COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS CONTINUES DISCUSSION ON VIOLATION OF RIGHTS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

Commission on Human Rights
57th session
2 April 2001
Afternoon






Special Rapporteur on Equatorial Guinea Presents Report



The Commission on Human Rights this afternoon continued its debate on the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world, including Cyprus, hearing several States denying accusations made against them and rejecting finger pointing in the Commission.

Also this afternoon, the Special Representative on the human rights situation in Equatorial Guinea, Gustavo Gallon, presented his report, saying that the country had suffered from a lack of a state of law since it achieved independence from Spain in 1968. Deep intolerance marked the situation. Instead of an independent judiciary, the armed forces and the Government used their powers to control the population. Women and children suffered from discrimination, particularly through education and health. He urged the Commission not to remain inactive.

In response, the Representative of Equatorial Guinea said that his country was committed to protecting and enhancing human rights and the development of the country. The Government totally disagreed with the report of the Special Representative on the human rights situation in Equatorial Guinea. Contrary to allegations contained in the gratuitous report of the Special Representative, Equatorial Guinea was pluralistic and democratic, and the Government had taken numerous measures aimed at protecting and promoting human rights.

A number of States took the floor to reject accusations of human rights violations made against their countries and to criticize the practise of finger pointing. Other States listed achievements and progress made by their Governments, and there were calls for an increase of technical assistance to countries to help their national efforts in promoting human rights.


Among others, Saudi Arabia noted repeated references to the Kingdom, particularly by the European Union, including vague accusations which lacked credibility and failed to respect the country's particularities and legislation. It urged that delegates not indulge in exaggerated criticism which did not serve universally recognized principles of the protection of human rights.

India said that selectivity resulting from politicization and pressures generated by condemnation and spotlighting had served essentially to bring acrimony and confrontation to the Commission. If the objective was to promote and protect human rights, merely spotlighting human rights abuses would not suffice. Better results could be achieved by encouraging self-criticism and inducing positive change through technical cooperation and national capacity building.

And Iran described positive developments in the country, adding that the European Union annually tabled a draft resolution on the country, resorting to a couple of isolated incidents. The EU had disregarded the fact that Iran was indeed in the process of developing politically and socially. All countries, including Member States of the European Union, needed to improve. But tabling of this political and unjustified resolution should be stopped in order to pave the way for cooperation conducive to the promotion of human rights, the Representative of Iran said.

Representatives of the following countries took the floor this afternoon: Saudi Arabia, India, Equatorial Guinea, Pakistan, Kenya, Iran, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Eritrea, Paraguay, and Azerbaijan.

Non-governmental organizations spoke about violations of human rights in a number of States. The following non-governmental organizations also offered addresses: New Humanity, International Union of Socialist Youth, Centro de Estudios Sobre la Juventud, Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights, Movimiento Cubano por la Paz y la Soberenia de los Pueblos, Agir ensemble pour les droits de l’homme, Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America, Arab Organization for Human Rights, and Rural Reconstruction of Nepal.

The following States spoke in exercise of their right of reply: Iraq, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Armenia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Uganda, and Turkey.

The Commission was scheduled to meet in an extended evening and night meeting from 6 p.m. to midnight during which it would conclude its debate on the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world, including Cyprus, and open its discussion on economic, social and cultural rights.


Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world, including Cyprus

Under this agenda item, the Commission has before it a report (E/CN.4/2001/38) on the human rights situation in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, submitted by the Special Representative of the Commission, Gustavo Gallon, who states that the human rights situation in Equatorial Guinea continues to be grave, but could be improved if resolute action is taken by the international community in general, and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in particular. The Special Representative writes that the recommendations are sufficiently well known, since they are the same as those the Commission has repeatedly made to the Government over the past 21 years, including putting an end to arbitrary arrest and torture, the authorization of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, the elimination of permits to leave the country and the removal of military roadblocks inside the country, the publication of legislation, the ratification of the international instruments which the Government has not yet accepted, and a decision to deal with impunity for human rights violations.

