As the public awaits the outcome of the compensation claim by the victims of the SSU (Gard Bate) beatings near the National Assembly building on October 3, 2006, the establishment of a similar paramilitary force contravenes the report issued by the Irish judge. The Reilly report, issued over a year after the October 2006 events, made clear that the SSU (Special Support Unit) then commanded by Guy Roucou should be disbanded out of existence completely. It emphasized that any force for a graduated response should not be the SSU under another name. The government has paid lip service to the recommendations and set up the PSSW, made up of members of the SSU and the National guards. There are over 300 such men, based at ex-SSU base at Petit Paris, under the command of who else, but Guy Roucou! Who incidentally got promoted for dirty deeds on opposition supporters outside the National Library building on 3rd 0ctober 2006. The officers are on duty at the Montagne Posee Prison, Maison du Peuple, ministers' houses and other key points and are often armed with AK 47s.
Recommendation 8 of the Reilly report on policing states:
A public Order Unit should be established within the regular police consisting of properly trained regular police officers who when not acting as members of the unit should be conducting normal community policing duties and have a close involvement with the community. Furthermore, this unit should not be deployed until soft control methods have failed and the situation warrants it.
In addition the unit should reflect the other recommendations in the report regarding training, methods of responding to events and the proportionality of the response to these events.
All that has been ignored by President Michel and his government. If anything, the Reilly Commission served to whitewash the government as the costly exercise (in foreign currency) was highly applauded by foreign organisations and the diplomatic missions here. Some short-sighted people, including SNP leader Wavel Ramkalawan however viewed the findings as a boost to compensation claims. He made that clear at a meeting on Praslin prior to the National Assembly elections. Ramkalawan then claimed that this commission of inquiry will help him get compensation for his head injuries.
So far, the government, through the Attorney-General's Office has offered significant damages for Ramkalawan and his aide Jean-Francois Ferrari, but minimal sums to other SNP supporters who also sustained SSU beatings. We await the outcome of the case with utmost patience...