no progress on human rights appeared first on Amnesty International.

“Before Fijians head to the polls, all candidates should pledge to tackle the many and persistent human rights abuses that still afflict the country. Fiji is a country where security forces continue to torture people, where media workers are harassed simply for doing their job, and where women are shamed and harassed for calling out violence and discrimination against them,” said Roshika Deo, Amnesty International’s Pacific Researcher.

“The tragic death of Josua Lalauvaki – soon after police reportedly assaulted and detained him – looms large before this election. This was not the first report of torture and abuse committed by the police this year,” Deo added. “Candidates should be clear-eyed about these tragedies, bring justice and reparations for the victims, and ensure they never happen again.” 

Amnesty International is publishing a Human Rights Agenda ahead of the vote, outlining six essential priorities for all candidates to commit to. These include the protection of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, preventing torture and other ill-treatment, ending violence against women and girls, protecting human rights defenders, ensuring equality for LGBTI people, and guaranteeing meaningful inclusion of Indigenous peoples in community decisions.

“Our agenda sends out a message of hope – Fiji’s next government has an opportunity to implement concrete proposals that could bring human rights change to the country”, Deo said. “We look forward to discussing with candidates the commitments they will make to help ensure everyone in Fiji can enjoy all their human rights.”

The post Fiji elections: Next government must tackle severe failings on human rights appeared first on Amnesty International.

The Pacific Islands Forum was an opportunity for leaders in the region to say enough is enough and show that they would no longer stand by while the Australian Government’s abusive policies continue to risk more lives.
This chance has been completely squandered.

Roshika Deo, Amnesty International’s Pacific Researcher.

The four-day meeting, which brought together leaders from across the region, comprehensively failed to address the needs of refugees, with the approved draft Forum Communiqué featuring no mention of an improved, human rights-oriented approach to refugee policy.

“The dire situation for refugees and asylum-seekers in Nauru requires urgent action and the Australian government can still uphold its responsibility by evacuating them to Australia,” said Roshika Deo, Amnesty International’s Pacific Researcher.

“However, if Australia refuses to change course, it must not stand in the way of others who are willing to offer these people the protection they so desperately need. New Zealand’s Prime Minister this week reaffirmed a longstanding offer to take in 150 refugees per year from Manus Island and Nauru – Australia must facilitate, and not obstruct this process.”

Amnesty International is also dismayed that Pacific Leaders failed to address Australia’s cruel and abusive refugee policy at the forum meeting. An open letter co-signed by Amnesty International and more than 90 other civil society organizations last week called on PIF leaders to prioritize the escalating health crisis for refugee children on Nauru and demanded an end to the shameful policy.

“The Pacific Islands Forum was an opportunity for leaders in the region to say enough is enough and show that they would no longer stand by while the Australian Government’s abusive policies continue to risk more lives,” said Roshika Deo.

“This chance has been completely squandered. Instead we saw the Government of Nauru release despicable claims about the nature of the reported self-harm by children and the detention of a New Zealand journalist for speaking with a refugee.”

On Saturday Nauru’s President, Baron Waqa, claimed during a TV interview that children were being pushed into self-harming by their families and refugee advocates, saying: “It’s the way of working the system, probably short-circuiting it, just to get to Australia.” This was followed by the detention of TV New Zealand journalist Barbara Dreaver by Nauruan police on Tuesday, after she interviewed a refugee.

Background

On 19 July 2013, Australia enacted a policy that meant anyone who arrived by boat anywhere in Australia – including the mainland – would be barred from seeking asylum in the country. Instead, they would be forcibly transferred to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea or Nauru, and even those recognised as refugees would never be allowed to settle in Australia.

More than 1600 people remain on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea and Nauru, with the majority being assessed as refugees. Under a bilateral agreement, whereby the US government agreed to settle up to 1,250 refugees, nearly 400 refugees have been sent to the US so far. However, hundreds of people are likely to remain on Manus Island and Nauru in abysmal conditions indefinitely, with no clear plans for their future.

In Papua New Guinea, refugees and people seeking asylum have been violently attacked by locals, contractors and the authorities. In Nauru, there have been widespread reports of physical and sexual abuse, including against women and children. Nauru and Papua New Guinea are unable to provide protection for refugees and people seeking asylum and the Australian government refuses to accept responsibility for them, despite the fact that they remain under its effective control in these territories.

