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June 01, 2005
Attention Media: A Real Human Rights Scandal
Her name is Stella, and she is fifteen years old.
She is from Uganda, and for most of her life, she was a prisoner. The details of her abduction are not known, but her story would probably resemble that of other children like her. Stella lived in the country, in a hut with her family. The hut was part of a small compound of people that gathered together for protection. Unfortunately for the young girl, it was not protection enough.
One night, a small band of men with guns came to her village. They swept in quickly, killing any who resisted, or maybe just killing for fun. Stella watched as her parents were murdered. She and other children in the village were gathered into a group and marched away from the home she'd known from birth. Perhaps she and the other children looked over their shoulders as they were led away, and saw their homes burned by their kidnappers.
On the march one of the children got scared and tried to run. The rebels caught her, and decided to make an example of her. Stella tells the story:
On the third day a little girl tried to escape, and they made us kill her. They went to collect some big pieces of firewood. Then they kicked her and jumped on her, and they made us each beat her at least once with the big pieces of wood. They said, "You must beat and beat and beat her." She was bleeding from the mouth. Then she died. Then they made us lie down and they beat us with fifteen strokes each, because they said we had known she would try to escape.As they march, the younger children begin to complain. The walk is hard, and their feet begin to hurt. They are taken to the side of the road and shot in front of the other children. The children still alive stop complaining.
The children are marched into the Sudan, where they are trained in the use of weapons. They are to be soldiers.
The girls, though, are given additional 'duties' by the abductors. Stella is likely given to a man to be his 'wife.' The men have many of these 'wives,' and often pass on veneral diseases to the young girls. Stella is beaten when she does not perform sexual favors for her 'husband.' She is raped repeatedly.
All the while, Stella is indoctrinated by her abductors, who call themselves the "Lord's Resistance Army." They have no real ideology or religion:
Sometimes they behaved like Muslims, sometimes like Catholics, sometimes like Protestants. They said they would overthrow the government within three years. They said they wanted Uganda to become a paradise. I said, "If you want a paradise, why are you killing people in Northern Uganda? The government is down south in Kampala, so how can you expect to overthrow the government if you kill people here?"After the training and indoctrination, the children, some as young as thirteen, are sent into battle against government soldiers in the Sudan or in Uganda. Stella is told to march bravely into battle - if she takes cover or ducks, she will be shot by her own commanders. She is told that the Holy Spirit will protect her if she's obedient. Only children who offend the Holy Spirit are killed in battle, they say.They said, "Be patient."
Many children die in needless marches.
One day, Stella sees an opportunity to escape. It's in the midst of a battle. The commanders are not looking, so she drops her gun and runs to hide. No one follows, no one sees her. She's free.
Hundreds of children like Stella have told their stories to human rights organizations. Some human rights organizations listen and lobby world governments to do something. Other organizations get political and blame 'hyperpowers' for abusing the rights of terrorists.
Yesterday morning, the top story on MSNBC was about how some prisoners in Guantanamo were alleging abuse. The terrorists, whose training manual from Al-Qaida tells them to lie about abuse, allege being beaten or given a Bible instead of a Koran. The media trumpets their whining, while ignoring the pleas of innocent children like Stella. If there is prisoner abuse, let's root it out. But let's put it in perspective.
More can be found at Atlas Shrugs, an outstanding blog that details the horrors of human rights abuses around the world and the ineptitude (or participation in the horrors) of the United Nations and so-called 'human rights organizations.'
The media's silence on these stories is shameful. I think my father is right. The media will start reporting on the nightmarish situation in the Sudan when they can find a way to blame the president. In their obsessive focus on Guantanamo and Abu Gharib, the media is missing a real human rights scandal. I hope other bloggers will join me in pointing out their failure. I also would like to see President Bush call more attention to what is happening and rally the world to help the children of Uganda and the Sudan.
If you want to help those in the Sudan, visit Samaritan's Purse.
Posted by slublog at June 1, 2005 12:15 AM
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Comments
All this is just more evidence that so many so-called "human rights" organizations are nothing more than anti-America groups intent on subversion of the US. They use many clever covers and disguises, and do just enough "good" for propaganda purposes, all the while advancing their agenda of anti-Americanism.
Posted by: Impobulus Maximus at June 1, 2005 12:14 PM