Thu 16 Feb 2012 In: International News View at Wayback View at NDHA
A Ugandan cabinet minister is reported to have raided a gay rights conference and demanded that one of the organisers be arrested for insulting him. The Guardian reports Simon Lokodo, the minister for ethics and integrity, was accompanied by police to a hotel where he told activists their workshop was an "illegal assembly" and ordered them out. Defending his actions later, Lokodo told the Guardian: "You should not allow people to plan the destruction of your country. You cannot allow terrorists to organise to destroy your country." It came after a vile anti-gay bill was re-tabled in the Ugandan parliament, although with references to the death penalty omitted. Amnesty International has called on the Ugandan government to end its harassment of law-abiding citizens. "This is an outrageous attempt to prevent lawful and peaceful activities of human rights defenders in Uganda," says Salil Shetty, Amnesty's Secretary General. "The government of Uganda must protect all people against threats, violence and harassment irrespective of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily New staff
First published: Thursday, 16th February 2012 - 10:26am