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Dalton1
3485 Posts |
 Posted - 03 May 2006 : 21:29:20
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It is a sad moment for all of us, more so the independent staffers. I am sure Galleh is calculating all it means to come out this way. For a long time, we knew this is the case. The multi colors of foreign diplomats is really sickening, and what is obvious they are a group of selfish people, out only to protect their interest. I am sure Galleh is concerned not because he is part of the team, but this requires one to act. Who knows which paper is next ? That's why my support for online media outlets is in the open, cos nothing they can do to stop it.
Below, is a piece from Galleh, curled from "freedom newspaper". I will come up with an analysis of the piece.
Long live the independent and all media outlets !!
International Triple Standards and the Plight of the Gambian People
By Baba Galleh Jallow
Washington, DC
Is the cold war really over? The answer is yes, and no. As far as the ideological warfare between East and West are concerned, it is over. Moscow and Washington are no longer fighting for the soul of the world. And except for issues involving Iran and North Korea, the nuclear arms controversy seems to be over and done with.
But for Africa and other parts of the so-called developing world, the cold war is over only so far as ideological cat fights over their souls are concerned. Our point is that the underlying foreign policy behavior of the cold war era continues to characterize the foreign policies of the West, more specifically the United States, which is the only remaining superpower.
Today, the international community stands accused of triple standards in their general policy behaviors. The first standard is domestic. As far as the home turf is concerned, Britain and the United States will not condone gross violations of human rights by anyone. Inevitably, human rights could be and continue to be violated behind closed doors, in secret, away from the public eye in the West. Vestiges of racial profiling, job discrimination and police brutality remain within the Western body politic, but away from the public eye. But once such violation comes to public attention, the perpetrators, whoever they may be, are severely accosted and brought to justice. It is taken as a given that no one in the West is above the law and no person can ill-treat another person within or outside the acceptable limits of the law.
The second standard is in relation to the foreign policies of Western nations. This standard, applied to countries in which Western nations have vested interests, is double-faced. When countries supporting Western interests such as the American war on terrorism commit crimes and human rights violations against their own people, London and Washington behave exactly as they did during the cold war era. They turn a blind eye and deaf ear to government abuses of their citizens. It becomes a case of non-interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. On the other hand, when a country has oil or other resources in which Washington or London are interested, that country is closely monitored and the United States and Britain are quick to move to make sure that the flow of resources is not disrupted. Hence Washington’s recent statement to Nigeria’s Obasanjo that while the United States respects the right of any country to amend its constitution through democratic, transparent and legal means, "the United States is concerned about the current effort to amend Nigeria's constitution in order to allow the president and governors run for a third term." Washington’s view, a statement issued by the American Embassy in Abuja states, "is very clear that executive term limits should be respected in the interest of institutionalizing democracy and opening the political space. This allows for new leaders to be groomed and it supports the rule of law. A regular turnover of power ingrains and institutionalizes a democratic process."
Indeed. But this statement has not been, to our knowledge, delivered to governments like Yahya Jammeh’s in The Gambia. Jammeh consistently refuses to honor his promise to have term limits for the presidency. But since The Gambia does not have oil, one cannot but conclude, there is no need in Washington’s view to respect executive term limits "in the interest of institutionalizing democracy and opening the political space." The theory that "a regular turnover of power ingrains and institutionalizes a democratic process" as outlined in the U.S. Embassy letter in Abuja does not apply to The Gambia. And if a theory is not susceptible to universal applicability, it is patently false and cannot serve as a basis for acceptable analyses or conclusions. We know that President Jammeh, in the interest of his regime’s survival has declared his support for the Bush administration’s position on the International Criminal Court and agreed not to prosecute any U.S. soldiers under the court’s provisions. Also, Mr. Jammeh has declared his support for Washington in its current war against terrorism. Such support is certainly not objectionable. It might be even desirable. But any other regime with term limits could have supported America’s war against terrorism. What Washington should accept for a fact is that while Mr. Jammeh is supporting America’s war against terrorism, he is himself terrorizing certain sections of his own population through arbitrary arrests, detentions and the illegal closures of private and totally innocent private media houses whose only crime is to criticize the president or make mention of the vast riches he has amassed since he seized power in 1994.
