COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS HEARS FROM SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON EQUATORIAL GUINEA

EVENING
HR/CN/99/22
6 April 1999


Debate Continues on Question of Human Rights Violations Anywhere
in World



Alejandro Artucio of Uruguay, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Equatorial Guinea, said in an address this evening that the process of democratization in the country had stagnated and the status of human rights had worsened. He called for the Government to remedy the situation.

The Special Rapporteur also told the Commission on Human Rights that Equatorial Guinea continued to ban opposition newspapers; that judicial irregularities still occurred; that people still were arrested for their political beliefs; and that ethnic minorities had been harassed. There was an urgent need to put an end to the activities of agents of the State who violated human rights, he said.

A representative of Equatorial Guinea told the Commission in reply that the country's democracy was not perfect, but any excessive, abrupt changes in society could provoke a chaotic and disastrous situation much more serious than the present.

The Commission meanwhile continued its review of "the question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world" -- annually one of its most contentious agenda items.

Among those speaking was the representative of Albania, who said the NATO military action under way against the Serbs was a defence of fundamental democratic values and respect for human dignity and declared that Albanians stood side by side with their "brothers and sisters" in Kosovo and had opened their country and homes to Kosovan refugees.

Australia said a focus on human rights institution-building was the best way to realize all rights -- civil and political as well as economic, social and cultural -- and that institutions were needed which could safeguard freedom of expression, independence of the judiciary, and ensure open and accountable Government in both the political and economic senses.

And Iran and North Korea charged that Commission consideration of country-specific human-rights standards was biased and reflected "double standards".

Representatives of the following countries spoke: Armenia, Iran, Albania, Equatorial Guinea, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal, Australia, Eritrea, Croatia, Greece, Azerbaijan, Nicaragua, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The following non-governmental organizations also delivered statements: International Federation of Human Rights; International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples; Lutheran World Federation; World Federation of Trade Unions; General Arab Women Federation; European Union for Public Relations; Permanent Assembly for Human Rights; Interfaith International; International Association against Torture; International Federation of Rural Adult Catholic Movements; Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace; North-South XXI; Centre Europe - Tiers Monde; and Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization.

The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 7 April, to continue its discussion of human-rights situations anywhere in the world.

Question of the situation of human rights in any part of the world


Also before the Commission under this agenda item was a report (E/CN.4/1999/41) of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Equatorial Guinea. The document details study activities, human rights conditions and violations, and ethnic diversity and conflict. The report concludes among other things that there is a disturbing lack of progress towards democratization. Lack of independence of the judiciary, and the proceedings for recognition of non-governmental human rights organizations are still at a virtual standstill. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government of Equatorial Guinea institute a number of measures including publishing its relevant legislation, limiting the powers of the military courts, continuing its dialogue with all political parties, acceding to the Convention against Torture and recognizing non-governmental human-rights organizations. The international community should ensure that Equatorial Guinea is provided with the advisory and technical cooperation it has requested especially in the area of enhancing the administration of justice, the report recommends.

ALEJANDRO ARTUCIO of Uruguay, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Equatorial Guinea, introducing his report, said he had carried out two missions to the country in 1998 and had been received by high-ranking Governmental authorities and local authorities. The dialogue between Governmental and political factions had raised hopes of decisive progress in the democratization process, but those hopes were regarded with increasing scepticism today, due to radically opposed views as to whether reforms were being carried out or not. In fact the opposition forces vigorously denied that they had been carried out at all. The opposition parties and those supporting the Government all denounced the failure of the Government to implement the May 1997 agreement, and said an important opportunity had been lost.

Legislative elections were held in March 1999, with all parties competing for seats in the single-house Parliament, Mr. Artucio said. Of the 80 seats, the Government party won 75. These elections were energetically and formally challenged by the opposition. It was alleged that many irregularities had occurred, notably at the voting tables and in the final counting of votes. Problems of circulation persisted in the country, mostly due to military roadblocks. There had been requests for the Government to allow publication of opposition newspapers, but these had been stalled. Judicial irregularities were still current, with people arrested for their political beliefs. Ethnic minorities had been harassed. There was an urgent need to put an end to the activities of those agents of the State who had violated human rights.

The high hopes expressed in previous reports had not born fruit, Mr. Artucio said. There was stagnation in the process of democratization and a worsening of the human-rights situation. The Government of Equatorial Guinea should remedy this situation.

