HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CONCLUDES GENERAL DEBATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE THE COUNCIL'S ATTENTION

The Human Rights Council this afternoon concluded its general debate on human rights situations that require the Council's attention in a midday meeting today.

Speakers alleged violations of human rights in different countries and regions around the world.

Speaking in the general debate, which started in the morning meeting today (see press release HRC/09/108) were Canada, Austria, Algeria, Ireland, Denmark, Sudan, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Australia, Czech Republic, Germany, New Zealand, Israel, Somalia, Kenya and Sri Lanka.

The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l'amitie entre les peoples, Human Rights Watch, World Organization against Torture; Society for Threatened Peoples, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, American Association for Jurists, UN Watch, International Federation of Human Rights; Franciscans International, International Commission of Journalists, France Libertes: Fondation Danielle Mitterrand, Centre Europe Tiers-Monde, Asian Legal Resource Centre, International Humanist and Ethical Union, Association for World Education, Baha'i International Community, Organisation pour la Promotion de la Cooperation Internationale, Liberation, Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association, Colombian Commission of Jurists, Asian Forum for Human Rights, International Human Rights of American Minorities, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Al-Hakim Foundation, Indian Council of South America, Interfaith International, Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l'Homme, Human Rights First, Conectas Human Rights, Commission to Study the Organization of peace, International Educational Development, World Muslim Congress, International Youth and Student Movement for the United Nations, International Club for Peace Research, World Federation of Trade Unions, World Peace Council, Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada, Amnesty International, International Movement Against all Forms of discrimination and Racism, Centrist Democratic International, European Union for Public Relations, International Institute for peace, Women's Human Rights International Association, North-South XXI, Iranian Elite Research Centre and Comision Juridica para el autodesarollo de los pueblos originarios Andinos.

Speaking in right of reply were Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Russian Federation, Sweden on behalf of the European Union, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Holy See, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Iraq, China, Japan, Morocco, Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Algeria.

The Council today is meeting in extended meetings from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., it took up its complaint procedure in private. When it next meets in public on Wednesday, 23 September at 10 a.m., the Council will examine and adopt the final documents of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group on the Central African Republic, Monaco and Belize.

General Debate on Human Rights Situations that Require the Council's Attention

DANIEL ULMER (Canada) said there were a certain number of human rights issues of concern: there were persistent violations of human rights in Iran. The Government's reaction to post-elections demonstrations constituted a flagrant violation of the rule of law and international human rights. Canada called for the release of all unjustly detained people. Other ongoing abuses included the suppression of women's rights and the persecution of minorities. Canada was deeply disturbed by the ongoing repressive actions of the Burmese regime and its continued disregard for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Burma and called for the unconditional release of all political prisoners. The human rights situation in Sudan was one of profound concern - increasing inter-ethnic violence and insecurity had claimed approximately 2,000 lives in 2009. Canada remained deeply concerned by the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in particular reports of persistent disregard for individual rights and freedoms. Canada also continued to be deeply concerned about ongoing sexual and gender-based violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region.

CHRISTIAN STROHAL (Austria) said that no country had a perfect human rights record and all needed to work constantly and self-critically to address their shortcomings and do better for the promotion and protection of human rights. This fact obliged countries to openly address situations that were of particularly concern to them in order to enter into a dialogue on how to improve the implementation of international standards on the ground. Austria pointed to the human rights situations in Iran, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Sudan, which were all situations where Austria failed to see the necessary political will and determination to improve the protection of human rights effectively.

IDRISS JAZAIRY (Algeria) said the Human Rights Council should pay attention to the human rights situation in the Western Sahara. Algeria was concerned about the situation in this region, one of the primary areas where the Sahrawi people could not exercise their right to self-determination, according to all reports, where the human rights situation was not positive. The Human Rights Council and its bodies should be aware of the situation, and should avoid all politicisation of the situation, and defend all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all with no distinction. The Sahrawis had an inalienable right to self-determination, as determined in the United Nations Charter. The Human Rights Council should be concerned with what could be done in the short-term to alleviate the human rights situation in the Western Sahara, even though these rights were linked to the political situation which was currently unfolding.

JANICE MCGANN (Ireland) said that Ireland remained deeply concerned about the situation in Burma/Myanmar. The arrest, trial and conviction of Aung San Suu Kyi represented a travesty of justice, which had been universally condemned. Ireland fully endorsed the agenda of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon as outlined in his speech in Yangon in July. The situation in Sri Lanka was over but the peace there remained to be won as serious breaches of humanitarian and human rights law had taken place during that war. Ireland also remained concerned about the deteriorating human rights situating in Iran, including the mass arrests that followed June's Presidential elections and the reported maltreatment of those in detention. Also of concern were the situations in Sudan and Somalia. As for Zimbabwe, it was vital for the country's future that the Unity Government implemented the Global Political Agreement.

PETER HERTEL RASMUSSEN (Denmark) said in Somalia, it was mainly civilians who remained the greatest victims of the human rights and humanitarian situation, and it was essential to keep up humanitarian assistance. In Sudan, impunity remained. The formation of the new transitional Government in Zimbabwe had opened a welcome window for the advancement of the political, civil and economic rights that had been denied the population for so long. The Government of Denmark condemned the Myanmar military regime's decision to sentence Aung San Suu Kyi to detention in house arrest for an offence she did not commit. She and all political prisoners should be released immediately and without conditions. The Government of Sri Lanka should fully respect all human rights. In Afghanistan, intensified efforts were required from the incoming Government to ensure adherence to international human rights obligations. Finally, Denmark was deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Iran, and called upon the authorities to respect and protect religious minorities such as the Baha'is. Denmark also condemned the widespread use of death penalties and executions, and arbitrary arrests.

HAMZA OMER HASSAN AHMED (Sudan) said that the Head of African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur had declared before the Security Council that the security situation in Somalia had improved and that the war in Somalia had come close to a stop. Nevertheless, some actors continued to use past reports which highlighted a different situation. Sudan also wished to point out an accusation of a President of a country, and other remarks, which obstructed ongoing efforts in Somalia. Sudan expressed its concern about the politicization of the debate and the fact of double standards. It asserted that there was a need to call for independent inspection instead of continuing what had been done. Finally, Sudan remained concerned about the growing feeling of hatred towards Islam in Europe and the reference to the Prophet, and it encouraged all to treat all regions on an equal footage.

CHRISTINE GOY (Luxembourg) said the Council should give due importance to freedom of expression and assembly, and the integrity of human rights defenders, particularly in post-election situations. Recent reports showed that Iran was distinguished by serious human rights violations in this context. There was concern for the intimidation and murder of journalists and other human rights defenders. Arbitrary arrest and torture of people who had exercised their right to peacefully demonstrate was an unacceptable situation. The general degradation of the situation of human rights in Iran was of great concern. Luxembourg was equally concerned for the grave situation in Sri Lanka with regards to the freedom of expression. The situation of internally displaced persons and the allegations of violations of international law during the armed conflict had not yet been the subject of an independent international enquiry, and therefore required particular attention from the Council.

