Rights protected for all under new Indigenous Rights Act, PM assures

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has assured non-indigenous Fiji­ans that the Rights of lndigenous Peoples Act will not diminish their rights.

He said that recognition of indigenous rights must not come at the expense of other communities.

Parliament passed the Rights of Indig­enous Peoples Bill yesterday.

This comes amid ongoing debate about national identity, indigenous land and the protection and management of resources as Government pushes to amend the 2013 Constitution.

Mr Rabuka said the responsibility now rested with the iTaukei to look after everyone living in the country.

"I want to make it very clear that the acknowledgement of the rights of in­digenous people does not extinguish the rights of non-indigenous people," he said.

"The onus now is upon the iTaukei of this land to look after everyone in the land."

The Act provides for the recognition, protection and promotion of indigenous peo­ples' rights and gives effect to the United Na­tions Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Mr Rabuka said the declaration had existed for some time but was now being incorporated into Fiji's domestic law, particularly through the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs.

He referred to the Bible passage in Leviticus 19:33-34, which calls on communities to treat foreigners living among them with the same care and dignity as those born in their country.

Minister for iTaukei Affairs Ifereimi Vasu also stressed that the legislation was not intended to diminish the rights of other com­munities.

"The protection and promotion of indig­enous rights should not be understood as di­minishing the rights or dignity of any other persons in Fiji," Mr Vasu said.

He said the Bill recognised the particular rights, identity and heritage of indigenous people while providing a framework for mu­tual respect among all communities.