Talk:Operation Sunrise (Nyasaland)

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Accuracy, verifiability and context

Latest comment: 7 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

This article was substantially written by a single user between December 2014 and November 2015, since when that user has been inactive. The article has been edited since but, in October 2017, it was in much the same form as in November 2015, with only eight citations from three sources. Essentially, it describes the operation on 3 March 1959 in some detail, but gives no information on its outcome. It also has a section, now called Background, that gives a context which is neither accurate nor properly sourced.

Two major faults are:

1. The Infobox describes it as a military conflict, a Nyasaland victory over rebels of which 21 were killed. This conflicts with the accurate if brief statement at the end of the piece:-

"However, in two incidents involving demonstrations by crowds against the arrests 21 people were killed and 29 injured"

In the more serious of the two incidents at Nkhata Bay, 20 were killed and 28 wounded, some fatally. A crowd had gathered to demand the release of detainees, an unlawful act, and refused to heed the District Commissioner's call to disperse peacefully. This made them rioters (under Regulations introduced in the 1920s in Nyasaland, it was not necessary to read the Riot Act) and the District Commissioner or a senior Police officer could then authorise the police or military to open fire. These people, who were not armed, were demonstrators then rioters, but not rebels.

2. As originally drafted, the article ended:

"Generally the action was peaceful, with five injuries in cases where resistance was allegedly offered, but no fatalities. However, in two incidents involving demonstrations by crowds against the arrests 21 people were killed and 29 injured."

"Generally...no fatalities" and "21 people were killed" is inconsistent, to say the least.

I've made some edits, but am unsure at the moment whether it is better to expand the scope of this article considerably or to produce an article on the 1959 State of Emergency with links to this article and the one on the Devlin Commission. Sscoulsdon (talk) 15:08, 22 November 2017 (UTC)Reply

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