MURIEL BERSET (Switzerland) said that the evolution of the situation in Sri Lanka remained of concern to Switzerland which reiterated its appeal. The humanitarian actors needed to be able to conduct their work without constraints. The holding of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced peoples must end and their safe and voluntary prompt return enabled. Further, the human rights situation in Sudan remained worrying throughout the country, and Switzerland called upon the Government of Sudan to step up its efforts to bring to justice violators of human rights. Direct or indirect attacks against civilians by the Government and other armed groups were ongoing, and the Government needed to do everything it could to protect its civilians.

CAROLINE MILLAR (Australia) said Australia strongly condemned the widespread human rights violations committed by the Fiji Interim Government since the coup in 2006 as the situation had worsened sharply. The regime in Fiji should cease its interference in the judiciary, intimidation of the media and harassment, including the summary detention for questioning of the opponents of the regime. Australia remained gravely concerned by Myanmar's disrespect for the human rights of its people, and its suppression of their democratic aspirations. Australia remained gravely concerned by continuing reports of severe human rights abuses in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, including arbitrary and unlawful killings and detention, torture, widespread use of labour camps, forced abortions and infanticide, and the suppression of freedom of expression, religion and opinion. Australia remained concerned that over 250,000 civilians remained displaced in camps in northern Sri Lanka. Australia had long-standing concerns about the human rights situation in Iran, including concern about executions, including of juvenile offenders, discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, and political and media freedoms.

VERONIKA STROMSIKOVA (Czech Republic) said the Czech Republic remained deeply concerned over the situation in Myanmar, and was alarmed at the recent reports of violence and massive displacement of civilians. The cooperation of the leadership with the international community and notably with the United Nations was crucial for improving the situation; it also indicated the will and capacity of the Government of the country to lead the country through genuine democratic transition. The Government should fulfil its commitments and release all political prisoners. As regarded Iran, the Czech Republic strongly condemned the post-election violence and the high number of unlawful arrests, in particular of human rights defenders and political activists. While welcoming the continuation of the political dialogue between the European Union and Cuba, the Czech Republic remained deeply concerned about the persisting human rights violations in the country; infringements on civil and political rights were of frequent, systematic nature. The Czech Republic appealed to the Cuban authorities to unconditionally release all political prisoners.

REINHARD SCHWEPPE (Germany) said Germany wished to highlight several situations of concern. As for Iran, Germany expressed its deep concern over a further deterioration of the human rights situation, and denounced the excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators. As for the situation in Sri Lanka, Germany stressed that reconciliation was strongly based on the full respect of human rights and urged the Sri Lanka Government to create conditions which ensured the safe and dignified return of all internally displaced persons. Regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Germany expressed its deep concern about the continuously deteriorating situation of human rights and the freedom of expression, as exemplified by several facts, including the shutting down of Radio France International. As for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Germany saw a continued systemic violation of human rights and was deeply concerned about the fate of some 200,000 people who were inmates in secret forced-labour and prison camps.

WENDY HINTON (New Zealand) said serious and urgent situations continued to require attention by the Council, which could contribute to progress in human rights. In Fiji, a military regime continued to rule by decree. The international community had called for genuine, independent and open political dialogue, and a prompt return to democracy. In Sri Lanka, New Zealand remained concerned about the situation for those in camps for internally displaced persons. The Government should engage in a reconciliation process taking into account the legitimate aspirations of all minority groups. New Zealand continued to be concerned at the human rights situation and the absence of democracy in Myanmar, and reiterated its call for the immediate release of political prisoners, in preparation for meaningful political engagement involving all parties. New Zealand remained concerned about the human rights situation in Iran, in particular the execution of those who committed crimes when they were still minors. The humanitarian situation in Darfur remained a cause of concern to the international community. Human rights abuses by State and non-State parties to the conflict were continuing. New Zealand also had concerns about the rights of women in Afghanistan, where more needed to be done to improve their situation.

WAHID ABU-HAYA (Israel) said that Iran's violent response to the peaceful demonstrations of its citizens in June 2009 must be properly addressed by the Council. Iran's true colours reflected a Government that sponsored a campaign of intimidation and violence against political opponents and which further prescribed to draconic policies that supported inter alia the suppression of freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of assembly and association and freedom of the press by violent means. Israel expressed its concern regarding the present human rights situation in Yemen and called upon the Yemeni Government to respect international law and to take all precautionary measures to protect civilians and to investigate all alleged violations of international law. The situation in Somalia was of particular concern. The ongoing conflict had detrimentally affected the realization of fundamental rights and freedoms of Somali civilians. Israel gave its support to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Independent Expert on Somalia. It was high time for certain States to take their ostrich's head out of the sand and confront these serious human rights issues without catering to political agendas.

YUSUF MOHAMMED ISMAIL BARI-BARI (Somalia) said with regards to the reference to Somalia made by the European Union, the situation of human rights remained serious in that country. Once again, during this session of the Council, Somalia looked forward to having a comprehensive and genuine cooperation with all stakeholders in order to enhance the prevention of all human rights abuses. Capacity-building and human rights was the only viable solution to the aftermath of the long crisis. The State of Somalia itself was at stake, and the only solution was through the United Nations and its bodies.

NILLY KANANA (Kenya) said that following the 2007 post-election violence, Kenya had faced significant challenges in its endeavor to promote and protect the human rights of its citizens. Kenya also wished to draw attention to the fact that its Government had formed a Committee to identify and hold to accountability the perpetrators that had been involved in these human rights violations. Finally, Kenya said it had little to commend on the austere report since it called for the change of Kenya's political set-up.

Mr. U.L.M. JAUHAR (Sri Lanka) appreciated concerns expressed by States about the situation in Sri Lanka. Countries must take into account concerns of their neighbours and friends, while pursuing the need for political solutions. There were principles that must be observed in discussions, namely national security concerns and right of law. In that respect Sri Lanka welcomed many comments made today. There was a paramount need to resettle internally displaced persons and Sri Lanka was aware it must live up to expectations in this regard. Sri Lanka asked for greater concern for civilians and their dignity. There were still security concerns in Sri Lanka and the Government hoped for more assistance for demining to facilitate resettlement. Sri Lanka hoped it would succeed in resettling many more internally displaced persons by the end of the year.

GIANFRANCO FATTORINI, of Movement against Racism and for Friendship among Peoples, said the Moroccan State continued to flagrantly and systematically violate the right to freedom of expression of journalists, jurists and human rights defenders of the rights of the Sahrawi, with one single goal: to deny self-determination to the Sahrawi people. Morocco should agree to a new mission from the High Commissioner to establish the facts. The Council should, in keeping with the resolution of General Assembly, consider the flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of the Sahrawi people.

