PRESS RELEASE

December 13, 2002

On Wednesday December 11, 2002 a convoy of heavily armed ATU personnel, acting in concert with the police SOD, stormed and ransacked the home of Mr. J. Byron Brown, Jr. acting chairman of the Grand Bassa County branch of the Liberia Unification Party (LUP), also arrested were Messrs. George Gayebueh and Aaron Pailey, husband of Mrs. Estella Kilby Pailey all of whom are accused of being supporters of Cllr. Charles Brumskine.

We the partisans of the Liberia Unification Party, residing in Grand Bassa County have gathered that this use of brute force against our local chairman and others is intended to dissipate the growing Brumskine sentiment and promotion of his aspirations for the Liberian presidency in the up coming 2003 elections.

To say the least, the ransacking of Mr. Brown's home, destruction of LUP's documents, and the subsequent arrest of individuals who are engaged in peaceful legal activities, are a clear demonstration that there are enemies of democracy who would wish to intimidate the rest of us into blind submission. This is farfetched.

We hereby demand the unconditional release of Chairman Brown and all those arrested along with him in sound health, and the return of all properties stolen from their homes.

The Grand Bassa County partisans of LUP also call on the Liberian government to commit itself to or make good its commitment to holding free and fair democratic elections, in a calm security, and avoid the display of weaponry among the peaceful citizens of the county.

Finally, we entreat the international community to take note of the constant harassing and intimidating posture adopted by this regime as the country anticipates the 2003 elections.

We urge that the necessary engagement is put in place to ensure that all involved in the process have access to the entire country in an unfettered manner.

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Z. Sensee Vonndeh Monir-kar
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY
PUBLIC AFFARIS