The Yemeni Center for Civil Rights announced Friday that a public opinion poll found that an overwhelming majority of southern Yemenis favor independence.
At a press conference, the center’s director, Nouradinne Azizi, said 70% of Yemenis living in the territory of the former People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) favor secession from the unified Yemen state.
The PRDY unified with its northern neighbor, the Yemeni Arab Republic (YAR) in 1990. Since 1994's civil war, southerners say the former PDRY was treated as the spoils of war and essentially looted and occupied by the forces of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who became president of the YAR in 1978.
Carried out in collaboration with the National Endowment for Democracy, polling was conducted over a year and in ten Yemeni provinces.
Southern Yemen has been embroiled in civil unrest since 2007 when a protest movement began led by retired military officers claiming economic discrimination and political marginalization.
Called “The Stay at Home Party,” southern veterans were forced into retirement after the civil war and typically received pensions much lower than their northern counterparts. Mr. Saleh’s government offered to reimburse the men in 2008 but on the condition that they sign a pledge to renounce political activity.
Growing protests were met by police violence and arbitrary arrests, which triggered more protests and the articulation of broad grievances with the unified state. Southerners began to publicly denounce widespread theft and appropriation of private and public land by northern government officials.
Another issue triggering resentment is the exclusion of southerners from state employment and college scholarships, often awarded as a function of patronage not ability in Yemen. Southerners also claim to have been excluded from the benefits of Yemen’s natural resources found primarily in the south, including now nearly depleted oil deposits. A twenty billion dollar natural gas production project recently began exports.
US Secretary of State Clinton termed instability in Yemen as a global and regional threat. Jeffrey D. Feltman, Assistant Secretary for the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, said in a statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the US supports a unified, stable, democratic and prosperous Yemen.
“The ROYG and southern leaders need to engage in a political dialogue that addresses political and economic grievances that stretch back to Yemen’s unification in 1990. Decentralization offers one possible approach through which the central authority can devolve power and resources to individual governorates, encouraging local solutions to long-standing grievances,” Feltman said.
The US ramped up Yemen’s counter-terror funding to about $150 million in 2010, more than double 2009’s $67 million, following a failed attack on an airliner by Yemen’s al Qaeda in December.
An international conference hosted by the UK earlier this week drew a consensus from participants to strengthen economic and security support for President Saleh in tandem with a "commitment by the international community to supporting the Government of Yemen in the fight against Al Qaeda and other forms of terrorism."
The outcome was slammed by Yemen’s opposition party alliance, the Joint Meeting Parties, which said the conference was designed to save President Saleh and not the nation itself. They said the international community’s stance in support of Mr. Saleh, “'depleted the last remaining hopes of Yemen and Yemeni people for a serious and real help from the international community.”
Comments
This is very nice documentary article for some of the issues of the south..
Thanks Jane
free free south yemen
south yemen will be free
thank you jane from me and my leaders on south yemen field.
How the world supperpowers ignor the justices right agenda of South yemen,They setup unwanted projects to developed something different to solving the pinpoint matter at its right level ignoring the identity call.the question is do south yemenis need jobs,infrastruture develoments in place of the right independance.right to choose there way as they were but the mojor involve nations are boosting kind of micro business and jobs to fill the place of the right,that is wrong strategies an ordnary man knows do not repeat such mistake that will lead to kinds of genecides.Look back if you have problems old or news with southerns better face the dialogue debate and find permanet solution be it on etical or religious believers dont look for weak and unjustyful solution
Free the south from the evil president ali. Thanks jane!
Respected Jane Novak!
