COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS HEARS ALLEGATIONS OF VIOLATIONS IN NUMEROUS COUNTRIES

Commission on Human Rights
57th session
30 March 2001
Afternoon





The Commission on Human Rights carried on this afternoon with its annual discussion of the question of the violation of fundamental rights and freedoms in any part of the world, hearing from a series of national delegations expressing concern about states of affairs in numerous countries and regions.

Human-rights problems were alleged in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iraq, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Colombia, Chechnya, Indonesia, Iran, China, Cuba, Belarus, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kosovo, Cote d’Ivoire, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Haiti, Pakistan, Cambodia, Viet Nam, the Golan Heights, southern Lebanon, the United States, Cyprus, occupied Palestine, and Fiji.

The meeting ended with a cascade of responses from countries stung by criticism of their human-rights records. Speaking in right of reply were representatives of Tanzania, the United Kingdom, Cuba, Mozambique, Iraq, Afghanistan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Haiti, Algeria, Turkey, Kenya, Kuwait, the United States, Cyprus, Greece, and Cameroon.

The agenda item on the question of human-rights violations in any part of the world is annually among the Commission’s most contentious. Still scheduled to address the subject when the Commission reconvenes at 10 a.m. Monday, 2 April, are ten more countries and over 50 non-governmental organizations.

Delivering statements this afternoon were Representatives of Norway, the United States, Canada, Syrian Arab Republic, China, Algeria, Poland, Kuwait, Lebanon, Australia, Greece, and Yugoslavia.


Statements

SVERRE BERGH JOHANSEN (Norway) said that the situation in Afghanistan was of primary concern. The Taliban and the United Front were urged to put an end to the grave violations of human rights. Of particular concern was the human rights situation of women and girls. The recent destruction of ancient monuments was a grave violation of the Afghan people's rights, and indeed the world population's cultural rights. The human rights situation in Myanmar still gave cause for concern. Norway continued to follow with concern the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The long list of examples of disregard for and violation of the human rights of the Iraqi people made Iraq one of the most serious country items on the global human rights agenda. Concern was expressed about the hostilities on the borders between Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. In Angola, violations of human rights continued to be the order of the day on both sides of the conflict, both within UNITA and the government forces. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the conflict was having a devastating effect on the civilian population.

Several reports documented serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including the massacre of unarmed civilians, disappearances and torture. Rwanda was still suffering from the genocide perpetrated in 1994. Serious concern was expressed at the gradual erosion of respect for human rights and the general deterioration of the rule of law in Zimbabwe. Concern was expressed at human rights violations in Sudan, particularly pertaining to the amputation of human limbs and capital punishment, imprisonment of political leaders and press censorship. In Colombia, the lack of guarantees for the civilian population to enjoy basic human rights and fundamental freedoms remained a problem. Concern was also expressed at the human rights violations in Chechnya, Indonesia, Iran and China.

SHIRIN TAHIR-KHELI (the United States) recalled that in the past, countries had taken important steps to improve the human rights conditions facing their own citizens. Among other things, the election of a new president in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia demonstrated that time had finally run out for the former regime. In Peru, the United States hoped to see further promotion of human rights, the rule of law, and fundamental freedoms. There were a number of countries where universal human rights and fundamental freedoms were neither enjoyed nor respected. China had substantially liberalized important sectors of its economy in recent years, however, China had numerous human rights problems and its already poor human rights record had worsened, particularly with respect to religious minorities and the Tibetan people. Cuba allowed some religious freedom but strictly limited church activities and expansion.

The extraordinary scale of human rights violations perpetrated by the Government of Sudan demanded the Commission's vigorous condemnation. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, war and uncertainty had further aggravated an already very troubling human rights situation. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea remained another of the world's most serious human rights violators. The United States was also deeply concerned about the continuing human rights violations in Chechnya. In Iran, the people’s demand for change had been met with arbitrary arrests, newspaper closures and the use of the judiciary to harass political opponents. The Iraqi Government remained to be one of the most repressive in the world. The United States had consistently and vigorously opposed Taliban policies, which had crushed the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Afghans. The Government of Belarus also continued to resist the democratic tide of human rights and fundamental freedoms that swept across the region.

