Egypt is free. The prople have prevailed. Many trials yet await them before they truly become free and elect leaders of their choice. But the first historic step has been taken.
The tyrant has fled. Sort of. He is lounging in a palace in the lovely resort of Sharm-El-Sheikh, actually.
Yet again, it seems, another tyrant will make a comfortable exit and live the rest of his life in happy luxury. He will not be called to account. He will not be tried for the 30 years of misery and fear that his people underwent. Like Idi Amin, Marcos and countless other despots. Nor will most of those who aided and abetted him in his excesses be punished.
Mubarak's sense of entitlement is stupefying. At one point, he wanted to leave with 'dignity'. What about all the people whose dignity he carelessly stripped during his rule? And those who lost their lives opposing him? The tortures that they underwent at the hands of his secret police? The privations that their families suffered?
And the at least 300 Egyptians who died in these last 18 days at the hands of his armed thugs while he made his last desperate bid to hang on to power?
All to be forgotten?
No, Mubarak must be made to face his wrongdoings. He will have to account to his people. So will his minions. In fair trials, unlike what he offered his victims. Reparations must be made to the families of those who died. If he is allowed to walk away scot free, it will only send an encouraging signal to the next would-be tyrant. That you may oppress and plunder for decades, and then, if forced out, still enjoy your ill-gotten gains.
Switzerland has made a positive first step, by proposing to freeze Mubarak's accounts. And confirming thereby, that he has accounts and monies in Swiss Banks. Whatever he has stashed away, and some reports put it as high as USD 70 Billion, must be returned to the Egyptian people. Every cent.
The Army may feel tempted to protect Mubarak. He is, after all, one of their own. They must not.
Various western governments may prefer a quiet retirement for Mubarak rather than a public trial. He may know too much or have embarassing information about their too often cynical manipulations. Justice cannot be denied the Egyptian people to save them enbarassment. And in the era of the Internet and Wikileaks, the truth may out anyway.
Action must be taken now, before Mubarak and all his coterie make their queit escapes. And he must be made an example of, for all current and would-be tyrants. In Egypt, and around the world.
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty" - Thomas Jefferson
Showing posts with label Egypt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Egypt. Show all posts
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Intrepid Sand Monkey
Egypt's 'Day of Departure' protests have passed and Mubarak is still President. Key members of the regime have resigned but it will certainly not satisfy Egypt's protesters. Their clarion call has always been for Mubarak to step down. And therefore they will, quite fairly, suspect this latest move to be a delaying tactic.
Some opposition figures have started or supported negotiations with Egypt's vice-president, but the wisdom of doing this before they meet the the key demand of the protestors, is questionable. They run the risk of being sucked into a morass of endless 'negotiations'. While the protestors wither under the dessert sun, their resolve and morale weakening with each passing day. And then, this unique opportunity of a new beginning for a free Egypt, may perhaps, forever be lost. Which, some may fear, is the intent of the regime.
Western governments including the United States; while needing little more than a stable Egypt; feel compelled to support the aspirations of the Egyptian people, while fearing the possibility that all this will lead to some Islamist admistration coming to power. And so they tip-toe carefully.
The danger of an extended period of paralysis was also noted by Sand Monkey in his blog posting today. Constructively, he did suggest a way forward and I quote from his blog, "the Egyptian Unity Party will be an Umbrella party that promotes equality, democracy & accountability, without any ideological slants". He hopes to create an entity that will truly represent the aspirations of the protestors.
A battler in the frontlines, arrested and beaten but clearly uncowed, while faithfully updating his blog, Sand Monkey is an articulate, principled example of the hundreds of thousands of ordinary Egyptians who march for freedom.
We hope he succeeds in his endeavours.
Some opposition figures have started or supported negotiations with Egypt's vice-president, but the wisdom of doing this before they meet the the key demand of the protestors, is questionable. They run the risk of being sucked into a morass of endless 'negotiations'. While the protestors wither under the dessert sun, their resolve and morale weakening with each passing day. And then, this unique opportunity of a new beginning for a free Egypt, may perhaps, forever be lost. Which, some may fear, is the intent of the regime.