Other recommendations, which have also been made repeatedly and which are described in detail in the previous report, could be better implemented with suitable technical assistance, provided that the political will exists to put them effectively into practice. The Special Representative recommends that the Government be particularly called upon to end the practice of enforced disappearances and to agree to organize a national register of detainees, strictly and accurately kept and open for easy consultation by anyone. He further recommends that consideration be given to the invitation which the opposition of Equatorial Guinea in exile extended to the international community and to the Government to engage in a political dialogue outside the country, aimed at finding ways and means of establishing democracy and human rights, and also recommends that the Commission declare its willingness to assist with this process.

Also before the Commission is a report (E/CN.4/2001/134) of the International Commission of Inquiry on Togo, which states that the Commission is convinced that allegations of extrajudicial executions in Togo should be given due consideration. In the main, those singled out for execution have been members of opposition parties, but in some cases persons arrested for offenses under ordinary law have also been executed. Regarding allegations that bodies have been discovered by fishermen on the "high seas", the Commission has already stated that a number of accounts appear to substantiate these reports. However, the divergent estimates of the number of bodies seen by fishermen do not permit the Commission either to confirm or deny an exact number. Nevertheless, the above-mentioned facts point to the existence of a systematic pattern of human rights violations in Togo in the course of 1998.

The Commission recommends the appointment of another team of experts to be entrusted with the task of verifying data concerning the operation of aircraft used by the Togolese armed forces, the computerized records of flights at the Lome-Tonkoin airport throughout 1998, and the trajectories of the bodies in the territorial sea adjacent to the coasts of Togo and Benin. It also recommends the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Togo. The Commission recommends that a criminal inquiry should be commenced as soon as possible through the establishment of a special team of judges entrusted not only with elucidating the various allegations of extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and other violations mentioned in the report, but also with prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators of these violations.

And the Commission in considering a report (E/CN.4/2001/35) of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Sierra Leone, which mentions the need of Sierra Leone for an enormous programme of international support and assistance. The United Nations must continue to play a central role in this regard. The Office of the High Commissioner is convinced that, just as the violation of human rights is at the root of the conflict in Sierra Leone, respect for human rights should form the cornerstone of any viable effort to restore Sierra Leonean society.


Statements

GUSTAVO GALLON, Special Representative on Equatorial Guinea, said the Government of Equatorial Guinea should implement the recommendations that were made a year ago. Instead, the Government had insisted that the mandate from the Commission should solely concern itself with technical assistance and it did not authorize a visit by the Special Representative last year. Individuals and organizations in Spain linked with the country had been interviewed last year to help with the preparation of the report.

Mr. Gallon said Equatorial Guinea had suffered from a lack of a state of law since it achieved independence from Spain in 1968. Deep intolerance had marked the situation. Presidential and parliamentary elections had been held, and an amnesty had been granted. Understandings between the Government and opposition had been signed, but had not yet been implemented. Instead of an independent judiciary, the armed forces and the Government used their powers to control the population. Women and children suffered from discrimination, particularly through education and health. This Commission could not remain inactive.

At the end of 2000, the President of Equatorial Guinea had pardoned a number of condemned persons, but that did not lessen the gravity of the situation, Mr. Gallon continued to state. Last March, a militant member of the opposition had been detained. A mayor had gone to Spain in exile. His successor as mayor had ordered the press association closed down. Despite some instances of clemency, this had not altered the crisis. Technical assistance could be useful in leading the country down the road toward respecting human rights, but recommendations that did not require technical assistance were necessary first. Any technical assistance should be offered as recommendations by this Commission were implemented.

RUBEN MAYE MANGUE (Equatorial Guinea) said that his country was committed to protecting and enhancing human rights and development in Equatorial Guinea. The Government totally disagreed with the report of the Special Representative on the human rights situation in Equatorial Guinea. Contrary to allegations contained in the gratuitous report of the Special Representative, Equatorial Guinea was pluralistic and democratic. The Government had never denied access to any Special Representative of the United Nations or other international organizations. Regretfully, a new campaign of neo-colonialism was being waged against Equatorial Guinea.

