Our foreign ministry pronouces itself on Tunisia……with a travel warning

Published: January 13, 2011 at 7:47pm

Oh, and compare our foreign minister’s pathetic travel warning with the statement by the French prime minister. Our government’s sole concern is the safety of Maltese tourists, while the French government correctly pronounces itself on the wider picture of concerns about democracy. I almost give up. And no doubt the answer to that one will be: Oh, but France once colonised Tunisia.

Yes, right. Which means that when things were going so badly wrong for us in a similar way in the early 1980s, the only country with a duty to raise awareness about it or condemn what was going on was Britain. Italy, our closest neighbour, need have shown no interest at all.

If the Maltese media were functioning properly and covering the horrors next door, there would be no need for the foreign ministry to issue a travel warning. It’s not like I’ve been looking at the scenes of street-traders self-immolating, military police shooting into crowds (on the international news channels, I hasten to add) and thinking: Hmmmm, I must rush to book a few days in Tunisia.

www.timesofmalta.com, this afternoon

Foreign Ministry issues warning on travel to Tunisia

The Foreign Minister has issued a travel warning to those wishing to travel to Tunisia, pointing out that several people had been killed and injured in demonstrations over the past few days.

A general state of emergency was declared yesterday and a curfew was declared in Greater Tunis, forbidding people from going out between 8 p.m. and 5.30 a.m.

“Maltese nationals should steer away from large gatherings and demonstrations and exercise caution, the ministry said.

They should also obey orders by the local police.

In case of emergency they should contact the Maltese embassy. Contact details can be found on www.foreign.gov.mt

France concerned at ‘disproportionate’ Tunisia violence

Earlier today, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon expressed serious concern at the “disproportionate use of violence” in Tunisia, after deadly clashes between security forces and protesters.

“We are extremely concerned by the violence that has developed in recent days. We urgently call on all parties to show restraint, to choose the path of dialogue,” Fillon told journalists on a visit to London.

“We cannot continue with this disproportionate use of violence,” he added, in the strongest reaction so far from Tunisia’s former colonial power.

The death toll from weeks of unrest mounted to 66 today after eight protesters were killed in overnight clashes with security forces around the capital Tunis.

The violence flared after weeks of protests that initially focussed on high unemployment, sparked by the suicide of a young graduate who set himself alight on December 17.

AD asks government to intervene

In a statement, Alternattiva Domokratika asked the government to intervene with its TUnisian counterpart to stop the bloodshed in Tunisia.

International Affairs spokesman Arnold Cassola said AD supported the Tunision opposition forces, including the Green Party “Tunisie Verte”, in their call for an immediate halt to all violence by the police and the army and for the safeguarding of the freedoms of expression, association and infomation and the enactment of full democratic rights.




7 Comments Comment

  1. H.P. Baxxter says:

    And Vicki Ann Cremona was upset about the empty cultural scene in Tunis. This should liven things up a bit.

    Meanwhile, AD’s plea to the Maltese government to intervene with its Tunisian counterpart is beyond laughable. Malta has as much clout in Tunisia as…let’s see…an ant raping an elephant, or thereabouts.

    I see that some of our politicians are still wearing their space cadet hats after three decades in politics.

  2. Steve Forster says:

    “Maltese nationals should steer away from large gatherings and demonstrations and exercise caution, the ministry said. Which ministry? The Ministry for Funny walks…….I had a dog called caution and she hated being exercised.

  3. Vanni says:

    Sorry to mess up this page with something out of context (again), but thought you may have missed this liitle gem:
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1346850/EU-officials-sending-2011-school-diaries-reference-Easter-Christmas-Muslim-Chinese-Hindu-holidays.html

    Check out who is mentioned. Yup, our very own exile.

  4. vonmises says:

    Not only don’t we have any capabilities to resolve Tunisia’s disputes, but we don’t have any right to intervene in a neighbouring country’s internal matters; not even a global power such the US should intervene, let alone us, a country who is being continuously bullied around by the same neighbours on oil exploration.

    The foreign office should concentrate all his efforts on the OIL dispute.

    [Daphne – Obviously, because it is run by men and men can only do one thing at a time.]

  5. Etienne Caruana says:

    I have been following with interest – and with a level of apprehension – what’s going on not only in Tunisia, but also in Algeria and other Arab states.

    The political unrest is not simply due to price hikes and high unemployment, but also the high level of corruption and political inefficiency of most of the regimes in this region.

    Commentators in the United States are calling the situation in Tunisia the “Twitter revolution” – for the time being. Popular uprisings in these areas may go both ways.

    By this I mean that they may lead to a greater democratisation, or to a revolution on Islamic lines (remember Algeria?). I shudder at the thought that the latter can happen on Malta’s doorstep.

    I share your feelings, Daphne, and sometimes wonder: what sort of bubble do people live in here in Malta? Perhaps I should add that I am at present residing abroad so I may be seeing things from a different perspective.

  6. nghix fl-ispazju says:

    Tunisia? Where is it? I guess it is somewhere in the Middle East cause that’s the trouble spot.

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