Human rights situation in the OPT – CHR debate – Press release (excerpts)

Forty-Two Non-Governmental Organizations

Address the Commission Highlighting Cases of Torture, Detention,

Disappearances, Summary Executions in many Parts of the World

The Commission on Human Rights this afternoon continued its debate on civil and political rights by hearing 42 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) allege, among other things, involvement of Governments in cases of torture, detention, disappearances and summary executions around the world.

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MAHMOUD NAZAR, of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, welcomed the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal since it was a very important message to those who violated human rights. Crimes of war had been committed in 1967 against Egyptians and currently crimes against humanitarian law were being committed against Palestinians. Those responsible for these actions and atrocities must be brought to justice. These perpetrators had with premeditation killed and murdered Egyptian soldiers. Concerning the Palestinian people, it was clear that until recently the international community had not paid enough attention to the deteriorating situation. At the same time, strict sanctions against Iraq had been maintained without the international community speaking out. Tribute was paid to the resolutions adopted by the Commission on the occupied Palestinian territories. The Organization urged the Commission to recommend to the General Assembly that a criminal tribunal be set up so that Ariel Sharon of Israel could be persecuted for his crimes of genocide against the Palestinian people.

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LAZARO PARY, of the Indian Movement "Tupaj Amaru", said that many people had suffered from violations of human rights, terrorism and were descendants of colonial terror and state terror in the name of "national security". Tupaj Amaru therefore condemned the attacks of 11 September on the United States. However, it was also necessary to realize the slow but deadly suffering of thousands of Iraqi, Palestinian and Indian children who had suffered slow deaths without the care or concern of the international community. Tupaj Amaru rejected the rationale of terror since only negotiations could bring about durable solutions to conflicts. The United States of America and its allies had launched a military attack against the people of Afghanistan — a move against an invisible enemy — a crusade. It was a crusade against a people that could barely read and write and it was furthermore incompatible with jus cogens principle of law. State terrorism did not happen as a response to clashes between civilizations but due to deep underlying economic factors. It was necessary for the Commission to investigate this issue as well as the training by the United States of terrorists.

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