The post Pacific Islands Forum: Australia must tackle refugee crisis in Nauru as regional summit closes appeared first on Amnesty International.

Have you displayed affection with your partner in public? If yes, what reaction did you receive then? 

The reactions are different depending on the public place we are navigating through and whether our bodies are seen as gender conforming or non-confirming. Some bars and nightclubs can be safe for queer people but displaying affection on the streets or on public transport can attract stares, laughter or jeers.

Compared to opposite-sex people, do you think there’s any difference in the way you built or experience relationships? 

There’s definitely a difference in the way we experience relationships. Firstly, in a small country like Fiji, it may be hard to find others to connect with but social media and apps have definitely made it easier. Queer people in relationships deal with everyday ups-and-downs just like heterosexual couples. However in a context where there could be isolation, homophobia and other social and cultural stresses, these relationships may not get the same support as heteronormative [the presumption of heterosexuality or promotion of heterosexuality as normal] relationships and many may struggle to maintain healthy and fulfilling relationships.

I intend to celebrate Valentine’s Day just like any other day. For queer people living in a world that seeks to pathologize us, deny our humanity and make us invisible, loving ourselves and our families (chosen or otherwise) and nurturing our community is the ultimate radical act.

Kris Prasad, queer activist from Fiji

What do you think of Valentine’s Day? 

Modern Valentine’s Day is a capitalist scam designed to manipulate people into spending money in the name of love. It perpetuates the idea that some relationships are more “normal and natural” than others and deserve more emotional care. It also minimizes the importance of other forms of love. We don’t need a commercialized holiday to honour love. As tolerance of LGBTI people increases and our communities get access to rights and privileges, we must avoid buying into oppressive ideas about love.

I intend to celebrate Valentine’s Day just like any other day. For queer people living in a world that seeks to pathologize us, deny our humanity and make us invisible, loving ourselves and our families (chosen or otherwise) and nurturing our community is the ultimate radical act.

What do you think of the Fijian government’s treatment of LGBTI people?

While Fiji is one of the few countries in the world that has a constitution prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, the constitutional rights are limited for non-heteronormative couples along with other restrictions in the Bill of Rights.

Activists in Fiji know the reality is different for LGBTI people who face high levels of violence, stigma and discrimination. Two years ago, our Prime Minister slammed same-sex marriage as “rubbish” and advised same-sex couples to move to Iceland and stay there if they want marriage equality. Societal tolerance of LGBTI people is increasing but when powerful leaders make such statements, it promotes hate speech and puts more pressure on advocates to work harder to change attitudes and combat prejudices.

What change do you hope to see to enhance equality among couples regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity?

I would like to see the government hold true to their promise of equality and non-discrimination for all Fijians including those with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. I also hope to see our community moving beyond single-issue politics in our struggle for a better world. Freedom, autonomy and transformative social change can only be achieved if we unite against all forms of oppression and domination including capitalism, colonialism, patriarchy and heteronormativity.

The post Fiji: Valentine’s Day for queer activist Kris appeared first on Amnesty International.

On the International Day for Victims of Torture, the Fijian authorities arrested Jope Koroisavou – a youth leader from the opposition Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) – for holding a solitary and peaceful protest, carrying signs bearing the names of Fijian victims of torture as he marched through the capital, Suva.

“Instead of cracking down on peaceful protest, the Fijian authorities should be cracking down on torture. On a day when the world is remembering the victims of torture, the Fijian authorities are arresting people for carrying a sign with their names,” said James Gomez, Amnesty International’s Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

On a day when the world is remembering the victims of torture, the Fijian authorities are arresting people for carrying a sign with their names

James Gomez, Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific

“Jope Koroisavou was holding a brave and dignified protest. As his arrest shows, it is not easy to speak out against torture and other ill-treatment in Fiji. He must be released immediately and unconditionally.”

Jope Koroisavou was carrying signs bearing the names of Iowane Benedito, Tevita Malasebe, Josefa Balailoa, Nimilote Verebasaga and Sakiusa Rabaka – all victims of torture and other ill-treatment at the hands of the Fijian security forces.

