Sainiani Boila 
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka [ Source: Fiji Government ]
Child labor in Fiji is drawing renewed concern after social media videos showed children.
Some are believed to be under 15, selling food near service stations and on streets during late-night hours.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka warns that no one knows the circumstances driving these young vendors into such situations.
He says despite the issue being visible online for some time, it had not been formally addressed by him or relevant ministers until now.
“We are failing as a community, a society as a nation and our parenthood has failed, and our parenthood has failed. Our government has failed in the sense that we have not been able to properly police that breakdown of the social fabric. Allowing our children, underage people, to be employed in such a way because who knows what is behind what they’re selling.”
Rabuka is calling for coordinated action between authorities and communities to enforce child protection laws, address the root causes such as poverty and neglect and prevent children from being exposed to unsafe environments while working.
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