Sigga, I will print and make copies this. I shall hand them out in Colleges, Mosque and Churches. Thanks A.A.Drammeh ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sigga Jagne" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, April 14, 2000 5:10 PM Subject: VERY URGENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE READ > 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 > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------