|
Yahoo!
April 19, 2002
U.N. human rights body turns spotlight on Zimbabwe, Cuba, Chechnya
By Jonathan Fowler, Associated Press Writer. Fri Apr 19,
5:29 AM ET
GENEVA - The top United Nations human rights watchdog on Friday turned the
spotlight on alleged abuses in Zimbabwe, Cuba and the breakaway Russian republic
of Chechnya .
The 53-member U.N. Human Rights Commission also was expected to vote on a
series of resolutions condemning the situation in other countries, including
those which are regularly in the dock like Iraq and Sudan.
A resolution on Zimbabwe, sponsored by the European Union , criticizes the
country for its alleged flawed election and political intimidation by supporters
of President Robert Mugabe.
The resolution condemns violence "often committed with impunity by
agencies and supporters of the Zimbabwean ruling party" against opposition
members. It also calls on Zimbabwean authorities to allow freedom of expression.
Speaking to the commission Thursday, British foreign minister Jack Straw
said that Zimbabwe's "systematic erosion of the rule of law ... has led to
an assault on human rights, abuse of the electoral system and accelerating
economic ruin."
The resolution on Cuba, sponsored by Uruguay, demands that the country's
communist government grant its citizens individual liberties such as freedom of
speech, the press, association, assembly.
The measure also asks Cuba to let a U.N. rights representative visit the
island to help officials comply with the resolution — a suggestion Cuba has
rejected.
A majority of Latin American members of the commission have said they will
support the measure.The European Union has said its members on the commission
will also back it. Most of the African, Asian and Middle Eastern nations on the
commission are expected to side with Cuba.
Cuba on Thursday characterized regional neighbors as "Judases" for
their plan to support the vote. Havana claims the United States is responsible
for the resolution. U.S. and Latin American officials have denied this.
The United States is not a member of the commission this year, for the first
time since 1947, but is present as an observer.
The commission has voted to censure Cuba every year over the past decade
except 1998. Last year the vote was a tight 22-20 in favor of condemning Cuba.
Another 10 members abstained and one was absent.
The resolution on Chechnya is sponsored by European nations and Canada.
It criticizes abuses by Russian forces and rebels in the breakaway region,
calls for an end to the fighting there and asks Russia to set up a commission of
inquiry into human rights violations.
Russian officials have accused European nations of double standards,
claiming the Chechnya conflict is part of the international war against
terrorism.
Two years ago, attempts to produce a compromise statement failed and Russia
became the first permanent member of the U.N. Security Council to be censured by
the commission for human rights abuses. The other four permanent members are
China, the United States, Britain and France. It was censured again last year.
Censure by the U.N. body brings no penalties but draws international
attention to a country's rights record.
(jf-nk)
Mexico's lower house asks Fox's government to abstain from Cuba human
rights vote
Thu Apr 18, 9:40 PM ET
MEXICO CITY - After hours of often outlandish debate, the Mexican
legislature's lower house late Thursday passed a resolution asking President
Vicente Fox 's government to abstain from a U.N. vote on the human rights
situation in Cuba.
Fox and Foreign Secretary Jorge Castaneda sent shock waves through the
Mexican political landscape Monday, when they announced that Mexico would break
with tradition and support a resolution censuring the communist island.
The resolution, likely to be voted on by the 53-nation U.N. Human Rights
Commission on Friday in Geneva, recognizes the social rights that Cuba has
provided its people "despite an adverse international environment,"
but invites the government "to make efforts to obtain similar advances in
the area of human, civil and political rights."
The measure also asks Cuba to allow a U.N. human rights representative to
visit the island to help officials comply with the resolution.
Mexico, the only Latin American country that ignored U.S. pressure to break
diplomatic ties after Cuban President Fidel Castro 's 1959 revolution, has
traditionally abstained from the annual vote.
Fox said that his government chose to support the resolution because it was "not
a condemnation but a positive declaration for human rights."
A Fox spokeswoman offered no comment on the legislature's recommendation
late Thursday and said Mexico still planned to support the U.N. resolution.
Legislators from the leftist Democratic Revolution Party and the former
ruling party allied with two small opposition factions to pass the measure
recommending abstention over the objections of lawmakers from Fox's National
Action Party.
