Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Gaël Rangain
Published on 2024-03-22 14:00:23
Tomorrow, the citizen collective Pa Tous Nou Sim Card will organize its march in the streets of Port Louis. Participants will first gather on Pope Hennessy Street, near St. Louis Cathedral. The route will be as follows: the procession will start and pass in front of the capital’s town hall, then head towards La Chaussée, passing in front of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) before ending at Jardin La Compagnie. The departure is scheduled for 1 pm.
“Invitations have been extended to all activists who care about social causes as well as political parties, so that we can all come together in solidarity around the issue, to march peacefully,” said Percy Yip Tong, an activist who has joined the citizen collective.
He also confirmed that “the police have given us their written authorization. They objected to us going in front of the ICTA offices, as we originally intended to express our concerns there. Similarly, we are not allowed to use microphones or megaphones for the march.”
“This rule is quite recent and I don’t really understand why… Historically, similar demonstrations have involved the use of microphones and megaphones. I’m not sure of the reason behind this decision. But we respect it and rely on the police to assist us in our efforts.”
“Comprised of mothers and fathers, anonymous citizens, employees and civil servants, this collective questions the true motives behind the government’s measure to re-register the Sim cards in our phones, which some would say is imposed by the government,” reminded P. Yip Tong. “We cannot understand the real purpose behind this government measure. To justify it, the Government of Mauritius has explained that this Sim card re-registration procedure stems from a recommendation in the report of the Commission of Inquiry on Drugs by the former judge Paul Lam Shang Leen, and that it aims to control drug trafficking: does this argument really hold up?” wonders Lyndee Lutchmiah, a member of the collective.
For Percy Yip Tong, who was also the president of the Collectif Urgence Toxida (CUT), “this argument does not seem logical to us. We have been fighting against drug trafficking in the country for forty years. How will the problem be solved just by re-registering over two million Sim cards?”
“Citizens are aware that there is something wrong with this measure, which does not have the force of law! Therefore, we in the collective ask Mauritians not to be afraid. Not to rush to re-register their Sim cards, despite the heavy promotion by public services on this issue,” maintains Percy Yip Tong.
Meanwhile, Pa Tous Nou Sim Card maintains its march in Port Louis “to express our doubts and concerns, as there are many confusions and speculations surrounding this Regulation that is imposed on us. Other activities will follow, leading up to the deadline of April 30 set by the government to proceed with re-registration.”
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