JULIE DE RIVERO, of Human Rights Watch, said human rights violations in Iran had intensified greatly in the aftermath of the June 2009 Presidential election. At least 30 people had died in custody or as a result of unlawful use of lethal force against protestors. Many reformist prisoners were kept in solitary confinement. Iran led the world in juvenile offender executions, and was second in general executions. Authorities continued to respond harshly to workers, teachers and women's rights groups who advocated for better working conditions, better wages, benefits, and demands for change of discriminatory law. The Government should unconditionally release all individuals detained for political reasons, end censorship of publications and Internet sites, and abolish the death penalty.

ALEXANDRA KOSSIN, of World Organization Against Torture, in a joint statement with Rehabilitation Council For Torture Victims, expressed grave concern about human rights violations in Honduras by the de facto Government. They received several reliable reports about human rights violations by the police and armed forces. Several cases of torture and sexual and gender-based violence were reported. The World Organization against Torture was concerned about the safety of the people of Honduras and said that more violations might take place. It called on the Human Rights Council to address the violations of fundamental freedoms and human rights by promptly dispatching an investigative mission to Honduras, including Special Procedures.

TENZIN KAYTA, of Society for Threatened Peoples, recalled that last month the Committee against Torture urged the Chinese authorities to find out the root causes of the protests that had erupted on the Tibetan Plateau in 2008 and Xinjiang in July this year. Tibetans had demanded that the transfer of the Chinese population be stopped and reversed. Tibetan fears that they would be swamped by Chinese had grown out of China's demographic attrition. If the trend continued and the international community failed to intervene, the Tibetans would disappear in a sea of Chinese settlers. The Society for Threatened Peoples urged the Chinese authorities to live up to the pledge made in February that it would receive one Special Procedures mandate-holder this year and also the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

ELIN HAGBERG, of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, said security was one of the most fundamental human rights. The concept of security however had long been closely connected to the nation-State; to national security grounded in military superiority and the threat or use of force. In order to ensure human rights, a shift in the concept of security from a paradigm of national security to human security was essential. Human security could broadly be defined as the safety of individuals from violence, socio-economic and political equity, and the effects of poverty, disease and natural disasters. Disarmament was a way to fulfil State commitments to human rights - the money was to be found in military spending, and would fulfil the right to free education for all.

ERDURNE IRIONDO, of American Association for Jurists, said there was a situation of crisis in Honduras. The alleged Constitutional violations by President Zelaya were groundless. The coup was a solution which the power groups gave to the situation, following the improved social approaches by the President. These groups, which owned the media and armed forces, the upper echelons of the Church and the judiciary, violated various provisions of the Constitution. There should be no negotiated solution which obviated the return of President Zelaya. There should be a strengthening of international human rights and humanitarian law. States should suspend bilateral and diplomatic relations with the Honduras Government. The United Nations should promote an investigative mission by the Special Procedures on the situation of human rights defenders.

OLIVER WORTH, of United Nations Watch, said it had released a report today analyzing how the Council had addressed the world's worst abusers, as classified in the annual survey by Freedom House. The Council had adopted no resolutions, convened no special sessions and ordered no investigations of human rights violations in China, Belarus, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, and Zimbabwe. For victims in all these countries the Council had done nothing and UN Watch had asked how long would the cry of the suffering go ignored.

JULIE GROMELLON, of International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, condemned the post-election violence in Iran and called upon the High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct an official visit to the country. The International Federation of Human Rights expressed its deep concern about the severe crack-down on human rights defenders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

GOTZON ONANDIA ZARRABE, of Franciscans International, said in Sri Lanka, internally displaced persons were not being resettled as promptly nor as safely as the Government promised to the Council, and they continued to suffer within the camps. Human rights defenders, journalists and anyone voicing a differing opinion on the Government's current policies continued to be the target of violent attacks and harassment by both State and non-State actors. In Indonesia, in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, a number of violent incidents had occurred since the general elections last April. There were continued violations of human rights in Honduras, among others those regarding the freedom of expression and assembly. Security forces continued to use excessive force against demonstrators and some media, human rights defenders and religious continued to be harassed and threatened.

LUKAS MACHON, of International Commission of Jurists, said in Sri Lanka, humanitarian aid had been continuously obstructed by Government limitations on access to internally displaced persons and the maintenance of internment camps through unjustifiable restrictions on freedom of movement. Human rights in Zimbabwe were consistently threatened by lack of respect for the rule of law, endemic corruption and systematic abuse of power by the Government, police, army and intelligence officials. The general human rights situation remained volatile due to consistent intimidation, harassment, attacks against lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders and all persons perceived to be critical of the ruling party. It was imperative for the Council to urge Zimbabwe to ensure the protection of human rights and respect for the rule of law.

CHRISTIAN LIRET, of France Libertés – Fondation Danielle Mitterrand, repeated its urgent request to the Council to address the situation in the Western Sahara because the civilians had been victimized during recent events. The human rights violations continued, regardless of many cases being denounced by non-governmental organizations and human rights institutions. The Government of Morocco was trying to restrict the right to freedom of expression and peaceful manifestations had been ruthlessly put down.

MALIK OZDEN, of Europe-Third World Centre, said that despite some progress the Turkish Government had made in recent years, the human rights situation in this country still remained of concern, particularly with regard to Kurdish people. More than 2,000 people had been investigated simply for exercising their right to free political opinion and expression. It was regrettable that Turkish authorities continued to ignore human rights violations and continued to persecute Kurdish people. Centre Europe Tiers-Monde urged the Government to honour its international commitments to uphold and protect human rights.

MICHAEL ANTONY, of Asian Legal Resource Centre, said the Universal Periodic Review was clearly not a sufficient mechanism to address the worst human rights situations in an effective or timely manner. The Council was currently failing to effectively address situations of human rights crisis, such as those in Sri Lanka and Myanmar; this was not simply a failing of political will, but also one of approach. In Sri Lanka, the continuing grave situation of internally displaced persons was testimony to this. Concerning Myanmar, the Council was urged to take an approach that armed it with sufficient knowledge to move beyond a reactive approach in which it expressed dismay at high-profile injustices, but could not take action that had a tangible impact and assisted the prevention of further abuses.

KEITH PORTEOUS-WOOD, of International Humanist and Ethical Union, said in 1990, the Holy See acceded to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and submitted its only report in 1994, about which the Committee expressed several areas of concern, but since then, nothing. The extent of child abuse in the Catholic Church was well known. Victims had been accused of lying, even in the face of strong evidence to the contrary, and the Church had covered up cases. Clerics implicated in concealment of the situation had been permitted to stay in office. The Church had argued that the problem was minor, although the scale had been known since the 1980s. Every possible step had been taken to reduce compensation. The Holy See should live up to its commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The international community should hold the Holy See to account.

