{UAH} Press Release

UGANDA DIASPORA P10  

Press Release: 

Date: 21-04-2016

Subject: Human Rights Abuses 

Date:24-04-2016

 

Uganda Diaspora P10, a pressure group of Ugandans resident abroad and a major stakeholder in the social, political and economic development of Uganda has reached to a conspicuous decision to spearhead the recourse in the general situation in Uganda. We have exercised restraint in the face of violent provocation by the state actors against our elected leaders, families and the citizens of Uganda. However, this patience and commitment have reached a tipping point and we can't remain spectators to watch the people's President Dr. Kizza Besigye being treated in an undignified manner and dehumanized, we are not accepting his unalienable rights to be trampled upon with impunity by the state.  

Dr. Kizza Besigye is a leader elected by Ugandans by a majority of more than 52% of voters in the recently concluded and rigged elections. Dr. Besigye is not an ordinary person in the eyes and hearts of Ugandans who braced state torture, harassments, and intimidation on the 18th Feb 2016 to select him as their President. A national leader of his stature cannot be a permanent candidate of arbitrary mistreatment by the state actors as we simply look on like it's merely a spectacular event. A violation of his rights endangers the very existence of Uganda as a country and herald the fact that this dictatorship does not respect the rule of law. Respect for human dignity and protection from inhuman treatment is enshrined in the national constitution and international Charter of Rights, for which Uganda is a signatory. No person shall be subjected to any form of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Uganda Diaspora P10 also strongly condemns the selective and discriminatory approach the regime is undertaking to resolve the ethnic clashes in the Rwenzuru region. Reports of, security officers arresting only Bakonzo tribesmen in neglect of the crucial fact that in any conflicts there are two parties involved.

Bakonzo, are equally victims of this politically motivated ethnic tension which was instigated by none other than the sitting regime, why should the state protect the culprits in other ethnicities in the region? Or escort them to round up and persecute the Bakonzo?. This open bias implicates the state as the fomenter of the ethnic division in the region, no citizen should be living in fear because of who they politically choose to support.

Therefore, in response to the above-listed injustices, Uganda Diaspora community has passed the phase of lamentation; we have full confidence in the capacities of the people of Uganda on freeing themselves from oppression. Uganda Diaspora P10 is now embarking on recourse of reinforcing the citizens of Uganda to use whatever constitutional and peaceful means to liberate themselves and deliver all those committing crimes against the people to justice in international courts. We are hereby making this statement to the following: 

 

 

1.   To the Ruling Regime;

We are informing the regime that violence is not the monopoly of the exploiters and as such the exploited can use it to free themselves when forces of oppression assert to maintain themselves in power against established laws and wishes of the people. Uganda Diaspora P10 has come to the inevitable conclusion that a government which takes up arms to respond to the peaceful protest of the people against their oppressors glorifies violence as a means of engagement. 

Uganda Diaspora P10 condemns the consistent excessive use of force and brutality against the unarmed civilians and People's President.

Blocking the peoples' president from reaching his home district Rukungiri, vandalizing his car and pepper spraying him, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago was a restful barbaric act.

The selective targeting of the Bakonzo in the iron-fisted security operation in the Rwenzuru region is not only discriminatory but it's a clear violation of their fundamentals human rights, this is inconsistent with the international charter on human rights and can only aggravate the existing ethnic tension.

A legitimate government has the responsibility of providing common benefits and security of persons and property of all Ugandans. Any government's actions contrary to these purposes makes it an indubitable duty of citizens to provide their own security, to secure their own property and to defend their unalienable, indefeasible right, to reform, alter, or abolish it, in such manner as shall be judged most appropriate. The right to change regime is an inherent one when people are oppressed by a tyranny, it is their natural right to relieve themselves of the oppression by overthrowing the regime and reconstituting it with a government as prescribed by the 1995 Constitution of Uganda.  

The Uganda 1995 Constitution (as amended) states thus;  

(1) All power belongs to the people who shall exercise their sovereignty in accordance with this Constitution. (2) Without limiting the effect of clause (1) of this article, all authority in the State emanates from the people of Uganda; and the people shall be governed through their will and consent. (4) All citizens of Uganda shall have the right and duty at all times— (a) to defend this Constitution and, in particular, to resist any person or group of persons seeking to overthrow the established constitutional order; and (b) to do all in their power to restore this Constitution after it has been suspended, overthrown, abrogated or amended contrary to its provisions

 

 

2.   to the Political Leaders Both Ruling and Opposition:

Whenever the legislators connive with the state to take away and destroy the rights and the property of the people or to reduce them to slaves under arbitrary power, they put themselves on a collision path with the people. The people of Uganda shall now allow them to trample upon their rights forever. Ugandan Diaspora P10 has absolved to empower Ugandans from any further obedience to you. This dictatorship has reduced, tortured and humiliated Ugandans such that Ugandans have become refugees and second class citizens in their own country. This is unaccepted.  

3.   To all the bodies mandated to safeguard citizens' rights;

Your continued obedience to the dictatorship has transformed all of you to instruments of oppression. You have lost the legitimacy as defenders of the peace and wellbeing of Ugandans. You have become the enemies of the people of Uganda. Your inability to remain neutral is not very useful to Ugandans and time is running out for you to reform. Should you remain adamant to do the needful whenever it is possible or necessary to the citizens, we shall hold you accountable for the abuses exacted on Ugandans and injustices that you commit.  

4.   to the citizens of Uganda;

Those who are in the conspiracy of silence during moments of oppression build a nation full of the cowardly citizenry. We have not only the vested powers in ourselves to defend our existence, but we also have the moral obligation to resist oppression. This struggle is not about a liberator, don't wait for a liberator. You are the liberator. Liberators do not exist without the oppressed being fully conscious of their conditions. Liberators only exist within the people in the process of liberating themselves. You are mandated by the Constitution of Uganda to liberate yourselves from the dictatorship, savagery, and oppression. For those who have occasioned fence sitters, you should be reminded that indecision is a conspiracy in subtle support of repression. Your neutrality only militates against you and entrenches the dictatorship. In fact, you should be reminded of the wise counsel of the iconic South African Archbishop, Desmond Tutu that "…if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality".

 

We have to make a remarkable determination to restore the rule of law in Uganda, uphold peace and pledge a commitment to a common purpose of stable, violence-free democracy for the future generations.

 

For God and My Country.

 

 

Uganda Diaspora P10 Chairperson

 

CC:

 

-Gen YK Museveni

The outgoing president of Uganda

 

- The International community

 

- All Uganda pro-democracy and human rights activists

 

- Global Human Rights Defenders.

 

Atocon Moses Atyekwo mosesatocon@msn.com @twitter: @AtyekwoM Skype:Atomose