>From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: FYI >Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 10:23:43 EDT > >Amadou, > >It is your perogative to join whatever party you please. However, if the main >catalyst for joining the APRC is the tone of Jammeh´s inaugural address as >you >stated, then may I remark that since the october elections, and despite the >tone of Jammehs´ address, the outatanding cases of human rights abuses >such as >the massacre of the school children who were exercising their constitutional >rights to demonstrate when they were ordered fired upon, the incarceration of >Dumo Saho without the state ever coming forward with a charge and >according him >due process under the law, the side-stepping and disregard of our >constitution, e.g the latest dismissal of Hassan Jallow, the continued >harassment of journalists and the mistreatment of Gambians by the NIA all >continue despite the supposedly inspiring tone of this speech. > >However, perhaps your presence in the APRC will inspire Jammeh to address >these issues as well as others for which the Gambian people are still waiting >for an answer. Perhaps your influence will contribute towards a new day in >our >country when people can exercise their rights under our constitution and not >be >terminated from their jobs or visited in the night by the NIA, and where >Journalists can report the news as they occur without harassment or censure. >Perhaps you will be part of a new crop of officials in this regime who will >stand up to the President on behalf of the Gambian people in regards to the >above, and not suffer any reprisals for it. > >The Gambian people will be waiting and watching for this bright promise >because it will be a wonderful thing indeed if this happens. We can only hope >and wish you good luck.Perhaps it will be the dawning of a new day where >the >APRC regime is poised to give power back to the people they are purporting >to >serve, abide by the constitution and and relinquish their desire to stay in >power forever which is the reason behind their heavy-handedness.The trend >so far >has not differed much since the inaugural speech that so influenced your >desision. > >Jabou Joh > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >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 contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~