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Labour Rights Labour Rights

refused to eat it because I thought it may be poisoned. There kept by the Police, and the Fiji Embassy bought me a plane
was an apple orchard in the area so I would go and eat apples. ticket to Fiji. Eventually, I was taken direct from the house to
“At the end of the two or three weeks, I was very weak. the airport where I was guarded and then accompanied direct
So I decided that if I stayed there, I would die. I took out to the plane going to Fiji.
stuff from my backpack, went to the orchard and filled the “I arrived here in July 2018 before the vessels and the other
backpack with apples; then I started walking through the five men got back. I haven’t met them again. I don’t know
forest and farms; after about two days’ walking, I found a they were paid.”
road, which I followed and finally, I reached a small town.
All of the time I was in the shed, and when walking, I kept Questions remain
thinking of my family back home in Fiji. In June 2018, one of the Run Da vessels (no number stated)
“In the town I searched for an internet café. I found a was intercepted and boarded in international waters 860
small one with free Wi-Fi. The apps were not familiar [and miles east of Hokkaido, Japan because it was suspected (later
in Chinese] but I managed to use one of them to get onto proven) of driftnet fishing in violation of the UN General
Facebook. My younger brother was active on Facebook so Assembly’s worldwide driftnet moratorium. The vessel had
I sent him a message and told him to ask Dad to go to the 80 tons of chum salmon and one ton of squid on board .
Police. Interestingly, it had 29 crew, almost double the complement it
“I also messaged my sister and told her what had happened is licensed to carry.
to me. Later she messaged back to say that my Dad and my Run Da 3 is on the Forum Fisheries Agency’s list of Vessels of
aunty had gone to tell the Police, who contacted Interpol; she Good Standing. Since March 2023, both vessels have entered
told me to wait in the café, so I did.” Fiji waters twice to unload fish at wharves in Suva and Walu
A few hours later, Tevita received a call from the Fiji Bay.
Embassy in China. They arranged for him to be picked up by
the authorities. He says he was taken to a house for about Human Dignity Group is a self-funding organisation against
two weeks. Human Trafficking and for seamen’s rights.
The case against him for crashing the vehicle went to court,
but he was not convicted. humandignitygroup21@gmail.com
“A Police officer brought me my passport which had been

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Islands Business, December 2023 29