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126060 MDLIAN 4013
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TELNO 151
TO PRIORITY FCO
OF 310733Z MARCH 93
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, UKMIS NEW YORK AND ASEAN POSTS
as a intencifion and
0N331/3
Mr Bunke
FROM HEAD OF HRPU
ASIAN REGIONAL MEETING ON HUMAN RIGHTS
SUMMARY
1. MEETING OPENS QUIETLY. THAILAND ELECTED CHAIRMAN WITH SIX VICE-CHAIRMAN INCLUDING JAPAN, AND INDIA AS RAPPORTEUR. IRAN TO CHAIR DRAFTING GROUP. ONLY TWO NATIONAL STATEMENTS ON THE FIRST DAY, WITH MANY BY NGOS. EC AGREES ON BRIEF, POSITIVE INTERVENTION BY PRESIDENCY AFTER BULK OF NATIONAL STATEMENTS ON SECOND DAY.
DETAIL
2. THE LAST REGIONAL MEETING BEFORE THE WORLD CONFERENCE OPENED WITH A WELCOME FROM THE ESCAP EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, AND GOOD SPEECHES FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE AND FROM THE THAI FOREIGN AND PRIME MINISTERS. FALL NOTED THAT WHATEVER DECISIONS WERE MADE BY THE REGIONAL MEETING OR THE WORLD CONFERENCE ITSELF, THEY COULD NOT BE CARRIED OUT WITHOUT INCREASED HUMAN AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES. FOREIGN MINISTER PRASONG SAID THAT ASIA SHOULD NOW BE RESILIENT ENOUGH TO ALLOW RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THEIR UNIVERSALITY WAS WIDELY RECOGNISED, BUT THERE WERE DIFFICULTIES OF EMPHASIS, AND THE PACK OF REALISATION VARIED. SADLY, THIS HAD LED TO CONFRONTATION RATHER THAN DIALOGUE, MADE WORSE BY THE QUOTE SELF-RIGHTEOUS AND CENSORIOUS ATTITUDES UNQUOTE HELD BY STRONGER, MORE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. (COMMENT: THIS LAST WAS OUT OF KEEPING WITH THE GENERAL TONE, AND MAY HAVE BEEN INSERTED AS A SOP TO THE HARD-LINERS). HE ENDED BY PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORK OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE.
3. PRIME MINISTER CHUAN LAID MUCH STRESS ON UNIVERSALITY AND HARMONY. THAILAND WAS MOVING STEADILY TOWARDS GREATER DEMOCRACY. HUMAN RIGHTS WAS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS, THOUGH
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