Letter from Yarl's wood detention centre
megan | 05.10.2005 21:45
Many Ugandan women are awaiting deportation from the UK to Uganda. The UK government maintains that Uganda is a safe country to return to in spite of the war in the north which has raged for 18 years and the repressive means by with President Yoweri Musoveni maintains power.
extract of a letter from a woman in detention who would like to remain anonymous at this stage:
'....Well I have enclosed some news reports about events and the undemocratic behaviours that are taking place in my country Uganda and I have a reason to say that I am so worried about our deportations that are taking place today because the government of Uganda is trying to create a very good image to the government of the UK that Musoveni is a good man. He is trying to protect his image but he is the most corrupt president I have ever known in my life.'
People who have lost their case for asylum in the UK and are returned to Uganda by immigration are scapegoated by the government and exposed in the media for tarnishing the image of the country abroad and accused of being responsible for the withdrawal of aid to Uganda by countries unhappy with their human rights records.
Amnesty International report on Uganda. 2004.:
http://web.amnesty.org/report2004/uga-summary-eng
The report includes evidence of widespread violence towards women and children, torture and death in custody, restrictions on freedom of expression and harassment of political opponents.
'....Well I have enclosed some news reports about events and the undemocratic behaviours that are taking place in my country Uganda and I have a reason to say that I am so worried about our deportations that are taking place today because the government of Uganda is trying to create a very good image to the government of the UK that Musoveni is a good man. He is trying to protect his image but he is the most corrupt president I have ever known in my life.'
People who have lost their case for asylum in the UK and are returned to Uganda by immigration are scapegoated by the government and exposed in the media for tarnishing the image of the country abroad and accused of being responsible for the withdrawal of aid to Uganda by countries unhappy with their human rights records.
Amnesty International report on Uganda. 2004.:
http://web.amnesty.org/report2004/uga-summary-eng The report includes evidence of widespread violence towards women and children, torture and death in custody, restrictions on freedom of expression and harassment of political opponents.
megan
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Media coverage and repression
06.10.2005 12:18
Our papers on the other hand do not want to know about Uganda: a friend journalist has been trying for weeks on end to get an article about the hungerstrike on the national press: it was refused under various pretexts. Maybe if somebody dies they will report it, maybe not.
Information on the fate of returnees to Uganda is missing. Nobody is monitoring what is happening to these people.
Museveni is no better than Mugabe, but the UK government wants to mantain friendly relationships with him.
Chiara