The Government had taken numerous measures aimed at protecting and promoting human rights, including the adoption of a national programme of good governance involving the participation of the entire civil society and the ratification of numerous international human rights instruments. The President had adopted a decree on a general pardon for all detainees in national prisons and a national unity government had been set up with the participation of all political parties. Ideological freedom was also on the rise and the country boasted many independent newspapers.

ABDULWAHAB ABDULSALAM ATTAR (Saudi Arabia) said his country was committed to the noble aims and purposes of the protection of human rights and dignity. This commitment was embodied in the basic system of the Government, which incorporated many human rights principles in specific articles and provisions based on the Islamic Shari'a. Consequently, in the last few years, the Kingdom had made numerous achievements with regard to consolidation of the universal concepts of human rights by ratifying several basic human rights instruments. Human rights divisions were to be established in the governmental agencies concerned in order to emphasize the need to apply the rules and regulations pertaining to human rights. The procedures needed to put these mechanisms into effect were currently being completed. The Kingdom believed that the subject of human rights could not be discussed in isolation from the cultures, particularities and religious beliefs of peoples. In this regard, the Islamic Shari'a had helped to enrich the concepts of human rights by virtue of the lofty values, noble moral principles and integrated precepts that it enshrined and the comprehensive mode of human life that it offered, in which rights and obligations were clearly defined.

During the work of this forum, the Saudi Arabian delegation had noted repeated references to the Kingdom, particularly by the European Union, including vague accusations which lacked credibility, failed to respect the country's particularities and legislation and, in addition, disregarded the fact that the Kingdom's purpose in applying its laws was to protect the security and stability of citizens and foreign residents. The Kingdom was a Muslim State governed by the Islamic Shari'a, within the framework of which all rights and obligations were regulated and which was vested with a degree of sanctity and respect that endowed it with universality, comprehensiveness and irrevocability, insofar as no authority had the power to disregard it or render it inoperative. Others should understand the particularity of the Kingdom, and not indulge in exaggerated criticism which did not serve the lofty purposes and universally recognized principles of the protection of human rights. Saudi Arabia could not accept anything that violated those precepts, since they formed the basis of the Constitution, the mainstay of its heritage and the source of security and tranquillity for Saudi citizens and foreign residents alike.

SAVITRI KUNADI (India) said that selectivity resulting from politicization and pressures generated by condemnation and spotlighting had served essentially to bring acrimony and confrontation to the Commission. If the objective was to promote and protect human rights, merely spotlighting human rights abuses would not suffice. Better results could be achieved by encouraging self-criticism and inducing positive change through technical cooperation and national capacity building, in particular to promote democracy and the rule of law.

While on the one hand democracy, development and full respect for human rights and freedoms were important, it was equally necessary to be vigilant to the threats that democracy continued to face even at the onset of the twenty-first century. Military dictatorship, exports of terror, mistaking authoritarianism for efficiency, obscurantist distortions of religious values, camouflaging disguised wars against other States as freedom movements could only serve to prevent full and peaceful enjoyment of human rights by people around the globe. Speaking about Afghanistan, the Representative said that the situation in that country threatened the stability of the entire region. The Taliban authorities had sought to rule Afghanistan without the participation or consent of the people and had taken the territories under their control to medieval backwardness. The situation of women and girls continued to be pitiable. The Taliban edict ordering the destruction of all statues and non-Islamic shrines in Afghanistan, the subsequent destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues and the deliberate ongoing destruction of other relics and monuments had shocked the conscience of the entire mankind and constituted an appalling act of cultural vandalism.

IMTIAZ HUSSAIN (Pakistan) said it had endeavoured to make a positive contribution to this Commission. His country was making an integrated and serious effort to promote and protect human rights. Last April, it had held a National Convention on Human Rights and Human Dignity. The Convention was a collective endeavour of the Government and Pakistani civil society. It had eliminated the un-Islamic practice of so-called honour killings. The Chief Executive had declared that his Government vigorously condemned the practice. Such actions did not find any place in the law. Killing in the name of honour was murder, and it would be treated as such. The Government had adopted a National Policy and Plan of Action for the Elimination of Child Labour from all economic sectors. There were a host of measures underway to promote lives of dignity and greater prosperity for citizens. The Ministry of Education would include human rights in the educational curricula.

