We’ve attracted the wrong sort of attention again – thanks to the prime minister, who started the ball rolling with his ‘take them to your country, Sweden’ remark, which was widely reported

Published: August 13, 2013 at 1:26pm

ENAR

The Malta Independent reports today:

The European Network Against Racism (ENAR), an advocacy group for equality and solidarity in Europe, has condemned the “hate speech against the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström, NGOs in Malta, and asylum seekers.

It was referring to the incidents that occurred after the NGOs and the Commissioner on 5 and 6 August called for the immediate and safe disembarkation of 102 migrants aboard the tanker MT Salamis.”

In a statement, the ENAR noted that “many individuals published racist and abusive comments on social media, several of them targeting the Commissioner personally.”

The ENAR said that online hate speech “is a violation of human rights.”

“We urge governments to reinforce legislation to monitor hate on the internet, and to adopt a zero tolerance policy to stigmatising comments likely to incite violence, racism, or other forms of discrimination,” the statement said.




22 Comments Comment

  1. Alf says:

    Is this the kind of cyber-bullying that JPO referred to in his petition?

  2. Gary Jameson says:

    Can Jeffrey PO III get involved here as this is a clear case of cyber-bullying and harassment.

    As someone who signed his petition, I would expect a clear and unequivocal statement of condemnation from the gentleman concerned.

  3. Volley says:

    Yes, indeed where is JPO now?

  4. ciccio says:

    Meanwhile, government paves the way for more condemnations – this time to be expected from the EU Commission.

    Thus, the local campaign against the EU can be inflamed further.

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130813/local/autumn-hunting-season-announced.482007

  5. Critical says:

    And again … Guess you may have already seen this, but thought I’d bring it to your attention:

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-maltese-dream-thats-more-a-migrants-nightmare-8756427.html?origin=internalSearch

  6. Lorry says:

    Closed-circuit television (CCTV) – TVM is already heading there

  7. Joe Fenech says:

    Not respecting other people’s territory and a country’s laws is also a breach of other people’s rights. I was an immigrant over 50 years ago but a perfectly legal one. So were many other Maltese who went to Canada and Australia.

    • Rumplestiltskin says:

      Irregular immigrants who ask for asylum and have a right to it are also acting within the law.

    • La Redoute says:

      Seeking asylum is not a breach of the rights of others.

    • Liberal says:

      Here’s another idiot who swallows all the venomous propaganda of the far-right.

      People who enter a country illegally without the intention of applying for asylum are illegal immigrants.

      People who flee their country with the intention of applying for asylum (with or without documents) are perfectly legal asylum seekers and do not break any national laws.

      Learn the difference.

  8. Sue says:

    I do have a question for our prime minister:-

    Can we assume that, iif us civil servants disagree with some government decision, be it departmental or otherwise, we can now follow his example and ‘refuse’ to attend to our duties?

  9. Paul Galea says:

    We are dragging Malta’s name in the mud thanks to these bad decisions and PBS yesterday gave us a story by an ambassador saying the European Court of Human Rights was wrong to deliver the judgement it did.

    PBS has become the State TV, hiding things and sugaring up government’s bad decisions.

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