[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 179 (Monday, November 13, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H12168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE EXECUTION OF NIGERIAN CITIZENS OF CONSCIENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Iowa [Mr. Leach] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, we are today in a democratic debate about the 
size and role of government. It is important and involves a need for 
comity of purpose on all sides.
  Nevertheless, despite differences on the question of whether and how 
fast governmental budgets should be balanced, let us not lose sight of 
the fact that this is a blessed country which can manage its affairs 
peacefully and democratically.
  I stress this point because on another continent last week, the 
Government of Nigeria executed the playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight 
other human rights activists. A generation ago in her seminal work 
``The Origins of Totalitarianism'' Hannah Arendt noted that one of the 
hallmarks of totalitarian regimes is the capriciousness as well as the 
anonymity of death.
  It is therefore incumbent on democratic legislatures throughout the 
world to register dissent against political atrocities of this kind, 
and shine the spotlight of decency onto the regimes responsible.
  The international community cannot allow individuals of conscience to 
disappear unnoted from the face of the Earth. Names must be named and 
deeds recorded. The courage of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a Nobel Peace Prize 
nominee and the President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni 
Peoples, as well as Barinem Kiobel, Saturday Dobee, Paul Levura, Nordy 
Eawo, Felix Nuate, Daniel Gbokoo, John Kpuinen, and Baribor Bara must 
be acknowledged and remembered.
  Like Socrates, forced to drink hemlock because of his alleged 
corrupting influence on the youth of Athens, Ken Saro-Wiwa was found 
guilty of crimes committed by others because his enlightened human 
rights advocacy was said to have created the environment that fostered 
societal misdeeds. As the lessons of Socrates' life and the injustice 
of his death 2\1/2\ millenia ago are recalled, we as public officials 
in a free society must today demand accountability for the execution of 
these 20th century Nigerian citizens of conscience.
  In referencing this human rights tragedy, I do not mean to divert 
attention from the importance of the debate this evening, but this 
Congress, despite our problems, remains the principal legislative 
beacon of freedom in the world. We are obligated to resolve our 
differences. We are also obligated to put our problems in perspective. 
Important differences of judgment exist, but we can reach a consensus 
without putting a gun to anyone's head. We are, after all, Americans.

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