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C0ckney
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Big Up The Macedonian Massive
Apr 2000
time: 05:27
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BBC
quote:
The harassment and torture of political activists in Zimbabwe was stepped up during the Cricket World Cup, senior church leaders have said.
The Solidarity Peace Trust, a new group of South African and Zimbabwean bishops, said human rights monitors documented at least 80 cases of protesters detained in connection with three World Cup cricket matches in Bulawayo.
Their report found that all those detained were either tortured or severely ill treated, Reuters said.
The bishops - four from Zimbabwe and two from South Africa - drew parallels between the brutality in Zimbabwe and the repression suffered in apartheid era South Africa.
Bishop Kevin Dowling said: "Quiet diplomacy in our view is not working".
We should bring the same kind of pressures that were brought to bear on the apartheid regime [in South Africa]
Bishop Kevin Dowling
The Zimbabwean authorities had promised to allow peaceful protests during the high-profile sporting competition in February and March.
Bishop Dowling said the findings suggested the perpetrators were now acting with impunity, as they seemed unconcerned about revealing their identity or leaving clear evidence of torture.
"This kind of systematic harassment and abuse of the basic human rights of ordinary people is what I personally experienced in South Africa and it is exactly the same that is happening in Zimbabwe," he said.
"We should bring the same kind of pressures that were brought to bear on the apartheid regime in Zimbabwe at the moment because the situation is exactly the same."
It is no coincidence that the bishops have chosen Christian holy week to launch their solidarity peace trust, which aims to monitor the mounting claims of human rights abuses.
Good Friday coincides with Independence Day in Zimbabwe this year, something Bishop Dowling said gives them hope.
But our correspondent in neighbouring South Africa says few people in Zimbabwe have much to celebrate on Independence Day.
Half the population are hungry, the economy has collapsed and there is nothing in the shops. The price of petrol has gone up 200% in the last week.
Reports of state-sponsored violence, police torture and other human rights abuses are increasing as the opposition promises more peaceful mass action like the recent general strike that brought the cities to a standstill, says the BBC's Alastair Leithead. |
sadly with the world's attention focused almost solely on iraq in the past weeks and months, zimbabwe, a country itself in dire need of a 'regime change' has been largely forgoten. 
also: tories say UN should tackle zimbabwe
lord knows the countries surrounding zimbabwe have a dedicated policy of sitting with their thumbs up their own arseholes. we should withhold aid to these countries until they start putting some real pressure on mugabe's regime.
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C0ckney
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Big Up The Macedonian Massive
Apr 2000
time: 05:27
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zimbabwe torture victims speak
quote:
Zimbabwe has seen hundreds of arrests since last week's strike, with allegations made of brutal treatment. Patricia, an official with the Movement for Democratic Change in Harare, told the BBC of her ordeal.
I was fast asleep at 1pm when I heard them knocking at my door. I thought they were thieves. The soldiers pushed the door open.
They were many, some were in civvies.
They had guns, ropes, baton sticks. They asked who Patricia was.
I said: "I am Patricia".
They took the urine from my kid and said: 'Drink it'
Patricia, MDC
They asked if I was the secretary of the MDC.
I said "Yes".
They said: "Bring your particulars of the MDC."
I said: "I don't have any."
'We want to kill her'
They said: "You are a prostitute of [MDC leader Morgan] Tsvangirai, so we are going to take this condom and put it on this gun and get it into you, because Tsvangirai is doing this to you and you enjoy having sex with him".
I told them I had never had sex with Tsvangirai and they said: "That is your boyfriend and you should suffer for this."
They put the gun inside me and they asked me if I was enjoying it.
I said: "It is painful."
They said: "It is not painful because when you have it with Tsvangirai you'll be smiling."
They forced me to make noises as though I was having sex with a man.
I did.
When my brother heard that I was being assaulted, he came out from his house to my room and said: "What is happening?"
He was told to shut up and was beaten and made to get into the toilet.
They opened the taps and water was running all over his body and asked: "Why are you living with this MDC person here? We want to kill her."
They started beating me up.
They took the urine from my kid and said: "Drink it."
I first refused but the way they were beating me and they wanted to put the gun again, so I had to drink it.
After drinking it, they said they wanted to see the urine flowing.
I said: "I don't have any urine."
They said: "We know you have it. You have to do it now before we kill you."
So I had to do the urine standing.
They said: "We want to see it flowing by your feet."
So I did.
I am afraid of meeting them again. I don't know what they will do.
They have already killed me.
I have to carry on. I just want revenge. |
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cinch
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Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Jul 2002
time: 22:27
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quote:
If there are other motives (oil, revenge, whatever) then why does that suddenly make it unacceptable? Shouldn't the other motives just be additional reasons? |
If America invades Zimbabwe, you may have a point.
I guess it comes down to two main views:
-America invaded Iraq to save people, the money and power are a side effect.
-America invaded Iraq over money and power, saving the Iraqi people was a a side effect.
I, personally, believe the latter, seeing as they didn't come up with the "Iraqi freedom" angle until late in the game. I don't think a positive side effect can justify all of the direct negatives (dead people, international unrest, etc.).
But that's just me.
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19-04-2003 04:34
I thought you were anti war in Iraq. What makes Mugabe different from Saddam?
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