Activists Say HRDC is an Instrument of Terrorism, Plan Anti-HRDC Demos

Activists under the banner Joint Society Platform on Good Governance say they will hold nationwide marches to protest against the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC).

The platform says the demonstrations will start on August 23 and are also aimed at encouraging Malawians to return to the pathway of peace.

The plans of holding Anti-HRDC demonstrations were unveiled during press briefing the activists organized in Lilongwe.

Chairperson of the grouping Bright Kampaundi said Activists under the banner Joint Society Platform on Good Governance say they will hold nationwide marches to protest against the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC).

The platform has however said that the Anti-HRDC demonstrations will start on August 23 and are also aimed at encouraging Malawians to return to the pathway of peace.

According to Kampaundi, as CSOs leaders, they will not tolerate the spirit of dishonesty and sheer disrespect as it is not supposed to come from an institution like HRDC that claims to defend human rights.

“As a responsible civil society , we together with fellow peace loving CSO leaders as well as concerned citizen, have decided that we can no longer sit back and watch anarchy taking root in society, we can no longer allow few individuals masquerading as human rights defenders to distort the true picture and bury meaning of human rights,” he explained.

Kampaundi went on to say that HRDC has turned into an instrument of terrorism because human rights defending is not taking place when a local woman operating a makeshift restaurant at Senti in Lilongwe has her business burnt down and when a police woman is stripped and deprived of her personal dignity.

Last week, the HRDC conducted one Million March demos which ended in looting, arson attacks and teargassing of protestors.

Similar post-election demonstrations by the HRDC in the past months were also characterized by violence.
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