Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 8 Apr 2003

Vol. 564 No. 5

Written Answers - Human Rights Abuses.

Liz O'Donnell

Question:

153 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs Ireland's intended approach to Cuba at the forthcoming session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; if Ireland will not co-sponsor a resolution against Cuba under the guise of human rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9554/03]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

For the first time, at last year's session of the UN Commission on Human Rights a number of Cuba's Latin American neighbours sponsored a radically different kind of resolution on human rights in Cuba. Instead of the adversarial indictments of previous years, the resolution took due account of Cuba's remarkable achievements in terms of health and education – which have been maintained as far as possible in spite of the unilateral embargo against the island, to which Ireland and the EU remain steadfastly opposed – and invited the Cuban authorities to emulate their own achievements in the field of social rights by efforts towards matching advances in the sphere of civil and political rights, in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In particular, the resolution encouraged the Cuban Government to accede to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The resolution also requested the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to send a personal representative to Cuba to pursue the implementation of the resolution.

Ireland welcomed this Latin American resolution as a fresh, constructive and non-confrontational new departure. In that spirit, and with the human rights of all Cubans at heart, it was decided to co-sponsor the resolution. On 27 January 2003, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, designated Ms Christine Chanet as his personal representative for Cuba. However, the Cuban Government, in a letter dated 11 February 2003 from the Minister for Foreign Affairs to the high commissioner, has said that it will refuse her entry to Cuba for the purpose of complying with the mandate laid down by the resolution.

On 18 March 2003, in what Amnesty International has described as "a massive crackdown on dissent" a wave of arrests began to take place across the island of Cuba against what Amnesty International has identified as "independent journalists, members of human rights groups, political activists and other perceived dissidents". As a result of these detentions, Amnesty International fears that, "there may be as many as 77 new prisoners of conscience on the island", to add to those already in prison for, "the non-violent exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and association". In addition to the detentions, Amnesty International also reports that two of Cuba's most distinguished human rights activists, Mr. Elizardo Sanchez and Mr. Oswaldo Paya, recipient of the European Parliament's Sakharov prize, are being subjected to systematic harassment.

On 26 March 2003, the European Union condemned the arrests and demanded the release of the detainees – whom it regards as prisoners of conscience – without delay. The detainees have since been put on trial behind closed doors. Journalists, members of human rights groups and foreign diplomats have been denied access to the proceedings. Yesterday, 7 April 2003, the court began handing down long prison sentences.

The Government recognises the idealism which inspired the Cuban revolution and respects its undoubted social achievements. However, we believe it is necessary to match those egalitarian accomplishments with similar advances in the sphere of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is against the background of these factors that Ireland is approaching the discussions on the question of human rights in Cuba at the current session of the UN Commission on Human Rights.