The following mail was sent to me with a request to send it to the L. ----------------------------- Anyone who has traveled in a third world country knows that hustlers (young men selling souvenirs, offering tours, ...) can be a problem sometimes. In an attempt to eliminate such nuisances, the Gambian government has given the army a free hand to 'clean' tourist zones. This happens in such a brutal way that I see myself obliged to react against it. Every morning soldiers pick up dozens of young men found in and around the tourist areas. The soldiers take the young men to their barracks, shave their hair and beat them with sticks. At nighttime they throw them back on the street. I have been travelling a lot in Africa, but never have I been confronted with such systematic use of violence on every day people. Last December I spent 2 weeks with friends in Serrekunda. One of them, Musa, works in tourism. Everyday he goes out fishing on the beach, hoping tourists will hire one of his fishing lines. One day he came home with his entire body swollen and full of open wounds. Soldiers had picked him up and beaten him all day with metal sticks. A few days later he introduced me to a friend who had received the same treatment and was left unable to use his arm. These razzias are very random and any youth who happens to be near a hotel at the time of a razzia can be a victim. Another friend, who has no connection with tourism, was picked up while waiting in front of the post office (which happens to be in front of a hotel). Fortunately he has a cell phone and his family could free him before the beating started. This mail is being spread in Belgium, Holland, Germany and the US. Copies have been sent to tour operators, media and the Gambian Government. Please pass it on to as many people as you can. The Gambian government depends heavily on tourism. Any effect on tourism may put an end to this systematic use of random violence. [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~