Western governments including the United States; while needing little more than a stable Egypt; feel compelled to support the aspirations of the Egyptian people, while fearing the possibility that all this will lead to some Islamist admistration coming to power. And so they tip-toe carefully.
The danger of an extended period of paralysis was also noted by Sand Monkey in his blog posting today. Constructively, he did suggest a way forward and I quote from his blog, "the Egyptian Unity Party will be an Umbrella party that promotes equality, democracy & accountability, without any ideological slants". He hopes to create an entity that will truly represent the aspirations of the protestors.
A battler in the frontlines, arrested and beaten but clearly uncowed, while faithfully updating his blog, Sand Monkey is an articulate, principled example of the hundreds of thousands of ordinary Egyptians who march for freedom.
We hope he succeeds in his endeavours.
Friday, February 4, 2011
A Tahrir Square in Kuala Lumpur
At least three thousand peaceful protestors marched in Kuala Lumpur today in a show of support for the citizens of Egypt who are fighting valiantly for their freedom.
It is the Malaysians right to do so, as guaranteed under their constitution. And they should have been allowed to do so unmolested. But that was not the way it played out. The police moved in aggresively, shooting tear gas, wielding truncheons, beating, kicking and arresting people already on their way home (As reported in both online and mainstream newspapers). We have yet to see the Egyptian police doing this in Tahrir Square.
Why this overreaction? Why this careless, overbearing use of the states security apparatus?
The answer may not be some overzealous police officer trying to earn brownie points but a nervous, fearful State. Malaysia, like Egypt, is a nation suffering under the yoke of repression. Freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press have all been curbed.
In the state controlled media, only fawning reports of the ruling party and the too often despicable political creatures who inhabit it. As for the once bright and shining slogan of 1Malaysia, it has been undermined, sullied and ultimately crushed by Utusan's unending diatribes. Aided ably by the unrepentant, garrulous Dr. Mahathir, sniping from the sidelines, as usual. Will he never be visited by Dicken's ghosts?
There is no accountability; politicians, even Cabinet Ministers who are accused of shocking crimes never do the right thing by resigning to clear the accusations levelled at them.
While the Prime Minister tours the country, promising multi-billion dollar Projects at every stop that would beggar richer nations, like a latter day Baron Munchausen.
Incompetence and immorality pervade the highest echelons of the ruling BN.
In the case of the MCA, a self-confessed adulterer as their leader. Being called immoral by a senior leader of his own party provokes no response. He cannot defend the indefensible.
In the MIC, a clueless, silent factotum of its former reviled leader reigns. Tarnished by his too close relationship with his boorish predecessor, humiliatingly rejected by Umno as a candidate for the Hulu Selangor by-election and playing second fiddle to his own party deputy in the Cabinet, MIC's leader unashamedly clings on; a hapless monument to indignity.
The Institutions that should be safeguarding citizens; distinct from the Executive; are widely perceived to have been compromised by that very Executive. And prices are rising, with wages staying flat.While elections must be called soon.
And the last thing the ruling party's well-paid strategists and spin doctors needed; as they pondered and brainstormed on how to sell this uninviting mess to the Malaysian voter; was this turmoil in the Middle East.
They are not at all sure of how these momentous events will affect the vote, particularly that of the Muslim electorate.
For, make no mistake, it will affect the voters. They are already emboldened by the historic elections of 2008. And now, they see that, even in more draconian states, change can be brought about by a determined people.
And so, like bullying overseers at some medieval salt mine, the authorities crack the whip. The weapon of choice for autocrats and despots everywhere; intimidation and violence.
Coupled with control of the mass media. Who spew blatant, obvious 3rd rate propaganda; an insult to educated Malaysia's intelligence. Except that the internet may defeat them.
So the authorities rush to come up with laws with which they can control the internet and its denizens. Breaking their own pledge to leave the internet alone.
Immediately turning large numbers of furious, outraged bloggers, commenters and intermittent web surfers into active opposition activists. For the free citizens of cyberspace do not like being told what to do or what to think by anybody. And most certainly not by an uninspiring, scandal-tainted politician from another age who appears, for some unfathomable reason, to speak through his teeth.
For every thoughtless action, a reaction.
A reckoning is coming, in the form of the General Election, and the results will change Malaysia.
