Posted on 12/30/2005 7:39:02 AM PST by SittinYonder
Key points • Fears grow over Kate Burton and her parents after abduction in Gaza • Former UN employee and human rights activist kidnapped over 36 hours ago • Latest in series of abductions following Israel's withdrawal from area
Key quote "There are two scary things about this - nobody has made a claim of responsibility, and in most cases people are released within hours. We are really praying for Kate's release." - UNDP SPOKESPERSON
Story in full FEARS were growing last night for a British human rights worker and her parents, more than 36 hours after the family were kidnapped by an unidentified group in Gaza.
Kate Burton, 25, was snatched on Wednesday as she showed her parents Hugh and Winnie Burton around the Palestinian town of Rafah close to the border with Egypt.
Ms Burton had recently quit a job with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Palestinian territories and started work for the human rights group al-Mezan.
Her father held several high-ranking positions with the European Union before taking up his current role as general secretary of the Confederation of European Senior Expert Services (CESES), an organisation offering assistance and advice to enterprises and institutions in developing countries.
UNDP spokesman Ihab Shanti said: "There are two scary things about this - nobody has made a claim of responsibility, and in most cases people are released within hours. We are really praying for Kate's release."
Despite earlier assertions from staff at al-Mezan that Ms Burton was Scottish, the Foreign Office yesterday confirmed that she was born overseas. Her parents, both originally from England, have lived in Brussels for a number of years.
Other family members released a statement last night in which they expressed concern for the safety of the hostages. "We are a close family and are naturally deeply concerned about our parents and sister," the statement read.
"Kate is a warm and loving person and has been working as a volunteer in Gaza for the past year trying to do what she can to help the situation there."
Palestinian security officials said that they were in contact with armed groups, but had not yet determined the family's whereabouts. They set up roadblocks in Rafah and the nearby town of Khan Younis to inspect all traffic moving through the area. However, Palestinian officials and British diplomats later conceded that they were no closer to freeing the hostages.
"We have nothing new on the case," said Gaza police chief Alaa Hosni. "We are continuing our search efforts, and we will not stop until the British family is safely returned."
He said he believed they are still in Rafah. A team of British diplomats is maintaining close contact with the Palestinians. "We're quite happy with the way things are going, but the three nationals are not close to being released," said a statement.
The kidnapping is the latest in a string of abductions of foreigners in recent months. They have undermined Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' attempts to establish order in Gaza following Israel's withdrawal from the area in September.
Whoever carried out the kidnapping could hardly have picked a person more sympathetic to the Palestinians' plight. Friends, colleagues and acquaintances yesterday painted a picture of Ms Burton as an enthusiastic worker and dedicated supporter of the Palestinian cause who speaks Arabic well and is a known figure in human rights and non-governmental organisation circles in Gaza.
Mohammed al-Araki, a friend of Ms Burton, said: "Kate told me two weeks ago her parents were coming. She asked me where to take them, what interesting places to take them. I said 'maybe they'd be interested to see the Egyptian border terminal and the [refugee] camps'.
"She wanted to show them different places, she wanted to show the life conditions of the Palestinians, the suffering.
"She is very kind and humane, she likes children very much and all children like her," Mr Araki added. "She is very helpful, she works very hard for Mezan and she volunteers when she has time to do so."
He said Ms Burton, who had previously studied at the London School of Economics, knew Gaza well and spoke good Arabic.
Ms Burton's entry on the Friends Reunited website lists her interests as music and her favourite sport as running. It also notes that she was initially educated at the European School II (Woluwe) in Brussels. She later took a gap year in Chile.
Her father, Hugh Burton, worked for Unilever until 1974 when he moved to Brussels to take up a post as head of service (economic and financial questions) with the European Economic and Social Committee.
He later held a number of other roles with European bodies before he became director of Joint Services for the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions in 1994. He joined CESES after his retirement.
• A vigil was held in London's Trafalgar Square yesterday for the British human rights activist Norman Kember, who was kidnapped in Iraq last month.
What is it they say about laying down with dogs? ... You'll get kidnapped by them eventually?
I'd say she got what she wanted.
The Irony Detector is pegged. She probably told her friends that her parents have money. They won't have any when this is over.
Pancaked?
I wouldn't doubt it. The kidnappings are intended to embarrass Abbas and they hit the jackpot this time. This kidnapping is making bigger headlines, particularly in the UK and garnering more attention than any of the other Gaza kidnappings that I'm familiar with.
And she'll undoubtedly be convinced until her dying breath that the Israelis were responsible for her kidnapping by oppressing her captors to the point of desperation.
The body will turn up not longer after the Islamanimals are done raping her.
Meanwhile down south in Eilat...http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1549217/posts
British aid worker and parents 'secure in good hands' after Gaza kidnap ordeal
Kidnap victim tells of her guilt at putting parents' lives in danger
Predictably, she is planning to continue her work:
"What happened has made me want to stay even more, because it's made me realise how complex the problems facing the Palestinian people are, and also what minority groups like these kidnappers really are.
"We need to support the majority which, unfortunately, has a less strong voice than the minority."
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