Fiji's human rights commission condemns Japan's nuke wastewater dumping

SUVA -- The Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission in Fiji has condemned Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean, urging the Pacific Island leaders to stand in solidarity to oppose Tokyo's move.

The commission said in a statement that the right to a clean and healthy environment is linked to other fundamental human rights like the right to life, health, food, water, and sanitation among others.

It implored the Fijian government to uphold its constitutional obligations to protect the rights of all persons in the country.

According to the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji, every person has the right to a clean and healthy environment, which includes the right to have the natural world protected for the benefit of present and future generations through legislative and other measures, the statement said.

"The UN General Assembly has already adopted a resolution declaring that the right to a healthy, clean and sustainable environment is a universal human right," the commission noted, "It is the duty of everyone to protect that right."

Struck by a massive earthquake and an ensuing tsunami in March 2011, the Fukushima nuclear power plant suffered core meltdowns. It generated a massive amount of water tainted with radioactive substances from cooling down the nuclear fuel.