While Pakistan was justifiably proud of what had been done in the past year, there was much more to be done. The task of promoting human rights was more daunting in conditions of poverty and underdevelopment. At every turn, there was the problem of a lack of resources. Promotion and protection of human rights was a capital-intensive exercise. Training police on scientific lines, the establishment of modern forensic laboratories and qualified personnel, modernization of criminal investigations procedures all required funds which were difficult to find. Unfortunately, while the defence budget had been reduced by nearly 10 per cent over the last two years, Pakistan’s neighbour, India, had increased its defence budget by over 55 per cent. This increase was twice the size of the entire Pakistani defence budget. India's forces were all deployed on the border and it had embarked on the development and deployment of nuclear weapons, missiles and sophisticated conventional weapons. An arms race in south Asia would not contribute to the prospects of human rights. This session of the Commission should seek to convince India to give up its strategy of force and fraud in Kashmir. The Commission should urge India to commence a dialogue with Pakistan to promote a just and peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute.

AMINA C. MOHAMED (Kenya) said that it was evident that most of the countries which had been the subject of scrutiny by the Commission had made considerable improvements in their human rights situations. In some of the reports, there was a clear indication that Governments had fully cooperated with the Special Rapporteurs or Special Representatives and that they had taken concrete steps to address human rights violations. The reports also pointed to violations of human rights arising from inadequate institutional capacities such as courts, prisons and police. Lack of legislation had also been identified as a factor in human rights violations. Such violations were attributed more to the lack of capacity and resources, than to deliberate or official policy of the authorities. Kenya believed that these countries needed engagement and assistance to help further improve their human rights situation.

The international community should play a supportive role by providing the much-needed technical and financial assistance to help Rwanda consolidate its gains in the field of human rights. The situation in Afghanistan was of grave concern, with thousands of innocent civilians, particularly women and children, subjected to untold suffering and forced to flee the country. Finally, the parties in Cyprus were urged to find a settlement within the framework of UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions so as to allow the people of Cyprus to move into the millennium in an atmosphere of peace and stability.

ALI KHORRAM (Iran) said that in the first decade after the Islamic revolution, the Government and the people had struggled to preserve the independence in the political sense and the territorial integrity of the country. Shortly after the end of the imposed war, the Government and the people had opened a new chapter in Iran's political system by further realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms, thus leading to further strengthening of the Islamic Republic. Given the fact that Iran had held 21 rounds of nationwide elections, including seven presidential and six parliamentary elections, it could be concluded that Iran had been going through an indigenous revolution of its own kind, which rested on the solid backing of the people at the grass roots. The election of President Khatami in 1997 was a turning point and a part of this evolving process. Iran had increased the role of 35,000 local, village and municipal councils; reformed the judicial system; held a trial for serial killings; granted assistance for the establishment of more NGOs; monitored the situation of human rights by the National Institution; protected the human rights of religious minorities; and approved regulations to ensure the rights of citizens.

The very positive developments of the dynamic society of Iran were noticeable and dominant to such an extent that they had been reflected even in the reports of the Special Representative and the draft resolutions of the EU. But each year, the EU tabled a draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Iran, resorting to a couple of isolated incidents. The EU had disregarded the fact that Iran was indeed in the process of developing politically and socially. Many countries in this Commission, including the 55 Members States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the 17 Member States of the Like-Minded Group from Asia, Africa and Latin America, had repeatedly asked for the termination of this unfair and politically-motivated resolution on the situation in Iran. It was time for Member States of the European Union, which individually had friendly relations with Iran, to respect the position taken by others and not pursue this 18-year-old process. Termination did not mean that there was no need for further improvement of the situation of human rights in Iran. All countries, included Members States of the European Union, needed to improve. But tabling of this political and unjustified resolution should be stopped in order to pave the way for cooperation conducive to the promotion of human rights. If it happened, the Iranian Government would be ready for all forms of cooperation.

A Representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea said that the tragedy of infringement of sovereignty and gross human rights violations of people continued to occur in many parts of the world. Recently, all sorts of unacceptable "arguments" to justify the interference in the internal affairs of others and violation of sovereignty under the pretext of "humanitarian intervention" were appearing radically in some areas and, worse still, some were blindly following such "arguments". Every year in this Commission, the United States was accusing many other countries of "human rights problems" by claiming to be a gifted judge and ignoring its own problems. As was already known, the most serious human rights desert in the world was none other that the United States which was claiming to play the role of "international missions for the protection of human rights".

In the United States, gross violations such as deep-rooted racial discrimination, notorious killings, discrimination and violence against women, child abuse, acute health care and education problems, trafficking in persons, abuse of drugs, and police brutality were taking place as usual practice. The United States could not avoid being denounced as an international dictator because it had, since its inception on the graves of Indians, provoked more than 70 wars against other countries.

SELESHI MENGESHA DIGAFE (Ethiopia) said that amidst the struggle for alleviating poverty confronting its people, on 6 May 1998, the unexpected aggression of the Eritrean army had come into play under the guise of a border dispute. By the beginning of June 1998, the Eritrean Government had further extended its invasion on Ethiopia. For several days, the civilian population and infrastructures were subjected to aerial bombardments. In the most callous disregard of the basic precepts of international humanitarian law, the bombardment of the Ayder Elementary School by the Eritrean regime had resulted in the killing of 51 civilians, including many school children, and the wounding of 138 others. More than 300,000 Ethiopian nationals had been displaced, and about 45,000 had been deported after being robbed of their personal belongings and illegal confiscation of their properties by the Eritrean regime.

The intensified atrocities of the Eritrean regime against Ethiopian nationals in Eritrea as a vengeance to its humiliating defeat on all battle fronts should be stopped. The Ethiopian delegation once again appealed to the international community to put pressure on the Eritrean regime to halt its barbarous and inhumane treatment of Ethiopian nationals and to abide by the obligations of the agreements signed between the two countries.

ARTHUR GAKWANDI (Uganda) said that it had noted with concern the constraints under which the Special Rapporteur's work had been carried out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uganda had particularly noted that during the whole year under review, the Rapporteur was able to pay only one visit to the country and that this visit had lasted only two weeks. As everybody knew, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was comparable in size to the whole of western Europe and was inhabited by more than six hundred ethnic communities. Given this situation, it was to be expected that the report should have serious shortcomings. But Uganda still had difficulty in distinguishing between shortcomings which were due to circumstances described at the beginning of the report, and the shortcomings that were wilful on the part of the author.

Most delegates may be aware that situations of civil conflicts often gave rise to an abundance of rumours. Any investigator therefore often gave rise to an abundance of rumours. Unfortunately this particular Special Rapporteur seemed to have been captivated by these rumours and to have adopted them. Uganda was committed to lending all the support it could to the Commission in its efforts to contribute to the improvement of the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But it hoped nothing would be done on the basis of the information or recommendations submitted in the Special Rapporteur's report.

AMARE TEKLE (Eritrea) said that during the past three sessions of the Commission, the Eritrean delegation had spoken about the systematic violation of the human rights of Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin living in Ethiopia. It had also presented ample evidence, corroborated by credible third-party accounts, of Ethiopia's violations of international humanitarian law during the course of its second invasion of Eritrea. It had then warned the Commission and other human rights mechanisms at all levels of the danger posed by these egregious violations and their implications to regional peace, security and stability and the relations between the peoples of the two countries.

Eritrea was determined to eliminate the culture of impunity. To this end, the Eritrean people would do whatever it took for however long it took to bring to justice those who had planned, executed and knowingly defended the commission of crimes and atrocities. It was noteworthy that some of these had already committed crimes under the previous two governments. Eritrea would not act with a sense of retribution or revenge, but with a deep sense of commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights in an indivisible world.

