NZ spying has ramifications for Fiji NGO's safety
A prominent non-government organisation in Fiji, the Citizens' Constitutional Forum, says reported mass surveillance by New Zealand could affect the group's safety and security.
Transcript
A prominent non-government organisation in Fiji, the Citizens' Constitutional Forum, says reported mass surveillance by New Zealand could affect the group's safety and security.
The comments by the CCF chair Akuila Yabaki come following last week's report that New Zealand is spying on its regional neighbours, including Fiji and passing the information on to the United States.
The Reverend Yabaki says it is a concern that the group's communications are being monitored on the international stage.
AKUILA YABAKI: If the allegations of New Zealand carrying out surveillance or monitoring of civil society communications in Fiji are true, then organisations like the one that I lead here, the Citizens' Constitutional Forum, have concerns that our communications are being under surveillance and monitored on the international stage. The way the information is used could potentially have (repercussions) on CSOs like CCF as we are already working under a challenging political environment for the last number of years. At the end of the day it's about our security and safety at stake here. It's also about human rights. Privacy is a fundamental human right recognised in the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights - the ICCPR - and many other international regional treaties. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is customary international law and applicable to both Fiji and New Zealand. New Zealand is already a signatory of the ICCPR but Fiji has yet to ratify this convention. Maybe it's time that the Fiji government sees the importance of Fiji ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to complement the Bill of Rights in the Fiji Constitution. Potentially if Fiji was a party to the ICCPR, Article 41 would apply and Fiji could submit a communication to the Human Rights Committee to investigate a breach of the right to privacy from New Zealand. So, yes it does, to answer your question, we would say yes, it definitely does affect the work that civil society organisations do.
SALLY ROUND: Does this mean that you are going to be more circumspect about your communications overseas?
AY: I think we will try and stick to, to get good advice on how we will handle things. For instance, our particular conversation now doesn't really lay any blame on anybody. We are just reiterating what the principles are and we would abide by that.
SR: Are you surprised that New Zealand would be doing this?
AY: The background, the geopolitical landscape for the eight years ... the fact that China is more interested in the Pacific as a major donor to Pacific Island countries and following the fractious relationship between (Fiji and) the two major partners of Australia and New Zealand, it would be somewhat understandable that this development would take place. That whole lack of information would be a challenge to neighbouring countries like New Zealand.
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