Opposition MP, Ketan Lal is calling out Fiji’s law enforcement agencies and the Online Safety Commission, asking them why is there deafening silence from them on online racism.
Lal says it is deeply disturbing to witness the rise of blatant, vile racism circulating on social media—targeting Fijians of Indian descent with disgusting hatred and abuse.
He asks what is wrong with us as a nation.
Lal asks are the enforcement agencies waiting for this hatred to spill from the screens into our streets.
He says Fijians of Indian descent are equal citizens of this country, they were born here, live here, and contribute to this nation’s development, economy, and progress every single day.
The MP says the blood, sweat, and tears of the Indo-Fijians are in the very soil of this nation, yet they continue to face a systemic lack of protection from those mandated to safeguard all citizens.
He says they are not second-class or outsiders, and they will not accept being treated as such.
Lal says the Online Safety Commission’s silence is complicity, as they were created to protect citizens from abuse, bullying, and online hate.
He went on to ask the Commission why are they picking and choosing who deserves protection, why the selective outrage, and is their mandate only active when it suits political convenience. Lal also called on the Fiji Police Force saying that racism is a criminal offence, and why are they blind to the torrents of racist abuse being hurled online daily.
He asks where are the investigations, the arrests, and the protection for vulnerable communities.
He adds this is not just about social media, but is about the kind of Fiji we are shaping for the next generation, as we cannot allow racism to go unchecked.
While responding to this issue, Commissioner of the Online Safety Commission Filipe Batiwale says they are empowered to receive complaints from everyone, and as such, they have yet to receive any complaint from Ketan Lal on this issue.
Batiwale told fijivillage News that they do not have patrolling functions or duties at the moment with their Online Safety Act, however, they condemn such behaviour, and such harmful dissemination of racist attacks.
When asked if they are proactive online on issues like this or are they just waiting for complaints to be lodged, Batiwale says they need the party to make a complaint to them as the law requires that a complaint needs to be lodged for them to investigate and take action.
