GOVERNMENT MOVES TO CENSOR QUARANTINED STUDENTS

BY PETER ZOLEVEKE II

Government is looking to censor quarantined students from social media in an attempt to clamp down on sharing of ‘unauthorised information’.

This move is said to come under the stipulated national government emergency powers to be cautious on cyber social media issues of information.

Speaking during a government press conference yesterday, Chair of Institutional Quarantine Facilities (IQF) Karl Kuper said, “The camp management is being cautioned to mitigate the risks of the virus among the students. We are working together with the protective sector and health to help the students to remain positive and confident for the remainder of their stay.”

Attorney General, John Muria Jnr also cautioned that sharing of information with unauthorised officers in the sites and disseminating it is unlawful according to the rules of the State of Emergency.

“We have reports that certain breach along the way. Occupants are giving information on status if they are interacting, mingling or not only to find out what reported was no true,” the AG stressed.

“Due to contact tracing, interview with other people pick up false news. Disclosing information that is … false causes security issues and those are not taken lightly dealing with.”

He warned that under the Emergency power regulation only officers who are authorised with powers are obliged to give right, true information.

“Now those are for the protection of the person and also the public. For example in this case, the fact that someone said he did not mingle with another person, but later find out that he/she did mingle with someone risk increase, people who come across when contact tracing or those who doing swabbing test may increase the risk numbers. So thus we try to avoid it with the implementation of the regulations,” Muria Jnr said.

He adds that hefty fines are in place under the national security risk laws.

“Now by doing that by not complying with those heavy fines as a national security risk because the person endangered the life of public people especially and yourself,” he said.

“Information is collected and will be passed on to the relevant authorities to take on the next step, which is enforcement of the breaches of regulation.”

Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau also assured that police intelligence department officers are also deployed to the two quarantine sites, Guadalcanal Beach Resort (GBR) and Chengs Building.

“Police are on standby to strengthen emergency regulation issues. Intelligence officers also deployed who are currently managing the security arrangement, providing surveillance, capture what activities going on within sites and regular support as well as.

“Officers will not be returning to their families until they are done with their 14-day deployment, swabbed and tested by health officers if they are clear then report back.”

Mangau said they are working closely with all the agencies involved to avoid the possibility of spreading the virus among the camps.

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