Katim:
Any posting that I have sent to the L is no longer mine. People can do
whatever they want with it, without my prior permission. I have no problem
at all, for the open letter to be reviewed and then used as a petition. In
fact, next time, just go-ahead! Do not bother to ask for my permission.
Anyway, below you will find a Draft Petition which you can edit and we can
then use it, if there is consensus.
Mod Ceesay: Thanks for the correction vis-a-vis the Ambassador's proper
name. It is appreciated, and needless to say, I am glad that your surname is
Ceesay and not Camara/Touray!
Lansana: Thanks for your kind sentiments!
Ansumana: Thanks for the kind comments, but I'll appreciate it if you could
dilute them next time. Some of us find it difficult to deal with explicit
compliments.
The Movement in New York (Saul Mbenga and Co): Keep it up! The struggle
continues as my sister would often say.
Ebrima Ceesay
____________________________________________________________________
DRAFT PETITION
Dear Ambassador Mcdonald:
Since the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) seized power in a
military coup in 1994 and Colonel Yahya Jammeh was "elected President" in
controversial elections in September 1996, human rights in The Gambia have
been violated with impunity.
Ordinary citizens, ex-security personnel, journalists and politicians have
all been targeted by the Gambian authorities and remain today subject to
human rights violation, including arbitrary detention, harassment, torture
and ill-treatment.
Indeed, the human rights situation in The Gambia continues to be of serious
concern to Gambians and to the international community.
Political tension in the country is also reported to be high. The
government claimed to have foiled two alleged coup plots in January and June
2000. Harassment and repression of political opponents continues unabated.
In July 2000, Colonel Jammeh was quoted in the press as having said that
"anyone bent on disturbing the peace and stability of the nation will be
buried six feet deep".
As of now, citizens are still being held incommunicado for long periods and
without charge in gross violation of the Constitution. At least fourteen
young students (including a three year old child) were killed and dozens
injured in April 2000 when security forces used excessive and indiscriminate
force to break up a peaceful student demonstration over the killing of their
fellow student, Ebrima Barry, by agents of the government.
The judiciary continues to suffer from government interference. Jammeh some
months ago, wrongfully dismissed two Magistrates and the Master of the
Supreme Court, leading the Chief Justice to resign in solidarity with his
colleagues. Following diplomatic and local pressures, the sacked magistrates
and the Chief Justice were reinstated. In December 2000, Jammeh also
dismissed the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Bishop
Johnson, in total violation of the Constitution.
As the Presidential elections approach, Jammeh is using every trick in the
book to consolidate himself in power. Already, there are press reports that
Jammeh and his APRC are issuing Gambian Identity Cards to Non-Gambians,
mainly refugees from neighbouring Senegal, to enable them to get a Gambian
voter's card.
The Gambia today, Mr Ambassador, is characterised by repression, corruption,
poverty, mismanagement of public funds at the highest levels and economic
stagnation.
We urge you to study the current status of The Gambia by reading the US
State Department Country Reports from 1995 to the present, and to read the
reports of Human Rights organisations such as Amnesty International, Article
19 and Interrights for the same period. All these reports clearly
demonstrate the undemocratic nature of the regime in The Gambia and point to
severe and regular harassment and persecution of the country’s citizenry.
In the light of the above, Mr Ambassador, we concerned Gambians and friends
of The Gambia urge you to:
1. Ensure that the electoral process in The Gambia is above board and
transparent as we approach the Presidential elections in October.
2. Put pressure on Jammeh and his regime not to interfere with the role and
activities of the Independent Electoral Commission.
3. Insist that the national media treats all political parties equally in
terms of access and reporting.
4. Encourage your government and other western governments to send observers
not only to monitor the actual elections, but also to observe and monitor
the whole process, in particular the current period of voter registration
(already shrouded with malpractice on the part of the APRC).
5. Ensure that human rights protection becomes the norm in The Gambia.
6. In particular, call on Jammeh and his regime to release forthwith Messrs.
Momodou Dumo Saho, Ebrima Yarboe, Lt. Lalo Jaitteh, Lt. Omar Darboe, Momodou
Mareneh, Abdoulie Sanyang and Ebrima Barrow. These men have been detained
illegally for over one year now, in total disregard of the Gambian
Constitution.
7. Put an end to the harassment of the independent media/press in The
Gambia, arbitrary arrests and the wrongful dismissal of hardworking civil
servants (including members of the Bench and the Judiciary).
We trust that you will take our concerns seriously, and act accordingly.
Yours truly,
CONCERNED GAMBIANS
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
