We all agree that it is of utmost importance that we act in a swift manner to help remedy the situation in Gambia in any way we can. So here is a pamhlet that I made to hand out to Gambians and non Gambians in other to inform them about the student massacre and how they can help by getting their names added to the petion, writing letters, or sending donations. I have included the required E-mail address where they can send their names for the petition, and the address to send donations to. You can modify it to suit you. For example, those in other countries other than the US, can change the address to where donations are to be sent to their designated person. You can also change my name and phone number to yours, or to that of the person responsible for collecting donations in your region. SO PRINT THESE IN THE THOUSANDS PEOPLE, AND LETS MOBILIZE AND ACT. IS TIME TO PUT OUR ANGER AND FRUSTRATION INTO ACTION. PAMPHLET: I am very grateful that you have taken the time to read this. My name is Sigga Jagne and I am from Gambia/ West Africa. A country that until April 10th, 2000 was peaceful, calm, and full of fun loving and friendly people. This attitude of its people, made it earn the nickname the "Smiling Coast of Africa." Gambia is very similar to the Caribbean, full of long, sandy, white beaches and wonderful sunshine. Actually, it is to most of Europe what Jamaica is to most Americans. This said and done, below is a petition written by the Association of Gambian citizens living in Europe and the US) to the UN (United Nations) and upon reading it, you will gain an understanding as to why I am sending you this document, and why this petition was written in the first place. Below the petition, is an E-mail address to which you can send an E-mail asking that your name be added to the final petition going to the UN. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO DO SO, FOR THE LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS OF A PEACEFUL AND FRIENDLY PEOPLE DEPEND ON IT. The Gambian Association is trying to mobilize the UN to act, before our beloved, and peaceful country, a country that has not known any of the familiar unrest known to most of Africa. Also, a URL for one of the web sites set up for people to learn more about this incident, is given at the bottom TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Dear Sir/Madam, A very tragic chapter in the history of our beloved nation, The Gambia, occurred on the 10th. And 11th. April 2000 when security forces opened fire and killed 14 and injured at least 28 students including a Red Cross volunteer and journalist, Omar Barrow, during an unarmed demonstration organized by students. The students were protesting the torture and murder of a fellow student Ebrima Barry by Fire Service personnel, and the rape of a 13-year old school girl, Binta Manneh, by a paramillitary officer. Hundreds of students have since been arrested and distraught parents do not know whether their children are among the dead or imprisoned. We the undersigned, as concerned citizens, respectfully request you and your organization to keep pressure on the Government of The Gambia to immediately: - instruct the security forces to halt all excessive use of force against civilians; - release all the students currently under detention; - release the names of those killed and release their bodies to their relatives for proper burial; - launch an independent enquiry into the shootings and circumstances surrounding it; - ensure that all security personnel found to have used excessive force resulting in human rights abuses will be fully dealt with according to the provisions of the law; - instruct the security forces to exercise maximum restraint during demonstrations slated for next week; - ensure that those responsible for the murder of Ebrima Barry and the rape of Binta Manneh are prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law without undue delay; - ensure that all security personnel abide by the Constitution of The Republic of The Gambia and all international laws and treaties of which The Gambia is a signatory; While awaiting your kind co-operation in this most urgent of matter of matters, we take the opportunity to sincerely thank you and your organization for your concern. MY SIXTEEN YEAR OLD BROTHER WAS ONE OF THOSE SHOT, HE WAS SHOT IN THE STOMACH AND HAS SUSTAINED CRITICAL INJURIES TO HIS INTERNAL ORGANS. IMPORTANT! (PLEASE SEE NEXT PAGE) Send an E-mail to: [log in to unmask] and ask to have your name added to the petition above to be sent to the UN (United Nations). We have set up a web site where people can go and talk about the current situation in Gambia (http://come.to/voiceout), it contains articles and news excerpts on the incident as well. We will set up another web site soon, that will give a day to day up date of current situation in the Gambia and the actions that are being taken by the UN, Amnesty International and other international organizations, as well as the members of the Association of Gambian Citizens in Europe & the US in their various countries of residence. I will send out the URL of that web site as soon as it is launched. Demonstrations have been held in New York, and Washington and are being planned in London, Germany, Finland, and Sweden. We are going to pick a date in the future, when demonstrations will be held at all the above named places on the same day. I will send out that information as soon as it is available. These demonstrations are done in conjunction with any organization that wishes to lend their support. We are also asking for help from any and every person, add your names to the petitions, go to the web sites to learn about the days that demonstrations are being held and go lend your support. Justice must be achieved for these slain children. We have also set up a Victims fund (See address below) for the injured, for example, there is a 3 year old child lying in the hospital, next to my brother's bed, with a bullet in his head and doctors in the Gambia do not have the facilities to perform the required operation on him. We will use this fund to help attain medical attention for the critically injured, launch an investigation team to get the real facts of the incident (in fear of a cover up by the government), set up a team of lawyers to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the government, etc. Send All Donations to: Fund for the Gambian Student Massacre Victims 13830 Castle BLVD, # 204 Silverspring, Maryland 20910 For further Questions, contact me at ------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------