Fiji police shut down sugar meeting

Transcript

Dialogue Fiji says the police shut-down of its event is confusing and could impact the ability of other civil society groups to meet. Government reform of the industry, which suffered a major blow by Cyclone Winston, has been criticised by sugar cane farmers in the past. Dialogue Fiji executive director Nilesh Lal says the latest event was by invite only and at a local resort where attendance could be controlled.

"So it was not a public meeting per se so that came as a surprise and then of course that interpretation of the law is very problematic from our perspective because it will have very severe implications for other NGO work that involves getting people together."

The opposition National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad says he was to be a panellist at the forum in his capacity as an industry academic and the forum was not political.

"I am politician but I am also somebody who has written about the sugar industry in my academic life.  The point is this; whether an NGO invites a politician, the government they were also invited, it's like saying that if I want to hold a wedding at my place and I invite politicians and others, I will probably need a permit."

The Permanent Secretary to the Sugar Ministry Yogesh Karan was invited to the forum but couldn't make it because of a prior commitment. He says he is not sure why the event was stopped.

"Don't know the reason, I really don't know the reason, unless I get to know that.  When I was told it was cancelled  I was out of office and out of Suva so  unless I get information on that I really can't make a comment on that."

Biman Prasad says the move proves that the government is hell-bent on shutting down genuine dialogue, discussion and expression of views that may be unpalatable for them.

"There's been a lot of backlash on the two proposed Bills on sugar by this government to reform the industry by the farmers and stakeholders so they do not want any discussion on an issue where they are being portrayed as a government which is incompetent, which has not come up with any credible solutions to rescue the industry so they want to shut out the debate."

The NGO Coalition on Human Rights says it understands that permit requirements for public meetings were removed in July 2012.  Interim Chair Michelle Reddy says there have been numerous permit-free meetings since then.

"For example forum and public panels discussing topics [such as] constitutionality, democracy, national human rights institutions.  So this recent event has come as quite a surprise, in regards to police saying that now, specifically looking at [the] Dialogue Fiji event that they required a permit when past practice has not been as such."

Ms Reddy and Mr Prasad have both called on the police commissioner to explain the forum shut-down. However, police have declined to do so.