Mr. Hamjatta Kanteh and Ebou Jallow,
from your latest postings I understand that you are advocating for the
people in the Gambia to do like, I said in some of my postings , people did
recently in parts of Europe, when they felt that "enough was enough".
I think, that we, who sit outside and fear nothing, shall be very careful
not to push. If you do so, you will add arguments to the presidential
campaign, that itīs people outside, who are using the students or others as
their instrument. Itīs the people itself, who knows the exact time and the
means of action. As some said on this bantaba, they doubt that there right
now is such a common sense of solidarity in the country. And I know from
some of my friends inside, that there are still very many supporters and
strong support for APRC and President Jammeh. F.in. many families are
depending on the income from one person in the family, who serve a public
job, in the administration, schools, police, military etc. And there are
many who think that the best is to support the sitting government, the
ruling party, because if another party takes over they believe that the
public servants will also change. That means that they know what they have,
and fear to have nothing if others take over. I donīt know if they have to
fear for that, but that is how they tell me. How is it that such a "culture"
is ruling and creating such fear ?
I give my examples not to push in any directions, but to show that things
are not isolated. The will of the people and the leadership-moral all over
the world gives many similar, parallel examples. And history can teach us
again and again, but will or can we learn from it ? (se below my comparison
with Milosevic in Serbia. The conclusion is up to us. Have we seen it
before, resently in another country ?)
So it is not easy to ask our families and friends back home to challenge
the authorities. They are the ones who will risk their lives and future. You
will maybe say that they have nothing to fear, because the future will
become the same no matter if they live and let go, or challenge.
But itīs serious when you challenge a sitting government. Look what is
happening in Chile, where many people find "enough is enough" and
demonstrate it when the President was elected a new term and sworn in. Even
the foreign supervisors have declared the election was not fair and there
was cheating.
As I said in my postings, it easy for me, who sit outside and fear nothing
in daily life. I`m not the one who will ask my friends to risk if things are
not worth risking for. But itīs up to them to decide when "enough is
enough".
Mr. Mansour Ceesay wrote:
> Thanks Mr Nordam,
> Very though-provoking article. I will deal with some of the issues from my
>perspective in a few days time Insha' Allah (God willing). In the meantime
>could I ask you whether you believe that Hiltler or any of his contemporary
> dictators like Stalin were products of their own society or more importantly
>they (the people) diserve such leaders?
Mr. Mansour Ceesay,
itīs difficult to answer very short.
Yes, I think that also people like Hitler and Stalin were products of their
society. The situation in the country made it possible for them and the
people surrounding them to take positions, and later misuse the powers.
I donīt believe you are born to become the tyran you later turn out to be.
Itīs the society that create the platform you step into.
NO, no people deserve leaders like Hitler or Stalin, the way they turned out
to be, and the way they managed their "talents".
My question is, how can we as the people build a society and political
structure, so we have the means of action, if we one day realize that our
leaders are not making it good for us. When time comes we have to be many
that share the same sentiments and believes. Both in Hitler-Germany and
Stalin-Soviet, there were many many people, who believed in the politics,
the ideologies, who "hailed", and approved. (like in Moussolini-Italy and
Franco-Spain). When you were in the middle of it, the propaganda worked itīs
mission. Most of the people found it worth fighting for. But surely the
oppression and the harassment, the secret police and the torture did
something to keep the opposition down and silent.
In Germany there were elections and the german people elected and wanted
the naziīs to stay in power. I still wonder how a general educated people
like the germans could turn out to become such a barbaric state. Even I also
know that there were many germans in opposition.
Hitler became the person he did. But there are theories that he was an
instrument in the hands of others. That he was not the "brain" behind (even
"Min Kampf" is seen as his ideological manifest), but some more smart and
educated (academic) persons surrounded him, and profited their ideas through
him, without standing in front and take the risks. But he used (misused) the
instruments of a socalled democratic society, the party, the parliament, the
constitution. But also the media, the oppression of people in opposition,
secret police, harassment etc.
In school I was taught, that the foundation of Nazi-germany was laid, when
the winners of the 1.st world war (France, England etc.) dictated the
future for the german people, that they should be under supervision and
control in the future, so they never again formed an army or exposed ideas
of getting former german territories in Europe back. In the long run that
was not acceptable for the germans to be seen like a people under
supervision of their neighbors, like they were second-ranked in Europe, and
deserved such a treatment. This supplied with the depression in the 30īies
got a good soil for the NAZI party. (I know this is very short and rudiment)
Right now I witness in Former Yugoslavia, something which is repetition of
history.
Over the past months more and more information from Serbia is alarming. The
President Milosevic first changed the constitution, so he could be reelected
for a third term. The constitution said that the President was appointed by
the parliament could only be reelected once. His term ended mid 2001. But
now itīs changed, so there will be direct election for the president, and
for another term. And he has sat the date to 24.th september 2000.
For some years there has been an independent radio-station "B2 92"
operating, but Milosevic got it closed by a new law. The station was
reporting from the different "wars" in which Serbia participated, and it was
open for opposition leaders and many ordinary people called and protested
openly towards the governments politics.
Then "B2 92" started to operate on the internet. On tuesday a new law demand
that all telecommunication- and information-operaters or - companies make
contracts with the state. The contract will cost so much that most companies
can not pay it, and by that the government indirectly close all the opponent
or independent operators. Also "B2 92".
At the same time Milosovic has sat the dates for local, parliamentary and
presidential elections, and without any possibilities for the opposition to
get their messages out.
The attacks on the media and journalists are many. Few days ago a journalist
Miroslav Filipovic was sentenced 7 years in prison for "espionage" by a
military court, and itīs seen as a "warning" from the government and
Milosovic to the media and the journalists. Filipovic who is correspondent
for the French AFP was arrested in May after some articles where he told
about the serbian soldiers crimes against the Kosova-albaniens.
As you see, the sitting president try to threaten the free press and all
people who report something, which can be seen as critics.
The opposition has formed a coalition lead by SPO and itīs leader Vuk
Draskovic. But now the opposition will maybe boycott the elections, due to
the change of the constitution. The former Yugoslavia is today a
confederation of Serbia and Montenegro, and Montenegro has until now has
itīs own president etc. inside the confederation. But Milosovic has changes
the constitution so there will no longer be a confederation of two states,
but one federal state. That means that the serbian majority can overrule the
people of Montenegro. They have "answered" that this means the end of the
confederation.
Maybe we will se the third war against Serbias dominance on Balkan within
short. First Bosnia-Herzegovina, then Kosova, and now maybe the last country
in the former Yuguslavia still connected to Serbia - Montenegro.
And all that because of one leader, The President in all them years, Mr.
Milosevic.
comment from Asbjørn Nordam
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