‘Listen to all victims, not just ex-MYPs’

Of late, there has been a heated debate on whether government must compensate ex-Malawi Young Pioneers (MYPs) or not. While the ex-MYPs feel they helped developed the country, hence the need for compensation, other quarters feel these people tortured Malawians and do not deserve compensation. In this interview, our Mzuzu Bureau Supervisor Joseph Mwale engages Governance, Human Rights and Social Analyst Undule Mwakasungula who argues that it is a grave error for government to compensate the ex-MYPs. Excerpts:

You have of late been vocal against government’s decision to compensate ex-MYPs. Why do you think they do not deserve terminal benefits?

Firstly, let me say it will be an error to pay benefits or any compensation to a group such as the MYP in view of the atrocities they committed against Malawians during the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) era. Malawians know that the MYP was a notorious para military wing of the MCP which was later legitimised through an Act of Parliament to systematically eliminate any and every opposition against the Kamuzu Banda brutal regime for open democratic space in Malawi.  As a cover up the one party Parliament, rubber stamped and created the MYP through an Act to make them look like public servants.

Secondly the MYPs were forced to disband by the Malawi Army, some of their bases were bombed and totally destroyed to the celebration of Malawians. If a government organ was forced to disband and later abolished to the relief of Malawians, then something was wrong with this government organ.  It is therefore insulting to victims and Malawians for the MYPs to stand up today and claim benefits from taxpayers without even showing remorse to remember their victims.

Payments of benefits to perpetrators of violence can never happen anywhere in the modern democratic world. Look at the Nazi agents who are still being hunted all over the world up to date for their role on the Holocaust, in Chile investigations and trials are still going on for atrocities committed during President General Pinochet era to give the voice of the victims for reparations. But in Malawi we want to celebrate and sympathise with the abusers of human rights violations and not the victims.

Some suggest that you are  bitter man because you were a victim under the MCP regime and you now want to revenge to the MYPs by speaking against their compensation drive. How do you respond to this, were you a victim?

The issue here is not about an individual or revenge as the Bible says vengeance is for God. But it is about thousands of the voiceless victims and Malawians who suffered under the brutal regime of the MCP.

The ex-MYPs argue that people who are against their compensation are ignorant of history, because to them, they were not involved in terror, but members of the Youth League.  How do you respond to that?

I am happy for their confession that Malawians were terrorised during the MCP era.  But what I disagree with is for them making themselves saints now for the sake of claiming benefits by distancing themselves from the atrocities they committed against Malawians. The true history Malawians know is the MYP and Youth Leagues were one and the same, they complemented on each other in their evil actions with the support of the police who were the main actors.

A National Compensation Tribunal set up in 1993 to among others look at compensation for political returnees and detainees was dissolved on May 18 2005, without completing its work. What do you think went wrong?

Let me start by saying under international human rights law and obligations all victims of human rights violations have a right to an effective remedy and to reparation by states. This means that all states including Malawi have the duty to investigate human rights violations, provide effective remedies against violations, bring perpetrators of violations to justice and provide reparations to victims. And in terms of our own reparations process through the National Compensation Tribunal, I think we lacked political will to provide reparations to victims of MCP atrocities.  I also feel the MCP did little to support the Tribunal by not pushing Parliament to allocate adequate funding to the work of the tribunal to fully provide reparations to all victims once and for all.

Now that there is no tribunal to look into compensation issues, how best can government handle compensation for these people?

My advice is that government should look at how best to handle reparations to victims of MCP atrocities who are venerable and many have died along the way while waiting for their compensation and answers. We must note that reparations for victims of MCP era is a constitutional obligation enacted by the Act of Parliament although the tribunal was dissolved before fulfilling its mandate. This process of reparation for the victims will create space for total national healing and reconciliation hence close the chapter of the past MCP atrocities once and for all. My appeal is for government to listen to the cries of the victims and the voices of Malawians as that will help them make an informed wise decision for the good of pushing our nation forward more in terms of promotion and safeguarding fundamental human rights of every Malawian and that what happened in the MCP era must not occur again in future.  n