SUVA, Fiji — Fiji politicians have ramped up rhetoric linking adult content with sexual violence and calling for limiting access to adult sites in the island nation in order to “protect Fiji’s children,” following the announcement that the Anti-Pornography Taskforce established in February will convene in September to gather stakeholder input.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) backed the efforts of government anti-porn crusaders by releasing controversial statistics attempting to tie sex crimes involving minors to adult content viewership.
Efforts to ban porn in the country are being spearheaded by the taskforce’s co-chairperson, Fiji’s Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya.
“With the internet reaching even the most remote areas, it’s imperative that we ensure it is used responsibly to protect Fiji’s children from its harmful impacts,” Tabuya told the Fiji Sun earlier this month.
Tabuya added over the past weekend that she believes “there is a link between pornography and the increased rates of sexual violence” among minors, because adult content is “readily available” to the people of Fiji.
Although Tabuya has been affiliated with the religiously inspired group Fiji Free From Porn and co-chairs the very plainly named Anti-Pornography Taskforce, in her most recent comments she said only that the taskforce is looking at ways to “regulate pornography and to ban access of pornography to children.”
Tabuya linked her efforts to the country’s adoption of Elon Musk’s satellite internet technology.
“With Starlink coming and all these other ways to increase connectivity in our country we have to be more responsible,” she added. “There needs to be an education and awareness on the responsible use of the internet and of social media.”
Main Image: Fiji’s leading anti-porn politician, Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya.