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US GOVERNMENTS REPORTS |
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16 April 2003
Text: U.S. Applauds
Latin American Resolution Condemning Cuba on Human Rights
(State Dept.'s Holmes testifies on Cuban crackdown against dissidents)
(1280)
The United States strongly backs a resolution introduced by three Latin
American nations before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
condemning the violations of human rights in Cuba by the regime of Cuban
President Fidel Castro, says Kim Holmes, the State Department's assistant
secretary of state in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.
In April 16 congressional testimony, Holmes said the resolution on Cuba's
"persistent violations of human rights norms" was introduced by Peru,
Uruguay, and Costa Rica. Holmes said the United States firmly supports and
applauds the initiative "to try to address this blight on human rights" in
the Western Hemisphere.
The United States, as it has in previous years, co- sponsored the resolution
on Cuba before the U.N. Human Rights Commission, Holmes told the House
International Relations Committee.
"We have worked hard to strengthen" the resolution, Holmes said, "but there
is strong resistance to changing the wording. While the resolution itself
may not have the language we hoped to achieve, it nevertheless is still a
slap in the face for Castro and his regime from his own neighbors."
Following is the text of Holmes' testimony, as prepared for delivery:
(begin text)
Committee on International Relations
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515-0128
Testimony by
Assistant Secretary Kim R. Holmes
U.S. Department of State
Bureau of International Organization Affairs
At a hearing entitled:
"Castro's Brutal Crackdown on Dissidents"
Committee on International Relations
April 16, 2003
On Cuba's Recent Crackdown on Democracy Activists and the Resolution in the
2003 Commission on Human Rights want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding
this hearing on Cuba and its brutal crackdown on democracy activists. This
is a timely issue and one that my office is seized with, given that the
Cuban government began this wave of arrests even as the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights was opening in Geneva. It is especially timely in
that the Commission opened discussions today on a resolution on Cuba.
Cuba's arrests of more than 100 democracy activists, journalists, and
economists, the closed summary proceedings used to convict over 75 of them,
and the excessive sentences are an outrage. Cuba's actions rightly deserve
the rebuke they are receiving in America and around the world.
As you are aware, the arrests followed searches of activists' homes that
sometimes lasted up to ten hours. They began after a government radio
broadcast attacking the head of our Interests Section and the outreach
efforts of our diplomats in Cuba.
These actions are an affront to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, which declares that, "Everyone has the right to freedom of
opinion and expression." They also are an affront to Article 9, which states
that, "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile."
Cuba, it must be remembered, was one of the nations voting in the United
Nations General Assembly to adopt the Declaration in 1948.
In contrast, the Castro regime has already formally rejected a visit by the
Personal Representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, as
called for in last year's Commission on Human Rights resolution.
All of these distressing reminders of the regime's lack of respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms are meant to deal a blow against the
democratic opposition. While they may slow the march of freedom in Cuba,
they will never quell the Cuban people's desire for liberty nor impede its
ultimate arrival.
The United States does not hesitate to speak out against Cuba's suppression
of human rights. We issued a strong statement on March 19 expressing our
outrage over the arrests and calling for the immediate release of those
detained. The White House issued a strong statement of condemnation on March
26.
On April 1, Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, head of the U.S. delegation to the
CHR, delivered our Item 9 statement in which she called the arrests "a
glaring challenge to the Commission," an indication of increasing repression
by Castro's regime," and a "brazen attempt to intimidate the growing number
of Cuban citizens who dare assert their desire for more freedom."
On April 10, Secretary of State Powell eloquently called for the release of
these prisoners of conscience.
On April 14, Ambassador Kirkpatrick clarified for the Commission, during
deliberations on Defenders of Democracy, why Cuba's actions are repressive
violations of human rights.
And just yesterday, Secretary Powell challenged the nations of the world,
the 34 Western Hemisphere nations in the "Community of Democracies" who
signed a set of basic principles regarding democracy, and particularly
nations that will vote on the Cuba resolution, to take note of Cuba's
outrageous actions toward people who merely express a point of view.
The United States had also asked the European Union to join with us in
publicly deploring Cuba's actions. On March 26, the EU issued a strong
statement condemning the Cuban repression and demanding the release of these
"prisoners of conscience."
Most notably, at this year's Commission, the resolution to deal with Cuba's
persistent violations of human rights norms was introduced by three Latin
American countries -- Peru, Uruguay and Costa Rica. We firmly support and
applaud their initiative to try to address this blight on human rights in
our Hemisphere. Their resolution urged the Government of Cuba to adhere to
the 2002 resolution and allow a visit by the High Commissioner for Human
Rights' Personal Representative.
As we have done in the past, we have co-sponsored this year's resolution on
Cuba. We had worked hard to strengthen it, but there is strong resistance to
changing the wording. While the resolution itself may not have the language
we hoped to achieve, it nevertheless is still a slap in the face for Castro
and his regime from his own
neighbors.
Given Cuba's continuing defiance of the Commission, the United States warmly
welcomes the efforts of the Latin American members of the Commission to
force their neighbor to improve its human rights record. We believe the best
approaches to dealing with egregious human rights abusers like Cuba are
initiatives in which the relevant regional group takes ownership of the
calls for reform.
We also had actively collaborated with other countries on strategies to
ensure that a resolution on Cuba would pass, sending a clear message to the
Government of Cuba that it would remain under the scrutiny of the world
community. The important point is that we sought to ensure the Personal
Representative of the U.N.'s High Commissioner on Human Rights had a mandate
to report on the situation in Cuba.
Historically, there is precedent for our concern that a resolution on Cuba
passes. In 1987, Cuba was able to win a no-action motion on text submitted
by the United States by a vote of 19-18-6. We prefer a resolution and a
personal representative of the High Commissioner to any of the alternatives.
Our delegation at the CHR will continue to make crystal clear our very
strong opposition to Cuba's violations of human rights. And we will call
upon other like-minded delegations to do the same.
As I prepared this statement, we expected the vote on Cuba to take place
this morning. As you know, it did not happen. We should know the outcome of
the voting tomorrow.
Let me assure this committee, the Congress, Americans, and the people of
Cuba that, in the Commission and in every forum, the United States will
continue to shine a spotlight on human rights abuses in Cuba to bring them
to an end.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) |
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