Statements

KAREN NAZARIAN (Armenia) expressed concern at the lack of progress in the Cyprus situation. The UN Security Council resolutions, the Commission's resolutions and decisions on Cyprus remained unimplemented. There should be restoration of the fundamental human rights of all Cypriots throughout Cyprus, including granting them freedom of movement, settlement, right to property, and preservation of their cultural heritage.

Another cause for concern was the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, still awaiting a fair solution -- a major concern for the people who lived there. In 1988 Armenia had accommodated hundreds of thousands of deported Armenians as a result of gross violations of their basic rights by Azerbaijan. The rise of violence against Armenian women, children and the elderly was the response of the Government of Azerbaijan to the legitimate demand of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to exercise their rights for education, economic, social and cultural development, and life. It was sad to observe that the 1988-92 atrocities committed by organized criminal gangs still remained unpunished. Armenia was determined to put an end to this confrontation by replacing it with a brighter future based on the principles of international law and human-rights standards.

ALI KHORRAM (Iran) said many had spoken about the need to streamline the Commission’s human-rights mechanisms, including the country-situation procedure. However, in clear defiance of an overwhelming desire to address the shortcomings of the system, some held on to their favourite method of work of the Commission and its existing mechanisms, and were fighting hard not to lose any ground to this desire for a genuine change. There remained little doubt that the system was flawed: selective, rife with double standards, biased, arbitrary, and influenced by the political considerations of some. The voluminous reports of the thematic rapporteurs as well as those of the NGOs suggested that serious violations of human rights did occur in all parts of the world.

The system should not be hostage to the whims and wishes of those who had so far obstructed its impartiality, since it was only through impartiality and non-selectiveness that the system could make a meaningful contribution to the protection and promotion of human rights. The report of the Bureau of the 54th session of the Commission enumerated the flaws, but being divided on the issue, it could not submit any specific proposal on the reform of the country-situation procedure, although there were many possible reforms to be made. An open and objective dialogue was hoped for.

KSENOFON KRISAFI (Albania) reviewed the situation of ethnic cleansing being undertaken by the Serbian Government in Kosovo and claimed the regime had defied the international community for over 10 years and had ignored the international rights and the elementary principles of human morals. Under the circumstances, the NATO military action against the Serbs was a defense of fundamental democratic values and showed respect for human dignity.

Albanians stood side by side with their brothers and sisters in Kosovo at this tragic moment in history and had opened their country and homes to them; the Albanian Government had not ceased seeking a political solution and had remained patient and reserved in its hope for peace and justice. The Albanian delegation requested that the Kosovo people be able to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and applauded the USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy and other NATO nations who had intervened on behalf of the Kosovo people.

MAYE NSUE MANGUE (Equatorial Guinea) said the Government had cooperated with the Commission because it was convinced that human rights and democracy must start with the people and that it was in the interest of all the country's citizens. The Government had called on the international community for the technical assistance and collaboration necessary to strengthen the national capacity for human rights and with a view to establishing efficient and transparent administration of justice.

Equatorial Guinea took exception to the report of the Special Rapporteur. The Government feared a political move which might indicate that Spain would like to destabilize the Government of Equatorial Guinea. Equatorial Guinea acknowledged that its democracy was not perfect but was sure that any excessive, abrupt changes in society could provoke a chaotic and disastrous situation much more serious than the present. The shortcomings cited by the Special Rapporteur were not because of lack of Government cooperation but rather reflected the need for a more objective and independent expert. The international community should provide technical assistance to Equatorial Guinea in its efforts to improve human rights.

NEDZAD HADZIMUSIC (Bosnia and Herzegovina) said that in spite of improvements to the operation of institutions and better implementation of agreements all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, much more needed to be done to fully resolve the problem of the return of refugees and displaced persons -- a key to successful application of the Dayton agreement. There were still some 800,000 Bosnians who had not returned and remained in third countries; 200,000 had asked to return. The number of visits had increased, but conditions of security had not yet reached a satisfactory level and from time to time there were sporadic problems with the visits. The right to compensation for property pillaged or destroyed still remained theoretical at this point, and there continued to be problems in evicting illegal occupants of houses.

