Courses in Vienna and these lecture at the Training School for the
Police.
Questioned about the resort to torture and undue influence in the
work of the Police, I was told firmly that as a matte~ of policy these
were prohibited. But when they occurred the culprits were
punished. The Human Rights Commission has the mandate to
investigate complaints against the Police. The Inspectorate of
Government (Ombudsman) has a similar responsibility.
A bettter-equipped police service would have been welcorned, but
given the economic constraints faced by the government the
situation was understandable to the police.
As regards relationship with NGOs, I learnt that the Police have
had contacts with FIDA and Foundation for Human Rights
Initiative, for instance.
One of the officers commented that the reluctance of the public to
participate in the criminal justice process might be due to the Tact
that adequate attention is not paid to the interest of the victim.
Victims of crimes are disappointed by lack of compensation. I
observed that the unduly long hours spent as witnesses for the
prosecution might also be a contributory factor in the concern
expressed by the police officer.
(ii)
Meeting with Minister of Internai Affairs, Hon. Tom Butime
Later in the day the Honourable Minister of Interior Tom Butime
granted me audience.
Questions raised with him covered State report, arrest and
detention, the problems which Uganda has in protection of human
rights; the rebels in the north (Kony and his rebels abducting girls
and other children); the role of the Ugandan armed forces in
human rights violation in the war zone; misuse of the criminal
process against opponents of the government (sedition, contempt
of court, defamation, possession of classified information, holding
of unauthorised meetings and demonstrations the breaking up of
Democratic Party meeting at Mbarara on human rights and
democracy on Friday 10 July 1998; and the case of the 65 women
who marched on Parliament House in June 1998 complaining that
they had not seen their husbands who were arrested in May, 1998.
Honourable Butime answered each and every question in a frank
and forthright mariner. Yes, Uganda has a problem in the north.
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