Liberia History & Information

Continued from parts 1 & 2

In his first speech delivered on his behalf by Foreign Minister Monie Captan before the UN General Assembly, President Taylor declared that the Liberian civil war was a protest against the blatant disregard for, and violation of, human rights in Liberia. He promised to protect human rights and freedom of the press without witch-hunting. Taylor ended by saying his regime would stand challenged on those accounts. Barely six months later, his administration’s dismal record of accomplishment on human rights and the suppression of press freedom has been incredibly discouraging. The murder of hundreds of women and children by government forces on Camp Johnson Road on September 18, 1998 and the arbitrary arrests and illegal detention of 13 Liberians because of their ethnicity indicate that something is truly amiss about this leadership.

At the Vision 2024 conference in Liberia, Mr. Taylor admitted, arrogantly, his incompetence to lead the nation and quietly evaded what his administration would do for the country during his tenure. He chose to blame the international community for not providing funds to help reconstruct our war-devastated country. Millions of dollars were spent to host the event, but to repatriate about a million Liberian refugees from neighboring countries was, and is being, ignored. We have been had.
This administration has intentionally neglected to recondition roads, clinics, hospitals and schools. Electricity and pipe-borne water have instantly become luxury commodities. Employment opportunities have dissipated. Poverty is at an all-time high amid marked affluence. The flamboyant lifestyles of Benoni Urey, Emmanuel Shaw, Monie Captan, Daniel Chea, Blamo Nelson, Cyril Allen, Grace Minor, Sam Jackson, G. Baccus Matthews and others in Taylor’s inner circle come to mind, while legislators and other public servants are not paid salaries for months. Our confidence has been terrribly abused.

The absence of a free media, an independent judiciary and freedom of expression, punctuated by the unlimited assault of government censorship mechanisms, can immensely entrench despotism. Press censorship, harassment and intimidation are the order of the day as the Taylor regime threatens any challenges to vicious attacks on press freedom by his security goons. Taylorspeak has viciously deceived us.

Government’s recent invasion of the University of Liberia and the subsequent manhandling, torturing and rape of females and other students exercising their rights to free speech and peaceful assembly was a show of jungle justice, not the rule of law. That behavior stifles freedom of speech and engages in an essential denial of the basic tenets of democracy. Monrovia’s unabated intimidation of the media and human rights groups bespeaks the government’s growing insensitivity to the rapidly declining conditions of our people. That is a shame for all Liberians.

Mr. Taylor’s refusal to expel all RUF rebels, cease financial and military support for the RUF, stop importing uncertified Sierra Leonean diamonds, and freeze RUF funds has brought sanctions to Liberia. His not projecting the real story to Liberians is a gross disservice to the country. The sanctions will hurt Taylor and his friends who benefit from looting Sierra Leone’s blue diamonds while the Liberian government hosts Sam Bockarie in Sinoe County to train RUF rebels. Since Monrovia refuses to comply with those UN Security Council demands, many Liberians — who benefit not from the loot — support the sanctions. Taylor is to blame for the sanctions, no one else. We refuse to be had this time.

Continued here