Monrovia – The Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) is extremely worried over the persistent incidents of mob actions in the country, stressing that “it has the proclivity to destabilize the more than decade peace Liberia has enjoyed”.
Report by J. H. Webster Clayeh, [email protected]
Speaking to journalists at the head office in Sinkor, the Acting Chairperson of INCHR Atty. Bartholomew B. Colley said the mob actions by motorcyclists in Weala, Bong County, resulting in the destruction of a Magistrate Court and two Police Deports; the statement made by Ex-Generals and the most recent tussle at the Capitol Building over the remains of Hon. Adolph Lawrence as a bad sign against the rule of law.
According to INCHR Acting Chairperson, “what troubling is the fact that some of those incidents are happening in the sight of authorities but the perpetrators often go unpunished”.
“The INCHR’s attention is particularly drawn to the seeming willful disrespect for the rule of law and use of hate speeches and inflammatory statements by several political actors, which if left unchecked, will certainly reverse most of the gains we have made over the past 14 years,” Atty. Colley said.
According to INCHR, the April 25, 2019 incident at the Capitol Building which prevented the remains of Hon. Adolph Lawrence from being laid in the Capitol leaves the Commission dumbfounded.
“Such barbaric behavior has set a new precedent and clearly demonstrate how fast mob actions are once again regrettably gaining currency in our country,” he said.
Colley added: “INCHR strongly urges the government to thoroughly investigate this incident and take appropriate actions in according with Law.”
INCHR Acting Chairperson added that his institution has taken serious note of the recent statement made by the Ex-rebel generals calling for the arrest of a sitting Lawmaker, “is not good for a nation that has been rocked by 14 years civil conflict”.
“The INCHR wishes to categorically state that all forms of mob actions, inflammatory rhetoric, and hate speeches have absolute no values on a democratic society including Liberia, especially so the country is still transitioning and is yet to reach a “state of resilience” where the nation and its people can adequately withstand conflicts and other shocks,” INCHR Acting Chairperson said.
