Rough Justice

Is This The Seychelles Way?

A contingent of over 30 riot police used batons, tear gas and rubber bullets to break up a crowd of 20 opposition sympathisers, in danger of growing 60-strong, gathered in a peaceful but unauthorised demonstration outside the National Assembly building on Tuesday this week.

During the operation the Leader of the Opposition, Honourable Wavel Ramkalawan was beaten up by the riot police and sustained at least one head injury whilst Seychelles National Party (SNP) Executive Committee member, Mr. Jean-François Ferrari, sustained at least three head wounds from blows to his head and body. They both had to be hospitalised. The SNP Secretary-General, Mr. Roger Mancienne, was arrested and detained in police custody.

According to the SNP, the party had called its supporters to gather at the National Assembly during the debate to amend the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Act, to sign a petition calling on the President, Mr. James Michel, not to sign the amendment into law if it was voted through. If passed, the new law would deny political parties and religious organisations the right to establish private radio stations.

After the attack on Mr. Ramkalawan the situation got out of control when the police started firing tear-gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. There a number of injuries. The crowd dispersed into the centre of town, where some shop windows of the state-owned Seychelles Marketing Board were smashed, before gathering outside the Central Police Station to demand the release of Mancienne.

Following the incident Police Commissioner, Gerard Waye-Hive who still holds his army rank of Major, went on SBC-TV to praise the action of his police officers who he said had to take action to disperse the crowd before it got out of control. He accepted that the assembly although ‘illegal’ had been peaceful until after Mr. Ramkalawan emerged to talk to the crowd.

“When Mr. Ramkalawan returned to the National Assembly, he was asked to be searched by the police under special procedures. He refused and tried to hit one of our officers and that was when the other officers present intervened and Mr. Ramkalawan was injured.”

But the Seychelles National Party has since come out with a different version of events. In a press communiqué , the party said: “As supporters of the SNP arrived outside the National Assembly in response to the invitation to sign the petition, the security forces, principally the anti-riot Special Support Unit (SSU) of the police, promptly intervened and assaulted those present with truncheons in order to disperse them. “

“Onlookers state that no time was given to them to disperse after they had been requested to do so. Several supporters, including aged women, were assaulted. Jean-Francois Ferrari was set upon by a number of SSU officers within the precincts of the Assembly and repeatedly assaulted about the head suffering several deep cuts to the head. Clothes were tom off a woman supporter by the SSU.”

“Ramkalawan, who had left the Chamber and come to the main door of the Assembly building was, together with the lawyer of the SNP, speaking to senior officers of the regular police on the front steps of the building on how to manage the crowd when he was set upon by SSU personnel, dragged back into the Assembly building and in turn assaulted by the SSU, suffering a deep cut to the head. It was only due to the intervention of Ramkalawan's security personnel that he and Ferrari were prevented from sustaining further injury and brought to the hospital. They were both immediately hospitalised for treatment and observation. Those present were dispersed by tear gas without having had the opportunity to complete signing the petition,” the communiqué continued.

Upon his return from a trip in Europe, President Michel has said that he was kept abreast of the ongoing operation in Seychelles and he was satisfied with the way the situation had been handled.

Nevertheless the question remains as to why a government democratically elected just two months ago saw it fit to use such heavy handed tactics to break up a small crowd gathered in a peaceful demonstration. President Michel has his work cut out to prove to the Seychellois people and the international community that he is a man of dialogue and is not running a repressive regime.

Copyright 2006: Seychelles Weekly, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles
October 6, 2006