Media Commission Bill Under Strong Attack
The Independent
February 16, 2001
Posted to the web February 16, 2001
Alhagie Mbye
Banjul
Muhammed Lamin Sillah, a local human rights activist and secretary general
of Amnesty International-Gambia branch, has condemned moves by the
government to enact into law the proposed National Media Commission, which
he said tantamount to press censorship.
Speaking to The Independent, Mr. Sillah said the bill was meant to "suppress
the private press and to censor journalists." He said it should not have
been even contemplated, warning that if it is passed into law by the
National Assembly, it could be challenged in the courts on the grounds that
it would encourage press censorship in the country. He said he was surprised
when he read the contents of a copy of the bill, which he said vested the
Commission with the powers to even send journalists to jail for up to six
months.
"That is ridiculous as it seems to usurp the powers of the ordinary courts,"
he remarked, adding that in such an event, no appeal is also allowed from
the decisions of the Commission, which he described as "not only inhuman,
but uncivilised in a modern society." He stressed that the issue is not only
a problem for journalists but for every Gambian as it means denying the
general public the right to information, which he said is a fundamental
human right.
"The proposed National Media Commission is tantamount to institutionalising
press censorship in our statute books and I do not expect Gambians to accept
that. I do not think even the APRC National Assembly members would support
such a draconian bill," he remarked.
The rights activist also condemned the "abuse of human rights with impunity"
and called on every Gambian to "help salvage the country before it is too
late".
He also condemned the government's rejection of the findings of the
Commission of inquiry into the April student demonstrations. "It has
dissipated even the little hope that human rights defenders and people of
goodwill had to solve the issue of the students once and for all" he
indicated. The government he believed has deliberately disregarded the
Commission's recommendations to deal with what he called "the very callous
and cruel killings of the students." Mr. Sillah also stressed that the
proposed constitutional amendments should not be accepted, as they will only
give the President unlimited powers to do anything regardless of its
consequences to ordinary Gambians.
He therefore called on the people to join hands and reject "such dictatorial
tendencies" which he said were only designed to manipulate the constitution.
"The public service is now polluted with mediocrity and sycophancy, with
square pegs in round holes. The biggest sycophant can easily become a
secretary of state today," he charged. For him things were not going the
right way. "The country is heading towards the brink of total collapse" he
warned, adding that all human rights violators will one day face justice,
"whether they like it or not".
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Copyright © 2001 The Independent. Distributed by allAfrica.com. For
information about the content or for permission to redistribute, publish or
use for broadcast, contact the publisher.
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