Thanks a lot to U for helping us Southern People in our struggle against Yemeni regime who occupied our country - South Arabia. We are struggling peacefully against Yemeni president (the first terrorist in the world) as U know what he is doing with our people using his military forces and other divisions of his securities. He is killing us any where and every where and we are asking the International Community why you watching all Ali Abdullah crimes and keeping silent? Are you agree with him or you are looking only for your interests. Please help us because we have all rights to say no for this occupation, No for Yemeni terrorism. We are waiting for your and all the free world help. We should get our Independence peacefully other wise we will get it by force. I thik you are undrestanding us and will soon will do some thing
Thaks Jane for all what are U doing for us and this so nice from U
Thanks Jane once again
Abu-Majed
south and north of yemen are going to be togather forever no matter whats happens because this is how it should be and 99.9% of yemen citizens support the united yemen. those people in the south who are now against the united yemen are only 1% and most of them are kids getting paid to do this. so feel so comfortable about yemen staying togather. i know that the government may be bad but this has nothing to do with it. thanks
south and north of yemen are going to be togather forever no matter whats happens because this is how it should be and 99.9% of yemen citizens support the united yemen. those people in the south who are now against the united yemen are only 1% and most of them are kids getting paid to do this. so feel so comfortable about yemen staying togather. i know that the government may be bad but this has nothing to do with it. thanks
While the Southerners are subjected to persecution,poverty and destitute by the Yemen Arab Republic - and the world is watching - the Southerners will be compelled to enter into full armed struggle against the occupier - the right to defend ourselves against these occupying forces. Almost all populated towns and districts are besieged by the these forces. Al-dhalea,Lahj,Radfan, Habilein,Yafaa, Sheher,Gheil Bawazeer, Dees Alhami, GHeidhah Alqatein and Mukalla and Aden. This has aggravated the life of the Southerners who are already in poverty and misery what is happening in the Palestine is purposely implemented by the Sana'a regime in the southern country, to forcefully bring the people to submission . We therefore request the international community to intervene and give Freedom...to the Souther Arabia people and retain there country and independence forthwith as per UN resolutions.. FREE FREE THE ...SOUTHERN ARABIA.
The continued militarisation of southern Arabia Towns and villages by the Sana'a dictator is manifestation of fear by of the occupier - his days are numbered - sooner the regime will crumble - international court of criminals is waiting for you - to face war crimes committed by the butcher of Sana'a - merciless dictator . He is accounted of robbing the resources of the south, land , oil, minerals fisheries . While the US continue support the regime - in the hope it fights terrorism or al gaeda - let it be know until when will the regime fool the US ? Algaeda is run from the presidential palace in Sana'a - just to reap cash and weapons to strenghen the Saddam- alike dictator. What US may have not realised - the southern Arabia people are determined to fight against the occupier of its land - will continue our struggle to rid off the dictator and his troops out of the Souther Arabian Territories - whatever it takes the goal is INDEPENDENCE....FREE SOUTH ARABIA
Unity of Yemen belongs to entire nations of Yemen, no one has the right to dispute that nor think of changing history of blessed unfied Yemen.. Unifing Yemen to its original place historically was nation's aspiration and will remain so eternally. Well, if you have your personl grievances that is your personal problem, you free to solve them your ways till you achieve your rights through legal channels if you choose so....Yemen Unification has nothing to do with your personal demands. Resorting to subversive acts would neither help you getting your objectives. It is silly to talk ill of our glorious Unification.. May Allah protect the blessed lands and its nation wherever they are...Always think of positive things towards your homeland, propose your ideas in a democratic manner, certaintly there will be respond with time....
Unity of Yemen belongs to entire nations of Yemen, no one has the right to dispute that nor think of changing history of blessed unfied Yemen.. Unifing Yemen to its original place historically was nation's aspiration and will remain so eternally. Well, if you have your personl grievances that is your personal problem, you free to solve them your ways till you achieve your rights through legal channels if you choose so....Yemen Unification has nothing to do with your personal demands. Resorting to subversive acts would neither help you getting your objectives. It is silly to talk ill of our glorious Unification.. May Allah protect the blessed lands and its nation wherever they are...Always think of positive things towards your homeland, propose your ideas in a democratic manner, certaintly there will be respond with time....
Unity in its years of propetion years hard havockly lost its meanings or place ,when you say blessed unified is like say you found a place to rig for easy gain, in which you automatically obtain naturally between your geographical side blood link (is that not a practical sense) gain right over natives.Do you want do one more time seep at expense of words
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