MARIE GERVAIS-VIDRICAIRE (Canada) said that the situation of human rights in Afghanistan was among the worst in the world. The human rights situation in Burma continued to deteriorate. The Government of Iraq continued to rule by terror, denying freedom of opinion and expression, undertaking indiscriminate arrests, imprisonments, torture and executions of political and religious opponents, forced displacement and deportation of Iraqi citizens in order to maintain its hold on power. In Sudan, civilians continued to be bombed and forcefully displaced from their homes, women and children were abducted, and humanitarian organizations were attacked, held hostage or denied access to those in need. Deep concern was expressed about the situation in the Great Lakes region, in particular in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. Deep concern was expressed also at the human rights situation in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Ethnic violence had been particularly virulent in Kosovo. The rise of ethnic Albanian insurgencies in the Presevo Valley and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were disturbing developments. In Cote d'Ivoire, of particular concern was impunity for State security forces responsible for hundreds of extrajudicial killings. In Zimbabwe, the human rights situation had deteriorated sharply. Canada was concerned by reports of widespread human rights violations by both sides against civilians in Chechnya. Human rights violations continued also in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Guatemala. The scale and frequency of restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and religion in Tibet and Xinjiang was a matter of great concern. There had been no substantial improvement in respect for political and civil rights in Cuba. Violations of human rights continued also in Iran, Colombia, Haiti, Pakistan, Cambodia, Viet Nam and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

FAYCAL KHABBAZ-HAMOUI (Syria) said that the annexation of a territory such as the Golan Heights was a violation of human rights. People in that territory were deprived of their basic rights, including food and restriction of their movement. On the Lebanese border with Israel, people were kidnapped and languished in prisons. During the occupation of southern Lebanon by Israel, several thousand landmines had been scattered through the territory, leaving many new victims each day. With regard to the statement of the European Union, one found it to be irritating. It would be hoped that in the future, the European countries would focus on the objectivity of the issues they raised in their statements. They should rather stress the human rights violations perpetrated by Israel.

QIAO ZONGHUAI (China) said that the Chinese Government had always attached importance to the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms enjoyed by the Chinese people. Through decades of unremitting efforts, China had found a path of promoting and developing human rights, which fitted into the specific circumstances of China and had registered achievements attracting world wide attention. The present human rights situation in China was at its best in all times. Therefore the allegation that China's human rights situation was deteriorating was completely groundless.

Regrettably, however, the United States, out of its own selfish interests and domestic political considerations, insisted on tabling again an anti-China draft resolution at this session of the Commission, posed groundless allegations against China and provoked confrontation. The United States had always indulged in tabling country specific resolutions against others. This, out of its ill intention under the pretext of protecting human rights, to blatantly accuse the political systems of other countries and politicize the issue of human rights, in an attempt to exert political pressures upon other countries. It was well know that there were gross violations of human rights in the United States. The United States was notorious with its recurrent and incurable racial and gender discrimination, the ever-widening divide between the rich and the poor, police violence, guns abuse and judicial injustice. What's more, the United Stated had always been reluctant towards international human rights instruments. It still refused to ratify the international human rights instruments widely accepted by the international community.

NORMA NASCIMBENE DE DUMONT (Argentina) said that several dramatic situations had been examined by the Commission in order to end the violations of human rights in a peaceful manner. It had now been 25 years since the Commission had taken up the question of human rights violations in Cyprus. Diplomatically, Argentina had contributed much in seeking a solution to the question of Cyprus; and it had directly played an active role in contributing soldiers to the peacekeeping mission to Cyprus. Argentina believed that a just and durable solution should be found to the problem of Cyprus which would result in the peaceful co-existence of the two communities. As long as the situation of refugees and displaced persons was not resolved; and as long as the case of disappearances of persons was not elucidated, there would be no peace. The movement of people should be guaranteed and confiscated properties should be restituted.

TOMASZ KNOTHE (Poland) said that one of the main tasks of the international community was to improve the effectiveness of already existing and universally accepted mechanisms of human rights. It was a paradox of our times that despite all the progress in the development of a universal system of human rights, the situation still remained of main concern for the world community. The escalating and universal rhetorical support for human rights coexisted with systematic abuse of many of the rights. There were too many places where human rights continued to be disrespected and where progress was too slow or non-existent. Gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms were constantly occurring in many parts of the world and they too often overshadowed what had been accomplished.

The Commission had a special role to play in defending and protecting human rights. In conducting the debates of those questions at this forum, the Commission must always remember what international public opinion was expecting from it.