Better cooperation was needed to clarify what had happened to a great number of disappeared people; it was vital to have better collaboration of all competent authorities if this situation was to be rectified. International experts were helping; exhumations of mass graves were being carried out in general without difficulties. Meanwhile the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina assured respect, protection, and promotion of human rights. Considerable progress towards peace had been made in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

G. SANTA CLARA GOMES (Portugal) said that although there had been encouraging advances towards a political settlement of the East Timor issue, the situation there remained critical. Despite Indonesia's commitment to release East Timorese political prisoners, many remained in detention. Also patterns of arbitrary arrest and detention by military and paramilitary forces made it difficult to obtain accurate information.

There had not been an overall reduction in Indonesia's overwhelming military presence in East Timor, and civilian militias had been armed. The situation of the about 5,000 displaced persons had worsened. Indonesia had a continued obligation to maintain East Timor's internal security and that of its population. Peace and security were instrumental to a democratic process of consultation, but they could only be achieved if concrete measures were taken on the ground.

LES LUCK Australia) said Australia believed that a focus on human rights institution-building was the best way to realize all rights -- civil and political as well as economic, social and cultural. Institutions were needed which could safeguard freedom of expression, independence of the judiciary, and open and accountable government both in the political and economic senses. Australia was disturbed by the social tensions erupting in violence in Indonesia; Indonesian stability and national well-being could be assured only if all sectors of society put the protection of human rights first. The overriding concern now was to effect a smooth and peaceful transition to a new status for East Timor.

Australia acknowledged the progress made over the last 20 years by China -- in realization of economic and social rights, in democratization of village structures and in development of due process of law. In Papua New Guinea Australia welcomed the cease-fire now in place in Bougainville and continued to support the process of reconciliation. Australia remained concerned about human-rights conditions in Burma, Afghanistan, Algeria, the Great Lakes region of Africa, and Sri Lanka. It deplored the humanitarian crisis in Kosovo. In Cambodia some progress could be seen in the area of human rights, as well as in Iran.

AMARE TEKLE (Eritrea) said the Government of Ethiopia had for the last ten months engaged in the systematic and brutal expulsion, detention, torture and execution of Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin solely and purely on the basis of their ethnic origin. The majority of the victims were Ethiopian citizens, and the story of the gross violations of their human rights was reported by internationally recognized NGOs. These acts were simple brutal acts of ethnic cleansing, and were based on an immoral, evil and racist doctrine known as the Meles Doctrine. Ethiopia had claimed that the Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin living in Ethiopia were spies, infiltrators and saboteurs who had threatened the security of the country. This was not true.

These crimes against humanity had been confirmed by credible and verifiable third-party reports. The Commission had a vital role to play in confronting Ethiopia's gross violations of human rights. The Commission was warned that Ethiopia's present criminal acts were in fact harbingers of worse crimes, including genocide. Silence would only legitimize Ethiopia's policy and undermine human-rights norms.

NARCISA BECIREVIC (Croatia) said the Government had been open and fully cooperative with Commission Special Rapporteurs, including Jiri Diensbier, and had cooperated with numerous international monitors, such as the OSCE mission, the Council of Europe monitoring team, and officials sent by other international and non-governmental organizations. There was a need to evaluate the effectiveness of the Special Rapporteur's mandate, as the assessments of the Commission did not take into account Croatia's level of compliance with the Special Rapporteur's proposals. The level of democratic development was significant and should be evaluated through the Project for Technical Co-operation and Assistance that was being finalized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Croatia also took exception to the Special Rapporteur's report of last Thursday in which he omitted the necessity of preserving stability when he commented on the return of refugees to Croatia. The report missed the interconnection of returns to all three countries.

DIMITRIS KARAITIDIS (Greece) said the problem in Cyprus remained as acute as ever, notwithstanding relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, all of which had been ignored by Turkey. Some 37 per cent of Cyprus remained under Turkish occupation, and refugees were denied the right to return to their homes. There also had been a sustained effort to alter the demographic balance of the island.

The island's cultural heritage had been systematically and deliberately destroyed in the occupied areas. After 24 years of human-rights violations in Cyprus, the prospect of a solution to the problems caused by the Turkish invasion seemed further and further away, due to preconditions that the Turkish Cypriots were attempting to bring to the table. The international community should demonstrate its determination to find a just and viable solution based on the international rule of law as expressed in United Nations decisions.

