Don’t feel threatened by Public Order Amendment Decree

If you do not want to engage in racial or religious vilification or create public disorder, then you should not feel threatened by the Public Order Amendment Decree.

Those are the words of Permanent Secretary for Information, Sharon Smith-Johns following comments made by the Young People's Concerned Network or YPCN.

YPCN's Peter Waqavonovono said there are several limitations under the amendment decree.

However Smith-Johns said if the Young People’s Concerned Network seeks to represent the leaders of tomorrow, it will need to do a better job of understanding recent Fijian history and of assessing government provisions, such as the Public Order Amendment Decree, which it misreads either out of a desire to manipulate public sentiment or simply because of ignorance.

She said the United Nations General Assembly encourages all nations to be proactive in taking steps to prevent and combat domestic and international terrorist threats in all their forms.

Smith-Johns further said that throughout Fiji's history, religious, racial and ethnic vilification has been used openly to harass and intimidate, and at times hold Fiji to ransom.

The Permanent Secretary for Information said politicians and religious leaders have used race and religion, not just to denigrate others but as a political tool.

She said the government takes seriously the welfare and opinion of Fijian youth, which underscores all of its activities to strengthen the Fijian economy, create jobs, invest in education and technology, and establish the basis for a new future.

 
Story by: Vijay Narayan