From the Daily Observer 04/18/2001


Tamsir trumpets truth and reconciliation commission

The majority leader of the National Assembly, Tamsir Jallow, has called for
a truth and reconciliation commission to help heal the wounds of the tragedy
of April 10-11, 2000, which claimed the lives of at least 12 Gambian youths.
Contributing to the adjournment debate on the Indemnity Act bill last
evening, Hon Jallow argued that before the bill is passed, mechanisms like
the truth and reconciliation commission should be put in place for the sake
of national reconciliation. Citing Nigeria and South Africa as examples, he
advanced that such a commission would appease those whose relatives were
victims of the incident.

Hon Jallow said it was misleading for some assembly members to link the bill
entirely with the April 10-11 events, noting that "the bill will have a
positive impact on unfortunate events that might occur in the future."

He noted that the amendment should not be seen as a cover-up on the side of
the government, saying "if it were a cover-up, no pronouncement would have
been made in the government white paper on the reports of the commissions of
inquiry." Sidia Jatta, member for Wuli, posited that the bill was a sign of
guilt, adding that it was brought to the assembly to assassinate the
Republic of The Gambia and the freedom of Gambians.

"Why was the bill presented to the assembly with a document of urgency when
it is not urgent? Where is the urgency in it?"he queried. Hon Jatta reasoned
that laws were meant to serve the people and should be universally
applicable. He pointed out that during the tragic events of April 10-11,
2000, constitutional rights were flouted and that the bill was meant to
cover those who were responsible for human rights infringement.

He further pointed out that the assembly has ratified the Convention on the
Rights of the Child and other human rights conventions which, he said, the
bill was incompatible with. Cecilia Cole, the deputy speaker, argued that
most Gambians had forgiven and forgotten the events of April 10-11, 2000,
and that the bill would only make people to remember what they had
forgotten, thus exhuming the bitterness.

In his contribution, Seedy Amang Kanyi, member for Jarra East, said that the
bill would promote criminality by defending criminals in uniform. He added
that if the APRC had stood up for truth, they wouldn't have come up with the
bill. "The truth might be suppressed but justice will always prevail," he
stated, describing the assembly as a rubber-stamp. The debate continues
today.







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