Monrovia — The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission(JPC) yesterday expressed fears of another civil uprising proportional to the December 24, 1989 insurrection by the defunct NPFL against the regime of the late Samuel K. Doe.

The JPC said it was considering the negative trend of events unfolding in the country, especially as it relates to the numerous security excesses as the basis for its fears.

The observation by the JPC was made by the commission's Acting National Director, Cllr. Frances Johnson-Morris, at a news conference at which she presented her commission's Annual Situation Report for 2001.

The 21-page document covers human rights abuses, press freedom, the Judiciary, the political, economic and military situations in the country, as well as the Legislature.

The JPC Acting National Director said the stability of any nation depends upon the cordiality between its security operatives and the citizenry. "It goes without saying that any nation which institutionalizes a culture of impunity in the face of security excesses and condones general misconduct on the part of the security personnel is heading for chaos," Cllr. Morris said.

During the period under review, she said the commission observed that security excesses were very high. She maintained that this has subjected the civilian population to constant fear and intimidation.

"Regrettably, either by design or sheer lack of political willpower, the government miserably failed to institute corrective measures Justice,in addressing itself to this menace," she noted.

Cllr. Morris, a former Chief said the JPC has over and again urged the government to take steps in checking the numerous "atrocities" that were committed by national security operatives against the civilian populace.

She cited the recent student demonstration in Gbarnga, Bong County, where students had protested the gruesome killing of their colleague, John Kpannah, allegedly by Police Commander Isaac Railey, as a classic example of the consequences of a culture of impunity.

"It is interesting to note that since the Gbarnga incident, government has yet to formally charge Col. Railey and officer Johnson Wonpea, who also shot and killed another student, little Morris Johnson, during the demonstration," the JPC Director added.

The JPC, Cllr. Johnson-Morris said, entertains the hope that the case of Col. Railey and officer Wonpea would not turn out to be like the case of Brown Saywon, an ATU officer who shot and killed his mother and pissed on her body.

"The perpetrator was reportedly taken to the ATU Gbartala Base, where he was said to have received a standing ovation from friends and authorities for his gallantry and bravery in killing his own mother," Cllr. Morris said.

Meanwhile, the JPC report cataloged over ten possible incidents of state security excesses during the period under review.

Among them is the July 27 incident at which time Lt. David Sirlee of the Bureau of Immigration assigned in Bong County was severely flogged by officers of the Police Special Operation Division(SOD), which may have led to the victim's death. She also spoke of the June 1 episode involving Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Derrick Dunbar, who was said to have been mercilessly flogged by one "General Second to God" of the State Security operatives for using the vehicle of the late Youth & Sports Minister Francois Massaquoi on the Gardnersville Road.

Others, according to the report, were the October 29 incident when officers of the ATU acted on the orders of the now jailed suspended Deputy Labour Minister, Bedell Fahn, and tortured to death a Nigerian, James Enakerakpo, and the September 5 incident when an officer of the Armed Forces of Liberia allegedly shot and killed a 40-year lady in Gardnersville, etc.

On several other issues, the JPC Acting Director described her relations with the Ministry of Justice as "poor" and pledged that the commission's goal for 2002 is to increase its civic education campaign in order to empower the locals to know and pursue their respective rights.

As usual, Cllr. Morris said the report will be distributed among foreign embassies, the Government of Liberia, its(JPC) donors, among others.