TNAG-2320-FCO40-3364-Human-rights-in-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 106

might best be done in the Commonwealth by the Old Commonwealth

Members. He recommended that Amnesty International talk to the

Commonwealth Secretary General who was very much on this wavelength.

Miss Cooper replied that they had already done so.

THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

13. Mr Bull said that the thirtieth anniversary of

Amnesty International's foundation fell on 28 May this year. They

felt that celebration as such was inappropriate, since human rights

violations continued everywhere in the world. In answer to the

Secretary of State's question, he felt he could not really assess

whether there had been any progress since 1961.

Amnesty International now tended to look at patterns of violations,

rather than concentrate on individual cases. He agreed with the

Secretary of State that the world now was far more aware of human rights violations. He also thought that Amnesty International

itself was better known, and had gained experience. He asked

whether the Secretary of State would be willing to mark Human Rights

Day on 10 December by a statement to Parliament, with perhaps a

reference to Amnesty International's anniversary. The

Secretary of State replied that he could not see how that might work

in procedural terms. He knew that Amnesty International hankered

after a Parliamentary debate. But there was not much steam in such

debates. On the contrary, Amnesty International's success in stimulating real letter writing campaigns - individual letters,

rather than pro forma texts - was much more effective. Many MPs

nowadays only came to Foreign Affairs through human rights, usually

stimulated by Amnesty International letters. That was something

Amnesty International did well. He would consider what we might do

on Human Rights Day. He would not make a statement to Parliament,

but there might be some other way involving Parliament to mark the

occasion. Mr Bull revealed that the Parliamentary aspect was important to Amnesty International for the sake of showing their

Membership that they were able to influence policy.

HRRAAB