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exhibited confidence that they would be acquitted. Weh-Syen was jeered by the crowds when he declared he had "never plotted to kill Doe." He later told reporters to "tell the world" that "if I die, I die for nothing." They were found guilty and executed by firing squad in what was seen as the climactic end to a power struggle among the 17 soldiers who took control of the government in a bloody coup last year. The men executed were also known to have criticized what they perceived as the Doe government's "errand boy" relationship with the United States. Besides Weh-Syen, 29, they were Lt. Col. Nelson Toe, at 22 the youngest member of the council; Lt. Col. Harry
Johnson, 30; Maj. Henry Zuo, 28, and Lt. Col. Robert Sumo. The five formed the core of the left-leaning resistance to many of the pro-Western decisions taken by Liberia's military head of state, Master Sgt. Samuel K. Doe. All were members of the original group of 17 noncommissioned officers and privates who overthrew the government of William R. Tolbert on April 12, 1980, ending a century and a half of dominance in the country by Americo-Liberians—the descendants of American blacks who founded Liberia in the early 19th century.
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Weh Syen and five were charged with murder and a backlash plot against the Doe government, but no evidence of conspiracy was publicly presented during their hasty three-day military trial. As they were led past crowds gathered outside the Temple of
Justice, where the trials were held, the men
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Maj. Gen. Thomas Weh-Syen, an outspoken critic of some of Doe's policies, including the closure last spring of Libya's diplomatic mission and the forced reduction of the Soviet
Embassy staff from 15 to six. After allegedly attempting to kill Doe in a second coup financed by
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in 2008 revealed that their disagreements began during the coup itself when Weh Syen and Doe forcibly disagreed about the disposal of money that had been stolen from the home of the newly murdered
President
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The speed and secrecy of the trial left fear in
Monrovia. Liberians who felt safe openly discussing their disagreements with the Doe administration now do so only privately in secluded places.
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He was the father of a son, Thomas Weh Syen Jr., who died soon after his father — on 24 December 1981, the 5½-year-old boy was hit by a car while he was crossing a street near his home.
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soldier and politician. He was a leading member of the group of enlisted men that overthrew the country's government in an April 1980 military
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While a member of the PRC, he was partly responsible for educational affairs, but his time on the
Council was short-lived.
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and became the co-chairman of the PRC; as a result, he was the immediate deputy of
Commander-in-Chief
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in
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From the earliest days of the PRC, Doe and Syen clashed; testimony before the
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He was replaced as Vice Head of State by PRC Speaker
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TRC Hearing: Late Prez
Tolbert's Daughter Adds More
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240:"Liberia Executes 5 Members of Ruling Council"
203:"Liberia Executes 5 Members of Ruling Council"
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314:People executed by Liberia by firing squad
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283:"Tragedy Hits Weh Syen's Family Again".
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191:, 2008-06-11. Accessed 2012-06-09.
112:Truth and Reconciliation Commission
171:"Gen. Weh Syen Chides Students".
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83:(died August 15, 1981) was a
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319:People's Redemption Council
127:. Weh Syen was tried in a
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73:People's Redemption Council
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309:Executed military leaders
238:Dash, Leon (1981-08-15).
64:Execution by firing squad
201:Leon Dash (1981-08-15).
101:Armed Forces of Liberia
117:William R. Tolbert Jr.
189:The Liberian Journal
270:"Weh-Syen Weeps?"
211:. Washington, D.C.
208:The Washington Post
61:Cause of death
16:Liberian politician
147:J. Nicholas Podier
125:Muammar Al-Gaddafi
133:Temple of Justice
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272:The Express
89:coup d'état
298:Categories
257:2021-09-12
225:1330888409
156:References
105:Samuel Doe
252:0190-8286
217:0190-8286
32:1951/1952
85:Liberian
50:Monrovia
131:at the
99:in the
54:Liberia
36:Liberia
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221:OCLC
213:ISSN
43:Died
29:Born
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