LIBERIA: STUDENT RIOT DISRUPTS YOUTH ASSEMBLY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MONROVIA 000174

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM ASEC PREL SOCI KCRM UN LI
SUBJECT: LIBERIA: STUDENT RIOT DISRUPTS YOUTH ASSEMBLY


1. SUMMARY: A student riot on January 16 during a youth assembly
resulted in the arrest of seven students. Several students were
denied entry to the assembly and protested, attacking the police,
who arrested seven. The students were taken to a local police
station. A mob of students then attacked two police stations,
releasing 18 prisoners unrelated to the riot. Eight more students
were arrested because of the attacks on the police stations. The
detained students were transferred to LNP Headquarters, received
medical treatment and were released on bond January 18. They are
still awaiting trial. The students allege that the police beat
those arrested, but police claim that the students were injured
during the attacks on the two police stations. UN Police commented
that proper police procedures were not followed. Student claims of
human rights abuses are not substantiated. END SUMMARY.




2. The Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY),an umbrella organization
of Liberian youth groups, held their bi-annual elections at S.K.D.
Sports Complex in Monrovia on January 15-16. Several delegates
were denied entry to the meeting because they turned in their
registration payments late. Those delegates, from the Liberia
National Student Union (LINSU) and University of Liberia Student
Union (ULSU),told Poloff it was because they did not support the
preferred slate of candidates for FLY. Kwame Ross, President of
LINSU, told Poloff that he was denied entry on January 15, but
received a phone call from a FLY executive the evening of January
15 saying he would be allowed entry on January 16. However,
delegates from LINSU were turned away again on January 16, because
of mis-communication between FLY organizers.




3. According to both the students' accounts and a United Nations
Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) report, on January 16, at about 3:00 pm,
the students who were denied entry protested and scuffled with
seven LNP officers on the scene for security. The police reported
that the students attacked them by throwing stones while the police
were trying to restore order. Police reinforcements were summoned,
but UN Police (UNPOL) were not contacted as they should have been,
per LNP standard procedures. The LNP then arrested Ross and
Sylvester Diggs, ULSU member. The group of students protested the
arrests, leading to the arrest of five others. Ross and Diggs
allege that they were both severely beaten during the arrest and
while being detained.




4. The students were taken to a police substation (Depot 1) in
Thinkers Village. A group of students then broke into Police Zone
Headquarters, releasing 11 detainees not related to the student
riot. The student mob then broke into the substation, releasing
another seven unrelated prisoners. Officers from the LNP Police
Support Unit (PSU) were called and disbursed the students from
around Depot 1. Officers arrested an additional eight students and
added them to the seven in custody, who had not escaped during the
attack. The police claim that several students were injured during
this fighting. The fifteen students were then taken to LNP
Headquarters.




5. Around 9:30 pm, LNP officers took four injured students to JFK
Hospital for medical treatment. Richmond Neufville, General
Secretary of LINSU, lost two teeth and told Poloff he would need
gum surgery, and Diggs complained of urinating blood. The four
students were treated and sent back to LNP HQ. At 2:30 am Minister
of Public Works Kofi Woods, a former student leader and activist
was called to intervene to have the 11 other students taken to JFK
for medical checkups.




6. On January 18, the 15 students were arraigned, represented by
Counselor Jerome Verdier, former chairman of the now disbanded
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and released on bail. Their
trial was scheduled for January 22. On January 22, the case was
not heard, but 40 students protested outside the court.




7. UNPOL Commissioner Gautam Sawang told PolEconCouns that it was
clear that the students provoked a reaction from the police by
going to the Thinkers Village depot believing the students were
being held there, then escalated the situation by taking over the
building and releasing the prisoners. He did note, however, that
the UNMIL report was drafted by UNPOL officers, and did not take
into account "the broader political aspects" of the situation. The

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report also criticized local LNP commanders for not contacting
UNPOL or LNP Headquarters, and for not having an emergency plan to
address a riot situation. For their part, the students refused to
admit to PolOff that their "protests" were in any way violent.




8. COMMENT: LINSU and ULSU have alleged severe human rights abuses
and that the arrests were ordered by the GOL. LNP reports that
they acted to restore order and that two police stations were
attacked, resulting in the escape of 18 prisoners. Post has not
substantiated any alleged human rights abuses. While the LNP could
have responded better, and closer coordination with UNPOL could
have diffused the riot, there is no concrete evidence that suggests
the police committed gross human rights violations or that the
arrests were ordered by the GOL. The fact that the Minister of
Public Works intervened suggests the opposite.
THOMAS-GREENFIELD