5.14.2008

Don't Act Foolish, Zimbabwe

For over a month now, supporters of the opposition party and critics of the government have been harassed, detained, abused, and even killed in Zimbabwe. More recently, these bullies have foolishly turned their aggression on US diplomats in the country. Unable to turn their heads to the post election violence plaguing citizens in Zimbabwe, US ambassadors and other diplomats visited victims in the hospitals and on their way back were held hostage at a roadblock for almost two hours, while they were questioned by security officials for their reason of being there. Though none of the diplomats were harmed during the verbal altercation, I hope that the ruling party in Zimbabwe realizes that this type of behavior will only bring more attention to their human rights abuses and hopefully more countries will demand transparency in their current democratic system and a legitimate ruler will soon rise to power.

More recently, citizens have used very novel ways of protesting the government's repression. Hackers shut down the Herald newspaper website, regarded as the official mouthpiece of President Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

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