DHARAR A. R. RAZZOOQI (Kuwait) recalled that his country had celebrated its 40th anniversary of independence and the tenth anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait from Iraq. Despite the liberation of Kuwait from Iraq, more than 600 prisoners of war, Kuwaiti and third country-nationals, were still in the hands of Iraq. The international community had responded to this specific humanitarian problem by creating, in March 1991, a Tripartite Commission pursuant to the Security Council resolutions 686 and 867. Iraq had hampered the work of the Commission by boycotting meetings for more than two years. Because of the human tragedy of this unsolved matter, the Security Council had adopted on 17 December 1999, a resolution which reiterated the obligation of Iraq to repatriate all prisoners it was holding. The resolution also called upon Iraq to resume cooperation with the Commission. Kuwait was hoping that Iraq would listen to the voice of reason and solve this humanitarian tragedy. Iraq should not escape from its responsibilities.

WALID A. NASR (Lebanon) said the Commission had adopted last year a resolution on the situation in Southern Lebanon and asked the Secretary-General to transmit to the Government of Israel the content of the resolution and ask for its reply. Israel had not replied. This came as no surprise, as Israel's contempt and disregard for UN resolutions was not new. The resolution referred to the situation of Lebanese detainees who were held as hostages and kept in solidarity confinement, in violation of their human rights. The resolution called on Israel to honour the Geneva Convention and halt the practice of capturing and holding Lebanese as hostages. Israel had continued to hold dozens of Lebanese in prisons in Israel, in violation of international human rights covenants. These detainees had not been put on trial and were held as bargaining chips.

The Red Cross was barred access to the detainees, who were subjected to torture. Israel also had not withdrawn to international recognized borders in southern Lebanon and had not respected the airspace or land borders of Lebanon. It had left 130,000 land mines in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley, and had not handed over to Lebanon the maps of the locations of the mines. As a result, dozens of people had been killed and injured. Lebanon had asked for the maps but to no avail. Israel was urged to hand over the maps and to release Lebanese detainees.

PETER HEYWARD (Australia) said Indonesia continued to face strong challenges in its post-Suharto transition; it had made some progress but should do more to bring to justice those responsible for human rights abuses in East Timor. Australia was deeply concerned at the large numbers of East Timorese in refugee camps in West Timor. In Cambodia, Australia welcomed the initial steps that had been taken to develop a fundamental human rights architecture, but more needed to be done to eradicate military-initiated violence. Australia recognized that there had been positive movement in some areas in Iran. Australia remained alarmed about the deplorable human rights situation in Afghanistan and the effects of ongoing conflict in Sierra Leone, Sudan, and the Great Lakes region of Africa.

Australia was also deeply disturbed by the loss of life and injury resulting from the violent confrontations in the West Bank, Gaza and parts of Israel. Australia acknowledged the efforts China had made to build greater accountability into its legal and administrative systems, and also its progress in guaranteeing social and cultural rights.

ROGER FARRELL (New Zealand) said that New Zealand remained concerned about the ongoing ethnic conflict in Kosovo and along the borders of southern Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. It was particularly worrying that only a few of those responsible for human rights violations in East Timor in 1999 had been brought to justice. The past year had seen a disturbing escalation of ethnic, social and religious violence in Indonesia, particularly in Maluku and Kalimantan. The overall political and human rights situation in Myanmar remained of serious concern, as did the situation in Cambodia. Reports of continued violations of international human rights standards in China, including freedom of association and expression and the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in custody remained matters of concern, as did the deteriorating situation in Israel and the occupied territories, where the excessive use of force by the Israeli Defence Forces and its stated policy of assassinations should be halted immediately.

Another matter of concern was reports from Iraq of systematic violations of human rights, including unexplained disappearances, extra-judicial killings, the repression of ethnic and religious minorities and torture. Of particular concern was the human rights situation in Afghanistan, especially the treatment of girls and the denial of their human rights and particular their rights to education, health and work. The human rights situations in Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, the African Great Lakes region , Chechnya and Fiji were also of serious concern.

ALEXANDROS VIKIS (Cyprus) said the international community had expressed clearly, unequivocally and repeatedly its will in favour of a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem. The solutions had been clearly enumerated in numerous resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council. Turkey had rejected all those resolutions as well as the parameters they set for the solution of the Cyprus problem. Such a solution would restore the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and also the respect for the human rights of all Cypriots, particularly those nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots who had been displaced and lived as refugees in their own country; prevented from returning to their homes and properties; and prevented from visiting their places of worship.