DAVID LITTMAN, of Association for World Education, in a joint statement with International Humanist and Ethical Union, said that witchcraft was still widely practiced in some countries in Africa, often using body parts. An estimated 300 people were killed each year in South Africa alone. Witch hunts were not uncommon and some unscrupulous pastors made a lucrative trade in making unfounded accusations against young children. The Association for World Education called upon the Council, the African Union and the African Commission for Human and People's Rights to urge governments to do more to eliminate the twin scourges of those practising witchcraft and those claiming to find and cure witches.

DIANE ALA'I, of Baha'i International Community, said that seven members of Baha'i leadership were still behind bars. The city of Semnon was a place of systematic attempts to terrorise and harass the Baha'i to the extent of them leaving Iran. Incitement to hatred and other cruel measures had become the lot of the Baha'i of Semnon. The Government had sharply increased repression against the Baha'i and those who defended the rights of minorities, women, students and other. Baha'i International Community called upon the international community to request once again that those violations cease.

ZARTASHA NIAZI, of Organisation pour la communication en Afrique et de promotion de la coopération économique internationale (OCAPROCE International), said the right to self-determination was a fundamental principle of human rights law, and unfortunately the principle had been reduced to a weapon of political rhetoric. The international community should work harder to remedy this situation. The free exercise of the right had been denied to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who were caught in a situation where Indian troops were present, carrying out operations against all peoples, regardless of age and sex. There was concern for the human rights situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and the Indian Government should work to improve the situation.

DIPMONI GAYAN, of Liberation, said it was unfortunate that the situation in north-east India was threatening, as there were murders and rapes committed, and numerous atrocities perpetrated by security personnel. The citizens of north-east India deserved a better democracy. Journalists were killed by so-called independent gunmen, and the law had failed to identify who was responsible for the killings.

IRENE PATRICIA HUJON, of Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association (MBOSCUDA), said that the seven north-eastern states of India were facing the danger of influx from alien countries but the Government of India had failed to address the issue. Basic constitutional rights of people were being trampled at every turn by all pervasive corruption, especially at the higher level. Traditional institutions in Meghalaya had functioned admirably as a watch-dog-body for maintaining social order and rule in a democratic manner, but their powers had been undermined. Women were still lacking behind in social, economic and political rights. The situation in the whole northeast was far from progressive.

ISABELLE HEYER, of Colombian Commission of Jurists, drew the Council's attention to persistent violations against human rights defenders in Columbia. The Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, who had concluded the country visit last week, said that despite the money invested by the Ministry of Interior, the violations continued. Five human rights defenders were assassinated in 2009. There had been systematic violations, impunity and violations by government officials against human rights defenders and their staff. The Colombia Commission of Jurists believed that if the violations were to be truly eradicated, the Government of Colombia must cease to stigmatise them.

AISHA GILANI, of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, said the Forum called for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and detainees in Myanmar, and urged the Council to vigorously urge the SPDC to genuinely and fully implement the previous resolutions of the Council, General Assembly and other United Nations bodies, in particular to lift all restrictions imposed on peaceful political activities of all persons, including political parties as well as opposition and ethnic groups, leading to national reconciliation and democratic transition. The Special Rapporteur should make a visit immediately to the country to ensure that the preparatory process was transparent, and that the elections were conducted in a free and fair manner with international monitors. The call of the Council to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of the human rights violations following the peaceful demonstrations in September 2007 had yet to be implemented.

DAMIEN PERY, of International Human Rights of American Minorities, said there was ongoing impunity enjoyed by security forces in Indian-held Kashmir. There were numerous examples of impunity cases for Indian troops operating in Kashmir which undoubtedly resulted in gross human rights violations. The Human Rights Council should follow cases closely in order to ensure the safety of those members of civil society that were investigating such matters and further to ensure that those who were guilty of these crimes were brought to justice within the norms of domestic and international law.

MUNEER AHMED MOHAMMED AL-SAKKAT, of Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, informed the Council of human rights violations in Yemen. Although Yemen was a party to international human rights treaties, violations of both domestic and international law occurred in relation to the conflict in Sa'ada. Over 30,000 people were displaced and local media were prohibited from contacting them. Some 3,000 people were held in detention and others were being held without charges being brought against them. The Cairo Institute for Human Rights called upon the Council to pay particular attention to the situation in Yemen in light of the deteriorating human rights situation there.

ABDUL AMIR HASHOM, of Al-Hakim Foundation in a joint statement with Interfaith International, said that increasing terrorist activists, particularly in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, had caused hundred of thousands of dead and injured. It was high time to stop this and compensate the victims. The decision of the Iraqi Government to set up a court for terrorists was fully justified. All criminals, regardless of their nationality, position or function must be prosecuted.

RONALD BARNES, of Indian Council of South America, said the denial of the right to self-determination had been the underlying cause for conflict in various regions of the world, including in situations that were historically a clear violation of the United Nations Charter and international law. Although the recent conflict in Peru was being investigated by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental rights of indigenous people, the Human Rights Council had yet to prove itself in providing the proper mechanism and mandate to address violations of the right to self-determination. Alaska and Hawaii and many other indigenous territories remained conflict regions that required the attention of the Human Rights Council due to the violation of the right to self-determination. The Council should support a study on the right, and stop using procedure and reduction of mandates to evade its responsibilities in providing the ability of peoples to address these violations.

SHAKAT ALI KASHMIRI, of Interfaith International, said after 60 long years of subjugation and suppression, the Government of Pakistan had suddenly woken up to provide a face-saving so-called Constitutional Package for the oppressed people of Gilgit-Baltistan of Jammu and Kashmir State. The country was reaping the harvest of the seeds of terrorism, fundamentalism and extremism. Women were being threatened and coerced to live in seclusion and deprived of the right to education and empowerment. The condition of religious and ethnic minorities was one of heart-rending woes and miseries. It was high time for the civilised world to take note of this shameful situation and call for changes under United Nations conventions.

ANDRE BARTHELEMY, of Agir Ensemble pour les droits de l'homme, said that Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l'Homme and its partners would like to urge everyone to pay attention to the non-respect of the rights of prisoners. In Burundi, although there were only 4,500 prison places, there were more than 10,000 prisoners. In Cameroun, the prison capacity was overused at 700 per cent and in North-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo more than 300 per cent. This led, among others, to diseases and violence and meant that it was much harder to administer prison justice. This was in part due to the dysfunction of justice systems and the fact that many prisoners had not been released once they completed their sentences. Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l'Homme encouraged the United Nations Human Rights Council to urge the Governments of Cameroon, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to make prisons accessible to organizations looking after the rights of prisoners.