Before a 210-191 vote in favor of the resolution, legislators spent more
than three hours trading insults and accusations in a fierce debate that saw one
conservative lawmaker declare that Castro's government was "full of drunks."
Democratic Revolution head Marti Batres Guadarrama said Fox and Castaneda
were making all of Mexico turn its back on an old friend in Cuba.
"We will not allow a noble cause like human rights to be used for
interference and interventionism," Batres Guadarrama.
Cuba blasts Latin neighbors for plans to vote on human rights measure
By Anita Snow, Associated Press Writer- Thu Apr 18, 9:48 PM
ET
HAVANA - Cuba criticized its Latin America neighbors on Thursday for a lack
of support on the eve of an annual international vote examining the island's
human rights record.
A majority of Latin American nations said they will join the vote expected
Friday asking the communist government to grant its citizens individual
liberties such as freedom of speech, the press, association and assembly. The
vote will be held before the U.N. Human Relations Commission in Geneva.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is among the few in the hemisphere expected
to side with Cuba and vote against the measure. Cuba backed Chavez's return to
power on Sunday after a two-day failed coup by the military.
The Communist Party daily Granma said that the United States was pressuring
regional governments in an effort to "execute a new maneuver against Cuba.
The U.S. government was acting "through its Latin American Judases,"
Granma said in a brief article announcing an evening program examining Friday's
expected vote. The Foreign Ministry alleged in a statement read on the program
that U.S. delegates to the commission had been pressuring African delegates "one
by one" to vote for the resolution.
It was too early to know if the 53-member commission would pass this year's
more gently worded resolution, which gives a nod to Cuba's extensive social
services and makes a veiled reference to difficulties caused by the U.S. trade
embargo. But it seemed headed for a close vote.
The United Nations commission has voted to censure Cuba every year over the
past decade except 1998. Last year the vote was a tight 22-20 in favor of
condemning Cuba. Another 10 members abstained and Congo was absent.
Censure by the U.N. body brings no penalties but draws international
attention to a country's rights record.
Mexico, the only Latin American country that refused to break diplomatic
relations with Cuba after Castro's 1959 revolution, is joining this year's vote
against Cuba's human rights record. Mexico officials, who traditionally abstain
on the vote, said they decided to back this year's measure because they believe
it advances human rights without condemning Cuba outright.
However, the Mexican legislature's lower house late Thursday passed a
resolution asking President Vicente Fox 's government to abstain from the vote.
A Fox spokeswoman said still planned to support the U.N. resolution.
The European Union has said its members on the commission will also back
the measure. Most of the African, Asian and Middle Eastern nations on the
commission are expected to side with Cuba.
Cuba insists it respects human rights better than most countries by
guaranteeing its people broad social services such as free health care and
education.
On the Net:
Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
http://www.unhcr.ch/
Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org
Cuba calls its Latin neighbors 'Judases' for their plans to vote on
human rights measure
By Anita Snow, Associated Press Writer- Thu Apr 18, 9:22 PM
ET
HAVANA - Cuba sent a chill across Latin America by characterizing regional
neighbors as "Judases" for their plan to support an annual U.N. vote
calling for Cuba to examine its human rights record.
A majority of Latin American nations have said they plan to join the vote
expected Friday before the U.N. Human Relations Commission in Geneva, asking
Cuba's communist government to grant its citizens individual liberties such as
freedom of speech, the press, association, assembly.
The administration of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is among few in the
hemisphere expected to side with Cuba and vote against the measure. Cuba backed
Chavez's return to power on Sunday after a two-day military coup.
"The government of the United States — using its preferred weapons
of pressure and blackmail and with the humiliating servility of some governments
in the region — seeks tomorrow in Geneva to execute a new maneuver against
Cuba," the Communist Party daily Granma said Thursday.
The U.S. government was acting "through its Latin American Judases,"
Granma said in a brief article announcing an evening program examining Friday's
expected vote.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry alleged in a statement read on the program that
U.S. delegates to the commission had been calling African delegates into a local
cafeteria "one by one," pressuring them to vote for the resolution and
threatening to cut off financial aid to their countries if they don't.
It was too early to know if the 53-member commission would pass this year's
more gently worded resolution, which gives a nod to Cuba's extensive social
services and makes a veiled reference to difficulties caused by the U.S. trade
embargo. But it seemed headed for a close vote.
