Annas [Archives:2004/699/Press Review]

29 Dec. 2003.
Main headlines
– Security apparatus continues its arrest campaign amidst students of Sana'a University
– At his assassination anniversary, civil activities pressing towards opening the investigation file of Jarallah Omer killing
– A killing issue blasts a tribal conflict in Abyan

Columnist Ali al-Surari says in an article that step by step Yemen is returning to periods of despotism, to the period before democracy. At the time when the political system in Yemen can be considered as one of the emerging democracies in the world and in encouragement to it in order to develop itself to the better it has been allowed to hold an international conference for emerging democracies in 2000 and then the conference was deemed a message to the Arab countries near to Yemen. But Yemen is no longer able to offer the example that is good to follow suit.
While preparations are underway for holding an international conference on democracies and human rights under auspices of the European Union and Yemen has been selected to be its venue the Yemeni authorities and through their security bodies began attempting to prevent a student meeting of the Sana'a university, chasing the students and arresting many of them since last Tuesday. This would be an evident that the country is not qualified to be an example on how to follow the course of democracy.
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