1.
CV. of village
0.05

2.
SV. PAN. from family to burned-out house
0.14

3.
CU. of water pot tilt to woman
0.15

4.
CU. Women
0.17

5.
CU. Family locking at burned-out house
0.20

6.
BACK V. family, PAR to wall standing
0.26

7.
CU. BACK V. Woman with child
0.30

8.
LV. Villagers walk towards burned house
0.36

9.
LV. House
0.36

10.
SV. Woman and children
0.42

11.
CU. Boy tiltup doorway of hut, showing burning marks
0.67

12.
SV. K.A.R. Patro??? towards
0.52

13.
SV. PAN Men patrolling
0.56

14.
LV. Woman outside house
1.01

15.
GV. Village and patrol
1.06



Initials JRG/AHS/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Fire-raisers burned thatched mud-walled huts of native families in part of the Masaka Area of Uganda - blackspot of intimidation, violence and damage to property arising from enforcement of the non-African trade boycott in the country.

The huts are in an isolated part of the country devoted to growing cotton and coffee. Police said the fire in each case was stated by lighting the thatching above the door, presumably to prevent the escape of the occupants. The firebrands in some cases were ineffective since much of the thatching was too old to burn.

In all 16 thatched roofs blazed in the raid. One man trying to put ut a fire was seized and beaten so severally he subsequently died. Most of the families who lost their homes had one thing in common - they had sold maize to non-Africans.

The Governor of Uganda declared the area & 'disturbed' one and ordered troops of the King's African Rifles into it to assist police maintain order. They will remain for an indefinite period.

Masaka has been a blackspot since the early days of the Boycott. Of a total of 594 cases of intimidation, violence and damage to property reported between March 13 and the first week in October, 230 word in the Masaka district. Fire has been one of the chief weapons used against the people brave enough to defy the intimidators and disobey the orders of those enforcing the boycott. Dozens of homes have been blazed.

The cost of defiance has usually been heavy. Threats made in notes nailed secretly, under cover of night, to trees or even to the prospective victim's own door - have been fulfilled with grim regularity. Men, and women, who have refused to be bullied into boycotting Asian shopkeepers have been awakened at night by the cracking sound as their homes went up in flames.

Others have had their livelihood destroyed by attacks with panga and axe on their little plantations of banana and coffee trees. Some have had cattle crippled or killed. Cars have had their tyres out, people beaten up. Schools and homes have been destroyed by fire in what has officially been called a reign of terror.