Friday, December 05, 2003
WHY PICK ON MUGABE? Asks Kate Allen, director of amnesty international UK. After all:
When the government of Zimbabwe sees the flagrant disregard for basic human rights protection in other countries, the message it gets is that the Commonwealth is not serious about these commitments - and there will be no consequences if you disregard them. The result is that Mugabe believes he is safe to continue his crackdown on all critics of the government.
So why pick on Mugabe? Peter Oborne gives a devastating answer that easily shows how what is going on or may be in the offing in Zimbabwe is in a different league alltogether. Of course that doesn't excuse the other violations Allen mentions, but we have to focus our energies on the biggest problems first, because political power is a limited resource.
When the government of Zimbabwe sees the flagrant disregard for basic human rights protection in other countries, the message it gets is that the Commonwealth is not serious about these commitments - and there will be no consequences if you disregard them. The result is that Mugabe believes he is safe to continue his crackdown on all critics of the government.
So why pick on Mugabe? Peter Oborne gives a devastating answer that easily shows how what is going on or may be in the offing in Zimbabwe is in a different league alltogether. Of course that doesn't excuse the other violations Allen mentions, but we have to focus our energies on the biggest problems first, because political power is a limited resource.
