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DAM-L Kenyan Dam activist harrassed, arrested/LS (fwd)
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Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 14:12:02 -0800
To: irn-safrica@netvista.net
From: Lori Pottinger <lori@irn.org>
Subject: Kenyan Dam activist harrassed, arrested/LS
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For more information, contact argwings@freedom.usa.com
AFRICA WATER NETWORK
IN PARTNERSHIP
SONDU-MIRIU COMMUNITY ADVOCACY GROUP
PRESS STATEMENT
Harrassment and Intimidation In Sondu Miriu
We, the undersigned, wish to protest a Government attempt to muzzle
the voice of the communities in Nyanza at the Sondu-Miriu Hydro power
project through the arrest of journalist Argwings Odera and the
intimidation of environmental activists Pireh Otieno and Duncan Odima.
This is a ploy to ensure that members of the community affected by
the project in Nyanza do not get to meet with the Japanese Prime
Minister during his scheduled visit to Kenya and JICA assisted
project from January 10.
Hate callers to our offices have warned us that men in Nyakach and
Kabondo constituencies will be thrashed and their women raped if they
dare say anything negative about the project during the scheduled
visit. We have been warned that our families will suffer our
"hard-headedness" if we do not behave.
This move to shut up the community was clearly illustrated on
December 26 during the arrest, torture, incerceration and subsequent
arraignment in court with political charges of journalist Argwings
Odera who has been involved in investigating this project for the
last two years.
Police shot at members of the community who were witnessing the
nine-hour arrest of the journalist. The Nyando District Criminal
Investigating Officer, a Mr Otieno, and the Deputy OCPD, a Mr Kola,
are detaining our project vehicle at Ahero Police Station unless we
pay Kshs20,000 for the 100 bullets "wasted" when police shot at the
community members and Mr Odera on December 26.
Special Branch officers have been visiting our offices and the homes
of the two activists demanding to know their whereabouts. The
activists have subsequently been rendered ineffective in preparing
the community for this meeting with the Prime Minister who was coming
ostensibly to bring funds for the Sondu-Miriu project and another
funding for an AIDS project.
Funding for the second phase of the dam project was put on hold
December 9 after the Japanese Parliament came to learn of the gross
human rights abuse of community members and employees at the dam
project and incidences of high level corruption.
We call upon the government to cease immediately this harassment and
intimidation of the Nyakach and Kabondo communities and desist from
harassment and torture of people involved in the project.
We were assured no no future harassment or arrest in Sondu during a
meeting on December 12 at meeting with the project funders,
JBIC-Japan, proof of which we submit to you. The bank requested us to
prepare the community for the meeting. Many days later, this is what
befalls us!
Let the truth about the project be told to the Prime Minister by the
affected community members and the employees.
Signed:
Pireh Otieno Africa Water Network
Duncan Odima Sondu-Miriu Community Advocacy
Argwings Odera AWN Associate
--
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
and Editor, World Rivers Review
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
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