CUBANET ... CUBANEWS

April 3, 2001



U.S. Human Rights Record Criticized

By Clare Nullis, Associated Press Writer. Yahoo! April 3, 2001

GENEVA, 2 (AP) - U.N. representatives of North Korea and Cuba on Monday accused the United States of ignoring its own human rights violations, especially among the poor and minorities, even as it judges other countries.

"Every year the United States accuses other countries of serious problems. But it is well known that the most serious violator of human rights is the United States,'' said North Korea's delegate, Jo Sung Ju, speaking at the U.N. Human Rights Commission's annual meeting.

He cited the use of the death penalty against minors and widespread poverty in the United States.

"Racial discrimination, child abuse, killing, trafficking, drug abuse and police brutality are taking place as a usual practice,'' he said in a rare speech by a North Korean diplomat to the 53-nation body. "Rape and murder committed by U.S. troops abroad are a serious problem.''

Jo lashed out following a statement Friday by U.S. chief delegate Shirin Tahir-Kheli, in which she described North Korea as one of the "world's most serious human rights violators.''

Tahir-Kheli accused North Korea's communist government of using a "draconian'' legal code to deny all basic rights, like freedom of opinion, assembly or worship.

The U.S. delegate also condemned serious abuses in Cuba and said suppression in China was worsening.

On Monday, Cuban Ambassador Carlos Amat Fores accused the United States of sponsoring U.N. resolutions critical of Cuba merely to justify Washington's own "genocidal policy of aggression and the economic blockade it has imposed for more than 40 years.''

"There is a massive and flagrant denial of human rights to tens of millions of people within its own borders,'' he declared, adding that about 15 percent of the U.S. population lived below the poverty line and were excluded from proper education and health care.

Cuba is routinely criticized by the U.N. commission for suppressing democratic freedoms. Havana hopes to beat the U.S.-backed resolution this year with support from Latin America and some vote abstentions from Europe.

In recent years, the commission also has passed critical resolutions on Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Sudan and Afghanistan (news - web sites) under a procedure whereby a special investigator is appointed to monitor the situation.

In the heavily politicized debates, China has managed to use its muscle with other developing nations to block critical resolutions for the past decade, and will likely head off a U.S.-sponsored resolution again this year.

China's ambassador Zonghuai Qiao accused the United States of double standards in a speech Friday.

"The U.S. concern for human rights is a sham, what it really practices is power politics,'' he said. "The U.S. advocacy for humanity is a fake, what it really pursues is hegemonism.''

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