House Resolution 179 passed the U.S. House of Representatives on April 8
by a vote of 414 to 0. The resolution says Cuba's government continues to
repress all peaceful attempts by the Cuban people to bring democratic change to
the island by denying universally recognized liberties, including freedom of
speech, press, and assembly.
Following is the text of the resolution:
108TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 179
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the
systematic human rights violations in Cuba committed by the Castro regime,
calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners, and supporting
respect for basic human rights and free elections in Cuba.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida (for himself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. MARIO
DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey,
Mr. LANTOS, Mr. MCCOTTER, and Mr. PALLONE) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on [date unspecified].
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the
systematic human rights violations in Cuba committed by the Castro regime,
calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners, and supporting
respect for basic human rights and free elections in Cuba.
Whereas the Cuban Government continues to repress all peaceful attempts by
the Cuban people to bring democratic change to the island by denying universally
recognized liberties, including freedom of speech, assembly, association,
movement and of the press;
Whereas on March 9, 2003, many of Cuba's prominent dissidents issued a
statement titled "Joint Statement" to the European Union, wherein they
reaffirmed their view of the Cuban Government's "total vocation to
immobility and its refusal to respect internationally recognized human rights or
accept the existence of legitimate political opposition" and further stated
that "in recent times the Cuban Government has intensified its political
and social repression";
Whereas commencing on March 17, 2003, the Cuban Government carried out a
massive, island wide crackdown on members of Cuba's pro-democracy movement,
which included the arrest of over 80 dissidents, among them many who signed the
"Joint Statement"; activists of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society,
promoters of the Varela Project, independent journalists, and numerous members
of Cuba's nascent independent civil society;
Whereas the Cuban Government arbitrarily searched the homes and confiscated
personal items belonging to pro-democracy activists;
Whereas independent journalists were among those incarcerated in this
massive crackdown, including Raul Rivero, known as the dean of the dissident
independent journalists in Cuba;
Whereas independent librarians, who make their homes available so that the
Cuban population may have access to publications otherwise censored by the Cuban
Government, also became victims of repression, as many were arrested, their
homes ransacked and searched, and publications and other belongings confiscated;
Whereas Marta Beatriz Roque, and other leaders of the "Assembly to
Promote Civil Society", an island-wide movement seeking to coordinate the
various sectors of Cuba's nascent independent civil society who work for a
democratic transition, were incarcerated and face lengthy sentences, including
life sentences;
Whereas activists who have collected or signed petitions for the Varela
Project were also incarcerated in this crack-down and may also face life
sentences;
Whereas more than 80 pro-democracy leaders who work for a peaceful
transition to democracy in Cuba and have been incarcerated and sentenced under "Law
88" and "Law 91", two draconian totalitarian laws that call for
long sentences of 10, 15, or 20 years, or life imprisonment, or even death for
pro-democracy activity;
Whereas there is concern for the well-being and safety for all of Cuba's
political prisoners, particularly Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leyva, who is a blind
human rights activist incarcerated since March of 2002 without being formally
charged, and Leonardo Bruzon Avila, who has been denied medical attention
according to Amnesty Inter-national, despite the effects of a prolonged hunger
strike while in prison.;
Whereas a plea for solidarity was made from within the notoriously harsh
prison in Cuba known as "Combinado del Este" and signed by 21
political prisoners, among them Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, Francisco Chaviano,
Rafael Ibarra, and Jorge Luis Garcia Perez "Antunez" to the member
states of the 59th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission;
Whereas the Cuban Government has carried out "summary trials" to
expeditiously sentence pro-democracy leaders to try to intimidate and silence
other pro-democracy activists on the island, while world attention is primarily
focused on Iraq;
Whereas the Castro regime has engaged in mass arrests of dissidents while
the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, of which Cuba is a member, is
meeting in Geneva;
Whereas certain member countries of the Latin American and Caribbean group
(GRULAC) at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights are currently drafting
a resolution on the violations of human rights by the Cuban Government;
Whereas the Cuban Government has repeatedly violated the rights enshrined in
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Inter-American Convention on
Human Rights, and other international and regional human rights agreements, and
has violated the mandates issued by the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights;
Whereas foreign diplomats and members of the international press have been
barred by the Cuban Government from being present at the "summary trials";
and
Whereas pro-democracy leaders on the island have come together to call for
the immediate release of all Cuban political prisoners, and are requesting
international solidarity with the internal opposition, as reflected in a March
31, 2003, statement signed by some of the most prominent dissidents on the
island: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives --
(1) condemns the brutal crackdown of the Cuban Government on the island's
peaceful pro-democracy movement;
(2) calls for the immediate release of all Cuban political prisoners;
(3) supports the right of the Cuban people to exercise fundamental political
and civil liberties, including freedom of expression, assembly, association,
movement, press, and the right to multiparty elections;
(4) calls on the United States Permanent Representative to the United
Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, to work
with the member countries of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to
ensure a resolution that includes the strongest possible condemnation of the
current crackdown of dissidents and of the gross human rights violations
committed 19 by the Cuban Government; and
(5) calls on the Latin American and Caribbean group (GRULAC) at the United
Nations Commission on Human Rights to exclude Cuba from its slate of candidates
for the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and urges all member nations
to oppose renewing Cuba's membership on the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights until the Government of Cuba adheres to international human rights
standards, such as those delineated in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. |