Feminist Peace Network

from the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WOMEN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS THREATENED

HUMAN rights organisations and individuals have been threatened with
violence, including rape, for speaking out on the current impasse in Fiji.
The Fiji Women¹s Rights Movement office and FWRM Board member Imrana Jalal,
received threatening phone calls last week.

The threats follow public statements by FWRM and an opinion piece by
activist and human rights lawyer Jalal.

“I received a phone call on Monday afternoon (4th December) ­ an anonymous
male voice threatened me with rape and attempted to intimidate me,” said
Jalal, who has reported the criminal threat to the police.

When she asked the caller to identify himself, “I was told that they would
’shut me up forever’ and I was to wait because they would come and get me.”

FWRM Executive Director Virisila Buadromo was also told to “stop what she’s
doing” by a male caller who identified himself as being from the military.

“These threats against unarmed peace activists by the armed forces seem
extreme. We have simply been advocating for the basic principles of the
rule of law and democracy,” said Buadromo.

The threats against the organisation and individual activists coincides
with International Human Rights Day (December 10th), International Women
Human Rights Defenders Day (November 29th) and16 Days of Activism on
Violence Against Women.

“Women Human Rights Defenders” (WHRDs) is a term referring to women who
individually or with others, act to promote and protect everyone¹s human
rights. This sub-category of defenders has been singled out because they
face risks particular to their gender committed by both state and non-state
actors, including governments, the military and even within communities.

The 16 Days campaign aims to increase the visibility of violence against
women as a human rights violation. The campaign has been utilised by groups
all over the world to use international human rights instruments to address
violence against women as a human rights violation and a threat to human
security and peace worldwide.

Filed under: Uncategorized, Atrocities