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AFP-Asian activists call for prison



Subject: AFP-Asian activists call for prisoner releases on UN human rights day

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Friday, December 10 8:34 PM SGT=20
Asian activists call for prisoner releases on UN human rights day
HONG KONG, Dec 10 (AFP) -=20
Activists across Asia marked the United Nation's International Human =
Rights Day on Friday with calls for the release of political prisoners =
and an end to rights abuses.

In China, members of the banned China Democracy Party called for the =
release of its leaders and other Chinese political prisoners.

"We strongly demand that the Chinese government frees the leaders of the =
party, Xu Wenli, Wang Youcai and Qin Yongmin, as well as other party =
members and all Chinese dissidents," they said in a statement sent to =
AFP.

The three founding members of the party were sentenced to prison terms =
of between 11 and 13 years at the end of last year.

But in a thinly veiled snub to the rights day, China and Russia, which =
wrapped up a summit in Beijing Friday, slammed what they called Western =
countries' use of human rights to "interfere" in the internal affairs of =
other countries.

"Both sides are against the use of placing human rights higher than =
state sovereignty and using human rights to interfere or to harm an =
independent country's sovereignty," said a joint communique released to =
reporters at the summit.

But the suggestion that human rights were a Western idea was rubbished =
by Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a trenchant video =
statement smuggled out of the military junta-controlled country.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner said political, civil, social and economic =
rights were "not a particularly Western idea (but) relevant to all human =
beings."

"Those who wish to deny us certain political rights try to convince us =
that these are not Asian values," she said.

In neighbouring Cambodia, the New York-based Human Rights Watch group =
singled out Prime Minister Hun Sen for "stalling on the question of past =
abuses," namely the setting up of a trial for leaders of the Khmer =
Rouge's "Killing Fields" regime of the late 1970s.

"Impunity for human rights abusers ... continued largely unabated (and) =
none of the surviving Khmer Rouge leadership have been brought to =
justice," a report by the group said.

The theme of bringing those guilty of rights abuses to justice was =
strong in strife-torn East Timor.

At a Catholic mass in Dili, Nobel laureate Bishop Carlos Ximenes Felipe =
Belo urged the United Nations to set up an international tribunal to try =
those who took part in the orgy of violence which followed the =
territory's overwhelming pro-independence vote in August.

"Hopefully through the United Nations framework, these people should be =
taken into a tribunal like for Kosovo, for Bosnia Hercegovina, because =
the crimes committed here are really crimes against humanity," Belo =
said.

"You saw our cities destroyed, everybody suffering without shelter, =
without anything, so those people responsible must be taken to justice," =
Belo added.

East Timorese independence leader Jose Ramos-Horta echoed Belo's calls =
for a tribunal.

"You cannot in this day and age, at the end of the 20th century, plan an =
orderly destruction of a whole country, the abduction of thousands of =
people, the killing, the rape, and get away with impunity," he said.

In Malaysia, rights groups called for the repeal of the country's =
Internal Security Act, and what it called other undemocratic laws.

Kua Kia Soong, chairman of rights group Suaram, dubbed the ISA -- which =
allows indefinite detention without trial -- the "Indefensible =
Suppression Apparatus."

In a speech due to be delivered at Suaram's 10th anniversary dinner =
Friday night, Kua attacked the rights record of Prime Minister Mahathir =
Mohamad.

The country's rapid economic growth over the past 10 years "has been =
accompanied by greater authoritarianism, while it was marked by =
corruption, cronyism and wasteful investments," he said.


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Friday, December 10</B> 8:34 PM SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>Asian activists call for prisoner releases on UN =
human rights=20
day</FONT></H2>HONG KONG, Dec 10 (AFP) -=20
<P>Activists across Asia marked the United Nation's International Human =
Rights=20
Day on Friday with calls for the release of political prisoners and an =
end to=20
rights abuses.</P>
<P>In China, members of the banned China Democracy Party called for the =
release=20
of its leaders and other Chinese political prisoners.</P>
<P>"We strongly demand that the Chinese government frees the leaders of =
the=20
party, Xu Wenli, Wang Youcai and Qin Yongmin, as well as other party =
members and=20
all Chinese dissidents," they said in a statement sent to AFP.</P>
<P>The three founding members of the party were sentenced to prison =
terms of=20
between 11 and 13 years at the end of last year.</P>
<P>But in a thinly veiled snub to the rights day, China and Russia, =
which=20
wrapped up a summit in Beijing Friday, slammed what they called Western=20
countries' use of human rights to "interfere" in the internal affairs of =
other=20
countries.</P>
<P>"Both sides are against the use of placing human rights higher than =
state=20
sovereignty and using human rights to interfere or to harm an =
independent=20
country's sovereignty," said a joint communique released to reporters at =
the=20
summit.</P>
<P>But the suggestion that human rights were a Western idea was =
rubbished by=20
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a trenchant video =
statement=20
smuggled out of the military junta-controlled country.</P>
<P>The Nobel Peace Prize winner said political, civil, social and =
economic=20
rights were "not a particularly Western idea (but) relevant to all human =

beings."</P>
<P>"Those who wish to deny us certain political rights try to convince =
us that=20
these are not Asian values," she said.</P>
<P>In neighbouring Cambodia, the New York-based Human Rights Watch group =
singled=20
out Prime Minister Hun Sen for "stalling on the question of past =
abuses," namely=20
the setting up of a trial for leaders of the Khmer Rouge's "Killing =
Fields"=20
regime of the late 1970s.</P>
<P>"Impunity for human rights abusers ... continued largely unabated =
(and) none=20
of the surviving Khmer Rouge leadership have been brought to justice," a =
report=20
by the group said.</P>
<P>The theme of bringing those guilty of rights abuses to justice was =
strong in=20
strife-torn East Timor.</P>
<P>At a Catholic mass in Dili, Nobel laureate Bishop Carlos Ximenes =
Felipe Belo=20
urged the United Nations to set up an international tribunal to try =
those who=20
took part in the orgy of violence which followed the territory's =
overwhelming=20
pro-independence vote in August.</P>
<P>"Hopefully through the United Nations framework, these people should =
be taken=20
into a tribunal like for Kosovo, for Bosnia Hercegovina, because the =
crimes=20
committed here are really crimes against humanity," Belo said.</P>
<P>"You saw our cities destroyed, everybody suffering without shelter, =
without=20
anything, so those people responsible must be taken to justice," Belo =
added.</P>
<P>East Timorese independence leader Jose Ramos-Horta echoed Belo's =
calls for a=20
tribunal.</P>
<P>"You cannot in this day and age, at the end of the 20th century, plan =
an=20
orderly destruction of a whole country, the abduction of thousands of =
people,=20
the killing, the rape, and get away with impunity," he said.</P>
<P>In Malaysia, rights groups called for the repeal of the country's =
Internal=20
Security Act, and what it called other undemocratic laws.</P>
<P>Kua Kia Soong, chairman of rights group Suaram, dubbed the ISA -- =
which=20
allows indefinite detention without trial -- the "Indefensible =
Suppression=20
Apparatus."</P>
<P>In a speech due to be delivered at Suaram's 10th anniversary dinner =
Friday=20
night, Kua attacked the rights record of Prime Minister Mahathir =
Mohamad.</P>
<P>The country's rapid economic growth over the past 10 years "has been=20
accompanied by greater authoritarianism, while it was marked by =
corruption,=20
cronyism and wasteful investments," he =
said.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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