June 2, 2006

THE DAY THE TORCH OF FREEDOM WAS EXTINGUISHED IN SEYCHELLES

The 5th June 1977, will forever remain as the day of infamy in the history of our country.

On that day, a group of power hungry individuals, led by France Albert Rene, committed treason, a capital crime that has no statute of limitation. The crime was compounded by the fact that France Albert Rene was Prime Minister under the Constitution and he had sworn allegiance to that Constitution and to his President James R Mancham.

On that day two innocent individuals were slaughtered in cold blood.

Constable Berard Jeannie an unarmed police officer was gunned down at his post without mercy by assailants drunk for power.

Davidson Chang Him, an innocent bystander was gunned down by a criminal thug on the steps of the Central Police Station without mercy.

More killings and disappearances of innocent Seychellois took place during the 15 years of the one-party state communist dictatorship that 5th June brought about. Today we list some of them and pay homage to them:

Gilbert Morgan, Hassanali, Francis Rachel, Hoffman, Sonny Elizabeth, Simon Denousse, Mike Asher, Alton Ahtime, Gerard Hoareau and all those we may have missed out.

Today we also pay homage to the hundreds who were arrested without charge or trial, who languished in prison for months and some for years and to the thousands who chose to flee their country to live in exile abroad rather than live under a communist dictatorship.

Today we pay homage too, to the valiant few who sacrificed their lives to struggle selflessly to restore the torch of freedom.

Let those who wish to continue manipulating the truth from the people and who refuse to take the offer of national reconciliation seriously realise that the only alternative to it is justice and a truth commission.