Words on water bucket say: 'International Community'

The mouse on the bottom is saying: 'There's nowhere to run ... You

had better start helping put out the fire you started.'

                                                                                   [The Standard, Kenya]

The Standard, Kenya

U.S., Canada, Britain

Must Do More than

Ban Travel Visas …

"If these nations have evidence of people who were involved in heinous crimes - some bordering on crimes against humanity - then why not go the whole hog?"

EDITORIAL

February 8, 2008

Kenya - The Standard - Original Article (English)

Since violence broke out after the presidential election results were announced, foreign nations have appealed for calm, threatened to cut aid, and ban travel for individuals.

They had hoped to stop the killing and destruction of property and find a solution to our crippling political crisis by encouraging dialogue and reconciliation.

But their pleas have gone unheeded. Granted, there's an ongoing national dialogue, guns have fallen silent in some places and pangas, machetes and bows arrows may be gone from view in others.

But people who uprooted from their homes are still trapped in camps, having moved from places they call home and where they once eked out a livelihood WATCH .

But one thing hasn't changed one iota: Those who subverted democracy and planned, executed and fueled the violence still walk villages, towns and city scot-free. And these must necessarily be people with wherewithal - political, monetary or both.

That is why we welcome the decision of the United States, Canada and now Britain to revoke visas for politicians and other bigwigs who have subverted Kenyan democracy and sponsored violence.

For too long, enemies of democracy and perpetrators of ethnic clashes and anarchy have done so with impunity every election year and have never been forced to answer for their actions. But preventing them from visiting the United States, Canada or Britain is just a slap in the wrist. More must be done.

If these nations have evidence of people who were involved in heinous crimes - some bordering on crimes against humanity - then why not go the whole hog? In 2002, the comity of nations set up the International Criminal Court to try people who commit such crimes against groups and communities.

In taking this great stride, the world said it would never again countenance a Rwanda, a Yugoslavia or a Liberia. This is why the issue of Kenya mustn't stop at the cancellation of visas. Real action should also be taken against the suspects. We say this because barring them from their countries still won't stop them from going shopping or sending their children to schools and colleges elsewhere.

Other nations in Europe, Asia, the Americas and, dare we say, Africa, must follow suit. This is the only way to ensure that people whose stock-in-trade is violence and the subversion of democracy have no haven to retreat to.

Furthermore, these major nations shouldn't merely announce the action of banning visas without disclosing the names of those it has slapped the bans on. The identities of the banned should be disclosed so that there are shamed. This will make them pariahs not only in London and Washington, but also in Nairobi and their towns and villages. In addition, their accomplices must face trial and answer for their actions.

What these people have done has affected hundreds of thousands of people - if not millions - and none of their behavior can be purported to have been for the benefit of the public. The poor have born the brunt of the damage and are spending cold nights in displacement camps. The cost of disruption on education, business and normal life is mind-boggling.

But the merchants of war and death live in safe havens ringed by electric fences where want is never an issue.

The visa cancellations are a wake up call to the Government. What is it doing to ensure that those behind the most heinous crimes since the atrocities of the colonial era are brought to justice?

It must collect evidence and prosecute the suspects. In any case, have the crimes not been committed in its jurisdiction? If there is a time to shout about sovereignty, then this is the time.

It's gratifying that the Government, through its spokesman, Dr. Alfred Mutua, supports the visa revocation. The Government should now do its part.

[WORLDMEETS.US Posted Feb. 7, 2:05am]