Fiji Human Rights Commission Director Ashwin Raj

Complaints related to the suspected violation of the rights of arrested and detained persons continue to be highlighted.

Fiji Human Rights Commission Director Ashwin Raj says since the COVID-19 restrictions were put in place three months ago, the daily arrests for alleged breaches has also seen a spike in complaints to their office.

“The rights of arrested and detained persons, obviously a surge in those kinds of complaints, particularly with all the arrests around you know the restrictions imposed by the law and, but also other things like the right to privacy, the right to health. Now we are receiving a number of complaints about job losses.”

Raj says other issues that have come to their attention include complaints from people that their employers had failed to pay their Fiji National Provident Fund contributions which was affecting their relief assistance.

In light of the economic fallout from the Coronavirus pandemic, the Commission Director says other issues included employment relations given the significant job losses, as well as the social and economic impacts on already vulnerable communities.