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Momodou
Denmark
11633 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Jan 2011 : 17:47:46
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Dailynews Editorial: The Gambia’s Image and Human Rights Records
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The issue of a country’s human rights records does have an impact on its image internationally. Being the case, it is worthwhile for all nations to keep a good track record in human rights so that they can be in the list of the most reputable nations in the world.
This is not achievable through slamming reports and threatening international campaigners who believe that the human rights records of The Gambia leave much to be desired.
Surprisingly enough, the Justice Minister went an extra mile in making a stern warning in threatening Gambians abroad for allegedly painting a grim picture of the country, saying, “we will wait for them to come,” in an interview published by this paper.
In his reaction to The Daily News story on the 24 British parliamentarians who appended to an Early Day Motion for international pressure on The Gambia government for human rights violation spearheaded by a Gambian journalist in Scotland only made furious statements.
In our last edition, he was quoted as saying, “I as the Attorney General and Minister of Justice will defend the image and integrity of the government to the heel and I want to make it clear that my government will not and does not subscribe to these malicious and evil fabrications against us.”
Our Attorney General and Justice Minister should know that an image of a country is created before being defended. Gambians abroad are just like any Gambian in the country.
Citing the case of Britain, the Justice Minister said countless number of people are residing in the UK who have virtually lacked all these rights which the British MPs never attempted to address but can sit over the fence to talk about the fundamental rights of Gambians. He went further to ask, “How many people are living in UK today who are feeding from dust bins and sleeping in train stations which the British MPs never talk about.”
We should not allow to be victims of inferiority complex. No matter how Britain fares in all aspects of human development, we have a right to advance as African people. Africa being the cradle of human civilization should not just be history but should be manifested with practice. So citizen’s concerns for human rights, being Gambians at home or abroad should be considered with seriousness.
The tradition of refuting whatever the media write or human rights defenders say should be a thing of the past and move to finding solutions to unsolved human rights matters that are responsible for the real painting of “a grim picture” of the country.
Have you forgotten that the killer(s) of Deyda Hydara are yet to be brought to justice, Chief Ebrima Manneh’s compensation of $100,000.00 and immediate release is yet to be heeded? Where are Kanyiba Kanyi and Jasaja Kujabi, etc? Former Editor-in-Chief of the Independent Musa Saidykhan who won his torture against the government of The Gambia case at the ECOWAS Court in Abuja, Nigeria is yet to be compensated his $200,000.00.
The best for the Gambia is to make wholehearted efforts to solve all the unsolved human rights matters that have occurred in the country. If this is done with the opening of a new page then Gambians everywhere in the world will not be ashamed of defending the image and integrity of their country. In such a situation, there will be no need for a minister of justice to stand in defence of the Gambia.
It is worth to note that the threat issued by the Justice Minister came at a time when most of us in the media were expecting the opening of a new chapter for 2011. Waiting for some Gambians abroad to come and be prosecuted for what they are saying or doing about the human rights situation in the country is far from being a good starting point for 2011.
Source: Dailynews
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