lundi 4 juin 2007

Seychelles, 5th June 1977

June 5th 1977

On the 5th June 1977, the world went about its business of turning around. Individual countries, nations, societies, tribes, clans, organisations and groups did their thing, none of which seemed to have been worthy enough to grab international news headlines.
A 5th June 1977 search on Yahoo surrendered two news items from Wikipedia.Org

One is about the Apple II computer (long since obsolete) going on sale.

The other is about a coup, taking place in Seychelles.

Let me have a closer look at this Seychelles’ coup of 5th June 1977.

First, what the heck is a ‘coup’.?

It is simply a French word which means ‘a hit!’ or ‘strike’. One that gets noticed! Anything from scoring with a lady (or laddie depending on who scores whom) to a masterstroke on the stock exchange that rakes in the loot, to that sudden, unannounced smack behind your head, to anything else you might have a mind to! (Thank you Wikipedia, Oxford dictionaries! Forgive my irreverences)

The ‘coup’ we are more interested in, is short for ‘coup d’Etat’, which is French to literally mean ‘a strike at (by) the state’.

It is the sudden overthrow of a government, often through illegal means by a part of the state establishment and involves mostly replacing just the high-level figures.

A ‘coup’ usually involves an active group of persons capturing control of the military where such exists, while neutralizing the remainder of a country's armed services. Where no military force exists, the police or any other paramilitary force that may exist and be called upon to defend the state, is targeted.

The active group captures or expels leaders, seizes physical control of important government offices, means of communication, and the physical infrastructure, such as streets and power plants.

The coup succeeds if the lawful authority fails to dislodge the plotters, thereby allowing them to consolidate their position, obtain the surrender or acquiescence of the populace (and surviving armed forces,) and claim legitimacy.

In other words, a coup is a ‘putsch’ given a more fashionable label.

(Much of the above is gleaned from that free cyber treasure-trove of Wikipedia.org.)

The Seychelles' thing

In the context of Seychelles of 5th June 1977, the coup was all of the above and then some!

During the night of 4th June 1977, a bunch of supporters from the local opposition party, secretly armed, launched a surprise attack to commandeer the national radio station, force the little Police armoury (killing a policeman on duty in the process, ) and generally forcibly occupy strategic buildings in the country. During this fracas, one of the putchists was killed, in circumstances never disclosed. He was, however, made a national hero. A street in the nation's capital bears his name.

Once the putschists had secured the state apparatus , bunkered in and had gone through the motions of establishing their just cause and action, they proclaimed a new Socialist regime and announced the first official diplomatic recognition of the new regime by the Republic of Tanzania.

Within a few hours, Tanzanian military troops were in the country. They were there to offer proper and real military power to defend the regime as well as start the ground work for the creation of a new, local military force to be called, the ‘Seychelles People’s Liberation Army’!

Then started the deluge of self-praise, political rhetoric, denunciations of oppression, exploitation, colonialism……and the glorification of the coup which took on the more revolutionary and palatable label of ‘liberation’.

But really, how did the average Seychellois live through the cooup d'etat?

For most Seychellois, the 5th of June and the days immediately after, were lived in close proximity to an MW radio and through the broadcasts of the national radio station.

Let's take it chronologically. My personal memories having been refreshed from reading an article written by Mr Guy Lionnet for the Seychelles' Nation of 8th June 1978:

5th June 1977

First there was the communiqué from the putschists read over the radio at its 06h30 coming on air time on that Sunday morning of June 5th 1977, to the effect that, a group of some 200 persons had carried out a coup d’etat during the preceding evening.

There followed the announcement that there is a national curfew, that is to say, everyone was to stay at home and no one must be on the public road.

A few hours later, came the justifications for the coup d’etat:

a) Mr Mancham (the President of the country) wanted to postpone national elections for 7 years instead of holding it in 1979 as was due

b) Mr Mancham spent his time travelling overseas rather than attending to matters of state. He had not spent 3 consecutive months in the country since Independence. Each day that he spent outside the country, cost the country the equivalent of 3 months’ salary of the average worker.

c) Mr Mancham was more interested in foreigners than in Seychellois.

Some hours yet later, the radio read the announcement that the ‘putshists’ had ‘offered Mr. Albert Rene (the Prime Minister) to govern the country, but Mr Rene had asked for some time to reflect over the offer and to consult members of his party.’

