Gambia has left the Commonwealth of Nations with immediate effect slamming the organisation as ‘neo-colonial’ and extending colonialism apparently after a battle with the organisation over greater protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
President Yahya Jammeh |Photo: Reuters
“(The) government has withdrawn its membership of the British Commonwealth and decided that the Gambia will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution and will never be a party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism,” the Gambian Government said in a statement.
No clear reason was given for Gambia to quit the Commonwealth but it is believed the decision came after the Government there rejected a proposal by the Commonwealth last year to create a commission to protect human rights.
Membership in the 54 member Commonwealth is voluntary.
The Commonwealth proposal followed an April 2012 visit to the Gambia by Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, during which he met with President Yahya Jammeh and other top government officials.
Jammeh is regularly accused of rights abuses and has ruled since 1994. His Administration is under intense pressure to address widespread human rights abuses and undertake reform.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has seen with dismay and disappointment, media coverage on the reported announcement by the Government of The Gambia of its withdrawal from the Commonwealth, a statement from the organisation’s spokesman Richard Uku said.
“We are in touch with the Gambian authorities to follow up on the media reports in order to establish the facts clearly. When clarification is received from the Government of The Gambia, the Commonwealth Secretariat will issue a further statement accordingly,” the spokesman said.
gamini / October 3, 2013
All Peace loving Nations that uphold Human Rights, Justice and Democracy should resign from the CW. Canada should follow suit, leaving the CW to the Vultures.
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Javi / October 4, 2013
To top it UK’s cMoron has announced that if elected as PM once again he would withdraw from human rights clause at the European Union. This comes about due to UK voter pressure. This year UK unilaterally has paid reduced fees to the UNHCR therefore UK has been demoted to a lover rank with minimum voting powers and sits next to Sri Lanka.
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Taraki / October 4, 2013
Cameron and the voters think that the Human Rights Act is being misused by asylum seekers,refugees and immigrants. They want to replace it with the UK’s own Human Rights Act which will close the loopholes.
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Javi / October 4, 2013
for UK: You mean like the white commonwealth in lieu of EU.
for India: The commonwealth in lieu of NAM.
Both frustrated nations looking for power over the rest.
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Truth / October 4, 2013
It is not the fault of Commonwealth that countries with Tamil Tiger sympathizers and former Tamil Tigers, use the funds extorted from innocent Tamil residents, Credit card frauds and human smuggling scams to buy political influence through some politicians in Canada & UK.
As for Human Rights, it has become a weapon used by the powerful western nations who control the media and the Human Rights organisations. The use of Al Qaeda linked mercenaries to topple the Government of Syria, because Syria joined Iran & Iraq to lay a new pipe line, is a good example of such abuse. The arms supplied to these Al Qaeda linked mercenaries are used to kill civilians in Iraq, Libya, Kenya, Nigeria and threaten all African Nations.
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Ela kollage thaththa / October 4, 2013
Get a begging bowl and start begging from the whole world you bunch of Singalis beggars.
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bo / October 5, 2013
A beggar in UK speaks of begging! What a joke?
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hadagamba / October 7, 2013
Bo
Ela Keela is a not a begger. She is a one of the toilet cleaners of herWestern masters.
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Sammy / October 4, 2013
All banana republics and nations having authoritarian regimes which violate human rights, make a mockery of democracy should quit the Commonwealth.
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Lapatiya / October 3, 2013
Actually this Gambia President should have consulted Kamalesh Sharma, Secretory General of Commonwealth for help before withdrawing from the commonwealth Organization.
This Gambia President doesn’t know how get a person to hide such bad records like our Saddrmadveepa Chakrawarthi.
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Javi / October 4, 2013
Not really; The ICC kangaroo courts is only for Africans therefore the step back and its the way for small nations to go.
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Citizen / October 3, 2013
will MR also quit the commonwealth
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crazyoldmansl / October 3, 2013
another chinaman…?
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Piranha / October 3, 2013
Left before expulsion? Likely.
Kamlesh Sharma was not able to protect him from accusations of human rights abuses? Likely again.
