Gambia-L: The e-mail below is my source's letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair. Ebrima Ceesay PS: I'll re-start sending messages to the L as soon as possible. For sure, Message Number 18 will be on its way soon. I have been caught up with some very urgent business all these days. _____________________________________________________________________ >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: The Gambia: UK Government's decision to resume Military Assistance > > >Ebrima, >Please find below, a copy of my letter to Tony Blair. I will forward the >protest note to Robin Cook later after taking care of a few things around >the house. I wish to thank the correction provided by your other source >concerning the address of the British Prime Minister although the one I >provided would also reach the PM. I am certain that ALL of you(Dave >Manneh, Olley-Mboge, Hamjatta, Ndey Jobarteh and others) would have sent in >your/their views on this extremely important issue which, in my view, only >helps legitimise an illegitimate Government hell bent on destroying our >beautiful country. US-based groups are also encouraged to submit their >views as Mori Kebba Jammeh has just done. Thank you. >______________________________ > >Dear Mr. Prime Minister, >I am a concerned Gambian who has dedicated his entire career in ensuring >that democracy and the respect for human rights is entrenched in the >Gambia. However, your recent Government's decision to resume military >cooperation with the government of Yahya Jammeh, after a seven-year >suspension, in my view, only goes to further the cause of a government >whose human rights record is abysmal, at best. > >The nature of the military assistance programme between your government and >that of Yahya Jammeh is the least of our priorities at this stage of our >development and it is also coming at an ill-opportune time when only in >April of this year, at least twelve defenseless students were murdered in >broad day-light by the military under the command of Yahya Jammeh. The >Coroner's Report has still not been made public. The same applies to the >Commission of Inquiry's Report despite calls for their release by the >diplomatic community, including the British High Commission in The Gambia. > >The Gambian people will very much appreciate your Government's review of >the decision to resume military assistance given the human rights record of >the current Government in The Gambia. Development assistance that will >assist NGOs reach the poorest of the poor should be considered as a viable >option to a military assistance programme. > >I thank you for providing us with the facility to register our concerns >directly to you and your Government. A separate protest note has been sent >to Mr. Robin Cook > >Yours sincerely, > >A Concerned Gambian > > _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------