TNAG-2796-FCO40-4036-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-international-organisations-1993 — Page 68

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THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUAL FILLIPPINOS.

7. THE REMAINDER OF THE SESSION WAS TAKEN UP BY THE NGOS. AMNESTY STRUCK A RATHER IDEALISTIC (AND UNHELPFUL)

NOTE OF CRITICISM OF THE ENTIRE UN SYSTEM'S EFFORTS IN HUMAN RIGHTS, ACCUSING ALL MEMBER STATES OF LACKING POLITICAL WILL. THERE WAS A STRONG CALL, ECHOED BY MANY OTHER NGOS (BUT NO GEVERNMENTS), FOR A SPECIAL/HIGH COMMISSIONER ON HUMAN RIGHTS.

8. THE PLENARY DEBATE CONTINUED ON TUESDAY WITH A STRONG STATEMENT BY JAPAN, REJECTING THE NOTION THAT EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN OVER HUMAN RIGHTS WERE INTERFERENCE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF ABUSERS, AND REAFFIRMING THAT JAPANESE AID WAS QUOTE LINKED TO THE PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS UNQUOTE. INDIA, SRI LANKA AND THAILAND MADE MODERATE STATEMENTS, BUT MALAYSIA GAVE NO GROUND: DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN RIGHTS WERE MUTUALLY SUPPORTING, AND CONDITIONALLY WAS THEREFORE WRONG AND UNACCEPTABLE. THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT WAS AN INALIENABLE HUMAN RIGHT, AND SHOULD BE FULFILLED BY ACTION BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS ECONOMIC IMBALANCES. HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA WERE FOUNDED ON THE DUTIES OF THE INDIVIDUAL TO THE STATE, RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. GROUP RIGHTS WERE JUST AS IMPORTANT. ODDLY, THEY ENDED BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE OF MANY HUMAN RIGHTS NGOS IN ASIA.

9. CHINA REMINDED US OF THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF THE BANDUNG DECLARATION OF 1995: RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE CHARTER OF THE UN. ASIA HAD TO SHOW SOLIDARITY IN RAISING THE STANDARDS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, GIVING PRIORITY ATTENTION TO RACISM, XENOPHOBIA AND APARTHEID. STATE SOVEREIGNTY SHOULD BE RE-AFFIRMED, AS DEFINED IN THE CHARTER. ALL COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES IN ASIA HAD THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION AND TO CHOOSE THEIR ROAD TO DEVELOPMENT. THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORDER WAS A THREAT TO DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WAS AN INALIENABLE RIGHT. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION SHOULD BE ON THE BASIS OF MUTUAL RESPECT.

COMMENT

10. THE CHINESE (THEIR AMBASSADOR AT GENEVA) HAD TOLD ME HIS STATEMENT WOULD BE MODERATE, SINCE AT BANGKOK HE DID NOT HAVE TO DEFEND HIS COUNTRY FROM BRITISH AND OTHER ATTACKS (QUOTE YOUR DELEGATION WAS VERY ACTIVE DURING CHR... VERY ACTIVE UNQUOTE). NO DOUBT IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.

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