Zimbabwe: The destruction of Porta Farm

[Bodhisattva]

This is just both sick and depressing what is going on over there. What is even worse is how it is allowed to continue. This is the real threat on a massive plot of humanity :(

http://news.amnesty.org/pages/zwe-310506-news-eng

[Drizzt]

I wonder exactly what will be done about it.

Next thing you know the government there will be lining up these people and executing them. The surprise here is that U.N. Special Envoy was there as a witness to this. I wonder if we are going to see a repeat of Rwanda here.

Bodhisattva, you should post this on the other forums you frequent as well so there is more awareness of this problem.

[Bodhisattva]

Mmmm...indeed I will

[egarrard]

You ought to explain what you are talking about when you make a post. http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR460082006
Amnesty International today released the first-ever satellite images of the wholesale destruction of a large community in Zimbabwe -- providing the clearest possible evidence to date of the devastating impact of the Zimbabwean government's policy of house demolitions.

"These satellite images are irrefutable evidence -- if further evidence is even needed -- that the Zimbabwean government has obliterated entire communities -- completely erased them from the map, as if they never existed," said Kolawole Olaniyan, Director of Amnesty International's Africa programme.

The organization commissioned the satellite images to demonstrate the complete destruction of Porta Farm -- a large, informal settlement that was established 16 years ago and had schools, a children's centre and a mosque. The organization also released graphic video footage showing the forced evictions taking place prior to the demolitions.

"The images and footage are a graphic indictment of the Zimbabwean government's policies. They show the horrifying transition of an area from a vibrant community to rubble and shrubs -- in the space of just ten months," said Kolawole Olaniyan.

On 27 June 2005, approximately one month after the start of Operation Murambatsvina ("Restore Order"), police officers came to Porta Farm and distributed fliers telling residents to pack up their property and leave their homes. The police told the residents they would be back the following morning, giving them less than 24 hours to comply.

Early in the morning of 28 June, a convoy of vehicles and police descended on Porta Farm. The police were heavily armed.

Residents watched helplessly as bulldozers and police officers in riot gear reduced their homes to rubble. Police officers reportedly threatened the residents, saying anyone who resisted eviction would be beaten. The destruction of Porta Farm went on all day -- only ending when darkness fell. Thousands of people were forced to sleep outside in the rubble in mid-winter.

The next day, the police returned to continue with the demolitions. They also began to forcibly remove people on the back of trucks.

The Porta Farm evictions took place while the UN Special Envoy, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, was in Zimbabwe. On 29 June members of the Special Envoy’s team visited Porta Farm and witnessed demolitions and forced removal of people in police and government trucks. The subsequent report of the UN Special Envoy describes how the team was "shocked by the brutality" of what they witnessed. Local human rights monitors reported that during the chaos several deaths occurred, including those of two children.

In May 2005 the government of Zimbabwe embarked on Operation Murambatsvina (Restore Order), a programme of mass forced evictions and the demolition of homes and informal businesses. The operation, which was carried out in winter and against a backdrop of severe food shortages, targeted poor urban and peri-urban areas countrywide.

In a critical report released on 22 July 2005 the United Nations (UN) estimated that in the space of approximately six weeks some 700,000 people lost their homes, their livelihoods, or both.

The communities affected by Operation Murambatsvina were amongst the poorest and most vulnerable in Zimbabwe. In several cases, such as Porta Farm, they had been the victims of previous forced evictions carried out by the authorities. They were given almost no notice before their homes were demolished and no alternative accommodation was provided. The government stated publicly that the evictees should go back to the rural areas.

The satellite images released by Amnesty International were analysed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, with funding from the MacArthur Foundation in the US. Rwanda, Mozambique, Somalia, and now this. It just goes to show why the majority in America do not like the UN. The Third World may be physically the same as us, but socially and morally, they are centuries behind. But, to use the argument that is raised against the US being in Iraq, it's their country and they can run it as they see fit. If they want to "renovate" a village, who are we to agrue? :Blah

[Drizzt]

We aren't talking about affecting a single community here. This is having a devastating effect on almost 3/4 of a million people! What's next? Mass executions? I would really hate to see another massacre like Rwanda here.

