Overview:

• Recognition and registration are amalgamated rather than ideally differentiated; a focus is placed on legal registration and there exists little to no procedures in place for existential recognition.

• Ambiguity as to the registration process remains for new religious groups, particularly those whom do not hold land or property.

• The registration fee is minute.

• The rule of mandatory registration violates the Bielefeldt provision and automatically classifies Fiji as restrictive.

• Reports of numerous cases of vandalism against Hindu temples is regarded as caused by a lack of protected recognised status for some minority communities and the government's inability to ensure such protections are respected by citizens.

Positive elements:

• Nil.

Recommendations:

• Remove existent restrictions and clarify ambiguous policies in order to reach the classification of receptive.

• Set up provisions to protect and recognise at multiple levels both traditional groups and NRMs including both existential recognition and legal registration.

• Establish a recognition agency independent of government in order to be classified as dynamic.