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Open
letter to George Weah and the CDC: Stop attacking the
media
Tuesday,
December 20, 2005
By
Gabriel I. H. Williams
Dear
Mr. Weah:
This open letter is to express grave
concern regarding constant reports of attacks and
threats against journalists and media institutions by
leaders and supporters of your party, the Congress for
Democratic Change (CDC). The
latest threats, against the Daily Observer and New
Democrat newspapers, as well as the Observer’s
Editorial Supervisor Sando Moore, were reportedly
issued by the youth wing of the CDC, which accused the
two newspapers of involvement in the “writing of
evil” against your party. Be reminded that
differences and competition of ideas, and the right of
the media to report without fear or favor are among
the tenants of a democratic society, which the
Liberian people are striving to establish.
Since the beginning of the campaign season in
September for the presidential and legislative
elections in Liberia, there have been constant reports
of threats and attacks against journalists by you and
other leaders, as well as supporters of the CDC. These
acts of lawlessness perpetrated against the media
compelled the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) recently to
order its members not to attend or cover CDC
activities until the party is prepared to ensure the
safety of journalists. The CDC accordingly apologized
to the PUL for its anti-media activities.
Despite
the CDC’s assurances to respect the fundamental
rights of journalists, we continue to see an increase
in violence and threats against journalists and media
institutions that your party regards to be engaged in
anti-CDC reporting.
We view these ugly developments with trepidation
because they are a chilling reminder of how the two
most brutal and barbaric rulers in the history of our
country, Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor, began by
attacking the media in their quest to consolidate
power. Doe was so anti-media that when he realized
that arbitrary banning of news organs, jailing and
torture of journalists were not enough to intimidate
the media into submission, he arrested and butchered
to death enterprising journalist Charles Gbeyon in
1985. As for Taylor - who was classified as the 4th
most brutal and barbaric ruler in the world next to
then Iraqi despot Saddam Houssein - he unleashed a
wave of extreme terror to silence the media in order
to continue his campaign of death and destruction to
loot diamonds and other resources.
In
due course, we expect the new Liberian government to
request Nigeria to transfer Taylor to the custody of
the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which indicted him
on 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against
humanity. Taylor’s trial would be an example to
those of you who would engage in violence and destroy
innocent lives as a means to acquire political power,
that the culture of impunity is over.
An
attack on one journalist is an attack on all
journalists not only in Liberia but throughout the
world. This is why as a Liberian journalist, who has
served as a media executive and leader of the PUL, I
can no longer remain silent while you and your gang
continue your criminal activities against the media
and Liberian people unchallenged. I do so mindful that
I am placing my life in peril since you have adapted
the Doe and Taylor approach to hunt down those who
express opposition to you. I step forward confident
that the Liberian media will continue to prevail
against the likes of Doe, Taylor and you, because the
media is the voice of the people.
We
are alarmed by your threat to press freedom and
overall peace in Liberia because your supporters who
are engaged in the acts of lawlessness are mostly
ex-combatants who were turned into killing machines by
warlords. We cannot wait until a journalist is found
dead or a media house is set ablaze before we begin to
understand the danger that your recent activities
represent.
Liberians are becoming very disturbed by your
destructive activities equally so because you are
being backed by former warlords, who bear the greatest
responsibility for some of the most heinous crimes in
human history, during the Liberian civil war. It has
also become a regular public discussion that you are
surrounded by many of the failed and most discredited
politicians, who have thrived on anarchy in this
country.
As
noted American journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault
rightly said, “A crackdown on the media is often the
first signal of a broader assault on human rights.” We
are seeing a worrying trend where the CDC is extending
its violence against the media to the broader Liberian
society. The December 11 riot in Monrovia by CDC
supporters, in which several people were wounded and
numerous vehicles damaged, is the latest example of
the CDC’s campaign to undermine the fragile peace
holding in Liberia.
Instead of functioning as a democratic
party, the CDC is seen to be degenerating into a gang
bent on terrorizing the Liberian people to take power,
even though our people have chosen their leader
through the recent peaceful, free and transparent
democratic elections in which you were defeated. The
Liberian people consider your declaration of yourself
as president of Liberia treasonable but laughable. We
call it infantile and a bluff, your threats to disrupt
the peace – especially the January 16, 2006
inauguration of Liberia’s newly elected government.
Be informed that it is criminal under
Liberian law for you and your supporters to go about
threatening and attacking law abiding people, which
include journalists. Be sternly warned that if you
continue to engage in acts of terror against the
Liberian people, you would be declared and treated as
a terrorist both in Liberia and internationally. Let
it be known to you and the criminal few who are bent
on fermenting conflict to take power, that the
international community is watching you very closely.
Any of you who attempt to renew conflict in Liberia
would end up like Taylor.
By
your recent destructive activities, you are attempting
to undermine the effort of the international community
in restoring sustainable peace to Liberia and the
sub-region. Your actions are inimical to peace and
stability, and therefore, a challenge to the
international community which has invested heavily in
the Liberian peace process.
We
would urge the United Nations and the international
community in general to ban you and other CDC leaders,
including your discredited advisors, from leaving
Liberia to go on any foreign travel if you continue to
manifest a destructive influence regarding the
Liberian peace process. We would also urge the
international community to freeze your assets if you
are found to be engaged in the purchase of war
materiel to keep Liberia in a state of war and
destitution.
A
special appeal is being made to the United States and
other major European powers, including France,
Britain, Germany and Italy to take immediate steps to
bar you and other disgruntled CDC leaders from
entering those countries as you continue to exhibit a
reckless conduct aimed at undermining the sacrifices
being made by the international community to restore
lasting peace to Liberia and the Mano River basin.
There
should be no hesitation to have you arrested and
charged with murder under international humanitarian
law if you and your band of outlaws are found
responsible for instigating any acts of violence that
resulted to the loss of life.
We would also call on the Press Union of
Liberia and the independent media to begin a series of
mass solidarity actions against the CDC. These actions
should include staging an indefinite news block-out of
CDC activities. No CDC leader should be given radio
airtime or featured in the newspapers to spread their
messages of hate and confusion. We would use any means
at our disposal at the international level to have you
blacklisted as an abuser of press freedom and human
rights.
You
and your supporters are urged to put an immediate end
to the violence and threats being perpetrated against
the media and peace-loving Liberians. Whatever
grievances you have regarding the electoral process
should be channeled through the legal and other
democratic processes that civilized people use to
handle disputations. Like Doe and Taylor, you would
not succeed in manifesting violence to impose yourself
as ruler of Liberia, as you would suffer a similar
fate as they have. A hint to the wise is sufficient.
gihwilliams@yahoo.com
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