ANDREW HUDSON, of Human Rights First, said that Human Rights First welcomed the visit of the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders to Columbia. Columbia was one of the most dangerous countries in the world for human rights activists, and the attention from United Nations experts and the international community was of vital importance for Colombian human rights defenders. Human Rights First shared Ms. Sekaggya's serious concerns about “patterns of harassment and persecution” against Colombian human rights activists. A campaign Human Rights First launched last week with over 200 organizations from more than 20 nations incorporated many of Ms. Sekaggya's recommendations. Human Rights First wished to join Ms. Sekaggya in her urging the Colombian Government to prosecute those responsible for threats against defenders, stop public statements stigmatizing defenders as terrorists and instead recognize their important work, and immediately cease the illegal surveillance of human rights defenders by state entities.

CAMILA LISSA ASANO, of Conectas Direitos Humanos, asked the Council to firmly condemn human rights violations resulting from the institutional rupture in Honduras and to monitor them in order to prevent the occurrence of future attempts to violate fundamental rights in this country. Conectas Human Rights further urged the Council to establish a follow-up mechanism to monitor the situation of human rights in Honduras, in accordance with the regional initiatives already taking place. History had shown that breaks in constitutional order allowed for systematic threats to human rights and States should actively involve themselves in all international spaces available to put an end to the situation currently affecting Honduras.

Mr. V.K. GUPTA, of Commission to Study the Organization of Peace, urged the Government of Pakistan to respect press freedom in Balochistan. The Commission was alarmed at reports of Frontier Constabulary personnel laying siege of Quetta offices of at least two newspapers. Journalists and the media in Balochistan faced numerous threats which had made their work even harder. Even prior to the security forces clampdown, those newspapers had been victimized. The Pakistani Government's actions were illegal and a clear violation of domestic and international guarantees for freedom of expression.

KAREN PARKER, of International Educational Development, said there should be institutional reform and study of the root causes of conflicts as essential to transitional justice. In Sri Lanka, the Government resisted any purview of accountability, and was still prosecuting the war against the Tamil people. The only remedy for the latter was to submit to ever-harsher oppression and abuse. The international community had not looked into the underlying causes of the Sinala-Tamil war for many years. The people were in detention camps because they were Tamil, not because they were civilians. The whole issue of this war was because the Tamil people had sought their right to self-determination, among other rights, and the Government had refused them. Massive ethnic cleansing was occurring, and the Council should act for the Tamils. There should be a protective presence in Camp Ashraf as soon as possible. The Council should reflect its decision on Honduras in taking a new decision on Myanmar, where a similar situation prevailed.

UZERA SHAH, of World Muslim Congress, said women were the most exposed segment of society, too often the victims of inhuman acts and suffering serious harm. Women in Jammu & Kashmir had been raped, tortured, maimed and killed- a few had been jailed. Kashmiri women were among the worst sufferers of sexual violence in the world. Security and dignity of women had been systematically erased from the concerns of those who had the duty to ensure it. It had become imperative to try and analyse the impact of the past 19 years on Kashmiri women. The violations of human rights in Kashmir were in direct disregard of the principles enshrined in the relevant human rights covenants and humanitarian law. The international community, particularly the Human Rights Council, should play its role to minimise the adverse effects of occupation in Indian-occupied Kashmir. The Council should ask India to allow human rights bodies to visit Kashmir and freely report violations.

MOHAMED CHEIKH M' HAMED, of International Youth and Student Movement for the United Nations, said that there was a massive denial of fundamental human rights and democratic liberties as a consequence of conflicts, requiring a particular attention and a strong engagement by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Among the situations that required particular attention was that of the Western Sahara where the human rights situation had been worsening over the past months. Among the human rights violations that had been reported in the Western Sahara were systematic use of torture and intimidation of victims, forced disappearances and arbitrary arrest. Many Sahrawi human rights defenders had paid a high price for their engagement and their political convictions. The international community had long remained apathetic towards such violations of human rights in the Western Sahara, but today it was not enough to remain spectators.

LISET PALACIO, of International Club for Peace Research, said that the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and civil society organizations had rebutted the denial of extra-judicial killings by security agents in the Swat operation and had demanded of the Government to hold a transparent and impartial inquiry into this issue. The presence of mass graves in the conflict-hit area were conceded and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan believed that the Government must conduct a transparent inquiry into this issue and to clarify whether the Pakistani Government considered this situation as an internal law and order situation or if it treated it as an armed conflict that came under international humanitarian law.

EL HASSAN SALEK ABBA, of World Federation of Trade Unions, said that in the Western Sahara the repression was continuing as confirmed and documented by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The Sahrawi human rights defenders were specifically targeted and harassed by the Moroccan authorities. The situation in Western Sahara had been well summed up in the High Commissioner's report in 2006. The catastrophic situation in Western Sahara required enlargement of the mandate of the United Nations mission to protect the Sahrawi people.

SARDAR AMJAD YOUSEF, of World Peace Council, said there was concern for the human rights situation in Pakistan. Women continued to suffer more than the rest of the population at the hands of Taliban extremists, and on account of inhuman customs and traditions. The conditions of victims of enforced disappearances did not change. Citizens continued to face harassment by State agents and terrorists alike. The State failed to protect media persons against violence and threats from non-State actors. Working for human rights generally remained a dangerous proposition. The Government seemed to have lost control of vast areas to extremist militants. Lack of interest by the Government in effectively addressing major human rights issues and the growing threat of extremism from non-State actors dampened hopes of 2009 being a better year in terms of human rights. The human rights situation was very serious and needed urgent attention by the Council.

SATHLYASANGARY ANANDASANGAREE of Lawyer's Rights Watch Canada, said so far the Sri Lankan Government had failed to live up to its commitments to the international community. Over 280,000 Tamil civilians were still being held against their will in open prisons and their freedom of movement restricted; clean water, sanitation, food, medicine and the basic necessities of life were in dire need. The Government had also failed to allow independent observers access to the camps. The deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka desperately required the attention of the Council - the international community must demand the unconditional release of the civilians within the 180-day timeline proposed by the Government of Sri Lanka and supported by a majority of Council members.

PETER SPLINTER, of Amnesty International, said that the mass human rights violations that had unfolded in Iran this summer in the wake of the disputed presidential election results required the urgent attention of the Human Rights Council. Scores of deaths had been recorded, including some of persons in custody, and more than 100 opposition supporters and protestors had appeared “confessing” in mass “show trials”. It seemed that Iranian authorities had been doing everything in their power to hide the truth. In light of these alarming developments, it was imperative that Iran gave effect to its 2002 standing invitation to the Special Procedures, including the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions and on torture. Finally, the right to freedom of expression had been violated throughout the Russian Federation, and the situation in the North Caucasus was particularly dire and the level of violence from armed groups and law enforcement forces in the region was high.

