‘Teargas good for public order’
Jun 07, 2009
THE use of teargas to quell public demonstrations is a good strategy in maintaining peace, the eastern regional Police commander has said.
By Daniel Edyegu
THE use of teargas to quell public demonstrations is a good strategy in maintaining peace, the eastern regional Police commander has said.
Alphonse Mbuga said in the 1990s, the Police used live bullets to disperse illegal gatherings.
“With teargas, you will go and wash your face after the riot, but the bullets lead to death or injury. The Police has come a long way. Initially we used to shoot in the air to disperse gatherings,†Mbuga stated on Tuesday.
He was responding to remarks by the Uganda Human Rights Commission registrar, Ruth Sekindi, condemning Police brutality in handling public demonstrations.
This was during a meeting at Green Gardens in Mbale district to discuss new guidelines for public demonstrations “The Police use teargas even when the demonstrators are calm and unarmed. At times they cancel demonstrations with the flimsy excuse, ‘we received orders from above’. Police powers and actions must be justifiable and practised within the law,†Sekindi said.
Vincent Ogwang, the Soroti information officer, said the Police actions, in many cases, turned peaceful demonstrations into riots.
“The Police seem to lack defined roles because at times lawless groups like the Kiboko Squad assume their role and start whipping demonstrators as the Police look on. In some occasions, the Police point pistols at unarmed demonstrators. What reaction do you expect from the public?†Ogwang asked.
The officer in charge of the mobile Police training unit, Twaha Etima, explained that it is the organisers of the demonstrations who provoke the Police to use ‘reasonable force’.
Etima said the organisers sometimes leave the Police with no choice but to postpone a demonstration because they inform them late.
“Sometimes they don’t inform us at all. We only realise when the people are on the streets. Sometimes we negotiate with organisers to call off the demonstration. When that fails, then the teargas comes in,†Etima said.
He stressed that organisers must inform the Police of planned demonstrations 10 days in advance to give them time to plan.
THE use of teargas to quell public demonstrations is a good strategy in maintaining peace, the eastern regional Police commander has said.
Alphonse Mbuga said in the 1990s, the Police used live bullets to disperse illegal gatherings.
“With teargas, you will go and wash your face after the riot, but the bullets lead to death or injury. The Police has come a long way. Initially we used to shoot in the air to disperse gatherings,†Mbuga stated on Tuesday.
He was responding to remarks by the Uganda Human Rights Commission registrar, Ruth Sekindi, condemning Police brutality in handling public demonstrations.
This was during a meeting at Green Gardens in Mbale district to discuss new guidelines for public demonstrations “The Police use teargas even when the demonstrators are calm and unarmed. At times they cancel demonstrations with the flimsy excuse, ‘we received orders from above’. Police powers and actions must be justifiable and practised within the law,†Sekindi said.
Vincent Ogwang, the Soroti information officer, said the Police actions, in many cases, turned peaceful demonstrations into riots.
“The Police seem to lack defined roles because at times lawless groups like the Kiboko Squad assume their role and start whipping demonstrators as the Police look on. In some occasions, the Police point pistols at unarmed demonstrators. What reaction do you expect from the public?†Ogwang asked.
The officer in charge of the mobile Police training unit, Twaha Etima, explained that it is the organisers of the demonstrations who provoke the Police to use ‘reasonable force’.
Etima said the organisers sometimes leave the Police with no choice but to postpone a demonstration because they inform them late.
“Sometimes they don’t inform us at all. We only realise when the people are on the streets. Sometimes we negotiate with organisers to call off the demonstration. When that fails, then the teargas comes in,†Etima said.
He stressed that organisers must inform the Police of planned demonstrations 10 days in advance to give them time to plan.