The Fiji Womens’ Crisis Center is calling for George Speight and Shane Stevens to genuinely and honestly participate in the existing Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Coordinator Shamima Ali told Fiji One News, while everyone deserves a second chance, they should also make ammends for what they did.

Huge concerns have been raised over the release of George Speight and Shane Stevens yesterday.

As a human rights activist, working for the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre in the year 2000 during the coup, Shamima Ali says the fear and experience of the people is still vivid in her memories.

“I remember the fear, the experience of all the people and what we all went through when the coup happened. It was so frightening. It was a time when terrible things happened, almost like all hell broke loose. There were people who suffered so much”, Ali said.

She says, since the release of Speight and Stevens through Presidential Pardon, questions have been flocking from certain sections of the community.

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been set up, and the Centre is calling for the genuine participation of the two.

“We are already getting questions and hearing from some sections of the community who are panicking and fearful because they are remembering what happened in 2000”, she said.

“It was a time of utter chaos and anarchy, so we need to reassure these people, the government needs to reassure the people that they are safe, even though there is no imminent danger but those who suffered, the trauma has remained, because we have not worked through the trauma that people went through at that point in time”, Ali added.

Although Speight and  Stevens have served over 20 years each in prison, Ali says they still have a lot to answer for.