FRANCISCO BARREIRO PERROTTA (Paraguay) said that to date, none of the United Nations resolutions on Cyprus had been implemented. Paraguay called on the parties concerned to engage in a dialogue aimed at reaching a peaceful solution to the conflict.


ISFANDIYAR VAHABZADA (Azerbaijan) said military action unleashed by Armenia in the early 1990s on Azerbaijan had been coupled with the brutal killing of hundreds of people. Now 20 per cent of the total territory of the country was being occupied by Armenia. Azerbaijan had one of the largest numbers of displaced persons in the world -- nearly one in eight people were displaced. There was a serious problem with missing persons because of the armed conflict. There were about 5,000 residents of Azerbaijan who were listed as missing. Azerbaijan was surprised to see some European countries refer to the Armenian genocide, which was the result of European capitals lobbying the United Nations. It was based on historical falsification.

ROBERTO GARRETON, Special Rapporteur on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in his concluding remarks said that his statement had generated two replies from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. With regard to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Special Rapporteur said he did not agree with the assessment that a state of law prevailed in that country. Referring to the Conference on Human Rights organized by the Government, he noted that many non-governmental organizations were excluded from the Conference. With regard to criticism by Uganda to the effect that the Special Rapporteur had visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo only once, the Special Rapporteur indicated that he had visited the country twice, not once. Further, during his visits he had been presented every day with 10 to 15 reports that reviewed the situation in that country and enabled him to keep abreast of developments there. The Special Rapporteur also noted that Congolese children had been drafted into the Ugandan army and their return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo had not taken place until 15 days ago.

MARIE FRACHEBOURG, of New Humanity, said the aim of the organization was to build a united world everywhere. Anything could be done if the good of other people was sought. New Humanity represented children, both rich and poor. Friends were made with children from other countries. During the Gulf War, there had been a feeling of powerlessness. So the idea of a global timeout, every day a noon, had been established. Many years had passed, but every day, there was a timeout. Now, the organization supported about 5,000 young people. Through its action of solidarity, the friends who lived in poor countries or countries of war, they learned there were no limits to love.

KUNCHOK TENDAR, of the International Union of Socialist Youth, said the current attitude of the Chinese authorities towards Tibet was, as described by the Dalai Lama, a whitewash through propaganda. If conditions inside Tibet were as the Chinese authorities portrayed, why did they not have the courage to allow visitors without any restrictions? Instead of attempting to hide things as State secrets, why did they not have the courage to show the truth to the outside world? According to human rights organizations, there were more than 400 known political prisoners in Tibet today. More than 25 political prisoners had died during the past three years due to torture, and China continued to detain the world's youngest political prisoner.

One of his worst experiences being a political prisoner was being forced to watch the summary execution of 14 Tibetans at the Tibet Autonomous Region Prison No. 2 in Southeastern Tibet, the speaker said. There were no human rights in Tibet to speak of, and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights should take notice.

JAVIER LABRADA ROSABAL, of the Centro de Estudios Sobre la Juventud, said that in a new age of accelerated industrialization, great advances in communications, science and productivity, there were still hundreds of millions of poor, malnourished, illiterate, unemployed, and disabled people. Rich countries tended to forget that the causes of underdevelopment and poverty were slavery, colonialism, brutal exploitation and pillage of resources. Cuban youth were living in a world where the poor and the vulnerable were subjected to oppression and poverty. The majority of Cuban youth were born during the blockade of the United States, which had affected their fate. The cultural and economic achievements of the Cuban people had been compromised by the oppressive imperialist system of the United States. The people would, however, continue to struggle against the oppression of a powerful adversary which had inflicted poverty by exercising an inhumane blockade against the people of Cuba.

T. GANIATSOS, of Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights, said that the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus constituted a violation of many fundamental principles of international law. Turkey continued to flout the calls by the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Commission to put an end to the plight of the population of Cyprus. The Turkish occupation forces had been consistently denying the Greek Cypriots their freedom of movement, settlement and their right to property. As far as missing persons were concerned, their fate remained unknown to this date since Turkey had persistently refused to fulfil its obligations in this respect. The international community needed to put the necessary pressure on Ankara to cooperate in good faith for a just and viable solution.

