Ahead of the commemoration of 69th edition of the Human Rights Day, HRD on December 10, 2017, The Sun Newspaper caught up with the Secretary General of the Human Rights Commission, South West region, Barrister Tambe Tiku to know the significance of such day in the context of the ongoing Anglophone crisis in which many Cameroonians, especially those of the English speaking regions feel their fundamental human rights have been violated. He was speaking to The SUN’s Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi in Buea. Read on.
The SUN: What is the Human Rights Day all about?
Tambe Tiku: The Human Rights Day is a very significant day in the records of the United Nations which was set aside to commemorate the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights and was adopted in Paris in 1948. Since then it has always been set aside as one of those important days to be celebrated internationally. This year’s theme is “Human Rights start with you”.
A very simple theme but pregnant with a lot of meaning because it recognizes the fact that, you have rights and you have to stand as an individual to defend those rights and at the same time defend the rights of others.
How will your office celebrate this year’s edition in the context of the ongoing crisis?
This year has been a very difficult year not only for my office but for the entire country. We have had a lot of Human Rights challenges and we still face such challenges. There is nothing much to celebrate about but it is also important for us to seize the opportunity to pass the message that our office has been involved in long activities in the hinterlands trying to move to some of the local communities sensitizing them.
On December 10, 2016, I openly mentioned on one of the television programs that, we are at the brink of the social calamity and if conflict prevention methods are not put in place, we will be facing serious problems and that is exactly where we are today.
From last year till now, we are on the same spot; things are still stagnant like never before. It is never late, we need to start putting in place concrete measures, it’s not just all about mere dialogue but it should be a sustainable one.
How informed are the people on their rights especially at such a pertinent period where most of them feel their rights have been violated?
The people are so aware of the level of violations that are taking place. We have previously witnessed some arbitrary actions, high handed actions taken by some officials without any consideration to the rule of law. We also have a culture of impunity which has made matters worse. Justice has not been a prevalent factor in most cases of impunity. These are some of the actions that have contributed in fueling the flames in the common man and these are wrong feelings because when all hopes would have been lost, the only thing they will count on is their fundamental human rights and when the rights can’t be guaranteed, it then leads the people to a situation of frustration which then leads to violence.
What are some of efforts by your commission to help the common man on their rights?
We are trying our possible best though with a very minimal work force. The people themselves are not giving us enough cooperation.
What do you propose as the way forward to the present crisis especially on human rights violation?
I am saying that the government also has a responsibility to ensure that those who fall out of the law are brought to order so that they can respect the rights and freedom of other Cameroonians.
Those sent by the state to ensure law and order should stop extorting money from fellow citizens. We cannot continue practicing selective justice. It is not going to help our democratic process in any way. On the contrary, it mars the reputation of the country vis-à-vis international engagements.
So what is your message to the people and to the authorities?
I go back to the theme of this international human rights day which is Human Right Starts With You. The people should know that they have a right to protect, they should stand to defend their rights and at the same time, they should know that other people have rights that they have a duty to protect and to defend because it makes no sense to think that you have rights while others do not. Everybody has rights. In our own little corner we have managed to deplore some of the violence against the forces of law and order who are there to maintain peace and ensure that one’s right and property are protected.
I will therefore conclude by saying that the idea of human rights is not just for any ordinary citizen but it is also about the forces of law and order who are there to do their jobs because it is not in all the cases that the forces of law and order have misbehaved but our concern is for individuals and their property to be protected.