25 January 2000 – for immediate release “STITCH-UP” WARNING ON SIERRA LEONE TRUTH COMMISSION BILL ARTICLE 19 today called upon the Government of Sierra Leone to allow time for extensive public consultations on legislation which will establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The international rights organisation cautioned the government against an excessive rush to […]
25 January 2000 – for immediate release
“STITCH-UP” WARNING ON SIERRA LEONE TRUTH COMMISSION BILL
ARTICLE 19 today called upon the Government of Sierra Leone to allow time for extensive public consultations on legislation which will establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The international rights organisation cautioned the government against an excessive rush to get a new law on the books, recommending a minimum of three weeks for discussion.
As the first organisation to have called for a Truth Commission in Sierra Leone, ARTICLE 19 is also calling on the cabinet – reportedly due to consider a draft Bill over the next few days – to fully take on board recommendations from the Working Group on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a coalition of over forty Sierra Leonean civil society groups and religious bodies. Two particularly important issues for the credibility of the TRC identified by the Working Group are that it should have international commissioners (including an international chairperson) and powers to compel individuals to give evidence.
Andrew Puddephatt, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19, said today:
“For the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to have public understanding and support, ordinary Sierra Leoneans must have an adequate opportunity to consider proposed legislation and to feed back their views to government and parliamentarians. The Government of Sierra Leone can lead the way in this by supporting a process of extensive public consultations about its Bill.”
ARTICLE 19 today also called on the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue its excellent work by circulating as widely as possible copies of their proposals for the TRC, the product of extensive consultation and submitted to the government in December 1999. This has not yet happened. It is important that these are available as a point of reference for civil society to consider against any draft legislation produced by the government.
On the proposals of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Andrew Puddephatt added:
“While we are overall very positive about the proposals, ARTICLE 19 is concerned that they give a place on the panel which will select commissioners for the TRC to the National Commission for Democracy and Human Rights, should the new Human Rights Commission which is to replace it not have been inaugurated by the time the panel sits. The presence of the National Commission, which is a government body and largely discredited, would give the government a disproportionate voice on the selection panel. This issue underscores the importance of establishing the new independent Human Rights Commission as soon as possible.”
