Fiji: 1) Violence by Native-Fijians against Indo-Fijians and government attitude towards it; 2) discrimination against Hindus because of their religion
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 October 1989 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | FJI2650 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Fiji: 1) Violence by Native-Fijians against Indo-Fijians and government attitude towards it; 2) discrimination against Hindus because of their religion, 1 October 1989, FJI2650, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad128.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
1) Ethnic Indians, who were taken to Fiji by the British during the last century to work on sugar plantations, account for slightly more than half of Fiji's population today. Since
colonial times, however, they were relegated to an inferior
political status in order to maintain native Fijians' traditional way of life. Institutionalized discrimination, which has restricted the Indian community's ownership of property, as well as its social and political position, was incorporated into the 1970 Constitution. [ "Constitutional Crisis", in Fiji, (London: Minority Rights Group, 1987), backcover.]
Despite old ethnic tensions, both native and Indo-Fijian
groups coexisted relatively peacefully. Indo-Fijians were able to acquire a degree of political influence and in 1987, a coalition of the country's major opposition parties resulted in a government with a majority of ethnic Indians. [ Ibid, p. 7.] This is reported to have been the motivating factor behind the May 1987 military coup in which a native Fijian colonel Sitiveni Rabuka, supported by a predominantly native Fijian army, overthrew the Indian-dominated coalition government. [ Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (Washington: U.S. Department of State, 1989), p. 800, and Fiji, p. 7.] After a brief return to democracy that year, colonel Rabuka seized power again. Although he later restored civilian rule under regulations which ensure the political predominance of native Fijians, the army has retained influence in the country's political affairs. [ Country Reports, p. 800.] After the 1987 coups, ethnic tensions were reported to the point where violence erupted, ethnic-Indian shops, homes and individuals reportedly being the main targets of security forces' and civilians' abuses. [ Fiji, p. 7; Fiji Sun and The Fiji Times, various issues, October-September 1987.;]
Amnesty International reported that human rights abuses and violence against Indo-Fijians increased considerably during the
period of military control. [ Overview on Fiji, (Ottawa: IRBDC, 1989), p. 10.] Although the U.S. Department of State's report for 1988 indicates a general reduction in violence and tensions during that year in comparison to 1987, Amnesty International reported in August 1988 many cases of human rights abuses. [Country Reports and Fiji: arrests under a new internal security decree, (London: Amnesty International, August 1988), pp. 1-5.]
2) According to one source, 40.9 percent of the population belongs to the Hinduist faith. [ L'Etat des Religions dans le Monde, (Paris: La Découverte, 1987), p. 292.] Although cases of discrimination against people belonging to the Hinduist religion could not be found among the sources presently available to the IRBDC, cases of government or security actions affecting Hinduist groups are summarized in the IRBDC's Country Profile: Fiji, pages 28-30. Please find attached to this response a copy of those pages.
