The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission says it is taking some strong measures now in relation to cases of landlords advertising and getting tenants based on their ethnicity or religion, and it will also take action on the media outlets who are printing advertisements for people who are looking for people of particular races for certain jobs.
This also means taking landlords to court until such time the attitude changes as the constitution guarantees common and equal citizenry.
The stern message has come through as the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission confirms that they are now looking into an incident in a prominent Suva suburb, where a property caretaker on the instruction of a landlord had put out flats on rent and had displayed a notice seeking tenants of only a particular ethnic group.
Commission CEO, Joel Abraham confirms that they have now sought assistance from the Fiji Human Rights and Anti‑Discrimination Commission, and are working together to curb residential tenancy discrimination based on gender, ethnicity and racial background.
Abraham reiterates that such practice is illegal and in contravention of the Constitution and the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission Act.
Director of the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission, Ashwin Raj says action needs to be taken now as our constitution does not allow these discriminatory practices.
Raj says they are now planning to take legal action against the landlord.
Ashwin Raj says media outlets that publish discriminatory messages, will also be taken to task.
He says they have gone past the point of saying to people that this is an act of discrimination. Raj says they are now monitoring compliance and to ensure that action is taken against those not following the constitution and other laws in the country.
