HI,
The article below is from PDOIS.As a member of the FOROYAA/PDOIS mailing
list,i find it fit to share this reaction with the 'L' following this
development, and the call for reactions from the opposition.
I would also suggest that people could write to Foroyaa to become part of
their mailing list.I have through foroyaa received some very viable
informations about the party and the country.
PASAMBA JOW

>From: "foroyaa" <[log in to unmask]>
,
>Subject: PDOIS' REACTION TO GOVERNMENT'S  STATEMENT ON THE REPORTS ON APRIL
>10 AND 11 INCIDENTS
>Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 14:13:18 -0000
>
>
>Mr. President, the integrity of the nation and that of a government are
>inseparably connected. In the same vein the integrity of a nation and the
>integrity of a people are irretrievably linked. A people with integrity
>must
>always yearn and strive to be led by a government, which has integrity.
>This
>is the only way to safeguard their sense of dignity and human worth and
>thus
>enlarge and consolidate their national integrity. This is a collective
>responsibility. Hence when the integrity of a nation is put into question,
>it is the duty of the sovereign people to make their voices heard. To fail
>to do so is to slay conscience and when conscience lies before the altar of
>death a beast is born and unbridled violence becomes a way of life.
>
>Mr. President, history will never forgive us if we fail to put on record
>our
>response to the statement issued by the government on the reports on the
>April 10 and 11 incidents. This is abundantly essential because degenerate
>times are threatening to roll back the very moral fabric of this nation and
>put into question our national integrity as a people imbued with conscience
>and who should act to defend each other's dignity and self worth.
>
>On the 10 and 11th April 2000 the nation woke up to violence that put
>everything to a stand still. Reactions set in all spheres of life. The
>wounds were so deep that everyone knew that it would be exceedingly
>difficult to heal them. Two choices lay before the nation, to deepen the
>violence and confront national disintegration or contain  the violence and
>establish a mechanism to determine causes, consequences and identify
>perpetrators with the view to ensure that justice is done and is seen to be
>done. The nation needed to draw lessons from happenings in order to repulse
>the onslaught of tyranny.
>
>Accusing fingers were pointed at the government for failing to handle the
>minor factor which developed quantitatively to give rise to a major
>catastrophe. Furthermore, the government was accused of murdering innocent
>school children. This left the government with the option of accepting
>guilt
>or pleading innocence.
>  You declared one week of mourning during which all flags in the country
>were to be flown half mast in memory and respect for the dead. Just voices
>called for the employment of internationally acceptable standards to look
>into the events with a  view to establishing the facts which should inform
>national policy.
>A coroner's inquestwas  instituted to determine causes of death because of
>the divergence  of opinions  between the mass of the people and the
>government. A commission of inquiry was also established to look into the
>causes of the breakdown of public order, determine the extent to which
>individuals or groups contributed to it, assess the losses and make
>recommendations to prevent any recurrence.The Chief Justice who is the
>occupier of the highest judicial seat in the land became chairperson of the
>commission.
>The master of the supreme court sat as coroner. Many people questioned
>whether  the coroner and the commissioners would actually come up with
>anything tangible.
>
>Putting their integrity above everything else the coroner and the members
>of
>the commission conducted their inquiries before the public eye. The radio
>stations gave summaries of proceedings, thus leading the public to have
>some
>confidence in such experiences even though they were still sceptical of the
>final findings of the commission.
>
>We are yet to receive the report of the coroner and commission of inquiry.
>The statement of the government did reveal the verdict of the coroner and
>the recommendation of the commission of inquiry. After strenuous work, the
>coroner stated in no uncertain terms that Baboucarr Badjie, Wuyeh Fode
>Mansally, Momodou Lamin Njie, Calisco Prera, Karamo Barrow, Reginald
>Carrol,
>Omar Barrow, Momodou Lamin Chune, Lamin Bojang, Ousman Sabally and an
>unknown male teenager died of gun shot wounds. The coroner put special
>emphasis on his conviction that all the deaths attributed to gun shot
>wounds
>were caused by live bullets. This clear cut conclusion provided answers to
>the most insistent demands for the causes of death of the students to be
>ascertained. It is therefore extremely ironical that the government would
>conclude that the coroner did not state any opinion as to the commission or
>non commission of a crime or crimes by any persons known or unknown. It is
>equally incomprehensible to note that the government does not agree with
>all
>the recommendations of the commission of inquiry and the coroner's report.