The occupying power and its "subordinate local administration" did not respect the human rights of Turkish Cypriots any more than it respected the human rights of Greek Cypriots. The majority of the Turkish Cypriots had shown their appreciation fort he Turkish military invasion and for the illegal regime set up in the occupied areas by voting with their feet.

DIMITRIS KARAITIDIS (Greece) said that the persistent violation of human rights in Cyprus continued to be of great concern. Despite numerous UN Security Council and Commission on Human Rights resolutions, all of which had been ignored by Turkey, 37 per cent of the Cyprus Republic’s sovereign territory remained under Turkish military occupation. A systematic violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms had been established in the occupied territory by Turkey through the implementation of policies such as forcible eviction and displacement of persons from their homes and land, expulsion of the enclaved Greek Cypriots and Maronites living in the occupied territories, systematic plundering of the Cypriot cultural heritage, colonization, and obstruction in reaching a solution to the issue of mission persons.

The nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots who were forcibly displaced by the Turkish invading forces in 1974 were still being prevented from returning. They continued to be internally displaced persons, arbitrarily deprived of their homes and properties. Over 110,000 settlers from Turkey had been transplanted illegally into the occupied part of Cyprus since 1974 and given property usurped from the expelled Greek Cypriots. In addition, the cultural heritage in the occupied areas was being systematically destroyed, and the destruction was particularly directed at Christian churches and other Christian monuments.

SUZANA BOSKOVIC-PRODANOVIC (Yugoslavia) said that there were still refugees coming from the former Republics of Yugoslavia despite the situation of human rights in the region. Yugoslavia was ready to cooperate with the international community to improve the situation. With regard to the terrorist activities carried out in the southern part of Yugoslavia by Kosovar terrorists, the authorities of Yugoslavia had not take any violent action believing that the situation would be resolved through negotiation. Yugoslavia had released several Albanians held prisoners in the country. It, however, regretted that the fates of several Serbians taken hostage by Kosovar activists were unknown.

The delegation of Yugoslavia was ready to cooperate in issues concerning Croatia. Yugoslavia also supported the work of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the former Yugoslavia.


Rights of reply

A Representative of Tanzania, speaking in right of reply, referred to a statement made by Sweden, saying that the problem referred to by Sweden was not a human rights violation but a political dispute. Tanzania was fully committed to promoting and protecting human rights.

A Representative of the United Kingdom, referring to an Iraqi statement made yesterday, said that it was not the economic sanctions that were causing the suffering of the Iraqi people but lack of cooperation by the Government. The Government had systematically rejected the "oil for food" programme which would have enabled Iraqi children to receive medicines and nourishment. Only about 5 per cent of the total amount of the income from the sale of oil had been used by Iraq and the rest had not reached the people because of the Iraqi bureaucracy.

A Representative of Cuba, speaking in right of reply, said that there had been no mention in the statements of the North about institutionalized racism in the US. Another country that had not been mentioned in the statements of the North was Canada, where indigenous peoples were still being deprived of their rights. Europe also seemed to have forgotten that many of the current conflicts across the world had their origin in European colonization, European despoiling of resources and European imposition of absurd borders.

A Representative of Mozambique said an investigative commission had been set up in order to find out who had been involved in the recent assassination of a Government official. Several non-governmental organizations were collaborating with the process. Once the investigation was concluded and the perpetrators of the assassination identified, the information would be made public. The offenders would be punished accordingly.

A Representative of Iraq said that the US and the UK were responsible for the genocide of the Iraqi people through the imposition of the international economic embargo and through bombings carried out by their military forces. They also had prevented supplies of food and drugs from reaching the country. As a result, over half a million people had died.

A Representative of Afghanistan, referring to a statement made by Norway, said the Norwegian delegation should read the report presented to the Commission by the Afghan delegation concerning mass grave sites.

A Representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, speaking in right of reply, rejected allegations made by the US with regard to human rights violations in the DPRK. The United States, instead of accusing other countries, should examine its own appalling human rights record.

A Representative of Haiti, referring to a statement made by Canada which mentioned the recent violence in Haiti, said the situation had been calmed following the intervention of the police and the wise leadership of the President. Haiti was committed to human rights and to meeting its international obligations. The Government was also working to restore the rule of law and to establish public security.

A Representative of Algeria, speaking in right of reply, said Algeria regretted that some NGOs gave special treatment to some biased sources of information, based on rumours, which they magnified for political purposes.

