The Church-State Co-ordination Committee was set up in the fall of
1990 by Seychelles President France Albert René.
The
Indian Ocean Newsletter (8 Sept. 1990, 5) states that the goal
of the Committee is, according to the President's Office, to work
towards a better understanding between the Church and the State
through constant dialogue which will promote further collaboration
between them for the benefit of the country and the people.
The U.S. Department of State's
Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices for 1990 (1991, 333) noted that the Committee, made
up of the Minister of Administration and Manpower as well as the
heads of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, was formed "to
foster cooperation on social, cultural, and moral issues." The
report notes that by the end of 1990 the Committee had been able to
bring about "few significant changes" (
Ibid.)
A survey of the
Indian Ocean Newsletter, one of the few
periodicals available to the IRBDC which covers the Seychelles,
indicates that since the forming of the Committee, perhaps the most
positive reform on the human rights front in the Seychelles has
been the reduction of the compulsory National Youth Service from
two years to one (15 Sept. 1990, 6). The attached section from
Marcus Franda's
The Seychelles - Unquiet Islands (1982,
93-97) includes a description of the National Youth Service, which
has evoked strong criticism in the past.
The Indian Ocean
Newsletter notes that despite the reform, new regulations
require students, to attend 'compulsory' summer youth camps, or
even at the week-end, where they will learn 'to work and study
together like brothers and sisters,' and prepare for the NYS" (15
Sept. 1990, 6).
Since the formation of the Committee as well, President
René has banned the Anglican Reverend Wavel Ramkalawan from
broadcasting views critical of the government (
The Indian Ocean
Newsletter 27 Oct. 1990, 5; 15 Dec. 1990, 4), harassed
Jean-François Ferrari for distributing tracts advocating
multi-party politics and attempting to publish a newspaper calling
for democracy (
Ibid. 10 Nov. 1990, 4; 24 Nov. 1990, 4),
passed a new passport law abolishing recourse to the law courts for
those who have been refused a passport (
Ibid. 5 Jan. 1991,
5; 16 Mar. 1991, 5), and arrested a young docker accused of
distributing anti-government documents (
Ibid. 25 May
1991,6).
Further information on the subject is currently unavailableto the
IRBDC.
Attachments:
Franda, Marcus. 1982.
The Seychelles - Unquiet Islands.
Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, pp. 93-97. Cover page currently
unavailable to the IRBDC.
The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. 1 September 1990.
"Seychelles: National Youth Service: Time for Revamp?"
_____. 8 September 1990. "Seychelles: State-Church Joint Committee
Founded."
____ . 15 September 1990. "Seychelles: National Youth
Service Reduced to One Year."
____ . 27 October 1990. "Seychelles: Priests Target for
President Albert René's Wrath."
____ . 3 November 1990. "Seychelles: Sermon and Open Letters
for Democracy."
____ . 10 November 1990. "Seychelles: Limits of Freedom of
Expression."
____ . 24 November 1990. "Seychelles: President Albert
René Receives Dissident."
____ . 15 December 1990. "Seychelles: Church and Government
Not Seeing Eye to Eye."
____. 5 January 1991. "Seychelles: New Passport Act."
____ . 19 January 1991. "Seychelles: Prospective Referendum
on Reforms?"
____ . 16 February 1991. "Seychelles: Bishop Felix Paul
Visit Australia."
____ . 9 March 1991. "Seychelles: Forthcoming SPPF
Congress."
____ . 16 March 1991. "Seychelles: Passport Issue Law
Finally Passed."
____ . 25 May 1991. "Seychelles: 'Emergence' of New
Clandestin Opposition Party."
Bibliography
Franda, Marcus. 1982.
The Seychelles - Unquiet Islands.
Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, pp. 93-97.
The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. 1 September 1990.
"Seychelles: National Youth Service: Time for Revamp?"
____ . 8 September 1990. "Seychelles: State-Church Joint
Committee Founded."
____ . 15 September 1990. "Seychelles: National Youth
Service Reduced to One Year."
____ . 27 October 1990. "Seychelles: Priests Target for
President Albert René's Wrath."
____ . 3 November 1990. "Seychelles: Sermon and Open Letters
for Democracy."
____ . 10 November 1990. "Seychelles: Limits of Freedom of
Expression."
____ . 24 November 1990. "Seychelles: President Albert
René Receives Dissident."
____ . 15 December 1990. "Seychelles: Church and Government
Not Seeing Eye to Eye."
____ . 5 January 1991. "Seychelles: New Passport Act."
____ . 19 January 1991. "Seychelles: Prospective Referendum
on Reforms?"
____ . 16 February 1991. "Seychelles: Bishop Felix Paul
Visits Australia."
____ . 9 March 1991. "Seychelles: Forthcoming SPPF
Congress."
____ . 16 March 1991. "Seychelles: Passport Issue Law
Finally Passed."
____ . 25 May 1991. "Seychelles: 'Emergence' of New
Clandestine Opposition Party."
U.S. Department of State. 1991.
Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices for 1990. Washington: U.S. Government Printing
Office.