(That's a real one, that one is! The Prime Minister who had organised the whole thing and who obviously must have given it long and careful thought, needed to reflect further and consult those in his party who were already right there behind and with him!! Please somebbdy throw me a puke tin!!)

Yet later, the radio announced that Mr Réné has accepted the offer on the condition that

1. are respected:

i) ministers of the ousted government and their families

ii) members of the now-defunct National Assembly and their families

iii) agreements signed with foreign countries

2. there be a committee to prepare new elections according to the constitution

(Please hold down your guffaws! The constitution under reference, the result of 1975, inter-party consensus follwing national elections in 1974, would be abolished and a new one promulgated to usher in single party rule! Ah yes, the 1979 election? It was duly held. Single party candidates only please! and 80%+ win for the sole presidential candidate. No information available with regard to electoral roll, level of particiaption, etc. So no judgement!)

The radio further announced that the putschists having accepted these conditions, the Prime Minister was therefore the new President!

Further on in the day, the radio broadcast the following announcements:

1. until further notice, sale of alcohol was prohibited

2. Anyone found breaking and looting will be subject to the law

3. some foreign nationals, mainly from England and who were working with the Police, have been arrested and were to be deported by the Air France flight later in the evening.

Finally, the new President came on the air to repeat much of the former justifications given earlier for the coup d’etat with the added twist that the former president had also wanted to be President for Life. (Oooh! What a scoop!)

He also requested that everyone obey and abide by the new orders and decrees.

6th June 1977
On the next day, 6th June, two ministers of the deposed government, Mr Philip Moulinié and Mr Justin Pragassen came on the air to request that the people obey the new laws and decrees.

Then the radio announced one of the new decrees, which required that anyone in possession of firearms were to surrender these to the nearest police station. (Basically some ageing .22 and 303s to bring down a few bats for the curry pot!)

During the afternoon, there was a broadcast of the funeral from the cemetery of Anse Louis, of one of the putschists (the only casualty from their ranks)

In the early evening of Monday 6th June, the new President addressed the nation over the radio to announce his government and politics.

The new 7-member cabinet was announced.

As was abolition of housing tax to encourage house construction (a later policy in the form of of the Tenant's Rights Act, would come in to effectively stop anyone with any sense from building a house to rent out! This latter Act was apparently only repealed in the late 1990s!)

As was the statement on the necessity for the country to develop all its natural resources, including Agriculture.

The radio then announced partial lift of curfew for the 7th June to be from 16h00 to 08h00 in order to allow families to do their shopping.

7th June 1977

On the 7th June 1977, the radio announced:

a) the nomination of Mr James Pillay as the new Commissioner of Police

b) a message sent to HM Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her Silver Jubilee

c) that there will henceforth no longer be ‘nennenn’ (nounou, nanny) in the country. They will be called Domestic Workers! (Yup! That's more politically correct! It did not change anything at all, or did it?)

d) another partial lift of curfew for the 8th June to be from 16h00 to 08h00

e) a statement from the new government that henceforth, the government is there to serve the people and not vice versa as before. (Gets better and better! )

8th June 1977

On the 8th June 1977, the radio announced that the new President had held a press conference where local and foreign journalists had been invited. And where the new president answered all questions that were put forward. (The catch word here is 'invited'. !)

During the day, the radio also announced that the 9th June being Corpus Christi (also public holiday) the curfew would be lifted from 06h00. There would not however, be the customary religious procession.

There followed a request for SPUP supporters not to harass those who did not share their political views, because there was not to be any more discrimination in the country, and that this was a promise. (Hah! I knew that there was to be a promise. Promises! Promises! Then of course disrimination came along. Rampant! Amongst which the one from security clearance to get a job in a public department from handyman, cleaner, to above.

I remember reading one security clearance request form from the personnel files of several persons seeking employment in the 1980s for relatively lowly posts. One of them was for a fellow, recently the Ruling party's candidate for a legislative seat.

Among the information sought/given was the political affiliation of the person and of his parents and family. In his case, the affiliation was Red.

There was no request for information on the person's criminal history and aptitude for the post.

I also managed to peruse archived files from applicants for similar and other posts from the same time period.
Those who had failed security clearance.
They were invariably reported as 'pa avek nou' (creole, litterally 'Not with us' meaning, the person is not a known sympathiser of the ruling party. All were systematically refused employment.
Ok! Maybe it was all some unfortunate coincidence! ?)

