Senator Claims Twi'leks "Not Sentient"

Senate Rotunda, Coruscant — Senator Jamulon Desilijic Tiure, known informally as "Jamie the Hutt," claimed in a Senate debate this afternoon that "a Twi'lek, as is well known... is not a sentient being," and is not subject to the New Republic's prohibitions against slavery. The claim contradicts tens of thousands of years of common wisdom, and the University of Coruscant's Sentience Committee, which is responsible for assessing whether species are capable of intelligent thought (the definition of "sentience"). The Senator added that "while there maybe a disagreement here, it is a consensus on dozens of worlds."

The remarks came as the Senate debated a measure, proposed by Senator Tiure (Dantooine), that would legalize slavery in certain conditions. "Slavery should be permissable in certain circumstances," suggested Tiure, "where it can be proven to have existed as a tradition for over 10,000 years and the ownership of said slaves can be proven to be a tradition practiced up to the present." Tiure further explained that he had, recently, inherited a title—or "freehold"—to one thousand Twi'lek slaves, "and the right to collect them from the local populace."

This, despite slavery being considered illegal for 25,073 years since the adoption of the "Rights of Sentience" clause of the Galactic Constitution and, currently, the New Republic's Common Charter. However, Hutt Space has historically disregarded the clause and practiced slavery regardless, which Senator Tiure argued "is a tradition that I would say the New Republic has no place [interfering] in." Precedents in the courts support the enforcement of the Rights of Sentience, in such circumstances.

"The Senator's claim is farfetched, to put it politely," said Lamar Inosanto, a justice on the New Republic's High Court, "Ancestral or religious traditions do not justify the subordination of a sentient's liberty, against its will. The Republic certainly wouldn't recognize a 'freehold,' written thousands of years ago, as a permission slip to force beings into slavery today." As for the sentience of Twi'leks, the justice remarked; "That's a silly question, there's no disagreement except from the Senator and possibly the [Imperial] Remnant."

The measure, and Tiure's remarks, prompted a vigorous debate and condemnation in the Senate. "I will not stand for the Twi'lek people, citizens of the New Republic, [to] be enslaved nor called non-sentient," said Senator Cul'utaan Forte (Ryloth), who represents the ancestral homeworld of the Twi'leks and is one himself, "Slavery is never permissable, neither is the [revocation] of the Rights of Sentience... I vote against this legislation with absolutely everything in my being, and representing every Twi'lek in this galaxy."

Tiure also sparred with Senator Illanah Thanatos (Chandrila). "If anyone does not deserve a seat in this Senate," she remarked, "It is one who thinks that the enslavement of a species is alright based on their cruel and self-gratifying, sadistic 'traditions.'" The Senator went on, "No one has the right to judge another race as to their validity as a sentient species in this galaxy! And no one has the right to say that said race is to be sold into slavery for your personal purposes."

"Senator Thanatos is absolutely right," agreed Senator Eli Fitzgerald (Ralltiir), "that it is not your determination to make whether a species is or isn't sentient; the New Republic has a process for this based on actual study, not on bigotry. To all Senators here today, and the Chief of State, it is dangerous to allow this sort of hypothesizing in this venue, of the sort that was so common and destructive during the Empire."

"Whether a species is sentient is not a matter of opinion, and it cannot and must not be put 'up for a vote.' Period."

Chief of State Ponc Gavrisom, in response, called Senator Tiure to order. "It is an accepted fact that Twi'leks are sentient," he added. "If the honorable Senator has information to the contrary he must present it to the relevant academic authorities. As Senator Fitzgerald points out, the Senate is not the place nor this the time to be discussing which species are and are not sentient... I must highlight that when legislating we must always judge first what is right, and only then discuss cultural issues."

"Right is like gold, immutable, whatever else it may be it is still gold."

Senator Tiure's was the only vote in favor of the measure.