>It does not need high grade sincerity to acknowledge that death by live
>bullets confirms that crimes have been committed. To disregard this fact
>constitutes a merciless disregard of objectivity.
>
>Suffice it to say, the report of the government did refer to the
>recommendations of the commission of inquiry, which call for the
>authorities
>on the ground at Kanifing on the 10th April, 2000 to accept responsibility
>of what happened and the personnel deployed on the 10th April between GTTI
>and West Field Junction to assume responsibility for the deaths and
>injuries
>that occurred as a result of gun shots. Those who fired guns at the
>direction of the students at Saint Augustine Senior School or forcefully
>entered into the school were also to accept responsibility
>
>The commission, is reported to have identified the persons to be held
>responsible for the deaths and injuries suffered by victims at Brikama Ba
>on
>the 11 April, 2000. It  indicated those responsible for the inhumane
>treatment of some citizens at Brikama Ba. The government, however, did not
>only reject the conclusions or the recommendations of the commission but
>went further to abandon facts and embrace fiction by questioning the very
>integrity of the commission of inquiry by asserting that ''the fundamental
>point is that the commission did not inquire into the causes of break down
>of public  order on 10 and 11 April 2000.
>
>The government went further to invent its own notion by disregarding the
>invaluable treasury of evidence accumulated by the commission and tried to
>give the impression that the causes of the breakdown of public order was as
>a result of ''a well planned and well executed operation.'' In few words,
>the government has invented a conspiracy theory without exposing the
>conspirators. In short, it wants the public to disregard the facts
>established by the commission and embraced its unsubstantiated inventions.
>This constitutes an insult to the intelligencce of the people.
>
>We totally reject the insinuation of the government that the commission of
>inquiry has not done its work properly and that the government is more
>competent to explain the causes of the break down of public order. We
>consider the dismissing of the argument of the commission by the government
>as an arrogant display of monarchical inclination. This is borne out by the
>fact that the government has shown through its statement that it is the
>prosecutor and judge at the same time.
>
>What is absolutely clear to us is that the commission gave details based on
>the evidence presented to it. The government officials had all the latitude
>to appear before the commission to present any evidence that is now being
>concocted in the report without going through the rigorous process of an
>inquiry. We must say without any fear of exaggeration that by making
>attempts to juxta pose its own unsubstantiated allegation of a ''well
>planned and well executed'' conspiracy with the substantiated report of the
>commission, it has simply indicted itself of having the motive to escape
>responsibility by twisting the interpretation of facts derived from a
>commission of inquiry. Instead of putting the integrity of the coroner and
>the members of the commission of inquiry into question, the government has
>put its own integrity into question. The question now arises: How should we
>interpret the attitude of the government? Should we say that the holding of
>a coroner's inquest and commission of inquiry were futile? That would be
>anaive conclusion. The purpose of the inquiry has been achieved. The
>inquiries have given what would have constituted as hear say evidence or
>speculations legal content. No one has any doubt that the students who died
>of gun shots were killed by live bullets. That is an established fact. All
>the circumstantial evidence surrounding their deaths have been established.
>Without a coroner's inquest or a commission of inquiry, such evidences
>would
>not have been established. The inquiries and inquest therefore have done
>what is reasonable and justifiable in a democratic society. The Gambian
>people wanted to know how the deaths occurred and they know how they
>occurred. This is the first fundamental point. History shall therefore
>absolve the coroner and the members of the commission for performing their
>duty to the best of their ability without fear or favour, affection or ill
>will. This is how standards are built in a country.
