Campaigner for victims: Barry Laine
18th February 2025
By Lewis BetsyThe Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity process is concluded. The outcome is abundantly clear and endorsed by the final determinations of the process. There is however a daily sourc... more...
Contenders: Presidential candidate Alain St.Ange, right, with Vice-Presidential candidate Daniella Payet
14th February 2025
By Lewis Betsy With the Presidential elections not due for eight months, the political scene in Seychelles is already hotting up.Former Tourism Minister Alain St.Ange has announced his independen... more...
Giving evidence: Lewis Betsy at the TRNUC hearing in 2019. Picture courtesy of Today in Seychelles
24th January 2025
By Lewis BetsyThe Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) completed its hearings in 2022. We are now in 2025, almost three years on, and nothing has happened.Why?The victims of the... more...
Time for unity: Lewis Betsy
23rd December 2024
By Lewis BetsyGreetings of the season to you all.So many things are said at this time of year that are meant to be joyful, but are just empty words. I too have a message this Christmas and I will get ... more...
Seychelles National Football team in 1970: Lewis Betsy is on the back row, fourth from right
2nd December 2024
By Lewis BetsySeychelles football is in a terrible state and it is time for a change.The election for a new committee of the Seychelles Football Federation is on the 7th December and I urge the repres... more...
Inspirational: Gerard Hoarau
22nd November 2024
By Lewis BetsyThe anniversary of the murder of my friend the freedom fighter Gerard Hoarau will fall on 29th November. It is said that time can heal a hurt, but after 39 years I still feel a terr... more...
Lewis Betsy at graveside
9th September 2024
By Lewis BetsyI hold very dear the memory of my close friend Gerard Hoarau, who was assassinated outside his London home in 1985.Gerard was a proud fighter for a democratic Seychelles and paid the ult... more...
Westminster Abbey National Day of Seychelles Evensong
3rd July 2024
A Special Mass (Evensong) was held at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the National Day of Seychelles.I was privileged to be among the guests from the Seychellois Diaspora who were invited.It was an e... more...

Victims of the coup must stick together to get Ramkalawan to act

18th February 2025

Campaigner for victims: Barry Laine
Campaigner for victims: Barry Laine

By Lewis Betsy

The Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity process is concluded. The outcome is abundantly clear and endorsed by the final determinations of the process. There is however a daily source of bitter frustration and anger that prevails due to the Seychelles Government's tardy implementation of the outcome which they are legally bound to.

Now there has been a call for everyone concerned to unite and back the TRNUC Association of Victims which is led by Barry Laine.

One of the victims says: “We appeal to all those affected to remain cohesive and continue to pursue the matter collectively. 

“A fragmented approach will not yield the desired results. If anything, you will be playing into the hands of those who want to procrastinate the outcome further and frustrate you even more.”

The victim adds: “The initiative currently led by Barry Laine and his team must be the preferred route to follow. Do not be lured by the numerous legal initiatives being proposed by legal practitioners on a 'pro bono' basis.

“Barry Laine is making solid progress with his initiative, but unfortunately is at the mercy of a deceitful administration which is bent on kicking the can down the road.”

The issue of reparation is key.

Here, the campaigner says: “Uninformed and unaffected individuals keep raising the question of where the reparation costs will be coming from?

“The answer is very simple: it will come from the same place where the funds to abuse, torture, murder and the many other treatments which were inflicted on the victims.”

He means the State, as run then by the dictator Albert Rene.

The State administration today of President Ramkalawan is a world apart from Rene’s brutal regime. But prior to the 2020 elections the LDS did promise to help the victims with the setting up of the TRNUC and with that, it was hoped, would at last come closure and reparations.

Why all this is taking so long is a question only our President can answer.

But, with the Presidential elections this year and his job and the future of his party on the line Ramkalawan will have to act sooner rather than later.

In the meantime we victims must stick together. Unity is strength.