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Editorial: Human Rights Defenders
- Subject: Editorial: Human Rights Defenders
- From: moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 22:08:00
DATE= APRIL 12, 1998
TYPE= EDITORIAL
NUMBER= 0-07732
TITLE= EDITORIAL: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
CONTENT=THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING RELEASED FOR BROADCAST
APRIL 12, 1998.
ANNCR:
THE VOICE OF AMERICA PRESENTS DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON A WIDE
VARIETY OF ISSUES. NEXT, AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
VOICE:
THIS MONTH, THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
APPROVED A DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS. THE
DECLARATION SAYS THAT "EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT, INDIVIDUALLY AND
IN ASSOCIATION WITH OTHERS, TO PROMOTE AND TO STRIVE FOR THE
PROTECTION AND REALIZATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL
FREEDOMS AT THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL." THE U-N
GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS EXPECTED TO ADOPT THE DECLARATION LATER THIS
YEAR.
THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS WAS ADOPTED A HALF
CENTURY AGO. BUT AS UNITED STATES DELEGATE ROBERT LOFTIS TOLD
MEMBERS OF THE U-N HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, THE NEW DECLARATION
IS NEEDED BECAUSE "THERE ARE STILL GOVERNMENTS THAT PRETEND
UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS DO NOT BELONG TO THEIR CITIZENS."
THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS CAN BE SEEN IN THE
ACHIEVEMENTS OF LEADERS LIKE NELSON MANDELA OF SOUTH AFRICA,
VACLAV HAVEL OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND KIM DAE JUNG OF SOUTH
KOREA. THESE THREE MEN WENT FROM PRISON TO THE PRESIDENCY OF
THEIR COUNTRIES. BUT OTHERS, INCLUDING AUNG SAN SUU KYI OF
BURMA, XU WENLI [SHOE-ONE-LEE] OF CHINA AND REYNALDO ALFARO
GARCIA OF CUBA, ARE STILL STRUGGLING AGAINST REPRESSION IN THEIR
COUNTRIES.
MOREOVER, AS MR. LOFTIS POINTED OUT, THERE ARE MANY HUMAN
RIGHTS DEFENDERS "WE NEVER SEE OR KNOW: LABOR LEADERS,
EDUCATORS, ELECTION MONITORS AND MORE." HE SAID THAT JOURNALISTS
DESERVE SPECIAL HONOR FOR OFTEN RISKING THEIR LIVES "TO EXPOSE
CORRUPTION IN HIGH PLACES, OR DEFEND MINORITY RIGHTS IN LANDS
THAT REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM, OR ADVOCATE DEMOCRACY IN NATIONS
THAT KNOW ONLY TOTALITARIAN RULE. THESE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN ARE
THE FOOT SOLDIERS OF HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THEY DIE BY THE DOZENS
EVERY YEAR."
AS U.S. DELEGATE LOFTIS SAID, MANY GOVERNMENTS "CONTINUE TO
MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR EVERY MAN OR WOMAN WHO DARES TO RAISE HIS
[OR HER] VOICE IN DEFENSE OF HUMAN LIBERTY. . . . THE DECLARATION
ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS GIVES [THE U-N] ANOTHER WEAPON TO WIELD
IN DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS. WE MUST NOT BE AFRAID TO USE IT."
ANNCR:
THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT. IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE WRITE TO EDITORIALS,
V-O-A, WASHINGTON, D-C, 20547, U-S-A. YOU MAY ALSO COMMENT AT
WWW-DOT-VOA-DOT-GOV-SLASH-EDITORIALS, OR FAX US AT (202)
619-1043.
10-Apr-98 10:19 AM EDT (1419 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.