PHA-Exchange> Re: RUTHLESS KILLING OF INNOCENT & HELPLESS KENYANS-PROTEST LETTER.

[Lynette Martin]

** High Priority **

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to associate myself and agree with responses made by Ravi, Mira and Pam to Malachi's communication. We must be very careful and considered in our comments, if they are made in the name of P.H.M. And, as Mira says, we should be careful not to put everything out on the pha-exchange.

Best wishes to all for the holidays.
David Sanders


Prof David Sanders/Lynette Martin
School of Public Health
University of the Western Cape
Private Bag X17
Bellville, 7535
Cape, South Africa

Tel: 27-21-959 2132/2402
Fax: 27-21-959 2872
Cell: 082 202 3316

>>> Community Health Cell <sochara at vsnl.com> 12/04/02 11:56AM >>>
Dear friends,

This is in response to the protest letter by Malachi Orondo Kenya PHM
National Coordinator circulated in the PHA-exchange and the responses of
Vandana and Unnikrishnan that followed.

1. I am sure all PHM members will be unanimous in their denunciation of
violence anywhere in the world - terrorism or conflict related and the
incident in Kenya is no exception.

2. We share the grief, shock and concern of all our brothers and sisters
in Kenya and I request all of you to write to Malachi about this as
early as possible.

3. However I would like to point out that all PHM participants and their
organisations do not automatically become responsible for violence /
terrorist or otherwise carried out in the name of some other group in
their country and it is important that we do not fall into this
simplistic trap-blaming, peace loving PHM members for the violence their
fellow countrymen may promote.  UPMRC did not claim responsibility for
the bombing nor is there much they can do to prevent it except
denouncing the route of violence which they have always done.

4. We need to work towards a violence and terrorism free world
colectively but always keeping a clarity between those who perpetrate
violence in any country and the peace loving citizens of the same
country.

5. All Indians or even  all Gujaratis do not automatically become
responsible for what a few did in Gujarat recently.  But all of us are
responsible to do something aboutt it and to prevent the recurrence of
such meaningless violence.

6.  Let us re read the section of PHM Charter on war, violence, conflict
and disaster and work towards the action proposed there.

Ravi Narayan,
CHC / PHM (India)

Malachi Orondo wrote:

> Kenyans are at pain trying to imagine why helpless,
> defenceless innocent Kenyan Citizens should be
> butchered in mass murder as happened for a second time
> in four years (Aug. 1998 & now).Within Four years.This
> is against charter for health principles.
>
> On 28th November 2002 at 8.35 am a group calling
> itself Army of Palastine  simultaneously staged twin
> attacks in two key places in Mombasa port city.
>
> One was at paradise hotel owned by Israelis where
> three suicide bombers in a four wheel Pajero Car
> forced their way through the hotel gate and sped
> towrds hotel reception / louge and rammed the vehicle
> strapped with explosives in to the hotel reception
> area . The explosives exploded resulting in to a
> horric fire which burned the hotel and killed 13
> people(10 kenyans and 3 israelis) 40 people were
> injured in this act. At the very time of the hotel
> incident the terrorist launched an attack using two
> shoulder fired missiles aiming to blow out charted
> Israel boeng 757 with 261 passengers and 10 crew
> members.
>
> The paradise hotel which was bombed by the terrorist
> employed 265 kenyans it also created a market for
> kenyans to sell their produce to erk a living .About
> 10,000 kenyans depended on this hotel for their lively
> hood. An average african kenyan famuily has 8 children
> therefore a very large number of kenyan will suffer
> loss .
>
> Most of those affected earn less than 1USD per day.
> many of them only survive by eating one meal per day
>
> just for survival .
>
> The area surrounding mombasa airport is thickly
> populated with squarters living in temporary slum
> dwelings .therefore if the 757 israel jet would have
> been hit by the misiles then 100,000 kenyans would
> have been killed and 500,000 kenyans could have been
> homeless without rescuing a single propery.
>
> Our economy is already at its lower ebb .The economy
> is mostly depending on tourism which contributes 40%.
> Now the economy will suffer more since most tourist
> are scared by the incident and Rampant joblessness
> will prevail. We are not endowed with the oil like
> arab countries .Up to this moment we still do not
> understand why the bombers chose kenya to carry out
> this heinous act because kenyan PHM members have
> always sympathised, prayed  and supported palestinians
> in their plight for peace and home land. I have signed
> and distributed widely protest letters written by
> Mustafa Bargouthi protesting about paletians cause for
> peace written by UPMRC and Dr. Bargouthi himself .
> Despite all the sympathy , prayers and soliderity we
> have shown in PHM , the palestinians have chosen to
> kill my innocent and helpless kenyan coleagues instead
> of extending a word ooof appreciation.
>
> Kenya and africa as awhole has numerous problems and
> adding somme its like adding fuel on to an already
> fiercly  burning fire even right now relative of those
> killed by the bomb blast can not get the bodies for
> burial because they can not afford to pay ksh
> 15,000/=(19usd)mortury charged to be allowed to take
> the bodies.we all remember that health is a basic
> human right as stated in our PHM charter for health
>
> Kenya has 1 million hiv / aids orphans and the scourge
> is killing 700 kenyans daily 2.5 million are hiv
> positive and we can not afford antiretroviral drugs to
> help these people so most kenyans life expectancy has
> been reduced from 55 to 47 years . Kenyan has 500,000
> street children which is still increasing due rampnt
> poverty .
>
> Kenya being a third world country shares similar
> problem with Palestine or south south countries.
> therefore I am at grief and pain trying to comprehend
> why palestinian should choose to kill kenyans instead
> of taking the battle to the Jews at their backyard yet
> they are close neighbours !
>
> Being a strong campaigner and supporter of PHM and one
> of the contributers in drafting a chater for health at
> bagladesh 2000, i would like to conclude by stating as
> follows
>
> 1. PHM world wide should convene a world conference to
> discuss terrorism as health risk and propose
> solutions.
>
> 2. Dr. Mustafa Bargouthi ,UPMRC and all other
> palestine organisations should appologise to kenyanns
> and dissociet themselves from the bombers
>
> 3. Dr. Mustafa and fellow PHM colleagues to assure us
> they will cooperate to stop such heineus act happening
> in kenya again.
>
> 4. palestinian organisation should sympathise with
> these helpless families and solicit funds from donors
> to give  hope/ support to the bereaved families which
> have lost their sole bread earners Dr. Mustafa being
> one of the Architect of PHM at Bagladesh should
> spearhead this activity for compensating those
> affected.
>
> There is a general belief that things affecting
> Africans are never taken seriously like those
> affecting other areas.However,I still need to speak my
> mind openly.Compensation to help these helpless victim
> could even come from any charitable Organisation
> feeling symapthy to help.So any other
> foundation,Charitable Organisation,NGO etc.Willing to
> help can get intouch with Kenya PHM through my above
> email address then I will guide how to get intouch
> directly with those affected.
>
> Once again I end by appealing to world wide
> Organisation"PLEASE SPARE KENYA FROM TERORRISM.WE ARE
> A PEACE LOVING COUNTRY".I would like the Whole World
> to know that Kenya is very safe for Foreigners and
> Visitors.This particular Incident was just an
> Unfortunate Incident brought to Us by Foreign Enemies.
>
> By Kenyan PHM National Co-ordinator.
>
> __________________________________________________
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