AS usual, the government/SPPF propaganda machine went into full gear to give a different impression to the unwary members of the public as to why the United Nations was sponsoring a two week workshop to teach instructors how to teach human rights especially to police officers. The propaganda makes no reference to the fact that, last year the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) sent a consultant to Seychelles to find out exactly what the condition of human rights in Seychelles actually is. The result of the consultation was a report which raised serious concerns about the lack of human rights awareness especially from the police, judges and magistrates.
Bear in mind that during the one-party state under SPPF, fundamental human rights did not exist. In 1984, Amnesty International issued its first report on the state of human rights in Seychelles documenting instances of disappearances, extra-judicial killings and imprisonment without charge or trial.
Here is how the consultant's report introduced the issue of human rights in Seychelles in July 2007. After you have read it you would understand why President Michel wants to talk about the Constitution during 2008, and why the official propaganda concentrates on the Seychellois Charter of Fundamental Human Rights issues.
Human Rights Issues and Priorities in Seychelles
It is true that Seychelles is doing relatively well when compared with other African countries. Further, the change from one party rule to multi-party democracy was peaceful and definitely a move towards democracy and a culture of human rights.
However, the consultations and document review illustrated that human rights concerns remained and it is civil and political rights that are seen as most problematic. The issue that people were most vocal about is the excessive use of force by the police, especially the Special Support Unit. It was acknowledged, however, that the police have improved in some areas such as detention beyond 24 hours (which is prohibited by the Constitution) and unlawful detention.
Another significant issue is around freedom of speech, expression and association. There is a culture of self-censorship due to fear of reprisals by the state, especially related to denial of “security clearance” or denial of “licenses” which are necessary to carry out all major activities in Seychelles.
Further, there is concern about the role of the judiciary and whether it is truly impartial. Similar concerns were raised about the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), and the role of the media generally was of concern to many people.
Other issues that were found, generally, related to human rights include:
The “politicisation” of human rights. The use of the “terminology” of human rights was seen almost automatically as an affront and criticism of the state;
Lack of accurate human rights documentation and alleged incidents of violations;
Lack of awareness and understanding of rights by both government and the general public. Due to a lack of understanding, rights were seen as problematic rather than potentially empowering;
The lack of implementation of human rights treaties was also seen as a problem. The question of making rights “real” for people at the grassroots level was raised;
The relationship between independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government was seen as very problematic, and one generally of mistrust and suspicion; and
The lack of an independent human rights institution was also raised as a significant challenge that exacerbates human rights issues in Seychelles.
Thus, the priority issues that are to be addressed include training for the police as well as a general human rights awareness campaign for the Seychellois. These are discussed in the sections that follow.