New Vanguardia is in a mood of joy and celebration as we approach the first fully open elections in the sovereignty in nearly 30 years. The opinions and feelings of everyday Vanguardians are being heard without being funneled through “channels”. Regrettably, this outpouring of speech and thought has been overexcited in some cases, and these have led to disturbances of the peace which have required state intervention.

The international news has extensively reported on the case of the “Rockdale Five”, a group of anti-government activists who stand accused by the state of vandalizing and destroying state property, including the heavy marking of a Safety & Coordination station. Last week, the five agitators were apprehended by the State Investigations Administration and then transferred into the custody of the Political Police, where they were held for five days before being released.

Protests in support of the “Rockdale Five” took place not only throughout New Vanguardia but also in several other countries in the region. Many have even attributed the end of the Five’s detention was due to pressure from these protests. At a meeting of the Regional Security Conference, New Vanguardia’s State Commissioner for Foreign Affairs categorically denied that claim, instead asserting that the Political Police had done their job.

“Nothing out of the ordinary occurred in this case,” stated the Foreign Commissioner. “This was a disruption of public order which had to be dealt with, and all was handled according to the law, with full respect for the accused and for society. The protests in support of the accused certainly concerned us, and we take the desires of our people seriously. But we did not detain these people unduly. The involvement of the Political Police has to be understood, because even though they were involved, it does not mean that this case was being treated as any kind of special threat.

“According to our law, our Investigations Administration may only hold someone for a day and some hours. The accused were taken in for questioning, as is the correct procedure, but nothing was concluded. Only the Political Police have the authority to hold people for longer, and it was for that reason only that they became involved. They were held because we did not want them to flee before we had conducted our investigation.

“We take respect for the accused quite seriously, and the accused had every need provided for while in our custody. We also thank the Safety and Coordination teams throughout New Vanguardia, who helped to manage the protest crowds with the result that no one was seriously injured. In the coming days, the accused will be brought before the courts and a judgment will be made.

“Until such a time as a final judgment can be made, we ask that you respect the obligations which the accused are under so that we can reach an honest and equitable decision.”