The torture victims mentioned by Koroisavou were detailed in an Amnesty International report Beating Justice: How Fiji’s security forces get away with torture, a report describing obstacles to accountability for torture and other ill-treatment, including constitutional immunities and a lack of political will to effectively investigate cases.

Jope Koroisavou was holding a brave and dignified protest. As his arrest shows, it is not easy to speak out against torture and other ill-treatment in Fiji. He must be released immediately and unconditionally

James Gomez, Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific

“Fiji’s government prides itself on having ratified the UN Convention Against Torture, but it is has failed to bring legislation in line with international standards, revoke immunities for security forces, and clear away obstacles to accountability,” said James Gomez.

Background

Iowane Benedito’s torture was recorded on a phone and posted on YouTube in February 2013. The investigation into the torture he endured was closed but later reopened by former Police Commissioner Ben Groenewald. Groenewald resigned as Police Commissioner after his officers were prevented from arresting a military officer involved in his torture. While his alleged perpetrators have now been charged, they are yet to face trial with the matter next listed in November 2017.

Malasebe, Balailoa, Verebasaga and Rabaka all died between 2007 and 2008 after suffering horrific injuries arising from torture at the hands of the security forces. 

The post Fiji: Crack down on torture, not protests appeared first on Amnesty International.

“By charging the Fiji Times with sedition, the Fijian authorities are using a crude tactic to intimidate and silence one of the few independent media outlets left in the country,” said Josef Benedict, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

“Journalists and media houses should be allowed to do their legitimate work freely and without fear of reprisals. The dark days when official censors roamed Fijian newsrooms, telling them what they can and cannot print, are best left in the past.”

Fijian prosecutors amended charges in an ongoing case against The Fiji Times Limited to sedition on Friday, putting the newspaper group’s publisher Hank Arts, editors Fred Wesley and Anare Ravula, and a letter writer at risk of a maximum seven years’ imprisonment. If they are imprisoned, Amnesty International would consider them prisoners of conscience.

The sedition charge will be heard in court on Tuesday 28 March, in Fiji’s capital, Suva.

The Fiji Times Limited is one of the world’s oldest newspaper groups. It publishes the English-language daily, The Fiji Times, founded in 1869, and the weekly iTaukei vernacular newspaper, Nai Lalakai.

The prosecutors were initially pursuing charges of inciting “communal antagonism” against The Fiji Times Limited in response to a reader’s letter published in the group’s iTaukei-language daily, Nai Lalakai, on 27 April 2016.

The letter contained controversial views about Muslims. It was not written by any member of The Fiji Times Limited, but by a member of the public and published in the readers’ letters section, without the newspaper endorsing the views contained in it.

“The letter was distasteful, but its author has a right to their views, as long as they do not incite violence. The authorities are failing on their obligation to respect the right to freedom of expression under international law. It is the job of a newspaper to be a forum for different views, even if it may cause some offence,” said Josef Benedict.

“The fact that the authorities have seized on this one letter to bring charges against editors and publisher who did not write it, makes clear that the case is politically-motivated. The Fiji Times has a strong record of journalistic independence, a tradition that is now imperiled by these charges.”

Background

Since Fiji’s current Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, came to power in a 2006 military coup, the Fiji Times has often been a target of the authorities.

For several years, a regime of heavy censorship was in place, where officially appointed censors roamed newsrooms, deciding what could and could not be published in the next day’s paper.

The Fiji Times was one of the few news outlets to stoically refuse to print censored articles, leaving blank spaces on the page instead. At the time, Frank Bainimarama justified the censorship regime by saying, “They can print whatever they want. But irresponsible journalism is not going to be tolerated.”

In 2012, Fiji Times Limited, and its editor, Fred Wesley, were found guilty of contempt of court for reprinting a sports article that was first published in New Zealand which contained criticisms of Fiji’s judiciary.

The newspaper was fined US$ 170,000 and its editor received a two year-suspended sentence.

In 2010, the Fijian government introduced a Media Decree that imposed excessive restrictions on the right to freedom of expression and limited foreign investors from owning more than 10% of a Fijian media outlet – a measure that appeared to single out The Fiji Times, then 90% owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited.

Under the new regulations, the newspaper has come under Fijian ownership and sustains its journalism without any government advertising.

The post Fiji: Drop politically-motivated sedition charges against The Fiji Times appeared first on Amnesty International.