BRAULIO BORIS CASTILLO BARROSO, of the Movimiento Cubano por la Paz y la Soberania de los Pueblos, said the war in Kosovo had resulted in the use of uranium ammunition which was highly toxic to human beings. The interference in the Yugoslav affairs by the United States had mainly involved dropping uranium-enriched bombs against innocent people. By its actions in bombing the region, the United States had contaminated not only the land and the environment, but also the people in the region. As the United States endeavoured to condemn Cuba on the basis of human rights, it should itself be condemned for the genocidal acts it was committing everywhere throughout the world.

BONIFACE MUSAVULI, of Agir ensemble pour les droits de l'homme said that for the past five years, the Democratic Republic of the Congo had been source of concern. Not only were there were factions fighting each other but they also systematically oppressed the civilian population. Last February, Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l'Homme had published a report on the situation of the Congolese population residing in the territories of Beni and Lubero. Investigators had found that dozens of disappearances and summary executions had taken place in those areas. The Ugandan army did not hesitate to use arms against unarmed civilians. In November 2000, for example, the Ugandan military had destroyed the village of Mayoba, setting fire to houses. As a result a women and her four-month-old baby were burnt alive. The soldiers had also killed 7 civilians, including five women.

CIPRIANO CASTRO SAEZ, of the Organization for the Solidarity of the Peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America, said that the denial of the right to self-determination of the people of Puerto Rico by the United States and its repression against the aspiration of the people for freedom was continuing. Also, the oppression of Israel against the Palestinian people was intolerable. The international community should condemn the acts of Israel against the Palestinian people. The situation of human rights violations under agenda item 9 was still carried out with the pressure of the United States to cover its own genocide activities against the Cuban people. Another case was that of Iraq, where a child died every five minutes because of the economic sanctions imposed for the past ten years.



MOHAMED SAFA, of the Arab Organization of Human Rights, said that 14 Lebanese citizens had been taken hostage by Israel since the Israeli invasion of Lebanon on March 1978. Since the Israelis occupied Lebanon in 1982 and until their withdrawal in 2000, 12,000 Lebanese and Palestinian citizens had been held. The detainees had been submitted to physical and psychological torture. Sixty detainees had been tortured to death, 3,990 were suffering from chronic diseases and 495 had suffered from paralysis and other afflictions. Many detainees had been traumatized and even if they had been freed since a long time, they still suffered from anxiety and self disdain because of the inhuman deeds that were practised on them, like forcing them to imitate animals and to take their clothes off in front of the Israeli soldiers.

KEAT WONG, of Rural Reconstruction of Nepal, said that fundamental rights in Malaysia had seen no improvement throughout the year, despite the formation of the much-awaited Commission. Ironically, there had been an intensification of attacks on the opposition, pro-reform activities and independent media, and further restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association. Archaic and draconian laws allowing for indefinite detention without trial continued to be used. In March this year, Malaysia had witnessed racially motivated killings in a predominantly urban poor enclave next to the capital city.


Rights of Reply

A Representative of Iraq, speaking in right of reply, said that paragraphs 14 to 16 of the statement of the Organization of the Islamic Conference did not reflect Iraq’s point of view.

A Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, speaking in right of reply, said that the conclusion of the report by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had said that his country was not respecting international law. This was not true. By presidential decree, civilians were no more brought before the military courts. In addition, the delegation of Uganda should be happy by the presence of Ugandan troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The wealth of the country had been looted by the Rwandan and Ugandan armies. The children involved in the war should go back home.

A Representative of Armenia, speaking in right of reply, said that the statement made this afternoon by Azerbaijan was the most cynical which that country had ever made in front of the Commission. In fact, it was the President of Azerbaijan himself who knew that it was the militias of the National Azerbaijani Front which had caused the exodus of the local population from Khojaly. The politics of genocide, similar to that by Turkey against the Armenians, were not being recognized by Turkey nor by Azerbaijan, despite the pressure of the international community.

