YAREN – A Nauru opposition MP says the revoking of pensioners’ benefits for allegedly participating in anti-government protests in June is a blatant abuse of power.

Mathew Batsiua says he knows of two pensioners who received letters from the finance minister David Adeang this week, advising them they would no longer receive welfare payments or Nauru airline benefits.

The letter says Cabinet made a decision last week that people involved in protests, riots and other criminal activities would stop receiving government privileges.

David Adeang could not be reached for comment.

Batsiua says there could be more pensioners affected.

“I know of two at the moment. I have been sent copies of their letters. They are complaining and seeking advice and help from us, so we are trying to help them the best way we can.

“They are very angry, they are frustrated, they think that it’s unfair.

“But what I need to point out too is the two who have received letters from the government have not been charged at all with any activities related to the protests on June 16.”

Batsiua said this was again evidence of a government that seems to be infringing on people’s legal rights – “where people are supposedly innocent until proven guilty”.

“But we have seen this government, since the protest, infringe on people’s rights whereby they have treated them as being guilty before being found innocent.”

He was asked if the pensioners involved would get an opportunity to tell their side of the story or appeal the decision by cabinet.

“We are looking at all those options. We will seek legal advice and see what their legal options are. But they are very angry and they are quite right to be angry,” Batsiua said.

He was asked if the targeted pensioners were actually even involved in the protest.

“Look I don’t know. The government is claiming that they were,” he said. “All I know is that the two pensioners, as of today, three months after the protest on June 16 are not facing any charges. So what they are basing this on, I am not sure.

“But I think the main question here is the continual abuse of power by the government. I mean it’s not only wrong but it’s unethical to withhold the pension permits of senior citizens just because they don’t support the government.

“They have been using this carrot and sticks approach for a while now, where they take a stick to those who are critical to government actions to make sure that they keep them in line, while rewarding those who are obedient with free travel and whatever.

“This carrot and sticks approach my minister Adeang and his government is standard operation for them, but we say it is an abuse of power. They can’t treat public funds as their own funds.

“They can’t just give it out free will to those who tow the line and withhold entitlements to those they feel do not support them.

“The government taking actions against those who are against them is wrong. It’s a democracy, people are allowed to support you or not, and those who don’t support you, you have to try to convince them with policies and actions that improve their lives.

“You don’t punish them, we don’t want to live in a Nauru that punishes people because they disagree with you.”

64-year-old Rosavena Bop said she received a letter signed by the finance minister, David Adeang, saying she would no longer receive her $200 payment.

Bop says she was never arrested or charged for attending the protest, and the decision to cancel her pension came as a complete surprise.