SIMA EIVAZOVA (Azerbaijan) said what went on in Kosovo today began for Azerbaijanis more than ten years ago when neighbouring Armenia waged undeclared war against Azerbaijan with the aim of annexing a part of its territory. It was a historical fact that since the resettlement of Armenians in Transcaucasia in the middle of the 19th century, genocide had been repeatedly committed against the Azerbaijani people. In 1988 a fresh bout of ethnic cleansing began as the culmination of a deliberate policy to destroy all traces of the very existence of Azerbaijanis in Armenia. The remaining 200,000 Azerbaijanis were forcibly deported from their historical homelands within the present-day Armenian State. Thus Azerbaijanis became one of the first victims of the policy of "ethnic cleansing"

In February 1992, the Armenians committed an unprecedented massacre of the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly. As a result of such military aggression 1 million Azerbaijanis today had been expelled from their homes and forced to live for years in tents and 20 per cent of the population lived under military occupation.

LUIS ZUNIGA (Nicaragua) said the Supreme Court of Spain had rejected a lawsuit against Fidel Castro for genocide, crimes and torture committed against the Cuban people during Castro's 40 years of rule on the grounds of alleged immunity based on his status as head of State of a country it maintained diplomatic relations with. It was truly unfortunate that Pinochet's 3,000 victims were able to find justice, but it was unavailable for Castro's 18,000 victims.

It also was unfortunate that the Special Rapporteur for Cuba was not able to fulfill the Commission's mandate; that made one question the efficacy of United Nations mechanisms. There were a number of failures in the effort to review the human rights situation in Cuba, and in fact there had been no Special Rapporteur since last year. Meanwhile human-rights violations continued in Cuba, including the continuance of the death penalty applied clearly for the purpose of keeping the population in a state of terror.


PAK DOK HUN (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) said that during the Cold War, United Nations human-rights fora had been used for the political purpose of dominating opponents in the context of East-West confrontation. This had not ended with the Cold War, and the politicization of human rights today had gone so far as an attempt to change even the social systems of other countries. Those most affected had been the target of accusations because of political systems that were different from those of the West or because they had been pursuing independent policies.

The allies of the West were immune from censure in spite of a human-rights record that caused concern in the international community, whereas those who were unfavourable to the West were taken to the human-rights dock. The aim was to press other countries into accepting the values of the West, and its political and economic systems. In those western countries that made judgements on human-rights situations in the developing countries, human-rights violations were rampant. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea would continue to defend and develop its people-centred socialist democracy and to fully guarantee the democratic freedoms and rights of its people.

JOSE NDJENOTI ASADHO, of International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH) expressed concern for the human-rights situations in Kosovo and China and called on the Commission to investigate human-rights violations as well in Algeria, Bahrain, Mexico, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Rwanda and Uganda.

The Commission should appoint a Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Chad. FIDH also called on member States of the Commission to adopt a resolution on the situation of human rights in China, to condemn the violations that continued to be perpetrated there and to encourage the Government to respect its international obligations. It also called for the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on the situation in Mexico.

VERENA GRAF (International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples) voiced frustration at the continued lack of progress in resolving the problems created in Cyprus as a result of the Turkish invasion of 1974. By refusal to enter into serious negotiations on the status of the island, the Turkish government was using the passage of time and the inactivity of the international community to consolidate the demographic changes it had made in areas under occupation. The introduction of 114,000 Turkish settlers, denial of the rights of Greek Cypriots and Maronities to the restitution of their property, and continued harassment of their populations had only one objective -- ethnic cleansing.

The policies of the Turkish Government which followed the arrest of Abdullah Ocalan, head of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), were symptomatic of this phenomenon. By depriving the Kurdish people of all non-violent and political channels for expressing their objectives and grievances, both within Turkey and to the international community, the Turkish Government had caused some Kurds to resort to violence. The ILRLP recommended the appointment of a Special Rapporteur to assess the situation of human rights in Turkey.

REBECCA LARSON, of Lutheran World Federation, said the group's concern was for the refugees of Bhutan who had been living in Nepal for the last few years. Many organizations were looking after the estimated 90,000 refugees living in camps, who had fled their homes from 1990 onwards because of ethnically discriminatory policies implemented by the Royal Government of Bhutan, and because of the violent repression with which the authorities responded to the widespread protests against these policies. The majority of these refugees wished to go home. The Governments of Nepal and Bhutan had in theory been engaged in bilateral negotiations in relation to the refugees since 1993. However, these talks had been intermittent and desultory. There had been no progress towards a durable solution for the refugees.