The United Nations commission has voted to censure Cuba every year over the
past decade except 1998. Last year the vote was a tight 22-20 in favor of
condemning Cuba. Another 10 members abstained and Congo was absent.
Censure by the U.N. body brings no penalties but draws international
attention to a country's rights record.
While Cuba sees the upcoming vote as betrayal, nations involved say this
year's measure does not condemn Cuba outright, as in the past.
Mexico, the only Latin American country that refused to break diplomatic
relations with Cuba after Castro's 1959 revolution, is joining this year's vote
as "a positive declaration for human rights," President Vicente Fox
said this week.
Fox said the decision was made also because the proposal condemns the U.S.
trade embargo. Mexico has traditionally abstained on the vote.
Other hemispheric nations on the commission that say they will back the
resolution are its sponsors Uruguay and Costa Rica, as well as Argentina,
Canada, Chile, El Salvador , Guatemala, and Peru. Brazil and Ecuador, also on
the commission, abstained on last year's vote.
The European Union has said its members on the commission will also back
the measure. Most of the African, Asian and Middle Eastern nations on the
commission are expected to side with Cuba.
This year's proposal contains softer language than in the past. It
recognizes Cuba's efforts to provide citizens with social services "despite
an adverse international environment" — an apparent reference to the
embargo. And it "invites the government of Cuba to make efforts to obtain
similar advances in the area of human, civil and political rights."
The measure also asks Cuba to let a U.N. rights representative visit the
island to help officials comply with the resolution — a suggestion Cuba has
rejected.
Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said last week that Cuba opposed the
resolution as meddling in its internal affairs — even if it isn't an
outright condemnation.
Castro's administration insists it respects human rights better than most
countries by guaranteeing its people broad social services such as free health
care and education.
International groups complain that Cuba does not guarantee civil rights such
as free speech, press, assembly, association and movement, or political rights
such as the ability to peacefully change the government.
On the Net:
Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights:
http://www.unhcr.ch/
Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org
Carter Ready to Head to Cuba
Thu Apr 18,11:44 AM ET
HAVANA - Jimmy Carter announced Thursday that he will head a delegation to
Cuba on May 12-17, making him the first American president in or out of office
to visit this communist country during Fidel Castro 's 43 years in power.
"I look forward to this opportunity to meet with Cuban people from all
walks of life and to talk with President Castro," Carter said in a
statement issued in Atlanta, where his nonprofit Carter Center is based. The
center earlier said the trip was planned for May, but gave no exact dates.
The visit by Carter and his wife, Rosalyn, comes amid a toughening of the
White House's policies toward Cuba. The State Department has said it hopes
Carter will deliver Castro a message in favor of democracy and human rights.
Carter does plan to discuss human rights with Cuban leaders, said Jennifer
McCoy, director of the Carter Center's Americas program. McCoy, a Georgia State
University professor, will travel in the delegation.
"As a leader who made human rights the centerpiece of his
administration, President Carter is looking forward to a full discussion of this
issue," McCoy said in the statement from Atlanta.
But, she added, "President Carter is traveling as a private citizen
with no intention of entering into negotiations with the government of Cuba."
Castro has said he would not mind hearing criticism, insisting that the most
important thing is for Carter to see the country for himself.
Castro invited Carter to visit Cuba when they were honorary pallbearers at
the October 2000 funeral of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Castro reiterated his invitation in writing in January, and Carter accepted soon
afterward.
The Treasury Department , which regulates travel by Americans to Cuba under
the U.S. trade embargo, issued a license in early April for Carter's visit.
Carter said that although he did not think his trip would change Cuba's
policies, "it is an opportunity to explore issues of mutual interest
between our citizens and to share ideas on how to improve the relationship
between the United States and Cuba.
"More than a century after Cuba's independence, our two countries have
not yet developed a constructive relationship," he added.
During his 1977-1981 presidential term, Carter slightly eased diplomatic and
travel restrictions to Cuba.
The delegation will include Latin America scholar Robert Pastor, an Emory
University professor. He also is adviser to the Carter Center's Americas
program, established in 1986 to strengthen democracy in the Western Hemisphere.
Among others in the group will be Dr. John Hardman, a physician and
executive director of the Carter Center, which the Carters founded in 1982 as a
nonprofit organization to advance peace and health worldwide.
On the Net:
Carter Center: http://www.cartercenter.org | 