We are not talking about Iraq here where the U.S. and Britain took it upon themselves to be the world's police - that is water under the bridge. We are talking about the U.N. sitting on their collective hands watching while the homes and livelihoods of all of these people -- people who will now be begging for help from the rest of the world to feed via every charity -- are destroyed wholesale. Maybe the governemt is hoping for just that so that they can skim some of that nice influx of charity money for themselves.

To inflict this on your people is a crime and the U.N. (not just the U.S.!) must step in and stop this inhuman travesty now before it goes too far.

The only way I can see for that to happen is for the people of the world (not just the U.S.) to protest this lack of immediate action by the U.N. Then, just maybe, the U.N. delegates will get off their fat asses and do something about it.

I for one will be repeating this message on every one of the sites I frequent. I hope that others will follow suit. Many voices will swallow the background noise that would otherwise drown out a single voice.

[eire1274]

We aren't talking about affecting a single community here. This is having a devastating effect on almost 3/4 of a million people! What's next? Mass executions? I would really hate to see another massacre like Rwanda here.
But, that's it, isn't it? What are we, the first world, supposed to do? Every time we get lured into going out on a police action, we get our guys killed "because we are the good guys, and taking decisive action is impolite.

If we go and try to save them, there will be tons of articles saying that we, the first world, is trying to erase their culture and replace it with ours. If we don't, based on our respect for their culture, they will erase it (often brutally) without our assistance, anyway.

What is the solution?

[Drizzt]

There is a difference between the U.N. taking decisive military (or other) action based on the majority consensus of the first world countries and one or two of the strongest countries taking it upon themselves to do it without that consensus.

This it not a problem for only one or two counties to solve any more than Iraq was. It is a problem for all of the first world countries to solve together. This is after all the entire purpose for having a world council like the U.N. The rest of the world has to be the ones to stand up and tell the Zimbabwe government that this will not be tolerated. This is the only way that such an action would be tolerated and condoned. Sadly the worlds first world countries seem to have problems agreeing on anything.

The only way I can think of to get this consensus -- and please correct me if I am wrong here -- is for the voices of people in each of these first world countries to make it clear to their delegates that this must not be allowed to continue and must be handled before it comes down to genocide again. This voicing can be in the form of petitions to your respective delegates.

If you want to do something about this you can sign a petition here requesting U.N. action against the crimes being committed in Zimbabwe:

Petition for the United Nations Intervention in Zimbabwe (http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/290921785?ltl=1149187936)


I have already done so.

[egarrard]

There is a difference between the U.N. taking decisive military (or other) action based on the majority consensus of the first world countries and one or two of the strongest countries taking it upon themselves to do it without that consensus. Where are the majority of the members in the UN from? The Third World. If they can't stop this slaughter on their own, how can we expect a bigger group of them to stop it? We can't. That's why the US and other first world countries have to step in. Because nobody else will do it (or has the power to do it).

Why don't the African nations deal with this destruction? Because they see nothing wrong with what Zimbabwe is doing.

[Bodhisattva]

You ought to explain what you are talking about when you make a post. http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR460082006
Rwanda, Mozambique, Somalia, and now this. It just goes to show why the majority in America do not like the UN. The Third World may be physically the same as us, but socially and morally, they are centuries behind. But, to use the argument that is raised against the US being in Iraq, it's their country and they can run it as they see fit. If they want to "renovate" a village, who are we to agrue? :Blah


Oh right, I should have but after seeing your own posts I figured that was the norm. Sorry.

[eire1274]

Oh right, I should have but after seeing your own posts I figured that was the norm. Sorry.
Oh, it begins again.

Look... I have a solution.

It involves nuclear weapons. And gunfire.

On a large scale.

See, drop bombs on every known populated area, worldwide. Then go out and kill everyone else who you missed. Then shoot yourself in the head.

Now, there are no people, so therefore there won't be any problems. Right?

...

...

Why do we discuss this crap? If we (and yes, I'm saying the US and Canada) go out and correct the world's problems, we are bad guys because we are crushing cultures. If we don't go out and rather let the problems continue on their own, we are bad guys because we have the power to stop it but chose not to.