The plight of the Bhutanese refugees had begun to resemble that of the Palestinian refugees. The international community had been dissuaded from taking appropriate action in relation to this matter due to the existence of the alleged bilateral process. It was now clear that this existed in name only. The Governments of Nepal and Bhutan should be encouraged to ensure that the refugees could enjoy their fundamental human rights and not be subjected to ethnic discrimination or be arbitrarily deprived of their nationality.

SURYA LAL AMATYA, of World Federation of Trade Unions, said the Federation felt great concern over the human-rights situation in Pakistan; among other things, Pakistan supported numerous terrorist groups which, among other abuses, used drug money to underwrite their activities.

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan was an example of this pattern; its activities had horrified civilized society. The Commission must ensure that the activities of Pakistan did not afflict other countries.

JULIET SAYEGH, of General Arab Women Federation, said that while the Commission was deliberating, the human rights of the Iraqi people were being massively violated by international sanctions, the abuse and misuse of UNSCOM, and from military strikes by the US and British forces, all done in the name of justice, democracy and regional security and safety. Imposing nine years of suffering and misery on Iraqi children and families had caused catastrophic level of diseases, injuries, hunger and death. The Security Council had violated its international human-rights obligations. Protection of human rights could not be achieved when such a hostile mentality enforced injustice and increased poverty, and when starvation of innocent people prevailed.

The General Arab Women Federation demanded that the Commission and the United Nations as a whole put a rapid halt to the military aggression against Iraq. Iraq should not be made poorer by force while the rich were enjoying its resources. The Commission, Governments, and all peace-loving organizations must join voices to stop the military strikes, lift sanctions and start a civilized, just and constructive dialogue to resolve this human tragedy.

MUMTAZ KHAN, of European Union of Public Relations, raised the issue of human rights in Kashmir, but said the debate in the Commission had been one-sided, since for the past decade the issue of human-rights violations in the Pakistani part of Kashmir had been raised, but the debate had mostly focused on Indian Kashmir. Thus the international community had been deliberately misled by the Pakistani Government.

Freedom of expression, assembly, and the right to vote had been denied the Kashmiri people, and the Pakistani Government had attempted to change the demographics of the area. Kashmiri culture was the subject of a plan of eradication. Pakistan had officially declared that Kashmir would accede to Pakistan. Under the Constitution of Pakistan, the Northern Area was not a part of Pakistan, but the Pakistani army was stationed there. All decisions were taken by the Pakistani Government, and no political activities by Kashmiri independence activists were allowed. Indeed, they were crushed.

HORACIO RAVENNA, of Permanent Assembly for Human Rights, said that the organization celebrated the acknowledgment of "mistakes" offered by the United States of America for its support of dictatorships in Central America. Meanwhile attention should be paid to the assassination of Vice President Jose Maria Argana and the repression of the people of Paraguay.

The economic embargo against Cuba should be lifted, as it had been working against Cuba's path toward pluralism and had had negative affects on human rights and on Cubans' right to development and self-determination.

ALI ALI AL-ADHADH, of Interfaith International said the recent assassination of Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Sadiq As Sadr at Najaf in Iraq on February 19 raised again the issue of the survival of the Shi'a religious culture in Iraq. Hundreds of religious leaders had disappeared or had been executed or assassinated in Iraq since 1980. The Shi'a religious leaders had become targets of the Government of Iraq because of their popularity with the Shi'a people and their independent stand. Executions, disappearances and assassinations of Shi'a religious leaders had been documented in the reports of the Special Rapporteur on Iraq and those of the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance.

Iraq had refused to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur, and also refused the proposition to send human-rights monitors to the country as recommended by the General Assembly and the Commission. It had also refused responsibility for any of the assassinations or attempted assassinations of religious leaders of the Shi'a community in Iraq. In this light, Interfaith International asked the Commission to consider voting as part of its resolution on Iraq to begin a thoroughgoing investigation of the assassinations of Iraqi religious leaders.

