[Reader-list] From Ramallah

[Ranita Chatterjee]

On April 8th, 2002 at 1p.m., the curfew was lifted in Ramallah for
the second time in 11 days, and for a period of 4 hours. It gave
some a chance to hunt for bread and eggs, and others to quickly
survey the damage to their institutions, since in the previous lifting
of the curfew people could barely concentrate on hunting for but not 
finding bread. But once locked up again, a slow realization came about... 
wonder what they did inside  the buildings they broke into. 

With gradual reports of plunder, stealing and breaking emerging,
 you can imagine that many began to worry, then fear a much
worse realization: destruction of the institutional and cultural 
infrastructure of Palestinian life. This realization, alas, is now being 
confirmed. For many,  much of their laborious work in institution building 
has been ruined.

 Although we do not know the level and extent of this type of
 destruction, eyewitness reports indicate that it is all-
 encompassing. No doubt, it will take months to assess the extent
 of this damage, once we emerge out of the current circumstances.
 And clearly, being under curfew and with mere phone contacts, we
 only know of some cases, those that we happen to have access to
 or pertain to people we know. Here is what we know so far:

 1. Radio and television stations:  Not only did the Israeli army
 occupy most of the local radio and television stations early on, but
 they used one of the stations at least, WATAN,  to air pornographic 
films. That day, probably on the second day of this onslaught, I turned 
on the television to see Watan Television Station's couragous reporting 
of what is happening around us. I was shocked by a pornographic film 
instead. Called everybody and everyone, as did everybody else who saw 
that. And it took I think two days for this to stop...just think of children 
watching in the midst of all that is happening around them. 
 And then we began to hear reports of what has taken place at al-Quds 
University's Educational Television, which normally broadcasts 
educational materials, but since the beginning of this state of affairs, had 
begun  airing cartoons for children and short films on first aid and trauma 
management, as well as phone numbers and addresses to use for 
emergency purposes in these trying times.

 According to the technical director of this station and another
 filmmaker friend, the army occupied the station and held two
staff operators for many hours before they were released.  When the
curfew was lifted on April 5th, he tried his  best to get into
 the station, but was not allowed in by the army.  On the way back,
 his worst fears were magnified: al-Nasr TV, Manara, Ajyal, and
 Angham radio station owners all reported the same horror. They
 were able to get into their stations and found all the equipment on the 
floor, totally and irreparably damaged.  Microphones, tapes, CD's, 
monitors, mixers etc. all spread and smashed into shambles. Even Radio 
Love and Peace studios, ironically, were found totally destroyed, 
apparently using highly effective sledgehammers or something of this 
sort!

 2. Non-governmental organizations working on economic and social
 development research, policy and human rights

 a. Al-Haq, HDIP and MATTIN: these are three non-governmental
 organizations specializing in human rights, health research and
 policy and economic research development respectively. They are
 situated in one building. The first report I received was from al-Haq,
 indicating that they had stormed their office as well as that of HDIP, and 
that they had arrested one of their workers. Later on, we realized via 
MATTIN researchers that all three institutions were opened up, forming 
a big dormitory, and that the army was using the entire area as a 
barracks. On the second curfew lifting I went downtown and peeped 
through streets and building to see, as you cannot get close, only to 
realize that the building is surrounded with barbed wires and tanks, 
totally inaccessible even for people to inspect the damage in there,  and 
leaving you with a horrific imagination of what could have happened 
inside, as the Israeli army is still using the offices as a downtown station. 
We suspect that the damage must be great, or total, based on reports of 
what happened in radio and television stations as well as people's homes 
when they are stormed.

 b.  UPMRC . First, the Youth Center, housing a computer
 laboratory as well as other equipment and materials that are
 intended to help youth in these trying times. On Sunday the 31st of
 March the Israeli army stormed the center. They detonated the
 door and went in. They broke all the internal doors, and destroyed
 some of the computers, we do not know how many. We have no
 idea to date if they stole anything or not.

 Then, the UPMRC Optometry Center: the centre  was stormed probably 
also on the same day. Again the door was detonated, and even the 
internal walls were destroyed, and everything was broken,
 computers, microscopes, and all of the diagnostic equipment was
 smashed and on the floor. The Israeli army also took with them the
 main records computer. There is nothing there that is operational.

 And, the UPMRC Technical Aids for the Disabled Centre: stormed on 
the first of April. Stormed by exploding one of the walls, as they could 
not open the main door, tried to detonate the door but did not succeed. 
All computers were broken and down on the floor, glass broken, even 
parts of walls were down.

 And finally, UPMRC'c main emergency medical center, first shelled
 by tanks, with shells landing inside one of rooms, carving out the
 first wall into the second room, and then again the second wall into the 
third room.  Then they stormed the building and destroyed all the 
equipment there, computers, photocopier etc. The Israeli army also 
detonated the doors of other NGO's located in the building, such as the 
Mandela Institute, as well a private dental clinic and computer company 
located in the same building. One office, belonging to a  private lawyer 
was partially burned down. All equipment in these offices were 
destroyed.

c. Al-Mawrid Teacher Development Center in the Arizona Building in the 
heart of downtown Ramallah: this center was directly hit by a missile or 
bomb, which landed in through the window and caused a fire, which has 
led to the total destruction of the premises.
 
d.  Muwatin, the Palestinian Institute for the Study of Democracy, 
located on Irsal Street, was not spared either. Apparently, the neighbor 
first reported that the army stormed into  these
offices and stayed there for about three hours. One door was  completely 
blown off, and the other badly damaged. By the second curfew lifting, on 
April 9th, a quick visit revealed destruction, and paper everywhere on 
floors, books on floors. There was no time  however to assess whether 
anything was stolen nor the extent of  the damage.

We also hear that PARC ( Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee) and 
the Hydrology Group offices were also stormed but I do not yet know 
the details.

3. Public Institutions: we have not begun to realize the extent of the  
damage in this sector , but some reports are indicative. On April 4th, the  
Ministry of Education issued an appeal to the world
community indicating that on April 3rd, more than 30 Israeli tanks made a 
 forceful entry into the Ministry headquarters in Ramallah , demolishing 
the main gate and the main doors, although  employees there were willing 
to give them the keys to open the  doors instead. The employees were 
then captured and forced to sit  under heavy rain for six hours, then 
released. When the soldiers  left at around 9 p.m that evening, the 
employees went back to  horrifying damage: the Ministry's computer net 
servers were stolen, along with many floppy disks, CD's, files, dossiers, 
and all sorts of  other documents. In the finance office, the main coffer 
lock was  detonated, damaging all papers, including vouchers, 
promissory  notes, cash and check box. The general examination central 
office doors were all detonated and destroyed, all iron cupboards as well, 
 many of which containing very important educational documents.  All 
records were taken or destroyed, even records
of official  transcripts that have been laboriously developed over years, 
and  making it impossible now to issue or certify student documents and 
transcripts. Even the storage rooms were invaded, with computers, 
televisions and video sets and other valuable teaching  aids taken away, 
all with worth estimated as in millions of dollars.  Apparently, the piles of 
rubble on the floor made for a terrifying  scene.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and has been compiled from reports I 
have received from friends and colleagues in the institutions concerned.  
The whole truth will take some time to emerge.

This unbelievable destruction can only indicate that this unilateral war is 
not merely about security, but is mainly directed against annihilating 
everything Palestinian.