We must hope it will make make Malaysia a better place for all. Where the rule of law and unselective prosecution prevails. A free nation, run by accountable, respectable and responsible politicians. Governing in a just, transparent manner
It is the Malaysians right to do so, as guaranteed under their constitution. And they should have been allowed to do so unmolested. But that was not the way it played out. The police moved in aggresively, shooting tear gas, wielding truncheons, beating, kicking and arresting people already on their way home (As reported in both online and mainstream newspapers). We have yet to see the Egyptian police doing this in Tahrir Square.
Why this overreaction? Why this careless, overbearing use of the states security apparatus?
The answer may not be some overzealous police officer trying to earn brownie points but a nervous, fearful State. Malaysia, like Egypt, is a nation suffering under the yoke of repression. Freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press have all been curbed.
In the state controlled media, only fawning reports of the ruling party and the too often despicable political creatures who inhabit it. As for the once bright and shining slogan of 1Malaysia, it has been undermined, sullied and ultimately crushed by Utusan's unending diatribes. Aided ably by the unrepentant, garrulous Dr. Mahathir, sniping from the sidelines, as usual. Will he never be visited by Dicken's ghosts?
There is no accountability; politicians, even Cabinet Ministers who are accused of shocking crimes never do the right thing by resigning to clear the accusations levelled at them.
While the Prime Minister tours the country, promising multi-billion dollar Projects at every stop that would beggar richer nations, like a latter day Baron Munchausen.
Incompetence and immorality pervade the highest echelons of the ruling BN.
In the case of the MCA, a self-confessed adulterer as their leader. Being called immoral by a senior leader of his own party provokes no response. He cannot defend the indefensible.
In the MIC, a clueless, silent factotum of its former reviled leader reigns. Tarnished by his too close relationship with his boorish predecessor, humiliatingly rejected by Umno as a candidate for the Hulu Selangor by-election and playing second fiddle to his own party deputy in the Cabinet, MIC's leader unashamedly clings on; a hapless monument to indignity.
The Institutions that should be safeguarding citizens; distinct from the Executive; are widely perceived to have been compromised by that very Executive. And prices are rising, with wages staying flat.While elections must be called soon.
And the last thing the ruling party's well-paid strategists and spin doctors needed; as they pondered and brainstormed on how to sell this uninviting mess to the Malaysian voter; was this turmoil in the Middle East.
They are not at all sure of how these momentous events will affect the vote, particularly that of the Muslim electorate.
For, make no mistake, it will affect the voters. They are already emboldened by the historic elections of 2008. And now, they see that, even in more draconian states, change can be brought about by a determined people.
And so, like bullying overseers at some medieval salt mine, the authorities crack the whip. The weapon of choice for autocrats and despots everywhere; intimidation and violence.
Coupled with control of the mass media. Who spew blatant, obvious 3rd rate propaganda; an insult to educated Malaysia's intelligence. Except that the internet may defeat them.
So the authorities rush to come up with laws with which they can control the internet and its denizens. Breaking their own pledge to leave the internet alone.
Immediately turning large numbers of furious, outraged bloggers, commenters and intermittent web surfers into active opposition activists. For the free citizens of cyberspace do not like being told what to do or what to think by anybody. And most certainly not by an uninspiring, scandal-tainted politician from another age who appears, for some unfathomable reason, to speak through his teeth.
For every thoughtless action, a reaction.
A reckoning is coming, in the form of the General Election, and the results will change Malaysia.
We must hope it will make make Malaysia a better place for all. Where the rule of law and unselective prosecution prevails. A free nation, run by accountable, respectable and responsible politicians. Governing in a just, transparent manner
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The Sand Of The Dessert Is Sodden Red
Sand Monkey, the noted Egyptian blogger, has, like many of his fellow Egyptian citizens in their battle for freedom, been protesting in Tahrir Square. When he tried to go back to the square yesterday with desperately needed supplies of food and bottled water, he was arrested by state security, beaten, his supplies confiscated and his car wrecked. Latest reports indicate he has been released. Hundreds of such incidents have taken place in Egypt over the past few days; in Cairo,in Alexandria and many other cities.