The third and final standard is applied in relation to countries which have virtually no interests for Washington and London. These countries are allowed to live or die as they wish, with the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states given 200 percent respect.
This essay is motivated by the strange silence of the diplomatic community in The Gambia in the face of unprecedented bullying of The Independent newspaper by the government of President Yahya Jammeh. For over one month now, The Independent has been forcibly closed and put under police guard. According to Gambian law, no private business or property should be closed without a court order. No order has been produced to justify the government’s action. And no reasons have been given to the paper’s management as to why the paper should not freely publish. Yet, the British High Commission, the United States Embassy, the Taiwanese Embassy and the entirety of the diplomatic community in Banjul maintains a stony silence. Yet, the United States and Britain are supposed to be the universal champions of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law. Why has not the U.S. Embassy in Banjul issued a statement to advice Mr. Jammeh that the independent media should be allowed to do its work "in the interest of institutionalizing democracy and opening the political space?" We can speculate that since London is married to Washington, DC, the British Foreign Office and the British High Commission in Banjul are unable to act unilaterally to end the blatant injustice inflicted on The Independent newspaper.
Finally, all decent human beings know that human and peoples rights - whether American, British or African - are inviolable and non-negotiable. What is good for the American, the British, the Nigerian and Iraqi people, is equally good for the Gambian people. It is embarrassing that the self-proclaimed universal champions of democracy, human rights and the rule of law should silently watch as the Gambian state ruthlessly bullies its own citizens simply because the head of state is a self-proclaimed ally of Washington.
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"There is no god but Allah (SWT); and Muhammad (SAW)is His last messenger." shahadah. Fear & Worship Allah (SWT) Alone! (:
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blackerberry2004
69 Posts |
Posted - 03 May 2006 : 22:46:10
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Baba Galleh is right in that the U.S. and the Great Britain have double standards (or in Galleh's words, triple standards). It is quite amazing to me the utter silence of the diplomatic corps in the Gambia regarding Jammeh's blatant disregard for the rule of law, good governance and disregard for human lives and freedom. The West does not care about us and it is about time that we take matters into our own hands. As articulated by the Canadian Colonel in the movie, Hotel Rwanda, we are not even ******s, we are Africans. As Africans and especially Gambians with meager resources, we tend to wait for Allah or the West to take care of our ills. Ironically, Jammeh understands the West's apathy in Gambia and has capitalized on this. In his ramblings at the July 22nd (2002) anniversary rally, Jammeh immaturely stated that we are not part of the West’s agenda and in fact “West” is an acronym and stands for “We Exploit and Steal Territories Overseas” and “White Egocentric Selfish Thieves”.
We need to support the opposition en masse and give democracy at least one more chance. In the event he rigged the election (I’m betting all my money on it) and as usual the West turns a blind eye, then we need to be prepared to run him out of office.
To Baba Galleh - Please keep up the struggle. Other intellectuals who should know better but yet align themselves with Jammeh (Sheikh Hydara, Scattred Janneh, Sedat Jobe, Sulayman Sait Mboob, etc., etc.) have betrayed the Gambians. Unfortunately, intellectuals like these folks are to be blamed for the plight of the average Africans. They armed these dictators with legal maneuvers, despicable decrees, economic voodoo, political loop holes, and consequently legitimacy.
Jammeh must go come hell or high water!
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Edited by - blackerberry2004 on 03 May 2006 22:57:10 |
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Dalton1
3485 Posts |
Posted - 04 May 2006 : 02:18:51
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| B.berry, what i recalled is the many times that Bush and his diplomats congratulated Jammeh, when Deyda was killed less than 5 miles from the American consulate. also, when the alleged coup occured, the ambassador was heard saying "our partnership in anti terror with the gm.", not the exact qoutes. Well, he openly said America will not support coup, but jammeh came to power by coup. isn't it rhetorical ? They are reading you online, lets see if they will talk to the daily observer to justify their hypocisy or silence more. |
"There is no god but Allah (SWT); and Muhammad (SAW)is His last messenger." shahadah. Fear & Worship Allah (SWT) Alone! (:
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