29 - July 17th thru July 21st 2000,
Vol X


Main Headlines:
As for articles and commentaries, the press dealt with a variety of
domestic themes, but main emphasis was put on the call for reforming domestic
situations and fighting all forms of corruption in the country.
Main Headlines:
- A Dispute over Land
Plot, Triggers Off Armed Confrontation between Army Units & Residents
of Al-Misrakh
- Six Missing Girls Show
Up, Child and Girl Kidnapped
- People's General Conference
Declares War on Corruption
- Western Diplomat: Yemen
Heads for Changes, Commonwealth Doors Open Before it
- Tawahi Court Considers
Haji Case
Haji Renounced his Islamic Belief Some Months
Ago
- A Female Skeleton Found
in Mukalla, Kidneys sold for High Prices
- Wa'ila, Daham Tribal
Fighting Renewed
- Clashes in Taiz between
Citizens & Security
-Arab Regimes Air Flights
to Iraq Immediately
- Students Attorney:
Sana'a University Officials, Security Must Stand Trial
- Yemeni Journalists
Syndicate Holds Solidarity Gathering with Journalist Al Yousufi
- Peaceful Demonstration
by Overland Transport Workers
- Yemen's Embassy In
Cairo Denounces A film Offending Yemen
- British Youth Killed
by Colleague at Islamic Group Camp in Sa'da
- Shabwa Water Spring
Attracts Gulf Citizens
Following are excerpts from the main articles and analyses published
by some Yemeni newspapers on various topics preoccupying the country's
public opinion minds.
An article published in Al Ayyam independent tri-weekly ( 12 July
2000) has taken up the subject of fighting corruption. It has said
under availability of the political will and urgent desire by the two parties
to settle their disputes, Yemen and Saudi Arabia had signed their land
and marine border treaty .
The article quoted president Ali Abdulla Saleh on role of the political
will of the two countries' leaderships in solving the border question.
The article has demanded the Yemeni leadership, i.e. , the political will
to interfere for solving '' our ramiform domestic problems.''
Our internal problems are ramified and we can hardly know who has caused
them. All are issuing calls for reform of which we know not when and where
it would be. During the meeting with the National Defense Council and the
government, the president has diagnosed the areas of corruption and promised
to tackle them as his priority. These priorities are: combating corruption,
purging the institutions from the corrupt, introducing a revolution in
financial, administrative and judicial reform and stabilization of security
stability.
The article concluded that '' we are actually in need of more will
for actual implementation.''
RAY weekly, organ of Sons of Yemen League ( 11 July 2000) has
also discussed rather a similar topic in an article under the title of
'' It is the Will & Competence ''. The political leadership of our
country has possessed the will and competence that enabled it to settle
all border issues with sisterly and friendly neighbouring countries amicably.
This has led to strengthening stability and confidence in the region. And
it has established relations based on coordination and integration of interests.
It is then certain that this national political leadership is capable of
accomplishing on the ground the national needs and necessities leading
to uprooting all phenomena of fragmentation and rifts.
Solving border issues would have little and limited returns if not
followed by other significantly practical steps. Courageous steps should
be taken to deal with necessities of political, constitutional, judiciary,
social and financial comprehensive reform. Such steps and policies should
lead to the establishment of the power of the law supremacy instead of
the '' law of power''.
One of the phenomena of this would be the establishment of a local
government system invested with wide-range authorities, coupled with independent
and just judiciary system. Such accomplishments would stabilize the foundations
of lasting Yemeni unity and pave the way for comprehensive national reconciliation.
Editor-in- Chief of Al Balagh independent weekly ( 11July 2000) defines
in his editorial the characteristics that should be entertained by a sovereign
so that to be considered as successful. He presumes that among the essential
factors of a ruler's success are the work for the establishment of security,
protection of citizens' rights and provision of necessary services.