NIMALKA FERNAND, of International Movement against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), in a joint statement with Asian Forum for Human Rights; and Asian Legal Resource Centre, said with regard to the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, although the war had arguably ended, the threats to democracy as well as the human rights violations had not diminished. Further, over 250,000 people were living in camps as internally displaced persons and a leading human rights defender had received a death threat for his advocacy with the European Union. Against this backdrop, the International Movement Against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism wished to remind the members of the Council, the concerned Member States, the United Nations Secretary-General and other international institutions, of the various commitments and pledges given by the Government of Sri Lanka. It also called on the Sri Lankan Government to facilitate investigations of all allegations that had been revealed by various media institutions regarding extra-judicial killings. Finally, the International Movement Against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism wished to point out that the implementation of the 13th and 17th amendment was still outstanding and national legislation had not come into effect.

MOULAY MGHIZLAT, of Centrist Democratic International, drew the attention of the Council to the situation of the Moroccan people who had been held hostage for over three decades. Algeria, which had ratified human rights instruments, was violating the rights of people in those territories, particularly in the refugee camp. Food security of the refugees in the camp was of concern as well. Food aid had been diverted by leaders and did not find its way to the people who needed it. Polisario leaders overestimated the number of people in the camp in order to get more food they could later divert. Freedom of expression and freedom of movement were being curtailed as well. Centrist Democratic International called upon the Council to strongly press Algeria to respect human rights and its international obligations.

ELIANE ELBAUM, of European Union for Public Relations, said that the international community must strongly condemn the killing of a Balochistan leader and reiterate its demand for earnest efforts to prevent killing of dissidents. This incident must be seen in the context of tensions in Khuzdar caused by disclosure of abductions and torture of Rasool Bakhsh Baloch and disappearances of several other Baloch activists. Those killings had been the major cause of the Balochistan people's alienation from the state. The Government must demonstrate its earnest in preventing such target killings.

PASCAL GYSEL, of International Institute for Peace, said civil society organizations in Pakistan had grave concerns over worrying developments and also over credible reports of numerous extra-judicial killings and reprisals carried out by security forces. Human rights violations by security forces could only be discouraged if the State put in place a transparent mechanism to monitor violations both during and post-conflict and fulfilled its obligation to provide justice. The Government should not send returning internally displaced persons to areas yet to be cleared of Taliban presence, and should instead move camps for internally displaced persons to those areas of Swat that were secured and accessible to national and international humanitarian aid agencies and human rights organizations. The situation required the immediate attention of the Council.

PARVANEH TAVERDIAN, of Women's Human Rights International Association, said women were the foremost victims of ideology, and there was therefore great concern for women's oppression in Iran. Women and youth had been present at the forefront of the extensive people's protests that continued despite severe oppression and arrests. There had been many crimes committed against women by paramilitary armed forces without accountability or punishment. Under the present circumstances, suppression of the opposition groups was not limited to the Iranian borders. The situation in Camp Ashraf in Iraq required the attention of the High Commissioner, who should also act towards a permanent United Nations monitoring presence in Ashraf in order to guarantee the security and protection of the residents there.

MARGAREET WEWERINKE, of North-South XXI, in a joint statement with the Union of Arab Jurists, said that since the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the occupation that had followed, human rights violations in Iraq had been widespread and continuing. Reported violations included violations of the Erga Omnes Right, that stipulated the right to be free from torture and had been accepted by the international community as a norm from which no derogation was ever permitted. The Human Rights Office of the United Nation Mission in Iraq had also received reports of ill-treatment in Iraqi detention facilities. Further, North-South XXI and the Union of Arab Jurists were equally concerned about violations of the rights of children. The United Nations Children's Fund had reported physical and mental abuses of children who had been in contact with Iraqi security forces and were likely to spend lengthy periods in pre-trial detention. It was difficult to understand why the Council did not live up to its professional responsibility to address these violations. It was also shameful that the President of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly had to point out before the Council in March this year that for a period of almost 20 years before the United States-led invasion and occupation, there had been a Special Rapporteur on Iraq, but that precisely when the largest human catastrophe on earth began to unfold in Iraq in 2003, this mandate was eliminated.

The Representative of Iranian Elite Research Centre said that the human rights situation in Canada revealed a series of systematic human rights violations and abuses. Recently, an act which had become part of the criminal code had been passed. One clause of this act allowed police to arrest without warrant and detain suspects for several days, and a further clause required that victims testified in secrecy. Critiques of this act however argued that this legislation lacked transparency and accountability and led to Islamophobia by allowing the stigmatization of Canadian Muslims. Racial Discrimination was beyond xenophobia and related to intolerance, and members of Arab and Muslim communities said they were confronted with difficulties in their job search.

TOMAS ALARCON, of Juridical Commission for Auto-Development of First Andean Peoples (CAPAJ), said that the Human Rights Council in its opinion in the case of Poma vs. Peru had declared that the State should respect the rights of indigenous peoples and had issued a decision for the Peruvian Government to stop the extraction of water in indigenous communities of Ancomare. The Commission Juridica para el autodesarollo de los pueblos originarios Andinos deplored the events that had occurred in Amazonia in June and said that if the Human Rights Council's opinion had been listened to it would have been possible to avoid the tragedy. The Human Rights Council should look into the situation of indigenous people in Peru.


Right of Reply

WUNNA MAUNG LWIN (Myanmar), speaking in a right of reply, said the scepticism expressed by certain countries with regards to the human rights situation in Myanmar was only based on their own political agenda, hidden under the pretext of human rights obligations. This politically-motivated practice deprived a balanced and constructive approach towards the protection and promotion of the human rights of the country concerned. At present, not only were peace, stability and tranquillity prevailing in Myanmar, but the process of transformation of the country into a democratic society was also moving ahead. At this crucial juncture, Myanmar could not accept any politically motivated attempts that could undermine and prejudge the outcome of the current home-grown process. With regards to the verdict reached against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the decision of the court was entirely in compliance with the judicial system of Myanmar, and totally in line with existing laws, and therefore the sentence was neither an arbitrary detention nor a measure preventing her from taking part in the 2010 elections. Myanmar firmly held the view that human rights issues must be addressed with respect to national sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of States. The work of the Human Rights Council should not be abused by political purposes.

