A prominent Fiji economist says the deaths of five soldiers have been ignored by the authorities who are supposed to uphold human rights.
Wadan Narsey has written a letter asking whether the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission is investigating the deaths which followed the 2000 mutiny.
It comes after the commission's Director Ashwin Raj defended a statement on racism made by Fiji's UN Representative in Switzerland, Nazhat Shameem Khan.
Professor Narsey said the commission should defend the rights of everybody in Fiji, whether they are powerful like the ambassador or weak like the forgotten soldiers.
"You have a Human Rights Commission, people who are like snapping dogs at whomever is deemed to be an enemy of the Bainimarama Government and right under the carpet are these massive crimes which have been in people's minds like a cancer for the last 14-15 years where people were tortured to death," Mr Narsey said.
"Five soldiers were taken from their homes, taken from police custody by the military and then they ended up dead."
