Agenda Item 109(c): Human Rights Situations

The United States is committed to the universal principle that active support for human rights must be at the top of the international agenda. Time and again, experience shows us that countries that respect human rights are the most secure and the most successful. Freedom fights terrorism, instability and conflict. Repression has the opposite effect.

As the President said in his State of the Union speech, "America must stand firm for the non-negotiable demands of human dignity: rule of law; limits on the absolute power of the state; free speech; freedom of worship; equal justice; respect for women; religious and ethnic tolerance; respect for private property."

In this regard, the United States is committed to cooperating with governments, international organizations, non-governmental groups and individuals to encourage democracy, promote accountability, and strengthen the rule of law. Over the past year, we have witnessed many encouraging developments, but regrettably we have also seen continued abuses. First, the positive.

Since the ouster of the Taliban in late 2001, the overall human rights situation in Afghanistan has radically improved. The situation for many Afghan women and girls has changed for the better; they now have access to education and have been permitted to re-enter the workforce. The Emergency Loya Jirga, held in June, provided President Karzai with an overwhelming mandate to continue the work of Afghan reconstruction and guide the country toward elections in 2004. While we recognize that there is much work to be done in Afghanistan, we are encouraged by the progress thus far and stand by to assist the transitional government in its efforts.

Bahrain continues to move forward with democratic reforms. The municipal elections held in May were generally regarded as free and fair, as were recent national parliamentary elections. The new Constitution provides women full political rights, and in each of these elections women turned out to vote in encouraging numbers. In September, the King of Bahrain promulgated a new Workers Trade Union Law that appears -- for the first time -- to grant workers, including foreign workers, important elements of core labor rights, including freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively.

In July of this year, the Emir of Qatar was presented with a draft Constitution that provides for a popularly elected national legislature -- a significant step toward greater citizen participation in government. The Constitution is scheduled to go into effect in early 2003, with parliamentary elections scheduled for the end of next year. The government of Qatar continues to expand access to education, increase economic transparency and competition, modernize labor laws, expand freedom of the press and develop democratic institutions. The United States encourages the government of Qatar to forge ahead in its efforts and continue to adopt measures that promote respect for the rule of law and human rights.

In Morocco, recent parliamentary elections were widely reported to be the country’s fairest, resulting in the representation of five distinct political tendencies in the legislature, a tripling of the number of Islamist seats, and an increase in women’s representation from two to thirty-five seats. The Government has also established a tribunal to award compensation to victims of human rights abuses under King Hassan II.

In May 2002, after decades of struggle, Timor-Leste became the first new nation of the 21st century and Xanana Gusmao was sworn in as President. Timor-Leste's challenges include developing a sustainable economy and a democratic system of government, endeavors in which the international community has shown itself willing to provide assistance. Timor-Leste and Indonesia together face the challenge of holding accountable those who have committed crimes against humanity and gross violations of human rights in the province of East Timor.

In Sri Lanka, we hope the government can build on the momentum of the ongoing peace process with the LTTE. Reports indicate that the human rights situation for Sri Lankans is already improving.

We are also encouraged by the recent agreement on technical cooperation between the Government of Mexico and the United Nations, which will focus, among other things, on improving forensic investigations and documenting torture. The Government of Mexico should also be commended for the release of the ecologists Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrero from prison on humanitarian grounds, and the sentence reduction for General Gallardo. Moreover, we recognize that the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate cases of disappearances during its "Dirty War" will go a long way toward helping the people of Mexico come to closure on this ugly episode in its history.

In 2001, Ghana emerged as Africa’s newest democratic success story. After twenty years of autocracy and military rule, Jerry Rawlings peacefully stepped down from office, allowing multi-party elections in which John Kofour emerged victorious. Since the end of Jerry Rawlings’ regime, the human rights situation for the people of Ghana has improved remarkably. We applaud the government of Ghana for its peaceful transition to democracy and urge the government to continue to in its efforts to overcome obstacles to the full enjoyment of fundamental freedoms and human rights.

Similarly, Senegal continues to make significant progress toward strengthening democratic institutions and protecting human rights. The government has shown resolve in bringing individuals responsible for torture and other forms of violence to justice. The judicial system has improved dramatically, and we have seen broader incorporation of principles of due process and respect for the rights of the accused.

Notwithstanding these bright spots, there remain countries where human rights abuses continue unabated.

The ruling regime in Iraq continues to use fear, torture and arbitrary execution to oppress the Iraqi people. Credible reports indicate that Iraq has the world’s worst record for disappearances. Torture is routinely practiced on persons under arrest, both as punishment and to extract information. Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime refuses to allow any measure of political freedom or independence and continues to restrict religious freedom. Freedom of speech is non-existent; newspapers and broadcast media are owned by the government, the Ba’ath Party, or individuals close to the regime.

We are seriously concerned over a deteriorating human rights situation in Iran. The number of public executions and stonings appears to be on the rise, and punishments such as lashings and amputations have increased. Moreover, the government continues to imprison journalists and students, as well as to shut down newspapers that speak out in a way it perceives as critical of its policies. Impunity for special security forces employed to intimidate the public, particularly Iranian youth, continues to be a problem. In addition, the situation of the Baha’i community in Iran remains precarious. The government continues to discriminate against Baha’is, to harass them, and to try to prevent Baha’i youth from receiving an education. However, we welcome the recent release on parole of eleven Jews who disappeared while trying to escape the country in the mid 90s, charges of their involvement in a "Zionist conspiracy" have not been dropped.

