South Yemen in physician-patient relations [Archives:2007/1092/Opinion]
By: Ali Haitham Al-Gharib
Restoring confiscated property to its owners in South Yemen is a new manifestation of unity and democracy. This also gives communities in the north and south parts of Yemen a noble goal in harmony with their historic message. The Yemeni people then perceive that addressing persisting issues in the south is indispensable for the future of unity and the fate of democracy, as well as the unified Arab civilization. This designates the overall responsibility required from all the Yemeni people and philanthropists in the south to help take their homeland to the safe side. The weakness of this stage in the unity's history is the product of scandalously disclosing all the crimes committed in the south, on the one hand, and the destructive capacities of the political regime in curing wounds, on the other.
Over the past few days, we provided sincere suggestions about persisting issues in South Yemen, one of which is the recommendation that Mr. President issues a republican decree confirming that what happened after 1994 Civil War such as lootings and right abuses are inauthentic and baseless in order to satisfy popular feelings.
This suggestion was hailed by most of the committees that visited Aden and the political and social community as well, but members of these committees themselves are still confused like they were prior to the retirees' uprising. And, the retirees find themselves in the face of different allegations, solutions and fears.
The government confuses itself once again with falsely invented suspicions and interrogations while military, security and civil retirees are anticipating what the government will say to them. Why such decisions are taken hurriedly nationwide, but nothing of them is applied in real-life situation. People in streets say that authorities behave in a way fragmenting the nation and abusing rights of retirees, and a thorough reading of the situation provokes laughter and absurdity.
People! What do you fear? Is it too difficult to assess what happens in the south? Is it impossible to understand the objective relationship between these phenomena and the peaceful struggle of those whose rights to enjoy equal citizenship and live in peace were confiscated. We are not against the notion that our initiatives, demands and suggestions are presented for serious discussion with the relevant agencies, and in light of our culture, this is a normal matter.
The most important thing is that this discussion aims to seek acceptable and noble solutions to the problems, but not to search for the means of oppression once again. There are many people who want to mislead the public opinion regarding the demands listed by security and military pensioners, as well as the other human right issues presented to the presidential committee for discussion.
The pens of propaganda are coming together in Sana'a, thereby fomenting the sedition over what is happening in the south, alleging that the oppressed retirees are traitors for the west. In addition, the pro-government media accused the oppressed retirees, who voice their concerns via peaceful means, of being defectors and instigators of violence, and we are expecting more charges and accusations to emerge in the days to come. By this behavior, the official media wants to say to the public opinion, “See! The government is searching for solutions to retirees' issues while locals in the southern governorates are insisting to foment violence. But the real fact is that citizens in the south can no longer tolerate the way the authorities treat them, delay discussing their issues, and therefore use the military force against them. In the meantime, the government is only busy in its decisions, of which nothing is applied in real-life situation, but it has plans to silence any voices claiming legal rights.
Is returning property to their owners, who have been claiming them for nearly 13 years, not the best means and way for supporting the national unity? The concept of 'Unity sealed with blood' seems to be outdated, and we should rather shift our attention to another matter that is putting a stop the spread of the 'apostasy culture'.
Source: Al-Ayyam Daily
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