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A coalition for human rights in Gambia launched in Scotland
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 23:08
A coalition of civil society groups has been launched in the Scottish City of Glasgow
to advocate for the enforcement of human rights in Gambia.The Campaign for Human Rights in The Gambia was formed by Gambians living in Scotland, Scottish, Human Rights Organizations, Media
and the Civil Society groups. It include Amnesty International London, National Union of Journalist, Amnesty International Ayshire Branch, Scottish Youth Parliament, Scottish Palestine solidarity Group, Scottish Catholic Media Office, Peace and Justice Centre Edingburg, UNA Edingburg, Local News Glasgow, and Office of the Green Councilor for Govan Hill Danny Alderslowe.The Campaign group is also supported by Labour MP for Glasgow Central Anas Sarwar.
The Campaign was set up following Amnesty International Global Day of Action in July 2010 in response to the human rights abuses taking place in The Gambia and to sustain the pressure on the Gambia government to respect human rights and international protocols and conventions that the country has signed.
Backed by Wesminster MP Anas Sarwar, the President of National Union of Journalists(NUJ) Peter Murray, Green Party Councillor at Glasgow City Council Danny Alderslowe, the group will seek to bring the Gambia human rights issues to a wider audience.
"I didnt know about people disappearing, being tortured and murdered in The Gambia till I had details at a vigil two years ago", said Austin Sheridan, a 17 year old elected member of the Scottish Youth Parliament. He has brought the situation and an Amnesty International report Gambia Fear Rules to the attention of that parliament’s International committee.
Anas Sarwar, MP for Glasgow Central, said when he was campaigning to be elected he had attended the same vigil and met an exile Gambian journalist. "I promised him then that if I was elected I would do all I could to highlight the human rights abuses in The Gambia. I am keeping that promise" he told the meeting of the Scottish Trade Union Congress(STUC).
He went on to offer the NUJ and the Campaign group the opportunity to hold a meeting at the House of Commons to inform more MPs.
NUJ national president Peter Murray said his union was proud to support the campaign."Not just because journalists are affected by the abuse of human rights but because they are been detained and tortured for doing their job and are being forced to flee their country," he said.
Alieu B Ceesay, exile Gambian journalist, informed the meeting that in Gambia today fear rules and arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, extra judicial executions, detentions and human rights violations have translated into a culture of silence. All public protests have ceased, he said, and he added that self censorship of the media is the rule rather than the exception and that individuals remain silent even when their human rights are violated.
Ceesay said the campaign will mobilize the international community against human rights abuses in The Gambia through its partners, Amnesty International, Gambian campaign groups in the Diaspora and civil society organizations in the UK and abroad with a view to politically and economically pressure the Gambia government.
Copies of Amnesty International special report on Gambia and other information were distributed at the meeting. The launching was chaired by John Mathews, NUJ Glasgow Branch Chairperson, Arthur West, Trade Unionist, and was attended by civil society groups and a cross section of the community.
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