16 April 2003
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
I 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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