GOVERNMENT will be addressing social media and hate speech as President Irfaan Ali has tasked the Attorney-General, Anil Nandlall, to enforce legislation under the Racial Hostility Act.

The President, in a statement Friday, said he is unequivocally committed to governing the country and its people, regardless of political affiliation or ethnic origin.

“It deeply grieves me, therefore, when I see almost every day on social media, the degree of race-baiting, racial hate and racial hostility which pervades the social media platforms. I want you to know that it is my determination to do everything within my power and to use all the laws at my disposal, to put an end to this behaviour, which can only result in dividing our country and our people,” the Head of State explained.

The use of social media, he said, for the promotion of racial hate for political purpose was wholly unacceptable and would not be tolerated by the government.

President Ali has since directed Attorney-General Nandlall to ensure that the full force of the law is employed and applied to those who pursue such criminal behaviour.

“I remind those persons guilty of this abuse of social media that freedom of expression guaranteed by our Constitution, as a fundamental right and freedom, does not relate nor extend to hate speeches or other expressions, in whatever form, capable of exciting hostility or ill-will against any person or class of persons,” the President said.

He continued: “I further remind that such conduct, publications and utterances constitute grievous criminal offences under the Racial Hostilities, Cybercrime and other similar penal legislation and the State will not hesitate to resort to these provisions in our laws in appropriate circumstances.”

Meanwhile, the 2002 amended Racial Hostility Act 1964, Cap 23:01, makes it a criminal offence to excite hostility or ill-will against persons by reason of their race and prohibits incitement to racial hatred, punishable if one wilfully excites or attempts to excite hostility or ill-will against any section of the public or against any person on the ground of their race.

This can include words spoken, written, or published. Upon conviction, a person is not eligible to stand for public office for a period of five years commending from the date of conviction.

Anyone found guilty under the Racial Hostility Act, Chapter 23:01 (as amended in the Racial Hostility Amendment Act of 2002), shall be liable on summary conviction – a fine of $250,000 and imprisonment for three years.