The citizen would feel extremely sad and frustrated to find that his
properties are plundered right under the Capital's Secretariat very nose
and within the boundaries of its jurisdiction. This happens while the authority,
despite of its power and prowess, stands hand-folded and assumes the stand
of a spectator before the incident.
The editorial wonders what feeling would the citizen have towards the
state, or its head, when he finds that the state does not protect his property
against plunder. In conclusion, the writer calls upon rulers to protect
their citizens' security and properties as being the best way to make them
believe in success of the state and head of the state.
ATTARIQ Independent weekly ( 11July 2000)
An article published in the newspaper has discussed the case of the
serial murder of Sana'a University, Medical faculty morgue. It says that
no case has ever been paid so much attention by Yemeni public opinion.
That interest stems from ugliness and brutality of the crimes and for being
committed inside a scientific institution.
The article says unfortunately there have been some voices affirming
that the case has taken a new trend towards politicization. Some party
circles began to announce that there are some who are working to politicize
the case and accusations began to be traded among them.
It has been said that behind this is an aim of reshuffling the cards
of the case. Such a development would not serve the case in any way. It
is in the first place a criminal case, not a partisan. If a partisan person's
name is mentioned in investigations as being involved in it, that does
not mean that his party is involved. Political parties should have a sense
of responsibility and leave investigations and the judiciary perform their
role. Judiciary power responsibilities must not be interfered with. It
is supposed to be actually independent as long as we claim there is democracy.
Al-Wahda weekly (12 July 2000) published an article dealing with
some newspapers behaviour towards carrying news of incidents.
As soon as the opposition press comes to know that certain crime has
taken place, or a kidnapping incident, reporters rush here and there to
record that incident. Their main aim is getting a scoop that is rather
at the expense of reality. Such journalists forget about press credibility
and what it entails of arousing the publish opinion.
In fact it is regretting that the idea of press coverage remains confined
to only topics of incidents, crimes and criticizing negative aspects while
positive things are put aside.
Al-Wahdawi weekly of 11 July 2000 has also discussed in an article
the theme or press in Yemen but from a different perspective. An article
titled ''A call for Rescuing the Fourth Estate '' has said that the scene
of press is still that of groaning under intensity of painful blows. There
are papers suspended, such as ''Ash-Shoura'', others chained with unjust
judgments in cases related to expressing opinions and others standing trials
on charges, sentences of some may be the death penalty.
The present state of press is a product of general climate of the country.
This climate is characterized by restriction and stranglehold under incomplete
and loose freedoms. The journalists union is the most prominent organisation
entrusted with enhancing the demand for freedoms, among which is essentially
that of press. Press has become threatened from within and from without.
Under a heading of ''Democracy'' An-Nass weekly of 10 July 2000
published an article on concept of democracy, especially in the Arab world.
There are many examples on flagrant violations of human rights, and
right to expression and opinion in our Arab communities. The matter becomes
worse when it is related to governments that never cease alleging that
democracy is their indispensable pursuit. Some of these ''democratic''
governments are not only mistaken in their understanding of democracy,
but exceed that to believe in and deem those who do not share them that
version of comprehension, as being nor democrats, but rather traitors or
even mercenaries.
One article of Ath-Thawri weekly, organ of Yemeni Socialist party
(13 July 2000) has dealt with the phenomenon of kidnapping.
Local newspapers repeatedly publish news on missing girls and children,
and kidnapping incidents have come to include Yemeni men and women.
Kidnappings in Yemen began with foreign diplomats and tourists, and
the country has got a distinguished international reputation in this respect.
Kidnapping of whatever category is in fact a form of terrorism. Kidnapping
incidents started in the early nineties as a method of social protest against
injustice of the ruling authority. But nowadays this practice has developed
into a form of organised crime Yemen had never experienced before. It has
become a phenomenon threatening the entity of both the state and society,
especially after the state has adopted the role of being a negotiating
party with kidnappers.
The article author wonders what role or duty of the state in Yemen
has after all this carelessness and semi-complete absence of role of the
state apparatus.
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