>
>On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the president to review the
>recommendations of the commission. Government authorities are responsible
>for the security measures that created the blunders  In that respect the
>government must accept full responsibility for the deaths and injuries  of
>the unarmed students. When the incident occurred, it is the same government
>which indicated that full inquiries would be made to get to the truth of
>the
>matter. It is in fact timely to publish the letter addressed to FOROYAA
>from
>the Secretary General's Office of the President in a reply to our letter of
>11 April 2000 calling on the government to stop making allegations and
>conduct investigations, so that the Gambian people would know the causes of
>the deaths. Their  letter  reads:
>
>''I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 11th April 2000,
>sent to His Excellency, The president of the Republic of The Gambia, which
>he received with much interest and appreciation.
>
>His Excellency has asked me to convey his gratitude to FOROYAA through you
>for the sincere concern about the unfortunate incident of the 10th April
>2000.
>
>It is of interest to note that the whole episode is regrettable to say the
>least. However, it requires objective and balanced analysis, since nobody
>except those involved could tell the true story.
>President Jammeh however, has the singular desire to reassure you that a
>full investigation is underway after which a course or action would be
>charted.
>
>While further expressing His Excellency's sincere commitment and desire to
>find out the truth, and work hard for peace, stability and development, for
>the Gambia and Africa as a whole, please accept Mr. Sallah, the assurance
>of
>my highest consideration.''
>
>It now constitutes an irony that a government which claimed that it did not
>know the whole story and gave assurance that it would conduct an
>investigation to get to the truth would now make such pretentious remarks
>as
>to give the impression that it knows more than what the commission knew.
>This is absurd. However, it is left to the government to deal with its own
>contradictory posture. The Gambian people have the authority to determine
>the future of any government. By the action of every government, it shall
>be
>judged. The butchery of innocent students with impunity is not a record
>that
>any government could be proud of. History will indict any government with
>such a record.
>
>Suffice it to say, many people are developing the opinion that the
>disregarding of the recommendations of the commission amounts to granting
>soldiers licence to be trigger happy. They recalled two shootings which
>resulted in deaths at border check point near Omorto. It is therefore
>important to deal with such fears. It is important to caution the members
>of
>the security forces to realise that soldiers are fed and armed by the tax
>money of the people. No army can perform its duty to protect a country and
>her people by becoming oppressors and killers of those same people.
>Soldiers
>need the people for their own survival and protection. Armies opposed by
>their people disintegrate like chaff in wind. Where are the strong armies
>established by Menghistu and Mobutu? They have all disintegrated and
>replaced by new armies. No National Army can be kept together when a
>country
>disintegrates. Strong, patriotic and lasting armies are those committed to
>the service of the people. Soldiers who are one with the people become
>protected by them. Sankara has always called on soldiers not to be
>oppressors and killers of their people. We dare say that a soldier without
>respect and love for the people becomes a hired mercenaries who kills just
>for money or to maintain a position. Gambian soldiers must not allow
>themselves to become mercenaries in their own country, among their own
>people. They must be able to distinguish lawful order from an unlawful
>order.
>It is necessary for Gambian soldiers to realise that the world has changed
>and International criminal courts are developing which lead to external
>prosecution for crimes against humanity such as mass murders against
>unarmed
>civilians.
>
>To conclude, let us emphasise that the Gambian people should not feel
>helpless. They must kept in mind that Governments come and go; that they
>the
>people are the final judges as to which government is to stay or go.
>Governments therefore disregard what is reasonable and justifiable in a
>democratic society at their own peril. Those who have no regard for the
>type
>of history they leave behind cannot be absolved by history. The government
>has put itself in real trouble with the Human Rights Community. A truth and
>reconciliation approach where killers would confess and ask for forgiveness
>from parents plus compensation was one way forward. Disregarding the
>commission's recommendations only keeps alive national and international
>outcry. This is the verdict of history and it is irrevocable.
>
>
>Your Faithfully,
>
>
>.............................
>For the Central Committee.
>

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