ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES
There has been a great deal of lip service given out when it comes to dealing with disappearances. But beyond that, there is hardly any other attempt to do something in real time, regarding such a widely-practiced, heinous crime.
Perhaps, that is an understatement. And, there is reason to wonder whether it is treated as a crime at all.
Last week, I heard a woman from Bangladesh talking about 3 of her family members and 5 of their friends who had been abducted and disappeared. They were young University Graduates who were involved in student politics. One was her own brother and two were her cousins.
The Rapid Action Battalion had arrested all 8 of them as they were attending to some family business. The family had searched for them everywhere and lodged complaints with every possible Authority, including the Rapid Action Battalion itself. As in almost every other case of enforced disappearances nothing came of their complaint.
On one occasion, some officers of the Rapid Action Battalion had demanded 25 Million Decca, (Approximately U$ 300,000), for releasing them. The family agreed to give the money, once the arrested persons were shown to them. But that never happened. The family concluded that by then the arrests were finished.
What this case and thousands of others, from other Asian countries show is: a) Causing Enforced Disappearances for political purposes is permissible. b) Special Task Forces, in this case the Rapid Action Battalion, can be allowed to carry out such actions. All legal processes can be suspended regarding such actions.
A Decadent Age
Enforced disappearances in most cases means the MURDER of persons after their arrest. Now, this is no longer illegal. It is treated as a legitimate action which many be carried out by State Agencies and State Officers. Those who carry out this action hope to get promoted and rewarded for their action.
The main purpose in allowing enforced disappearances is to frighten people within society. The State permits such terrorising to bring about a negative type of interaction with the people in society. Once this is achieved, there is no room for Democratic Space or The Rule of Law.
The ultimate purpose of creating such terror is to prevent people from demanding improved conditions in their lives. For the poor, this means not to organize themselves to better their wages, or for the unemployed not to demand employment opportunities.
The shrinking of Public Space can be better achieved, but not through such terrorising methods as the use of enforced disappearances.
Why has the world sunk into such decadence?
When the world or a particular country has laid down rules (in writing or merely sub-consciously) on how far equality should allowed, it has to live with the conclusions from such rules. In more liberal times, those who question such rules, are allowed to do so–although what they say may not be accorded much weight at the time. NOW, those who disagree with such rules are allowed to be killed.
The shrinking of Public Space means the denial of space for unreal questions. The root of the decadence of our times is this LOSS of space to QUESTION in-equalities. The terrorising of a population with such things as enforced disappearances, is a consequence of the prohibition to express dissent on matters relating to inequality.
