The NEWS (Monrovia)
Alloycious David
5 September 2008
Monrovia — An American professor of Pan African Studies at California State University has recommended that the Liberian government make public apology and pay reparation for crimes committed against its citizens by previous governments.
Dr. Joseph Holloway who has written extensively on Liberia wants reparation channeled toward the construction of schools, roads, and health facilities in rural Liberia.
In a testimony at the ongoing Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Historical Review Hearings held Thursday, Prof. Holloway suggested that the TRC should recommend prosecution for past government officials who committed the most heinous economic and political crimes against their compatriots.
He also recommended that economic and political crimes committed by previous governments against the indigenous people by the True Whig Party (TWP) government be heard by the TRC.
Dr. Holloway admonished people in authority including President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf not to use their positions to protect groups that may have violated the human rights of other citizens.
He underscored the importance of government providing security and safety for innocent people whose rights were violated during the war, adding "let their rights be guaranteed from state of terrorism.
"The mandate of most Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRC) has been to discover and reveal past wrongdoings by governments. In the case of Liberia, one can argue that issues of class, culture, ethnicity and land are at the roots of the historical crisis," the American academia said.
Prof. Holloway further said "More importantly, the people and victims of internal unrest, civil wars and state terrorism have been left in a state of confusion because the new governments have established the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions based on the South African model, which has been controversial because many of the individuals accused of crimes against humanity are now part of those governments and go with impunity."
He called on government to dishonor those individuals who abused government offices at the expense of poor Liberians, and suggested that the TRC should recommend the removal of honors from individuals who abused government offices at the expense of its poor citizens.
He said symbolic places and institutions named in honor of such individuals should be cancelled.
Dr. Holloway noted that the naming of the James A. A. Pierre Institution of Law at the Supreme Court of Liberia should be questioned due to the role former Chief Justice Pierre played in abusing the laws of Liberia in many land dispute issues.
TRC Historical Review Hearings is being held under the theme: "Examining Liberia's Past: Reality, Myth, Falsehood and the Conflict."
The hearings have so far attracted several presentations from historians and religious leaders.
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