A Representative of Eritrea, speaking in right of reply, said that the statement by the Ethiopian delegation needed some clarification. There was no evidence that Eritrea had violated the human rights of Ethiopians living in Eritrea. There were only six Ethiopians held in prison for espionage. It was, on the contrary, Ethiopia which was violating the human rights of Ethiopians of Eritrean origin by expelling them from the country.

A Representative of Ethiopia, speaking in right of reply, said that the statement of the Eritrean delegation was outrageous and unfounded allegations had been made against his country. This had now become the qualifying character of the delegation of Eritrea in various fora. The usual groundless allegations of the Eritrean delegation to hoodwink the international community and to mask the barbaric acts of its regime would not, however, change the established facts of countless atrocities of the Eritrean regime perpetrated against innocent Ethiopian nationals.

A Representative of Azerbaijan, speaking in right of reply in response to the statement by Armenia, recalled that the Representative of a country which occupied 20 per cent of the territory of its neighbour should understand the importance of respecting international agreements. In this regard, he said that the Security Council had called for the immediate withdrawal of Armenia from Azerbaijani territories. And as for the so-called “genocide”, it could not justify the worst atrocities carried out by Armenia.

A Representative of Uganda, speaking in right of reply, said that the children who were present in Uganda were children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and they were fugitives and not fighters. In addition, there was not evidence that Uganda was exploiting the natural resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Security Council had investigated the allegations and the results were awaited.

A Representative of Turkey, speaking in right of reply, said that once again the Armenian delegation had made a reference to a fictional genocide. As indicated by Turkey on different occasions, the event they referred to took place 85 years ago and concerned a civil war within a global war. Armenia was a country which followed aggressive policies towards its neighbours. It had occupied vast territories of Azerbaijan and caused catastrophe and disaster to millions of people who had to abandon their homes and lands. Human rights violations in Armenia were rampant. So, the Armenian Government should first concentrate on its human rights record, before accusing others with motives other than concern for human rights.

In a second reply, a Representative of Eritrea said that the allegations of the Ethiopian delegation could be verified by a third party. The crimes committed against Eritreans by Ethiopia had been witnessed by Amnesty International and other international bodies. The United Nations was also aware of the situation.

A Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, speaking in right of reply, said recent reports by Human Rights Watch and the US State Department had indicated that Uganda was violating human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was pillaging its resources.

In a second right of reply, a Representative of Ethiopia said Eritrea had continued its persecution of Ethiopians in its territory without due consideration of their human rights. A non-governmental organization had documented cases of 247 Ethiopians who were tortured by the Eritrean authorities. The Eritreans were committing atrocities against Ethiopians living in the territory of Eritrea. The Commission should condemn the structured and methodic campaign of oppression against Ethiopians in Eritrea.

A Representative of Armenia, speaking in a second of reply, said that Turkey that should apologize for its statement. Turkey continued to violate the human rights of its own citizens and of the inhabitants of Cyprus.

A Representative of Azerbaijan, speaking in right of reply, said that Armenia continued its denial of the rights of minorities under its territories. Armenia had to understand that the security of the region was vital to all and it should respect the fundamental rights of people, including minorities. Azerbaijan was committed to peace and security of the region and would like to settle the conflict peacefully and through negotiations.

A Representative of Turkey, speaking in right of reply, said that a Government which occupied the land of other countries and violated the human rights of its citizens should not criticize other States.



CORRIGENDUM


In press release HR/CN/01/24 of 30 March 2001, the right of reply of the Representative of Iraq should read as follows:

A Representative of Iraq, speaking in right of reply, said that Iraq had no reason to hold Kuwaiti prisoners. Kuwait had first demanded 111 million dollars in compensation for missing prisoners. This sum was subsequently increased to 177 million dollars in temporary compensation. This demonstrated that there were other objectives in play. Iraq had not detained any Kuwaitis and had implemented all relevant United Nations resolutions. Kuwait, on the other hand, had set up military bases to attack Iraq. The Representative wondered why the United States had suspended the implementation of contracts designed to ensure the supply of food to Iraq.




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