The Petition to Restore Democracy and Civil Rights...

Feed

Image 1 of 4

Author: Matt Kime

Started: June 30, 2007, 7:16:10 am

Target: François Bozizé

Category: Civil & Human Rights

Supporters:

Goal:

100,000

Goal Progress:

Status

Active

The Central African Republic has served as a beacon of hope for their entire region. Unlike any other country in their area, the Central African government offers full due process under the law, free speech, a government which is not bound by any particular religion (in a region where organized Islamic rule has stifled development of many countries). The Central African Republic stands to be admired, from a historical viewpoint, as a country which broke down many barriers towards freedom and democracy after a long struggle for independence.

But lately, the Central African Government has been plagued with security threats from the Sara minority, which hails largely from Chad. One large attack, and continued threats to the security of the country have provoked the Central African Republic to go back on its legacy. While due process is still provided in many trials, the Central African Government now needs only to point to their accused as Sara combatants, a designation given at the sole discretion of the Central African Government, which is run by a Baya plurality. The accused now has rights only at the mercy of the government which accused them. Many are taken without any variety of arrest warrant, and held for an undisclosed period with absolutely no right to appeal. Families report missing members, only to find out they were detained, upwards of a year after the fact. Some are even arrested after having their private homes ransacked under "sneak and peak" allowances which were passed shortly after the attack from the Sara minority.

Free speech is similarly threatened. Those who have successfully alleged that the C.A.R government is fabricating the threat posed by the Sara minority are intimidated into silence, often in violation of established law. The outward hostility toward the critical voice traditionally offered by media sources in democratic countries has encouraged utter silence from a media which had been ardent under even the immediately preceding administration, as run by Ange-Félix Patassé. The Bozizé government has even gone so far as to have administration members work in cooperation with paid agents posing as reporters to steer the already stifled debate to their own terms.

Please sign this petition in an effort to influence the Bozizé government to restore freedom and democracy in the fledging social experiment of the Central African Republic. Please include information about where you come from, and a succinct description of your personal political beliefs.