FHRDAC Director Ashwin Raj

A video circulating on social media allegedly making fun of sign language interpreters has been condemned.

The Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission says the circulation of video on social media involving language interpreters at the Ministry of Health is shameful and discriminatory.

Concerns have also been raised with the Commission over the conduct of a senior journalist of The Fiji Times for allegedly circulating the video through his Facebook page and giving it credence.

This is seen in a mock press briefing on the Covid-19 pandemic.

FHRDAC Director, Ashwin Raj, says it derails and ridicules the efforts by the Fijian Government and frontline workers who have been working tirelessly in ensuring Fijians are safe including persons with disabilities.

He stresses that any journalist with an ounce of journalistic integrity would think twice about the ramifications of posting such vile and disparaging videos

The Commission cannot implore enough that persons with disabilities, who already face so many structural barriers and systemic discrimination, are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Raj adds the deaf community relies on these sign language interpreters to access information and for people to degrade and bully the sign language interpreters on social media platforms is shameful.

The Commission is working with the Fiji Association of the Deaf in ensuring that those circulating the video are held accountable and has sought the assistance of the cybercrime unit of the Fiji Police Force.

The Commission asks the media fraternity to condemn such vile acts of debasement.