Hargeysa, June 2, 2007 (SL. Times) – The Somaliland government on Wednesday issued a ban on celebrations of the June 3 human rights day in Somaliland.

The celebrations were called by the national umbrella for Somaliland human rights organizations Shuro-net, which recognizes June 3 rd of every year as the country's national human rights day.

The occasion was observed last year without any objections from the government. However according to a new government order issued by the Justice Minister Ahmed Hassan Ali (Asowe), only celebrations marking the 10 th December international human rights day could be held in Somaliland.

The minister's letter said that it was the government, not non-government organizations, that had the authority to declare a national day event. But human rights activists alleged there was a different reason for the government's decision to ban this year's observance of the June 3 human rights day.

"The government is simply afraid to come under criticism for its widespread human rights violations," an activist told the Somaliland Times.

Human rights organizations and opposition leaders have been calling for the abolition of the extra-legal security committees that the government uses for arresting citizens without the right to trial or bail.

Examples of recent human rights violations in Somaliland include the scrapping of the country's press law and the High Court’s decision to prosecute media offenses on the basis of Somalia's penal code.

Source: Somaliland Times

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