Lest we forget: "Young democrats" implicated in intimidation , November 5th 2001

JOHANNESBURG,
5 November 2001 (IRIN) - Ruling United Democratic Front's (UDF) party
activists, the so-called "young democrats", have become embroiled once
again in allegations of intimidation and violence.

Media
Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) researcher Zoe Titus told IRIN that
MISA planned to contact the Malawian government urgently regarding
claims in a local newspaper on Monday 5 November that the UDF had drawn
up a list of journalist to be assaulted, allegedly for discrediting the
party.

The Daily Times reported on Monday that the UDF was
planning to use a group of "young democrats" based in Ndirande,
reportedly headed by Shire Buslines chief executive Humphrey Mvula and
presidential youth adviser Henry Moyo. The report said, however, that
Mvula had disassociated himself from the group. Journalists on the list
included Daily Times chief reporter Mabvuto Banda and senior journalist
Penelope Paliani, BBC correspondent Raphael Tenthani and Nation
newspaper journalist Pilirani Semu, it added.

Tenthani was
quoted as saying he believed that such schemes did not have the
blessing of president Bakili Muluzi, who had professed to be a friend
of the media. "Dr Muluzi is a gallant peace crusader, so I don't think
he can be fighting for peace in other countries while funding a group
of people who wants to disrupt peace in his own country. It just
doesn't make sense," he said.

Titus said in a statement that
there had been an increase recently in the number of assaults on
journalists. "Brian Ligomeka and Chinyeke Tembo have been beaten up
during and soon after the SADC conference allegedly for working with
NDA leader Brown Mpinganjira; John Saini, publisher of Pride magazine,
was also threatened during the summit. President Muluzi has neither
condemned nor commented on the assault on journalists, which
journalists say may taint the image of his government internationally,"
the statement said.

Titus told IRIN that the "young democrats"
had been "running amok" and that she hoped Muluzi would honour his
repeated statements that he was willing to provide a safe and open
environment for journalists to work in.

In another development
on Monday, a justice and peace commission formed by Malawi's Roman
Catholic Church protested against what it described as an increase in
"state-sponsored violence" aimed at silencing critics of the government.

AFP
reported that the protests came in the wake of church claims that
members of the "young democrats" attacked and harassed Roman Catholics
holding a fundraising walk in October.

"We are convinced
state-sponsored violence is aimed at instilling fear in people so that
they do not question government policies and other issues of national
concern," the commission was quoted as saying in a statement signed by
commission chairperson George Buleya. "It creates a culture of fear
among peace-loving Malawians. We would not like to go back to
dictatorship of one party rule that was characterised by fear and
intimidation. We do not want to create a dictator for this country."

Buleya
was quoted as saying that one of the militants, apprehended by church
members, "confessed that they were young democrats sent by UDF party
heavyweights" to cause trouble during the walk.