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{
"id": 216432,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/216432/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Prof. Maathai",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 226,
"legal_name": "Wangari Muta Maathai",
"slug": "wangari-maathai"
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to appeal to the Press--- If the police want to expose the dead, the Press can, at least, act in a civilised form of governance and refuse to expose those bodies to our children at home. It is almost like we enjoy looking at those dead bodies. When you think that some of those people are truly innocent--- I do not believe that July 3, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2197 you can always shoot--- Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you are only suspecting, most likely some of those people you are shooting are innocent people. Then, not only have you killed them even though they are innocent, but you exposed them in the most indecent way. I want to appeal to our Press to demonstrate a certain amount of sensitivity. I also want to repeat what I have said here before, that we are doing a lot of de-service to ourselves, when we continue killing innocent or, rather, suspected people in this country. I want to say that this morning, I was listening to reports about the terrorism in England. I learnt that eight of the suspected terrorists have been arrested. What they were about to do in that country was horrific. If those bombs had exploded, hundreds of people would have been killed. But I guess that, because Britain is a civilised society, none of those suspects have been killed. They are waiting to be tried in a court of law, so that it can be proved that they were, indeed, involved. I have always wondered why we prefer to silence those we suspect. If you silence them, where will you get the information? I hope that, one day, this country will find it completely unacceptable to kill people when we suspect them. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to say that the Press has a responsibility to tell the public what is happening. I want to say that, as we pass this Bill, it is extremely important that we protect the Press. We cannot have good governance in our country without respecting the Press. However, at the same time, we also call upon the Press to be responsible and sensitive. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few words, I beg to support."
}