Human rights situation in the OPT/Lebanon – CHR – Summary record (excerpts)

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Forty-ninth session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 49th MEETING

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva,

on Tuesday, 2 March 1993, at 7 p.m.

Chairman:  Mr. FLINTERMAN  (Netherlands)

CONTENTS

Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world, with particular reference to colonial and other dependent countries and territories, including:

(a) Question of human rights in Cyprus (continued)

This record is subject to correction.

Corrections should be submitted in one of the working languages.  They should be set forth in a memorandum and also incorporated in a copy of the record.  They should be sent within one week of the date of this document to the Official Records Editing Section, room E.4108, Palais des Nations, Geneva.

Any corrections to the records of the public meetings of the Commission at this session will be consolidated in a single corrigendum, to be issued shortly after the end of the session.

The meeting was called to order at 7.20 p.m.

QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO COLONIAL AND OTHER DEPENDENT COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES, INCLUDING:

(a) QUESTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN CYPRUS

(agenda item 12) (continued) (E/CN.4/1993/7-E/CN.4/Sub.2/1992/55, E/CN.4/1993/36-41 and Add.1, 42-49, 75 and 76, 79, 82, 86, 95, 99 and 102; E/CN.4/1993/NGO/6, 8, 12, 16, 23, 26-28, 31 and 38; E/CN.4/1992/29, 30 and Add.1, 32-34, 50 and Add.1, and 51; A/47/240, 367 and Add.1, 596, 617, 621, 625 and Corr.1, 651 and 656)

/…

36. Mr. SOTIROV (Bulgaria) …

/…

40. With regard to the Middle East situation, his delegation held the view that every effort should be made to overcome the stereotypes accumulated over years of confrontation among the parties involved in the conflict, as well as to avoid all steps that might lead to an aggravation of the situation and pose a danger to the peace talks.  It continued to be seriously concerned by the recent increase in violence and the further deterioration of the human rights situation in the occupied Arab territories.  It condemned the deportation of hundreds of Palestinians and urged the Israeli Government to comply fully with its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.

/…

59. Mr. REDDY (India), …

/…

64. Turning to other parts of the world where the human rights situation was of serious concern, he said that despite a number of positive developments in what was undoubtedly a most delicate process, India remained disturbed by the persistence of the obnoxious practice of apartheid in South Africa; it viewed with similar concern and dismay the setback to the peace process in the Middle East as a result of the deportation of more than 400 Palestinians; …

/…

81. Mr. EL-KHAZEN (Observer for Lebanon) said that his country had broken the vicious circle of violence and chaos by restoring law and order to most of its territory.  A large portion of southern Lebanon, however, was still controlled by Israel, which deployed its forces, alongside those of the de facto South Lebanon Army thereby proving that its leaders set no store by the Charter of the United Nations, other international instruments or the role and resolutions of the Commission.

82. The living conditions of Lebanese citizens in the area under occupation were deteriorating day by day as a result of Israel's brutal policy of repression, which contravened the principles set forth in the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Convention of 1907 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as resolutions of the General Assembly, of the Security Council, and of the Commission.  That policy was embodied in actions such as the random and continuous shelling, by tanks and from the air, of camps, villages, schools and places of worship since July 1992.  Air raids had also struck at the northern part of the zone in which United Nations forces were deployed.  The Israeli and de facto artillery had fired over 6,000 rounds into the area between July 1992 and January 1993.  In response to those actions, the Lebanese Government had submitted several complaints to the Security Council, the most recent following Israel's bombardment of dozens of villages using helicopters, long-range artillery and tank fire, resulting in considerable damage to property and loss of life.

83. Further instances of repression included deportations, seizures of property, destruction of crops and homes, and arbitrary arrests and detention.  Young people had been compelled to enrol in the South Lebanon Army or forbidden to leave the Israeli-occupied zone under threat that their families' homes would be demolished.  Israel had hampered the activities of the Lebanese authorities, had prevented the Lebanese and United Nations armed forces from fulfilling their mission, and had obstructed the humanitarian activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross, in disregard of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1992/2.

84. Those actions had culminated in the extraordinary decision to deport 415 Palestinian civilians to its occupied territories in southern Lebanon, and to insist that Lebanon should bear the burden of those deportations – a further violation of Lebanese sovereignty, and of article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.  That decision constituted an arbitrary collective punishment, and had led to the adoption of Security Council resolution 799 (1993), with which, however, Israel was as usual refusing to comply.

85. Lebanon's position was that resolution 799 (1993) must be implemented without delay.  It had refused any contact with the deportees, or the passage of assistance to them, as a reaffirmation that Israel must bear full responsibility for its crime and respect international legality.  Israel could not justify its violations by invoking its right to respond to attacks by resistance forces, since the actions of the latter were a natural result of despair caused by the occupation.  Resistance, a legitimate right recognized by the Charter of the United Nations, must not be confused with terrorism, and must not be denied to the Lebanese people.  Israel must be compelled to comply with international law and to implement the pertinent Security Council resolutions.  The International Community must assist Lebanon in recovering its full territorial unity and sovereignty.  To that end, Lebanon would submit a draft resolution to the Commission.

/…

The meeting rose at 9.55 p.m.