UN General Assembly
2003

freedoms for every citizen of Fiji and their equal protection under the law ... is an essential part of our vision for a peaceful Fiji. A feeling of personal security and of group security comes about when people have confidence that breaches of rights and freedoms will be dealt with impartially and speedily”. I quote further: “... Respect for the rights of others is a critical component of our freedoms guaranteed under the constitution. It is essential for peaceful existence in our multi-cultural society”. I emphasize these points because sometimes there are attempts to depict Fiji as a land where rights are habitually abused. Propaganda against our country has been circulated in some quarters here at the United Nations. Much of this stems from opposition to our affirmative action policies designed to end social and economic inequalities. These are based on principles well-established internationally and are provided for in our Constitution. It is self-evident that a country cannot grow in justice, harmony and prosperity when more than half of its population — in this case the indigenous Fijians —