9th June 1977

On the following day, the 9th of June, the radio announced that the former President had telegrammed the UN Secretary general to allege foreign involvement in the coup d’état and requesting that the matter be put to the UN General Assembly. It was then reported that after the UN Secretary General had conferred with the Chairman of the UN Security Council, it was resolved that the UN would not give any follow-up to the telegram from the former President.

The radio later in the day also reported that:

a) the Commonwealth Conference being held in Lome, had refused both Seychelles representation by the delegation from the former Seychelles regime, already in the country (Togo) as well as to be addressed by the former President.

b) the new President did not want the honorary title ‘Your Excellency”

c) curfew would be lifted for 10th June to be from 18h00 to 06h00 so that people could resume work.

There followed another radio address by the new President where he:

i) called on the people to create a new society

ii) announced the creation of a public complaints bureau

iii) announced the creation of a ‘People’s Militia’ comprising anyone from 16 to 60 years, to help defend the country against mercenaries that the former President and his rich friends were recruiting

iv) the setting up of a fund to collect money to help the families of the two persons who died during the putsch. (Didn't I count at least three? There was the posthumous national hero, the policeman and a man killed somewhere along Benezet street! (I refrain from mentioning his name)

How Justified was the Seychelles Coup d’Etat?

Firstly, as a fervent democrat, I hold the view that no coup d’Etat can ever be justified.

Unfortunately, I must accept that since the 1950s and the onset of both the undeclared ‘Cold War’ and International Socialism, political change in many countries was achieved through coups. Each invariably set about denouncing the former regime’s lacks in justice, national long terms policies, equality, liberty, patriotism, etc.

In the context of Seychelles, and the glaring non-availability of non-partisan historical documents and other evidence, it is ( for me) difficult to provide an unbiased answer.

For those who sympathised (and still do) with the political party that engineered the coup, “We were ready to die so that a nation could find reason to live. In the face of exploitation, oppression and cultural alienation, the worst attitude that we could adopt was resignation.”(1)

"Our economy was subjected to the interests of a local minority and foreigners. We saw less and less the fruits of our work. The little (local) minority became richer and richer while the people became poorer. (After Independence) the country re-entered a process of neo-colonisation with the help of some who were in power. The interests (welfare) of the people did not count despite the nice phrases on development. In politics, it was the same thing. The so-called majority party was nothing more than an extention of the colonial structure (….) The people had therefore little choice, either take power or die! The Constitution was there only to maintain the status quo, that is, the situation of exploitation. ’ (1)

(Getting better. Can we go beyond the political charabia to consider facts? Ah! Sorry! None forthcoming!)

‘In the new Seychelles that we are building, nobody will be discriminated against. This means that the new government will be one for everyone and not just for a group.’(2)

(What does this say of the ensuing Single Party domination and state dictatorship from 1977 to 1993?)

There was therefore the inevitable mention of oppression, of the country being ruled by a minority clique, of the new independent state being a mere extention of the former colonial structures, of the new president wishing to ignore the country’s constitution, of being a flamboyant, playboy president.

At no time however, during the early days of the putsch, and since, were facts or other irrefutable evidence, provided to substantiate the various justifications for recourse to arms to bring about a change in government.

Allegations were many and varied and there was no one ready and strong enough to rally forth to dispute these. Leaderless, 53% of the nation watched with dismay and impotence the raping of the constitution by the other 47% strong minority. A combination of adept political manoeuvres, half truths and outright lies, coupled with the political innocence and gullibility of the nation during the ensuing 14 years’ Single Party rule and state dictatorship, sufficed to let the nation forgo the need to start looking deeper and truly establish the justifications or not for the coup d’Etat.

But then, maybe I am merely being negativist. Or short-sighted. Or short on history! Or just plain naïve! And , Ah yes! I also Remember. And will never forget! Nor forgive being lied to.

Rest assured though! I have no political ambition. I harbour neither rancour nor disrespect towards those who do not share my beliefs.

In savouring the re-discovered liberty to cast my vote now and then and in so doing, do my modest bit to support democracy in my beloved country, I hold, for those who who deliberately elevate lies to the level of a certain form of statesmanship, only my inneffectual contempt!


sources:
(1)
Nation 5th June 1978, page 8, ‘souvenir d’un militant’
(2) Albert Réne, 8th June 1977, quoted by Nation, 5th June 1978



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