Praneeta Prakash 
Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights [Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji]
The Raiwaqa Navua Crematorium Committee has raised serious concerns over vandalism and public disorder at the cemetery.
A founding member Chaitanya Lakshman says that the site, which serves as a shared resting place for Christians, Muslims, and Hindus, has increasingly become a gathering spot for people drinking late at night.
The concern was brought up during a public submission to the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights.
“There is a huge problem we are facing at Raiwaqa Cemetery that covers all the denominations, is vandalism and every weekend, or every free time, it turns out that our crematorium and our cemetery is turned into a nightclub. Nightclub? Yes. That’s the place where people turn up drinking.”
He proposes that the Burial and Cremation (Amendment) Bill 2025 include stronger provisions to deter vandalism, trespassing, and the desecration of burial grounds.
“So it would be better if we had something or some law on trespass, specifically in offences, which covered that anybody without any lawful excuse there could be charged.”
The founding member also suggested that offences of this nature should carry penalties that promote rehabilitation rather than imprisonment.
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