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Javi / October 4, 2013
KSharma is only interested in supporting SAsian nations to rule over them later. Pakistan supported his second term.
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Ajith / October 3, 2013
Should Sri Lanka get out of United Nations and join a group where you can have a system that accommodate mass murders, white van abductions and corruption?
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lal / October 4, 2013
There is such a system that accommodates mass murder – the US, UK, France exclusive club. Mass murder, slavery, nuking, defoliants are all allowed and practised by the said members. Sri Lanka is disqualified from joining that club as Sri Lankan forces freed three hundred thousand captives from the famous terrorist organisation!
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Anura / October 4, 2013
You are very correct Lal. CW and UN both should be abolish. It is too early for earth hunans to have this kind of orgs.
People like you should Make pressure to abolish both UN and CW and go back to 1940.
When SL kills its own people, there wont be any external pressure. When US, Uk or Germany like country bomb any other country they don’t like. It is okay like in 1940, nobody to complain… way to move firward
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Thiru / October 4, 2013
Why only white vans, mahinda says it can be blue red or green!
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Rev.Devil / October 4, 2013
Hahaahah…..We have been watching these jokers making jokes, and today the Commonwealth looks like one !!
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Backlash / October 4, 2013
The action of the current President of Gambia is to protect him from
inquiries into severe HR violations in the country. He can run and hide but he will have to come out to face the world – UN, R2P and the
like. From now on Yahya Jammeh and his gang will come under global scrutiny and international pressure to behave.
Backlash
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Chris Rajasingha / October 4, 2013
Actually, hasn’t Gambia resigned rather too soon? Surely with Sri Lanka in charge of the Commonwealth for the next two years, human rights will not be on the agenda. Gambia can do whatever likes. Maybe Jammeh and Rajapaksa can get together for the occasional cosy chat to compare notes on how they do it.
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Javi / October 4, 2013
Under Obumer kangaroo courts is only for Africa. Remember in that Trinco. case in the US District courts he has refused to take action against MR as he is head of state.
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Thiru / October 4, 2013
May be they should include Nambiar from the UN and Sharma from the Commonwealth in the chats to iron out the problems!
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Fathima Fukushima / October 4, 2013
He looks like a typical Tamil.
Is Tamil Elam a commonwealth member? Or Tamil Elam has resigned from the commonwealth already?
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F-Word / October 5, 2013
Fathima F,
There are several loonies visiting these pages regularly. But
you are the giddy limit. I have yet to read something normal or
sensible from you. You are clearly mentally and otherwise sick –
beyond redemption. I am not the first to call you a hopeless idiot.
It is in your interest to see I am the last. Alternatively, spend
a fortnight in the Angoda-Mulleriyawa Asylum. Those shrinks might
be able to bring you to some level of average normalcy.
F-Word
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hadagamba / October 7, 2013
Backward comments from a real forward. Put up or you leave the forum F**k Word.
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RajasH / October 4, 2013
As the ex Malayasian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir once said
Commonwealth where the wealth is not common
the wealth is in the hands of the ruling class
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Leon / October 4, 2013
The Commonwealth is an organization of clowns. A talk shop with no teeth. What can tou expect when you have
moron in charge of the Commonwealth Secretariet. One of the clowns will take over as chairman for the next two
years.
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K.A Sumanasekera / October 4, 2013
Has Reprters without Borders and Ms Pillai contributed to this withdrawal?.
Gambia supplied free Labour to build Britain, US and even Canada.
What they need from these powerful Nations now is some compensation to build Gambia.
Instead what is on offer seems to be the usual Human Rights Charter , with instructions to enforce it and if not how the things will be taken care of by the big boys and the big girl ofcourse.
Sounds familiar to us isn’t it?.
Don’t worry about 6 to 7 hundred thou Gambians living with less than USD 1.25 a day in this small nation of less than 2 Million people..
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RajasH / October 5, 2013
Commonwealth is like Past Pupils Association of a school or college
a spent force
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hadagamba / October 7, 2013
RajaSH(it)
No!!!!!!!!!!!!! Commonwelath is not a coommonhealt but it is commonhell for independent thinkers.
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