Waa Juwara Unapologetic! Says Peaceful Demo Obtains in Democracy
The Independent (Banjul)
NEWS
November 3, 2003
Posted to the web November 3, 2003
By S.b. Camara
Banjul
The fiery firebrand of the National Democratic Action Movement (NDAM) has
emerged from jail more defiant and unapologetic over his call for Gambians
to register their disenchantment in a peaceful, orderly and non-violent
demonstration as is supposed to be the norm in any democratic country.
An unapologetic Lamin Waa Juwara still angry over his "arbitrary detention"
told The Independent that he was merely in "exercise of certain provisions
in our democratic constitution by calling on Gambians to demonstrate
against the ills under which we are living Today." According to Juwara, it
is quite normal in any democratic setting for people to demonstrate and
vent their spleen about any issue of a national dimension bothering their
lives. He said that even in neighbouring Senegal and the United States,
mass protests are allowed as part of the democratic culture in those
countries.
He also said any leadership misrepresenting a call for a peaceful mass
protest, as subversive activity does not need to be branded democratic and
does not embrace the call for openness.
"Peaceful demonstrations are a normal way of life in any democratic
society. The current situation in the country warrants a peaceful
demonstration to let those in power know how good or how bad they are
managing the country's affairs," he posited.
Mr. Juwara, who was also previously detained in the course of the
transition period and the return to democracy in 1996 questioned
why "President Jammeh should lose his nerve and order for his arrest when
he knows that a demonstration is an acceptable means of showing to the
government of the day how much their policies have stifled the lives of
ordinary Gambians."
Mr. Juwara also claimed that he was detained in Cell No 3 of the Mile Two
Prisons, a cell next to that of former AFPRC junta vice chairman Captain
Sanna Sabally. He explained that with all his comfortless experience of
numerous arrests, detentions and jailing since 1994, "I can only come to
the conclusion that the NIA were behind my arrest, and they could only have
acted on a directive from President Jammeh. If I had committed sedition,
why didn't the regular police force effect my arrest? Even the Brikama
police could have done that," he said.
Juwara explained that after the mandatory 72-hour deadline of his detention
elapsed, the police had refrained from preferring charges against him,
knowing that such charges under a democratic constitution would be
ludicrous and baseless.
"Taking me to Mile Two without a court order is not a normal conduct by the
police," he said, noting that the order must have emanated from the
president.
On the condition under which he was detained, the NDAM leader claimed that
he underwent "all sorts of psychological torture, despite the police
claiming that my family members were allowed to see me. They refused to
provide me with all the requirements of a detainee, who at the time, could
have been presumed innocent until proven guilty," he charged, confidently
claiming that while he was under the custody of the Serious Crime Unit he
wasn't provided with any food for 72 hours, was abandoned to sleep on the
bare floor of his cell and denied bath for three days.
Despite his latest tribulation, Lamin Waa Juwara said he is far from shaken
and that the solidarity he had received from Gambians at home and
abroad "had solidified my resolve to continue the struggle against the
Gambian dictatorship". He expressed his determination to stay the cause and
issued words of commendation for his counterparts in other parties like the
GPP's Hassan Musa Camara, PPP's OJ Jallow, UDP's Ousainou Darboe, PDOIS'
Halifa Sallah and NRP's Hamat Bah and Dulo Bah who he said had bravely
summoned the admirable courage to unreservedly denounce his "arbitrary"
detention and mobilised Gambians at home and in the diaspora to lend weight
to calls for his unconditional release.
Juwara emphasised that whatever shades of opinion other people might have
held about him calling for mass protest, he was sure he was within his
rights as a citizen to demonstrate his discontentment with the
deteriorating standard of living in the country, which he blamed on what he
called "misapplied policies" by the current administration.
"And nobody in his right mind will think that Gambians have cause to
celebrate when their condition is deteriorating by the day" Juwara
emphasised, adding: "The Gambian people are more resolved today than ever
before, to stand together and fight for their right to liberty, dignity and
prosperity".
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