ENOS MAFEMBA (Zimbabwe), speaking in a right of reply, said that Zimbabwe wished to reaffirm that the Zimbabwe Government was fully committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and would tirelessly work to improve its grey areas. Further, this Council should note that those who relentlessly spoke about human rights violations in Zimbabwe were from a particular enclave of the globe. Some of them had colonies and a long history of being oppressors. Had they changed, Zimbabwe asked, asserting that this was not the case in its view. Zimbabwe appealed to Sweden, who had spoken on behalf of the European Union, not to be dragged into Zimbabwe's bilateral dispute with Britain. Should the European Union continue to be abused by Britain, then Zimbabwe would liken the European Union's attitude to malicious sadism. Human rights issues should not be raised to cover imperial arrogance, aggression and supremacist policies, and the European Union should listen to the voices of reason from Zimbabwe, SADC and Africa. Was the European Union wiser than SADC leaders, Zimbabwe asked, adding that if the answer was yes, than they shall forever be hypocrites. Zimbabwe was not surprised that the European Union was completely silent on the rape and pillage of Afghanistan and Iraq.

CHOE MYONG NAM (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), speaking in a right of reply, categorically rejected all allegations made against its Government. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea had always been in favour of a dialogue on human rights. The European Union had unilaterally blocked the excellent dialogue and was always obstructing initiatives. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea asked why was European Union was so reluctant to address their own problems in uphold and respect of human rights caused by the US-led invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. The abduction dispute between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Japan had been fully resolved, but Japan was still using it to hide its own crimes and the repression of Democratic People's Republic of Korea's citizens in Japan. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea requested an immediate apology from the Government of Japan.

MESBAH ANSARI (Iran), speaking in a right of reply, said Iran was fully aware and committed to the protection and promotion of all human rights nationally and internationally, regardless of the unsubstantiated allegations and accusations made during statements this morning. No country in the world had a perfect human rights record; moreover, the countries who had made statements had human rights flaws recorded by the international human rights mechanism, while many of their allegations against Iran were not only never documented but also unsubstantiated and therefore non-constructive and demoralising. Undoubtedly, this negative and selective approach, which was politically-motivated, deprived one from gaining a balanced, constructive and inclusive attitude towards human rights. It was a shame that the representative of a regime whose entire history was based on occupation, aggression, violence, terrorism and crimes against humanity was ridiculously abusing the Council to address the human rights situation in other countries. When justice was weak, prejudice was strong, and when prejudice was strong, constructive attitudes died out over time, and this had been the prevailing approach in statements on human rights trends in Iran. It was a matter for serious concern that some countries tended to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries under the camouflage of human rights, through the media's unsubstantiated and exaggerated reports.

GERMAN MUNDARAIN HERNANDEZ (Venezuela), speaking in a right of reply, said Venezuela wished to refer to the statement made by the United States. Venezuela pointed out that the empire had once again used its language to satanize those who did not politically submit to the United States' imperial dictate. The United States used the Human Rights Council in the same manner as it used its own mass media, which had been a recurring practice by the United States, which had the darkest record of violations of human rights in recent history. There was total freedom of expression in Venezuela, as had been seen day by day, and no Venezuelan media had been sanctioned and no journalists prosecuted nor detained because of their political opinion. The United States should once and for all end its harassment of Latin American countries.

OLEG MALGUINOV (Russian Federation), speaking in a right of reply, said that the Council had already had an opportunity to discuss the killing of the journalist Natalia Estemirova in its previous session. The Russian Federation had already condemned this killing as a flagrant violation of human rights and supported future dialogue on this issue, including with the High Commissioner and the Special Procedures mandate-holders. The Russian Federation hoped the United States would keep their promises to fully investigate the state of torture in detention centres and that Guantanamo would be closed and its prisoners would not be transferred to other prisons. The Russian Federation hoped that private military and security companies would uphold human rights too and also hoped that the French police would respect human rights while clearing the migrants from the Jungle camp today, many of them women and children. The Russian Federation hoped France would respect all rights, including religious and cultural rights of minorities, such as French Muslims.

CHRISTOPHER BERG (Sweden), speaking in a right of reply on behalf of the European Union, said with regards to the statement made by China, that the delegation of China had pointed harsh criticism at the European Union in general and Sweden in particular. Persistent human rights violations, in particular against Roma and migrants, as well as in the fight against terrorism were mentioned. Nobody was perfect. The European Union was happy to have a dialogue on human rights with China, and appreciated delegations who raised issues under this item. The existence of access to justice, the respect for freedom of opinion and expression, the respect for freedom of assembly, fair and public trials, and, above all, accountability by the Government, were basic attributes for any State that seriously wanted to address any shortcomings in the human rights area.

BADRIDDIN OBIDOV (Uzbekistan), speaking in a right of reply, said that Uzbekistan was astonished by the bare assertions that had been made earlier, and it saw no substance in what had been said by France. This contradicted the principles that the Council should avoid double standards and politicization of human rights discussions. During reforms creating legislation aiming at the strengthening of civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) had in fact been consulted. Starting in the 1990s, there was a steady growth of the number of NGOs in Uzbekistan; by the year 2000 there were more than 2,000 NGOs in Uzbekistan, and today more than 5,000. Turning to the human rights situation in France, Uzbekistan said that the international community knew about the human rights violations that were occurring in France, and the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had expressed her concern regarding the attacks on civilians that had occurred in France in particular. This issue was discussed as one of the situations that required the attention of the Council.

Mr. U.L.M. JAUHAR (Sri Lanka), speaking in a right of reply, said that it seemed they had lost the respect for traditional values as non-governmental organizations constantly bore false witness. Regarding the access for humanitarian agencies, Sri Lanka said that full access could not be guaranteed as security must be safeguarded and made some suggestions about the use of funding in order to achieve greater accountability. In the context of accepting the money from terrorists, it was unfortunate that enormous amounts of money were provided through websites and went to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam who used it for terrorism and those who provided the funding should have at least a minimum of remorse that their funding had not been used well.

HUBERTUS MATHEUS VAN MEGEN (Holy See), speaking in a right of reply, said in the upcoming report of the Holy See to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which was being finalised as the speaker spoke, a paragraph would be dedicated to the problem of child abuse by Catholic clergy. In the last 50 years, somewhere between 1.5 per cent and 5 per cent of the clergy had been involved in sexual abuse cases. About 85 per cent of child sexual abusers were family members, babysitters, neighbours, family friends or relatives. The Church was very conscious of the seriousness of the problem. The Code of Canon Law stipulated that priests involved in sexual abuse cases must be punished with just punishments, not excluding expulsion from the clerical state. As the Catholic Church had been busy cleaning its own house, it would be good if other institutions and authorities, where the major part of abuses were reported, could do the same and inform the media about it.

NANGUYALAI TARZI (Afghanistan), speaking in a right of reply, said Afghanistan spoke in reference to the remarks that had been made earlier by several friendly delegations regarding the rights of women in Afghanistan. Afghanistan pointed out that according to its national legislation, Afghani men and women had equal rights and opportunities. It wished to further mention the establishment of a National Women's Plan, aimed at the protection and promotion of gender mainstreaming, as well as the Afghan National Development Strategy. Further, the Constitution stipulated in article 83 that women were represented in Parliament, and currently 28 per cent of Parliament members were women. Finally, significant representation of women was also observed in many other public functions, and, for example, out of a total of 1,000 prosecutors, 103 were women.

