An anti-hate speech campaigner has warned some young people over incitement against UN workers following the confirmation of the first case of coronavirus in the country.
The COVID-19 patient is said to be a UN staff, who returned to the country in February.
According to the Screen of Rights, a national human rights organization countering hate speech, online incitement against the UN has increased since the COVID-19 case was confirmed on Sunday.
Reech Malual who heads the organization says some social media users have come out calling for youth to attack United Nations premises and other non-governmental organizations in a claim that such entities have brought coronavirus into the country.
Mr. Malual condemned such behaviors and warned that the infectious disease destroys all humans “without segregation.”
“Spreading hatred and inciting against a group based on belonging will only frustrate our efforts in the fight against the deadly virus,” Malual said on Monday.
Also, internally displaced people at UN protection camps in Juba told Eye Radio yesterday that they were forcefully quarantined by the army over misinformation on COVID-19.
Hate speech is a crime against humanity and an offense as provided in the Media Authority Act of 2013.
Article 29 of the Act stipulates that if damages caused by hate speech is established to be serious, a prison term of up to five years may be handed down to the offender.