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A battle for political
prisoners in Cuba
By Oswaldo Paya. Posted
on Sat, Dec. 02, 2006 in The
Miami Herald.
HAVANA -- On Nov. 9, the Liberation Christian
Movement publicly released a proposed resolution
called, ''The Need for the Government of
Cuba To Free Peaceful Political Prisoners,''
which was addressed to the U.N. Council
on Human Rights.
This draft resolution, sent to most media
accredited in Cuba, asks the Cuban government
to free immediately and without any conditions
all the people who -- in an effort to peacefully
promote human rights, without committing
or planning violent acts against people
or property -- have been incarcerated for
political motives. It also calls for a halt
to the harassment aimed at the citizens
who promote these rights.
We have delivered said proposed resolution
to the embassies of the member countries
of the Human Rights Council represented
in our country and have asked them to promote
it and approve it at the council's next
session. What we ask the member states of
the Human Rights Council and all members
of the United Nations is to support "a
resolution in the interest of Cuba, because
it is in the interest of the rights of all
Cubans, in the interest of justice in Cuba,
in the interest of the truth about Cuba
and in the interest of reconciliation among
Cubans.''
If the council approves this resolution
it will be for the good of Cuba. Doing so,
the council will be asking the government
of Cuba to be consistent with the commitments
assumed by the Cuban state when it signed
international instruments for the protection
of human rights, such as the Universal Declaration
on Human Rights and the Convention Against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment.
The Cuban government itself, when it submitted
its candidacy to the council, avowed its
"willingness to continue to work indefatigably
in its pursuit of the common goal of the
enjoyment of all human rights by all persons
and peoples of the world, on the basis of
respect for the United Nations Charter,
the instruments internationally agreed upon
on the subject of human rights and the Declaration
and Plan of Action of Vienna. Cuba hopes
that its membership in the most important
specialized organization of the United Nations,
in terms of human rights, will have a very
positive impact not only for its own people
but also for the rest of the international
community.''
Once again we call on all Cubans, inside
and outside of Cuba, to raise their voices
in support of the release of those people
who have been forced to suffer in cruel
and inhumane prisons precisely for defending
the rights of all Cubans. We hope that the
members of the U.N. Human Rights Council
will honor the mission that has been conferred
upon them: to press for the promotion and
protection of all human rights, which are
universal and indivisible, and to promote
the observance of the obligations of the
states on the subject of human rights.
Oswaldo Payá is coordinator of the
Christian Liberation Movement based in Cuba.
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