Jungle Sunset,

Many have insulted you on this forum but you cannot claim that all the comments you forward upon everyone is received with joy . Whatever our political stance we share a country whose peace and growth is hopefully on all our minds.In many of our contributions it seems each of us is trying to contribute in the way they know how. What surprises me about you is your intelectual polarity. Unfortunately it is very common among Yayas supporters in general especially those who had some formal education of some sorts.Doesnt it seem clear to people like you that it is principle that infact account for peace and development we aspire.Based on principles of human equalty how can you possibly justify the seizure of power by a stubbun few and ruling the many by force. You advocate peace and peaceful means of change but you turn your eyes from Yayas method of rising to power by force. Why is he an exceptional. You must know that people in the west are fighting for animal rights why is individual human rights of your brothers and sisters not an enough issue for people like you to denounce Yayas regime. Did you ever think that seriously any opposition had a chance to offset a regime that came to power by force? Now its not only the sweet fruits you maybe able to consume today but should we not consider the seeds we are sowing in the process. Dont you think that the way of the jungle is in its rise to power--- to use your own phrase.

>From: Jungle Sunrise <[log in to unmask]>

>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Our Time Has Just Arrived.
>Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 11:45:05 +0000
>
>Jabou Joh wrote:
>
>"Gassa, a government that is doing right by the people does not
>have to
>resort to all of these things, and people are afraid to open their
>mouths in
>our country. You and the rest of the troup come here telling us that
>this is
>not the case, even as all of these arrests and unlawful detention of
>people
>and the abuse of their human rights is going on daily. Is this a
>government
>that is likely to listen to anyone who tells them that these acts
>are not
>the parameters that one measures a good government by?
>
>No matter what else this regime accomplishes, these heavyhanded
>behaviour
>will cloud it, and make the rest of the World condemn them and call
>them a
>brutal regime. You cannot say you are improving the quality of life
>for
>people while at the same time stifling their ability to express
>themselves
>freely".
>
>Jabou,
>
>I don't come to the L to try to rationalise or defend the
>indefensible. All
>I am trying to do is bring certain issues in their right
>perspective. I, for
>one, respect most of the views some of you express concerning what
>happens
>here. However, the blatant lies spread here as the gospel truth is
>what
>worries me. It is high time that the suspicion between the
>opposition,
>particularly the UDP and the APRC be put to rest and the two parties
>work
>hand in hand for the benifit of all.
>
>I usually do not like to make reference to people to defend this
>regime and
>that is perhaps why I rarely engage myself in issues of so-called
>human
>rights abuses or harassments. I will however make an exception today
>and say
>a few things.
>
>1. Jabou, I spend more time with Emanuel Joof of the Africa Centre
>for Human
>rights than most of you will ever believe.
>
>2. I spend more time with Mohamed Sillah of Amnesty International
>(Gambia)
>than most of you will ever believe.
>
>For your information, none of them will ever accept from anyone that
>I am a
>sycophant, mental midget, interllectual prostitute, vermin, moron,
>despicable etc, etc. They will be the first to defend my integrity
>and this
>you can take to the bank. They all know my stance when it comes to
>my
>perspectives about what is going on as we discuss these issues more
>often
>than they are discussed here. I can tell you that they do not oppose
>this
>government but have certain concerns. They donot belong to the
>opposition, I
>can tell you that. They are very principle young men with a lot of
>integrity
>and fine judgment and I should know because I am very close to both.
>
>Coming to the case of Mohamed Sillah that many parrot about here,
>did you
>know, for example, that Mohamed Sillah was a government civil
>servant untill
>he resigned very recently? I bet that will a surprise to many. He
>was NOT
>FIRED, he resigned! Now let people try to rationalise this and ask
>themselves why he has never been fired before. how come this
>government that
>is so intolerant and constantly fires people who are percieved to be
>opposition sympathisers did not fire him long ago. After, they were
>paying
>his salary. The reason, my friend, is because he is a very fine
>young man
>whose stance is not anti-government but pro-decency. I will be the
>first to
>admit that many a times there are excesses here and there by some
>members of
>the security forces and this is most regretable. However why do you
>think it
>is always or in most cases it is always the UDP militants and
>sympathisers
>who get this aweful treatment? The problem is that, whereas parties
>like the
>PDOIS, NRP and whatever you have, recoqnise the legitimacy of the
>government, the UDP does not seem to do so. Some of their
>pronouncements
>unfortunately border on incitement and I don't think any government
>worth
>its salt would ignore that.
>
>Coming to this percieved fear by Gambians to speak their minds, I
>wonder
>where you people have got that idea from. The so called obnoxiuos
>decrees
>70/71, am sure have never been used before or have they? You people
>have
>read online here, excerpts from Gambian papers that are very
>critical of the
>government and those papers are still in circulation. Or are they
>not? Mr.
>Beran Jeng forwarded a piece from the Independent, not the Observer
>mark
>you, giving a very rational overview of what many know. Tell me,
>honestly,
>what your views are concerning that article. I am refering to the
>one about
>the old guard. That article clearly and eloquently explains what I
>have, for
>months, tried to explain in vain. Would a government that does not
>want to
>be criticised or engaged open a cyber discussion forum whereby any
>body can
>speak his or her mind without any fear? How many of you have taken
>that
>opportunity to engage the government possively for the betterment of
>all?
>
>Finally Jabou, nowhere in my post did I imply that any of you are
>assylum
>seekers. I was just giving the perception of some of the people
>living here
>about some of you in the Diaspora. I have a lot of respect for some
>of you
>even though we are politically on opposite ends of the political
>spectrum.
>
>Have a good day, Gassa.
>
>
>
>
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