A Representative of Turkey said the international community was being confused by the situation of Cyprus. There were two peoples with two languages on the island. The root cause of the problem was that the international community recognized only the Greek Cypriot side of the situation, ignoring the sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriots.

A Representative of Kenya said that while it was true that in the recent past there had been a number of incidents where the police had to disperse political gatherings organized by militarized groups, this did not point to a pattern of violations of the right to expression and free assembly, which were enshrined in the Constitution. As regarded cases of death in police custody, judicial inquiries had been conducted into these deaths and those involved had been prosecuted.

A Representative of Kuwait said that Iraq should respect its moral and legal commitments in accordance with the UN Charter and other UN resolutions. Had Iraq did not invaded and occupied Kuwait, there would have not have been prisoners.

A Representative of the United States said the Iraqi government deserved full blame for the suffering of the people of Iraq. Iraq continued to defy UN Security Council resolutions and refused to cooperate with international efforts to rectify the situation in the country. The international community had done much more for the people of Iraq than the Iraqi Government had.

A Representative of Cyprus said the statement of Turkey regarding Cyprus was distorted. The fact was that Turkey invaded the island in 1974 and continued to occupy 40 per cent of the island. Turkey was called on to come to the proxy talks aimed at resolving the problem of Cyprus.

A Representative of Greece said the Turkish Representative had not indicated whether his country was ready to implement Security Council resolutions on Cyprus calling for a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus conflict.

A Representative of Cameroon, responding to an NGO which made allegations of executions in Cameroon, said the statement was based on rumours which were running about Duala. Upon hearing the rumour, the Head of the State had ordered an investigation of the allegations and this inquiry was being carried out. The report of the investigation would be made public once it was completed.

A Representative of Iraq said the US and UK were responsable for the genocide of the people of Iraq. The economic embargo and the bombardments had caused the death of one and half million Iraqis. The US and UK had prevented food and drugs from reaching the country in order to starve the Iraqi people. The massacre of half of million of Iraqi children showed what these countries were capable of doing. Iraq had released Kuwaiti prisoners and was ready to cooperate with Kuwait and the Red Cross. It was regrettable that Kuwait was politicizing the issue in order to further its economic interests, namely stealing Iraqi oil.

A Representative of Kuwait said that the delegation of Iraq was repeating the same old allegations. Iraq had committed against Kuwait and the international community a crime. What it was asked to do was implement UN resolutions and return prisoners it was holding.

A Representative of Iraq said Iraq had no reason to hold Kuwaiti prisoners. Kuwait had first demanded US$11 million in compensation for disappeared prisoners. This sum was subsequently reduced, which 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 Stated had suspended the implementation of contracts designed to ensure the supply of food to Iraq.




CORRIGENDUM


In press release HR/CN/01/22 of 29 March, the statement on page 11 by the Representative of Iraq, Samir Al-Nima, was mistakenly attributed to another speaker. The statement should read as follows:

SAMIR Al-NIMA (Iraq) said the real violation of human rights in Iraq was the unjust embargo which had deprived the Iraqi people of fundamental freedoms and basic rights, particularly the right to live with dignity, the right to education and the right to work. The suffering because of the embargo had caused damage to the social fabric of the country. The Special Rapporteur saw how the people were suffering. The Secretary-General's report to the Security Council expressed concern about the humanitarian situation, and Iraq wished that greater importance would have been given to that in the Special Rapporteur's report.

There was talk about the sources of human rights violations in Iraq -- the sources were criminals who had fled to neighbouring countries, who had fled justice, people who had raped, killed and stolen. They were funded by the American intelligence services and various neighbours which wanted to destabilize Iraq. The previous US administration had devoted US$97 million to changing the national regime in Iraq, violating the UN charter. That act and the terrorist and criminal acts were linked. The Special Rapporteur should pay closer attention to his sources of information, and what interests those sources represented. Many of the allegations were false and spurious. As for the death penalty, the allegations were unfounded, because there must be statistics, and yet no evidence was offered. As for the judiciary and special conditions, there were cases that came under special courts. As for missing Kuwaitis, Iraq had answered the Rapporteur's points on this, and was ready to attend meetings about people lost on the Kuwaiti side. There were 1,052 Iraqis missing, and their families had a right to know what happened to them. Iraq would cooperate with all those of good will, who entered into dialogue without political slant or bias.




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