The people of Egypt have finally taken to the streets, no more willing to endure Mubaraks harsh dictatorship, and inspired by a succesful revolt in Tunisia. The Egyptian authorities tolerated it at first, in the hope that it would fizzle out, but as it grew, they quickly found themselves having to hand out tepid concessions to calm the anger. Mubarak appointed a Vice-President, something he has not done in 30 years of authoritarian rule. But his choice was a former head of Egypts General Intelligence Services, where his duties included charge of Egypts 'political security files'. Hardly the face of change.
Still, the protestors persisted and on Wednesday, hundreds of thousands gathered demanding Mubaraks resignation. And a sinister new tactic was tried. Well, not really new, tyrants everywhere have it in their bag of tricks. 'Pro-Mubarak' supporters gathered and in a violent attempt at intimidation, fired automatic weapons, threw stones and molotov cocktails and finally charged the Tahrir Square protestors. Hundreds were injured and many died. Some 'pro-Mubarak' supporters were captured and found to be carrying police IDs. No surprise there.
Journalists faced a concerted attack, clearly in an attempt to silence them.
The incident provoked outrage and codemnation across the globe.
And all throughout, the protestors in Tahrir Square, like the Spartans at Thermopylae, held their ground.
The new Prime Minister, Ahmad Shafiq, gave a press conference, where he apologised and promised to take action on those who had organized the attacks. Apparently, he was 'not aware' and did not know 'who the culprits were'. He also offered to dialogue with anybody and everybody. It all smacked of delaying tactics. Journalists were surrounded by glowering security agents, looking uncomfortable in their media-friendly business suits. Some questions were not answered by the Prime Minister, as he found them 'offensive'.
Mubarak, meanwhile, gave an interview to ABC, in which he petulantly claimed to be fed up of being President. He seemed content enough, for 30 long years. He would go, he said, but without him there would be 'chaos'. In other words, he would not go.
It is Friday now, and the protestors are planning a huge gathering in Tahrir Square and rallies across Egypt.
We can only hope that as Mubarak's regime gasps out its death rattle, no harm comes to the brave people of Egypt.
The people of Egypt have finally taken to the streets, no more willing to endure Mubaraks harsh dictatorship, and inspired by a succesful revolt in Tunisia. The Egyptian authorities tolerated it at first, in the hope that it would fizzle out, but as it grew, they quickly found themselves having to hand out tepid concessions to calm the anger. Mubarak appointed a Vice-President, something he has not done in 30 years of authoritarian rule. But his choice was a former head of Egypts General Intelligence Services, where his duties included charge of Egypts 'political security files'. Hardly the face of change.
Still, the protestors persisted and on Wednesday, hundreds of thousands gathered demanding Mubaraks resignation. And a sinister new tactic was tried. Well, not really new, tyrants everywhere have it in their bag of tricks. 'Pro-Mubarak' supporters gathered and in a violent attempt at intimidation, fired automatic weapons, threw stones and molotov cocktails and finally charged the Tahrir Square protestors. Hundreds were injured and many died. Some 'pro-Mubarak' supporters were captured and found to be carrying police IDs. No surprise there.
Journalists faced a concerted attack, clearly in an attempt to silence them.
The incident provoked outrage and codemnation across the globe.
And all throughout, the protestors in Tahrir Square, like the Spartans at Thermopylae, held their ground.
The new Prime Minister, Ahmad Shafiq, gave a press conference, where he apologised and promised to take action on those who had organized the attacks. Apparently, he was 'not aware' and did not know 'who the culprits were'. He also offered to dialogue with anybody and everybody. It all smacked of delaying tactics. Journalists were surrounded by glowering security agents, looking uncomfortable in their media-friendly business suits. Some questions were not answered by the Prime Minister, as he found them 'offensive'.
Mubarak, meanwhile, gave an interview to ABC, in which he petulantly claimed to be fed up of being President. He seemed content enough, for 30 long years. He would go, he said, but without him there would be 'chaos'. In other words, he would not go.
It is Friday now, and the protestors are planning a huge gathering in Tahrir Square and rallies across Egypt.
We can only hope that as Mubarak's regime gasps out its death rattle, no harm comes to the brave people of Egypt.
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