In North Korea the situation has not changed, it remains horrible: recent reports paint a shocking, horrifying picture of brutality, oppression, injustice and deprivation. The United States remains deeply concerned about the deplorable human rights situation in the DPRK, including the oppression of entire classes of people based on perceived disloyalty to the regime, the horrible conditions in the extensive prison camp system, and the repression of all forms of expression, assembly and belief. The international community must continue to speak out about the egregious human rights abuses committed against the people of North Korea, and we must all support efforts to bring freedom, human dignity, and peace to this ravaged country.

Cuba remains a totalitarian state controlled by President Castro. The government continues to maintain tight surveillance on opponents to the regime, and it continues to detain human rights activists. We remain concerned with restrictions on freedom of religion as well as the Cuban government’s refusal to grant exit permits to qualified legal migrants.

In Belarus, a near total lack of accountability continues. There has been little progress in investigating credible reports that a Lukashenko regime death squad is responsible for the disappearances of three opposition figures and a journalist. Although a trial for the kidnapping -- but not the murder - of the journalist ended this spring in convictions, those who provided the order were not held accountable. We are also disturbed by the grossly repressive religion law, which the Belarusian parliament passed and President Lukashenko signed on October 31st. This law stands as the most restrictive religion law in Europe.

In Ukraine, it has been two years since the disappearance and murder of journalist Heorhiy Gongadze and the case has not been properly investigated or resolved. Similarly, there has been no progress in the cases of murdered journalist Ihor Aleksandro and election monitor Olexander Olinyk, who disappeared this spring. Ukraine must conduct a transparent, independent investigation of each of these matters and hold those individuals found responsible accountable for their actions.

In Chechnya, we continue to receive reports of human rights and humanitarian law violations by Russian security forces. While we recognize and deplore the atrocities committed against civilians by Chechen separatists, we are concerned that such unlawful conduct by Russian forces serves only to alienate large parts of the Chechen population and lends support to separatist insurgents and international terrorists fighting with them. The United States lends its full support to the legitimate efforts of the Russian Federation in the fight against terrorism. We encourage the government to investigate and hold accountable all those individuals responsible for abuses.

Burma continues to cause the United States concern. While we were encouraged by the release of Aung Sang Suu Kyi in May, we have been disappointed in the lack of progress in the dialogue between her and the SPDC. In part because a lack of transparency in these discussions, serious doubt remains regarding the government’s overall commitment to political transition. We also remain concerned about the imprisonment of political prisoners as well as continuing reports of widespread human rights abuses in ethic regions, including forced labor, involuntary relocations, torture and rape.

In Zimbabwe, the March presidential election was neither free nor fair and resulted in an outcome that did not reflect the will of the people. The pre-election period was marked by a sustained, government-orchestrated campaign of intimidation and violence. Since that election, Robert Mugabe has continued to assail rule of law and human rights in his quest for continued and unopposed rule. Well over 100 opposition supporters have been killed since June 2000, and the government continues to use violence, repressive legislation, bans on gatherings, arbitrary arrests, and politically-motivated rapes to intimidate opposition supporters. Civil society is routinely subjected to harassment, intimidation, raids, arrests, and threats. Intimidation of the judiciary and attacks on the rule of law are ongoing, including detentions of justices and governmental failure to abide by non-favorable rulings. Freedom of expression, opinion, association, and assembly remain under assault, and the independent press is regularly subjected to threats and harassment. In the midst of a massive food crisis, the government has used food as a political weapon to reward party supporters and punish those it suspects of supporting the opposition.

In Equatorial Guinea, the President's Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea continues to control the judiciary and the national legislature. There were credible reports during the year that prison authorities tortured, beat and otherwise abused prisoners. Some 50 prisoners of the Bubi ethnic group remain in prison. Many appear to be prisoners of conscience, arrested solely on account of their ethnic origin. Elections have been scheduled for December 2002, and we urge the Government of Equatorial Guinea to take measures to ensure these elections are free and fair.

The People’s Republic of China continues to suppress any political, social, religious or spiritual person or group it views as a threat to government authority or national stability. Authorities continue to crack down on unofficial churches and have used anti-cults laws to arrest members of unregistered religious groups. The Falun Gong is the target of a harsh campaign of repression and reportedly over 200 practitioners have died while in custody. Controls on Uighur Muslims have tightened and, while there have been some releases of political dissidents, particularly serious human rights abuses persisted in Tibet. The Government controls the media and shuts down or disciplines publications for printing objectionable material but boundaries for published expression have widened in recent years. Although use of the Internet is expanding, the government continues to take measures to control content and access. There are millions of migrant workers resident in China's cities who are denied rights and access to services provided to those with residence permits.

Clearly, there is much work to be done. The international community must stand behind those countries that have shown the political will to recognize and protect the human rights of their people. Democracy should be encouraged; rule of law respected; and accountability ensured. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, there has been much progress. But we cannot rest on our laurels. We must be vigilant in publicizing the widespread abuses in other countries and make clear that the international community cannot -- and will not -- tolerate these practices.