Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MASERU389
2007-07-05 18:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Maseru
Cable title:
LESOTHO: PEACEFUL OPPOSITION MARCH DISSIPATES TENSIONS
how-toVZCZCXRO4022 OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHRN DE RUEHMR #0389/01 1861830 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 051830Z JUL 07 FM AMEMBASSY MASERU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3121 INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 3501
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000389
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/S
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC KDEM PHUM LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO: PEACEFUL OPPOSITION MARCH DISSIPATES TENSIONS
REF: A) MASERU 387; B) MASERU 386; C) MASERU 365; D) MASERU 384
MASERU 00000389 001.2 OF 002
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000389
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/S
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC KDEM PHUM LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO: PEACEFUL OPPOSITION MARCH DISSIPATES TENSIONS
REF: A) MASERU 387; B) MASERU 386; C) MASERU 365; D) MASERU 384
MASERU 00000389 001.2 OF 002
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On July 5, Lesotho's opposition parties held
a large and peaceful march to deliver protest petitions to
Lesotho's Commissioner of Police and the Prime Minister's
office. The march ended at the National Convention Center,
where opposition leaders (with ABC Leader Thomas Thabane
conspicuously absent) railed against the government for civil
rights abuses. However, as both the government and the
opposition took steps to back away from a potential
confrontation, today's events may be seen as a victory for the
message of dialogue and tolerance which the diplomatic corps had
uniformly stressed during July 2 and 3 meetings with both sides
of Lesotho's ongoing political crisis. END SUMMARY.
--------------
The March: Large and Peaceful
--------------
2. (SBU) Contrary to the GOL's previous stated intention to
prevent the march (ref A),police officials granted a permit on
July 4 for the event and provided the demonstrators with police
escort on June 5. At Embassy Maseru's Independence Day
reception, Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister Dr.
Motloheloa Phooko told Charge that if the demonstrators
"remained peaceful" he intended to accept their petition (which,
in fact, he did).
3. (U) The protest march commenced at approximately 10:00 a.m.,
and observers placed the number of participants at a minimum of
five thousand. No notable instances of violence or vandalism
were reported. Police escorted the protesters as they delivered
a petition to Commissioner of Police `Malejaka Letooane and
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Motloheloa Phooko before
ending with a rally at the National Convention Center. The
petition demanded that the GOL immediately desist all
extra-judicial detention and mistreatment of opposition
supporters (ref C). At the convention center, opposition
parties made statements condemning the government for
"abductions and acts of torture." Present were Major General
Lekhanya of the Basotho National Party (BNP),Moeketse Malebo of
the Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP),Dr. Khauhelo Ralitapole of
the Alliance of Congress Party (ACP),Macaeffa Billy of the
Lesotho Workers Party (LWP),and ABC Deputy Leader Sello
Machakela. ABC Leader Thomas Thabane was conspicuously absent,
reportedly for medical treatment in Johannesburg.
--------------
The Communications Minister's
Hard Line on Eve of March
--------------
4. (U) Contrary to Phooko's relatively conciliatory posture and
the police's cooperation with the opposition, on the evening of
July 4, Minister of Communications, Science, and Technology
Mothojoa Metsing issued a statement discouraging the public from
participating in the opposition protest march planned. In his
televised address, Metsing named a group of detained
individuals, mostly from the Lesotho Defense Forces (LDF),"who
intended to topple the government." Among those cited were
those whom the opposition claimed were victims of torture.
Regarding the protest march, he stated that, "It is difficult to
comprehend why [opposition] parties would call their members to
support those coup plotters. The question that needs to be
answered by some opposition leaders is, how to do they relate to
the suspects?" Metsing also reiterated the GOL's "no show, no
pay" policy regarding civil servants who observed opposition
strikes.
--------------
The Dip Corps Meets Thabane
--------------
MASERU 00000389 002.2 OF 002
5. (SBU) On July 3, ABC Leader Thomas Thabane met with Maseru's
resident diplomatic corps in advance of the planned protest
march. While sharply criticizing the LDF's "extra-judicial
arrests and torture," Thabane said that he was "not a marcher"
and that the demonstration had been arranged by other opposition
figures. He stated that the arrest of opposition figures, if
necessary, should be conducted by the police rather than the
military. He also noted that a "sit-in" following the march, as
had been suggested by other opposition figures, would be out of
order, and that he "did not see value" in a taxi strike which
was called for at a July 1 ABC-led opposition rally.
6. (SBU) The diplomatic corps suggested that a dialogue with
authorities prior to the march may prevent needless violence.
Thabane responded that the GOL was attempting to demonize him,
and that he was not inclined to engage with them. He added that
he did not concur with the SADC press release issued over the
weekend concerning the ongoing dialogue between the opposition
and governing parties (ref D),but offered that if the GOL would
denounce its human rights abuses and use of torture he would
call off the upcoming march. Charge noted that marches and
protests could be a healthy part of democracy, but that a
dialogue on security issues was necessary to insure the safety
of all involved. Thabane reluctantly agreed to meet with GOL
officials if the United Nations or the acting dean of the
diplomatic corps (Irish) could arrange a meeting with either
Minister to the Prime Minister Phooko (who he referred to as
"useless") or Deputy Prime Minister Lehohla.
--------------
Tension Eases
--------------
7. (SBU) COMMENT: The two sides, citing logistics, never did
meet, but clearly reflected on the dip corps' concerns about a
potential confrontation and the lack of dialogue leading to
dangerously entrenched positions. While both the government and
opposition parties remain vociferous in their criticism of each
other, they did appear to meet in the middle on the march issue.