MICHEL MAHOUVE (Cameroon), speaking in a right of reply, said that the Government of Cameroon did not deny there were problems of overcrowding in its prisons. The Ministry of Justice had started an ambitious programme of enlarging existing prisons and building new prisons. The Penal Code limited the detention periods and the extension of detention was limited to six months. Judges were made aware of new sentencing possibilities accorded by this change in the Penal Code. Cameroon had a clear commitment to guarantee the rights of all people and called upon international solidarity to assist them in resolving overcrowding in prisons.

HUSSEIN AL-ZUHAIRY (Iraq), speaking in a right of reply, said with regards to the statements made by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which referred to the human rights situation in Iraq, Iraq did respect the views of the NGOs when they were warranted and sought to improve the human rights situation in the country. They should focus on ways to improve human rights in Iraq - unfortunately, however, NGOs had jeopardised the progress made in the area of human rights, and their reports were based on outdated information. In fact, Iraq was making considerable efforts to consolidate human rights and improve the situation, having adopted many laws to protect the rights of women and minorities, and ensure full participation in political life. A number of institutions had been established which dealt with human rights issues, and there were training courses in human rights in the armed forces. Iraq was seeking to implement a number of human rights conventions which it was a party to, in particular the Convention against Torture. Since 2003, Iraq had been working to improve the situation, and its door was always open to NGOs if they wished to bring allegations to light. If NGOs had been more careful in checking on the current situation, they would see that the situation was considerably improved.

QIAN BO (China), speaking in a right of reply, said that China would like to express its concern about the human rights violations committed by the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq. It asked the United States to end immediately its human rights violations in Afghanistan and Iraq and solve the root cause of those in its own country. China rejected the statements made by certain non-governmental organizations who, for obvious reasons, had accused China of distorted facts. China had achieved significant economic and social improvements from the 1960s onwards. As for the incidents in Shing Yang and Tibet, to which some States had referred, China reiterated that these were violent crimes that had been organized by separatists aiming to damage the country's social stability. Their motives had nothing to do with human rights but consisted of terrorist reasons. This did not mean that China was not capable of handling the situation.

AKIO ISOMATA (Japan), speaking in a right of reply, said that the statement made by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on this issue of abduction did not reflect what had happened. In bilateral consultations with Japan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea had changed its position and later both sides had agreed on the modalities of the investigation. In November last year the representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea had said they would be ready to do whatever was needed to resolve this issue. Out of 17 abducted only five returned home and Japan was still waiting for an explanation as to the fate of the remaining 12. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea should move forward on making good on its promises and commence the investigation without delay. Regarding the matters of the past, Japan had consistently been determined to promote international peace and prosperity and remained committed to normalizing its relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and resolving the present and past issues. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea should listen to the voices of the international community, face the ongoing human rights violations in its country and take concrete and immediate action to resolve it, including guaranteeing its people's right to food.

OMAR HILALE (Morocco), speaking in a right of reply, said Algeria persisted in its attacks against Morocco - not a day went by without these attacks. Algeria was a neighbouring country, and yet its diplomacy appeared to be obsessed with one cause - the Sahara, and nothing else, having referred to nothing else over the last 10 days. Even the Palestinian situation was mentioned only in passing. For Morocco, this neighbouring country was sheltering and training groups that threatened stability in the region and had links to Al-Qaeda groups. Contrary to what Algeria claimed, it was not just an observer, it was a stakeholder in the Sahrawi case, and had been so since the beginning. Algeria was violating the most fundamental rights of people held in the camps, and should respect their rights to freedom of movement and to self-determination. NGOs and reports were clearly only welcome when they were put forth as alleged truth against Morocco - but not when they were negative about Algeria. There was a bleak picture of human rights violations in Algeria. It would be more appropriate for the Algerian Ambassador to consider the lack of the right to demonstrate that was current in Algeria.

CHOE MYONG NAM (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), speaking in a second right of reply, said that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea wished to reiterate its rejection of yet another misleading statement that had been made by Japan. The figures on the crimes committed by Japan had been well documented, and as stated time and time again, the Japanese abduction case had been resolved once and for all. In fact, nothing remained to be done except for the apology by the Government of Japan. Japan also had the responsibility to put an end to the discrimination of Korean residents in Japan. Finally, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea asked to set an end to the politicization of the human rights discussion and the violation of the rights of Asian people.

IDRISS JAZAIRY (Algeria), speaking in a right of reply, said that it was hurt by incendiary words of Morocco. Algeria only mentioned the right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people and would continue to uphold it for any other peoples, including Palestinians, East Timorese and others. Algeria invited, once and for all, the High Commissioner for Human Rights to update its 2006 report on the question of the Sahrawi refugees and said it did not understand why Morocco had been opposing the publishing of that report for over three years. Algeria called on the non-governmental organizations to continue monitoring the situation of the people in the Tinduf camp until their situation improved.

AKIO ISOMATA (Japan), speaking in a second right of reply, said it was truly regrettable that Japan was forced again to use its right of reply due to the irresponsible statements of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Japan had explained its position many times, and would not repeat it. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea had not responded to repeated expressions of concern made by the international community on the pressing human rights situations in the country. If the delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was to use the right of reply, it should respond to these concerns, as should its Government. Japan was concerned not only for the abduction issue, but also for the ongoing threats to human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, including on the right to life, and the civil and political rights of the people. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea should listen to the international community and squarely face the serious human rights violations committed in the country, and take immediate action to improve the human rights situation.

OMAR HILALE (Morocco), speaking in a second right of reply, said that the Moroccan delegation understood that its Algerian colleague had no answer to the human rights violations that had been taking place in his country on a daily basis. Further, and unfortunately, the requests to receive various mandate holders had always been responded to negatively by Algeria. Despite gross human rights violations, Algeria had said that it was the centre of peace. However, the people living in the Algerian camps needed to be allowed to leave the camps, and these violations were very sad for Algeria. Finally, and despite of having asserted to be in favor of this, Algeria had just given a categorical ‘no' to the request by the United Nations representative.

IDRISS JAZAIRY (Algeria), speaking in a second right of reply, said that Morocco had still not responded on the question of preventing the publishing of the 2006 report of the High Commissioner on the Tinduf camp. There were no problems in the relations between Morocco and Algeria, they were neighbours and brothers. Here they had started the political discussion on the Western Sahara, but Morocco did not want to enter into that discussion. Countries could not change their borders and had to live with their neighbours. Algeria said there were corridors between the countries that were used by families and those must not be cut.


For use of the information media; not an official record

HRC09109E