As Demands remain unmet, retirees threaten to continue protests [Archives:2007/1082/Front Page]
Mohammed Bin Sallam
SANA'A, Sept. 2 ) Thousands of military and civil retirees poured into the streets of different southern and eastern governorates on Saturday in angry protests, imploring the government to listen to their demands and not to ignore their problems. The fiercest of them was staged in the city of Mukalla in Hadramout in which bloody clashes took place between policemen and protestors.
The security forces attempted to disperse the crowds by force and in fact arrested many of them. It has been learned that at least two people were killed and tens of protestors, along with policemen were injured in the clashes that drove rioters to damage cars and destroy trade stores.
The clashes broke out at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday following a peaceful demonstration that was organized by the Political and Public Function Coordination Committee and Military and Civil Retirees Coordination Council in Hadramout, as well as other social forums.
Furthermore, on the same day, Aden city experienced heavy deployment of security personnel in most of the city's intersections after clashes between protestors and policemen broke out in the Sheikh Othman and Khor Maksar neighborhoods. During the clashes, 3 protestors were killed and 400 others injured. Most of those arrested, however, were released on the same day. Also, security forces prevented the crowd from holding a sit-in in Aden and vehemently dispersed those who started to gather with sticks and rubber bullets.
A security source said to the media that the retirees were prevented from staging a sit-in under the subterfuge that they haven't obtained an official permission from the security authorities. Additionally, he accused the protestors of hurling stones at policemen, which forced them to react in kind. However, eyewitnesses denied that protestors hurled stones at policemen.
In Khor Maksar, where the military and civil retirees' societies had been expected to stage a sit-in, military and security troops, along with armored vehicles closed all the entrances leading to the area and put cement barriers in the streets. Such measures even prevented government employees from going to their jobs in the nearby areas.
In Al-Salam Sport Stadium in Tawr Al-Baha, Lahj governorate, a huge rally was held to protest against poor living standards, rampant corruption, abject poverty, unemployment and skyrocketing prices of foodstuffs.
Speeches and poems criticizing poverty, corruption, unemployment and price hikes were given during the rally, which was held in the presence of the Military and Civil Retirees' Society, civil community activists, sheikhs, social personalities and thousands of citizens from nearby areas.
In Al-Mahfad district, Abyan governorate, a large number of army and civil pensioners, along with ordinary citizens, joined a peaceful demonstration. They, like their fellow counterparts around the country, chanted slogans denouncing corruption and price hikes. Another rally, involving hundreds of locals, was organized by the retirees' society, Idle Youth Society and JMP, in Rasd district.
The society of military, civil retirees and dismissed servants in the areas of Yafe', Labous, Yahr, Al-Had and Al-Muflihi in Lahj governorate held a peaceful sit-in at the local authority's building.
In Al-Dhale' governorate, a massive demonstration was staged in protest against the crackdown on Aden protesters. Citizens confirmed that demonstrators in Al-Dhale' blocked the Sana'a-Aden Highway for more than five hours and categorically denounced the assaults on protestors in other governorates.
The protesters around the country arrived at one powerful and unified consensus: the reinstatement of retirees, who were referred to pensions after 1994, and the resolution of the situations of those who were dismissed from their jobs before and after 1994. Other demands include considering petitions and complaints of retirees whose property was looted by the elite.
Furthermore, the protestors are insisting that the government tackle unemployment among youths, create more job opportunities and help the facilitation of youths into universities, military academies through scholarships. The angry protestors vowed to continue their peaceful struggle until they attain all their legal rights. According to them, this is a vindication for the reservation of national principles, protecting national solidarity and strengthening justice.
JMP denounced all the security and administrative procedures, in addition to the decisions that have been so far taken by the local authorities in Aden and Hadramout. Thus, this is preventing citizens from voicing their demands peacefully as ensured by the constitution. According to the opposition parties, such procedures are flagrant violations of the government's duty to uphold the constitution.
JMP also called for an investigation to question government officials, who are responsible for what happened on Saturday. The opposition parties reaffirmed their stance that these wrong policies do not bode well for maintaining peace, security and stability throughout the country.
The Forgiving, Conciliation and Solidarity Forums released a statement on Saturday deploring the behavior exercised by the security authorities in Aden governorate and their crackdown in protestors in different parts of the governorate.
“Through their behavior, the security authorities have demonstrated that they are willing to divide people of the same nation, particularly the allowance of citizens in the northern governorates to hold demonstrations, while at the same time preventing those living in the southern governorates from voicing their concerns and demands,” the statement said. “Such a discriminative behavior contradicts the simplest values of equal citizenship and national principles.” The forums statement went on to say, “such conduct is a flagrant violations of the Constitution and human rights conventions, which Yemen endorsed and committed itself to protect.”
“Resolving the issue of retirees and those dismissed from their jobs demands serious dialogues between authorities and representatives of the pensioners councils. The situation requires the authorities to take a principled decision to prevent such egregious acts against retirees,” it concluded.
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