6, December 1996 | Voice of America
INTRO: DOZENS OF ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS HAVE GATHERED IN
NEW DELHI FOR A CONFERENCE ABOUT HOW TO COORDINATE EFFORTS TO
IMPROVE HUMAN RIGHTS CONDITIONS ACROSS THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION.
CORRESPONDENT MICHAEL DRUDGE REPORTS A NUMBER OF ACTIVISTS COULD
NOT GET VISAS TO COME TO INDIA.
TEXT: AMONG THE ACTIVISTS WHO HAD WANTED TO ATTEND THE NEW DELHI
CONFERENCE IS JOSE RAMOS HORTA OF EAST TIMOR, CO-WINNER OF THIS
YEAR’S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. MR. RAMOS HORTA NEVER GOT A REPLY
WHEN HE APPLIED FOR AN INDIAN VISA.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ASIA PACIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS CONGRESS, RAVI NAIR
OF INDIA, SAYS MR. RAMOS HORTA IS NOT ALONE IN THE PROBLEMS HE
ENCOUNTERED.
// NAIR ACT //
JUST THIS MORNING I HAD TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THE
IMMIGRATION POLICE TO HAVE A CAMBODIAN DELEGATE ALLOWED
TO ENTER INDIA. WE’VE HAD CHINESE ACTIVISTS, DEMOCRACY
ACTIVISTS NOT ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTRY. WE HAVE EAST
TIMORESE ACTIVISTS NOT ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTRY, NOT
GIVEN VISAS. WE’VE HAD ONE BURMESE ACTIVIST NOT
ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTRY, ONE OTHER THAI ACTIVIST NOT
ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTRY. SO, I THINK THIS EXACTLY
FOCUSES ON SOME OF THE ISSUES WE ARE GOING TO BE
DISCUSSING.
// END ACT //
DESPITE THE OBSTACLES, THE HUMAN RIGHTS CONGRESS HAS ATTRACTED
DELEGATES REPRESENTING NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS FROM AS FAR
AWAY AS GAZA TO THE WEST AND AUSTRALIA TO THE EAST.
DELEGATES SAY THEY ARE MAKING NEW AND USEFUL CONTACTS THAT WILL
HELP THEM IN THE FUTURE. ONE MIDDLE EASTERN ACTIVIST WHO IS
CONCERNED ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF SOUTH ASIAN MAIDS IN KUWAIT SAID
HE DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM WITH A DELEGATE FROM SRI LANKA.
A JORDANIAN DELEGATE, EMAD OMAR, TOLD THE CONGRESS ABOUT THE
DIFFICULTIES HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS FACE IN THE ARAB WORLD.
// OMAR ACT //
WE HAVE SOME ARABIC COUNTRIES THAT, TO BE A HUMAN RIGHTS
ACTIVIST IS A CRIME. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE. YOU DISAPPEAR.
WE HAVE DICTATORSHIP REGIMES. WE HAVE MONARCHIC REGIMES
AND WE HAVE TOTALITARIAN REGIMES. AND THOSE REGIMES
WILL NOT ALLOW ANYBODY TO WORK AS A HUMAN RIGHTS
ACTIVIST.
// END ACT //
A MALAYSIAN ACTIVIST, SIVARASA RASIAH, SAID THAT WHILE IS HIS
COUNTRY’S GOVERNMENT IS A LEADER OF DEVELOPING NATIONS DEMANDING
MORE DEMOCRACY AT THE UNITED NATIONS, IT CANNOT DELIVER A FREE
AND FAIR ELECTION AT HOME.
// RASIAH ACT //
CAN YOU IMAGINE POLITICAL DEBATE, OR A REASONABLE,
INFORMED POLITICAL DEBATE TAKING PLACE IN A CONTEXT
WHERE THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, PERHAPS FOR THAT
PAST 20 YEARS, HAS NOT SPENT ONE MINUTE ON TELEVISION?
THAT IS POLITICAL DEBATE IN MALAYSIA. THAT IS THE
CONTEXT IN WHICH A SO-CALLED FREE AND FAIR ELECTION IS
ALLEGED TO TAKE PLACE.
// END ACT //
MR. NAIR, THE CONGRESS CHAIRMAN, SAYS ASIAN GOVERNMENTS TEND TO
COVER UP FOR EACH OTHER, AND BURY ANIMOSITIES, IN THE FACE OF
HUMAN RIGHTS CRITICISM. HE CITES THE EXAMPLE OF INDIA AND
PAKISTAN, NORMALLY BITTER ENEMIES, UNITING TO HELP BLOCK A
RESOLUTION TO CONDEMN CHINA AT THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS
COMMISSION. (SIGNED).
NEB/MWD/CF