ROGER WAREHAM , of International Association against Torture (joint statement with the December 12 Movement International Secretariat), said that as the leaders of finance monopolized capital in the United States and the G-7 consolidated at an increasing rate, the formation of a world with no borders, whether through trade exploitation of the flow of capital, took on a neo-liberal character. In this new world, developing nations increasingly had no
sovereignty, no national culture, no self-determination. Their very existence had been reduced to that of a cog in the global machine of speculative investment.

The domestic and foreign policy of the United States was a political tool to realize its economic objectives, specifically through the super exploitation and repression of the world's labour force. To this effect, the United States had persistently and consistently violated the human rights of peoples and nations, both within and without its borders. The United States systematically violated the human rights of its people of colour, and oppressed nationalities on a daily basis. International human rights violations also took place during the bombing of Sudan and Afghanistan by the United States, the embargo of Iraq, the bombing of Serbia and the blockade of Cuba, as well as in Sri Lanka and South Korea.

PIERRE MIOT, of International Federation of Rural Adult Catholic Movements, said the absence of rural reforms was at the root of many human-rights violations. Some 82 per cent of the land of Paraguay was in the hands of 5,000 people, for example. In Egypt, diminishing land availability for the majority of the population was putting them on a subsistence level.

Land reform also was needed, among other places, in Sierra Leone, Algeria, Europe, and India. The rural movement of FIMARC once again reminded the international community that impunity continued to be the principal reason human-rights violations were perpetrated, and called on Governments to implement the Commission's landmark resolution on ending impunity.


MARTA BOBICHON NEVES, of Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace, spoke of the tragic violation of human rights that occurred in East Timor, where the East Timorese, faced with the indifference of the world, had resisted Indonesian domination as reinforced by genocide, sterilization, bloody repression, and false progress. The international community was responsible in part for this genocide, since despite passing UN resolutions, it had never done anything concrete.

The Indonesian Government had tried to manipulate history so as to prove Indonesia was the only guarantor of peace in the region. The East Timorese people had the right today to insist that the international community exert pressure on Jakarta so that the militias recently formed were disbanded and civilians disarmed. The international community should send a peace force to East Timor to guarantee the disarmament of all parties.

SOUHA BECHARA, of North-South XXI, said that since 1978, Israel had violated all human rights in Lebanon. During the Israeli invasions of Lebanon, Israeli soldiers had massacred the local populations using weapons that were outlawed by the international community. The occupying Israeli forces applied pressure on the occupied populations so that they collaborated with the invaders or abandoned their lands.

During interrogations, Lebanese prisoners were transferred to Israeli detention camps, where they could stay for years without trial. These were not all the violations that had taken place. The Commission should condemn the Israeli occupation, and ensure the application of resolution 425 (1978) of the Security Council; insist upon the closure of the Al-Khiam camp, the existence of which was a violation of international laws and customs; insist upon the immediate liberation of all Lebanese detained in that camp and in Israeli prisons; and condemn the decision of the Israeli Supreme Court taken on 5 March 1998, since it made all Lebanese detainees hostages for an eventual exchange of prisoners.

CYNTHIA NEURY, of Centre Europe-Tiers Monde (CETIM), called attention to the alarming human-rights problem in Turkey, especially the violation of the human rights of the Kurdish peoples by the Turkish Government, military, and the paramilitary organizations.

There should be a 20 second observation of silence to express support for the effort to find a solution to the Kurdish question.

KHALID MOHAMMED QUERESHI, of Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity Organization, said the process of development and protection of human rights required that the distinct identity, aspirations, history and cultural background of each community be respected and given due recognition in the political and institutional framework of a nation State. The Seraiki nation and the aspirations of the Seraiki people living in Pakistan were quite distinct in linguistic and cultural terms from the Punjabis who had dominated Pakistan since its creation. Although Pakistan called itself democratic, it had always been military. The Muslims from the majority sect of Sunni Islam were treated as pariahs because they were linguistically different from the ruling Punjabi elite. Whether it was the Mohajirs or Sindhis or Baloch, or the people of the Seraiki nation, every attempt had been made to abolish their identity.

The Seraiki people, who were distinct from the Punjabi ruling class, wanted their rights and their voices heard. The international community should advise Pakistan to grant autonomy and full rights to the people of its provinces and to recognize and respect distinct linguistic and ethnic groups. If the Punjabis still had a problem with Pakistani identity they should not prevent the Seraiki people from securing their rights and identity.