The Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya, has stirred controversy by proposing the death penalty for drug traffickers in Fiji. During a speech at her ministry’s headquarters, she stated that Fiji’s position as a transit hub for illegal drugs demands severe penalties to deter traffickers.
Tabuya highlighted Fiji’s vulnerability due to its location near larger drug markets, asserting, “We’re a transit point for bigger developed countries. What do we do to protect our borders and our people from these harmful drugs?” She cited Singapore’s use of the death penalty for trafficking significant amounts of drugs, emphasizing the necessity for Fiji to adopt similar measures to safeguard its borders.
In response to her remarks, Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration, Pio Tikoduadua, advocated for a more compassionate and comprehensive strategy to tackle drug trafficking. He called for the modernization of the police force and improved international collaboration, suggesting that these methods would produce more sustainable outcomes. Tikoduadua expressed concern that reinstating the death penalty could detract from addressing the root causes of drug trafficking.
Human rights activists joined the opposition, with Dr. Shaista Shameem, former Director of the Fiji Human Rights Commission, denouncing the death penalty as inhumane and detrimental to rehabilitation efforts. She recalled Fiji’s abolition of the death penalty for treason in 1979, which was achieved with broad parliamentary consensus. Dr. Shameem noted that any discussions regarding its reintroduction should be handled with care and empathy.
The Fiji Law Society also entered the debate, reminding that the death penalty is not mentioned in the Constitution, indicating that any attempts to reinstate it would encounter significant legal obstacles. The death penalty was abolished in Fiji for all crimes in 2015, and the current Constitution restricts its application. Furthermore, Fiji’s ratification of the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) complicates any efforts to bring back capital punishment, as UNCAT imposes a universal ban on torture and similar practices, reinforcing Fiji’s commitment to these principles through enhanced training for its security forces.