The GOL relented on its hard line against the march, allowing
the opposition a permit for the event, and the opposition
reversed its original plans to hold a "sit-in" at the Prime
Minister's office, satisfied with the opportunity to present
their petition to Minister Phooko. Recent days have seen more
detentions, but they have been handled by the police and appear
less extra-judicial in nature than those of several weeks ago.
END COMMENT.
MURPHY
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/S
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC KDEM PHUM LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO: PEACEFUL OPPOSITION MARCH DISSIPATES TENSIONS
REF: A) MASERU 387; B) MASERU 386; C) MASERU 365; D) MASERU 384
MASERU 00000389 001.2 OF 002
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On July 5, Lesotho's opposition parties held
a large and peaceful march to deliver protest petitions to
Lesotho's Commissioner of Police and the Prime Minister's
office. The march ended at the National Convention Center,
where opposition leaders (with ABC Leader Thomas Thabane
conspicuously absent) railed against the government for civil
rights abuses. However, as both the government and the
opposition took steps to back away from a potential
confrontation, today's events may be seen as a victory for the
message of dialogue and tolerance which the diplomatic corps had
uniformly stressed during July 2 and 3 meetings with both sides
of Lesotho's ongoing political crisis. END SUMMARY.
--------------
The March: Large and Peaceful
--------------
2. (SBU) Contrary to the GOL's previous stated intention to
prevent the march (ref A),police officials granted a permit on
July 4 for the event and provided the demonstrators with police
escort on June 5. At Embassy Maseru's Independence Day
reception, Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister Dr.
Motloheloa Phooko told Charge that if the demonstrators
"remained peaceful" he intended to accept their petition (which,
in fact, he did).
3. (U) The protest march commenced at approximately 10:00 a.m.,
and observers placed the number of participants at a minimum of
five thousand. No notable instances of violence or vandalism
were reported. Police escorted the protesters as they delivered
a petition to Commissioner of Police `Malejaka Letooane and
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Motloheloa Phooko before
ending with a rally at the National Convention Center. The
petition demanded that the GOL immediately desist all
extra-judicial detention and mistreatment of opposition
supporters (ref C). At the convention center, opposition
parties made statements condemning the government for
"abductions and acts of torture." Present were Major General
Lekhanya of the Basotho National Party (BNP),Moeketse Malebo of
the Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP),Dr. Khauhelo Ralitapole of
the Alliance of Congress Party (ACP),Macaeffa Billy of the
Lesotho Workers Party (LWP),and ABC Deputy Leader Sello
Machakela. ABC Leader Thomas Thabane was conspicuously absent,
reportedly for medical treatment in Johannesburg.
--------------
The Communications Minister's
Hard Line on Eve of March
--------------
4. (U) Contrary to Phooko's relatively conciliatory posture and
the police's cooperation with the opposition, on the evening of
July 4, Minister of Communications, Science, and Technology
Mothojoa Metsing issued a statement discouraging the public from
participating in the opposition protest march planned. In his
televised address, Metsing named a group of detained
individuals, mostly from the Lesotho Defense Forces (LDF),"who
intended to topple the government." Among those cited were
those whom the opposition claimed were victims of torture.
Regarding the protest march, he stated that, "It is difficult to
comprehend why [opposition] parties would call their members to
support those coup plotters. The question that needs to be
answered by some opposition leaders is, how to do they relate to
the suspects?" Metsing also reiterated the GOL's "no show, no
pay" policy regarding civil servants who observed opposition
strikes.
--------------
The Dip Corps Meets Thabane
--------------
MASERU 00000389 002.2 OF 002
5. (SBU) On July 3, ABC Leader Thomas Thabane met with Maseru's
resident diplomatic corps in advance of the planned protest
march. While sharply criticizing the LDF's "extra-judicial
arrests and torture," Thabane said that he was "not a marcher"
and that the demonstration had been arranged by other opposition
figures. He stated that the arrest of opposition figures, if
necessary, should be conducted by the police rather than the
military. He also noted that a "sit-in" following the march, as
had been suggested by other opposition figures, would be out of
order, and that he "did not see value" in a taxi strike which
was called for at a July 1 ABC-led opposition rally.
6. (SBU) The diplomatic corps suggested that a dialogue with
authorities prior to the march may prevent needless violence.
Thabane responded that the GOL was attempting to demonize him,
and that he was not inclined to engage with them. He added that
he did not concur with the SADC press release issued over the
weekend concerning the ongoing dialogue between the opposition
and governing parties (ref D),but offered that if the GOL would
denounce its human rights abuses and use of torture he would
call off the upcoming march. Charge noted that marches and
protests could be a healthy part of democracy, but that a
dialogue on security issues was necessary to insure the safety
of all involved. Thabane reluctantly agreed to meet with GOL
officials if the United Nations or the acting dean of the
diplomatic corps (Irish) could arrange a meeting with either
Minister to the Prime Minister Phooko (who he referred to as
"useless") or Deputy Prime Minister Lehohla.
--------------
Tension Eases
--------------
7. (SBU) COMMENT: The two sides, citing logistics, never did
meet, but clearly reflected on the dip corps' concerns about a
potential confrontation and the lack of dialogue leading to
dangerously entrenched positions. While both the government and
opposition parties remain vociferous in their criticism of each
other, they did appear to meet in the middle on the march issue.
The GOL relented on its hard line against the march, allowing
the opposition a permit for the event, and the opposition
reversed its original plans to hold a "sit-in" at the Prime
Minister's office, satisfied with the opportunity to present
their petition to Minister Phooko. Recent days have seen more
detentions, but they have been handled by the police and appear
less extra-judicial in nature than those of several weeks ago.
END COMMENT.
MURPHY