The Fiji NGO Coalition on Human Rights says they are ashamed of our government for abandoning the principles of human rights, justice, peace, freedom, and human dignity, but we must not be our government.
The statement follows the opening of the Fiji Embassy in Jerusalem, Israel, this week, where Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka attended the inauguration.
It says the coalition government shamefully opened an embassy in Israel despite Israel actively carrying out a genocide in Gaza, where 65,000 people have been killed, including 165,697 others injured.
They say many more have been maimed, traumatised, and displaced, and starvation is being used by Israel as a weapon to kill babies and children.
They added that Prime Minister Rabuka, accompanied by Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Pio Tikoduadua and Minister for Information Lynda Tabuya, stood next to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity.
They further add that an arrest warrant was issued by the ICC for Netanyahu on 21st November 2024.
They are urging the Government to stop grandstanding on human rights and stop supporting rogue global leaders, and join the many countries that have supported the ICC outcome on Netanyahu.
NGO Coalition Chair Shamima Ali says we must stand up and believe in humanity, justice, and the inalienable human rights of every individual.
She says the image of a wanted war criminal standing next to a coup perpetrator must haunt all of us, and Fiji's stance directly contradicts the Ocean of Peace concept that the Prime Minister himself champions.
Ali says the way the government has responded to the genocide and war crimes in Gaza is setting a precedent for how it would deal with crises and conflicts in the future.
She adds we are now seeing whether our country will be a force that works to uphold human rights and international law, or one that tramples on them whenever convenient.
The Chair says no politician in Fiji can claim ignorance of what is happening, and the facts are clear, and so is international law.
Ali says history will judge how we respond as Fijians to this moment, as our rich cultural heritage teaches us to stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult.
She adds that silence is not an option.
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