Screw it all.

[Drizzt]

Where are the majority of the members in the UN from? The Third World. If they can't stop this slaughter on their own, how can we expect a bigger group of them to stop it? We can't. That's why the US and other first world countries have to step in. Because nobody else will do it (or has the power to do it).

Why don't the African nations deal with this destruction? Because they see nothing wrong with what Zimbabwe is doing.

Remember also that the First World Nations are also in the U.N. and THEY hold the majority of power there, not the third world nations who are hardly heard. Why don't the African nations deal with it? Maybe because they will be stomped on by the First world nations like the U.S. the minute they try and they certainly don't have the power to take on a major power like the U.S, Britain or even lowly Canada. That is why the entire U.N. is necessary to sanction the action. Because if everyone is in accord to do something, it can be done without fear of reprisals from the superpowers.

Why the arguments egarrard? Is trying to do something good in this world an issue for you? I don't get it.

[eire1274]

Why the arguments egarrard? Is trying to do something good in this world an issue for you? I don't get it.
I was going to PM you, Drizzt, but you seem to have yourself unsubscribed from that...

Ed is playing the reverse role. The US messed with Afghanistan and Iraq, and is being lambasted for it currently, due to our trampling on another culture. I explained it in my previous post... you'll get guff no matter which way you go.

Sorry for addressing this for you, Ed.

[deathrow]

Why the arguments egarrard? Is trying to do something good in this world an issue for you? I don't get it.

Becuase he says the truth. The superpowers of the world always end up picking up other peoples messes. Then getting blammed for everything else that goes wrong.

Maybe the first world countries should break off from the UN and not deal with this. I have a great idea for America, dont be bothered with these kind of things, pull out of Iraq and put all troops on our borders like so many other countries and be done.

[Drizzt]

I was going to PM you, Drizzt, but you seem to have yourself unsubscribed from that...

Ed is playing the reverse role. The US messed with Afghanistan and Iraq, and is being lambasted for it currently, due to our trampling on another culture. I explained it in my previous post... you'll get guff no matter which way you go.

Sorry for addressing this for you, Ed.

Yes, I have no use for the PM system.

Yes, the US messed with Iraq and got lambasted by the world for it. Afghanistan was something else altogether though. The US is not being seen as the bad guys over Afghanistan because it was recognized world wide as necessary to root out Osama bin Laden - the architect of the 9/11 attacks. In fact it seems Canada will be taking over leadership of Afghanistan since the U.S. seems to have lost interest in it.

This is why I have said in this thread over and over again that any action happening in Zimbabwe must be sanctioned by the UN before the world would see it as justified. Afghanistan was sanctioned - not Iraq.

All bodhisattva and I are trying to do with this thread is raise some awareness show that there are some possibilities on how it might be righted. We are not suggesting that the US to go in and stomp them into mush. Nowhere have we posted in this thread that they should. We are suggesting putting pressure on the UN to do something about it as a world-sanctioned action or at least the members of the UN that have the most power in the UN Security Council - China, France, The U.S.S.R., The U.K., and the U.S.

Is that so wrong that it requires exhaustive discussions to defend it? If it does, things are in a very sad way around here.

[Bodhisattva]

Becuase he says the truth. The superpowers of the world always end up picking up other peoples messes. Then getting blammed for everything else that goes wrong.

Maybe the first world countries should break off from the UN and not deal with this. I have a great idea for America, dont be bothered with these kind of things, pull out of Iraq and put all troops on our borders like so many other countries and be done.


See that is arrogance speaking there, sorry to say/no offense. When I initially said "What is even worse is how it is allowed to continue?", why does one assume I am speaking of solely of the US or Canada? That only stems from inward looking. The world as a whole should step up and not allow these types of things to happen, educate with compassion not with force. Not only do leaders and those with a voice need to yell but also the average citizen.

Drop the whole Iraq bit because that was a decision, made without unanimous support, by a small commity of greedy *****s. The world or general public never had a say from day one. There was no right to be there in the 1st place and diplomacy was ignored and shunned. This is totally different.