Author: Tvankchian Parkev

Druckversion – Gedenken an Armenier-Massaker: Türkei macht gegen Union mobil –
Politik – SPIEGEL ONLINEMemories on Armenian massacres: Turkey active against
(German opposition) Union

SPIEGEL ONLINE – 19. April 2005, 15:40
URL: ,1518,352155,00.html

Gedenken an Armenier-Massaker

Türkei macht gegen Union mobil

Von Severin Weiland

Wochenlang versuchte die Regierung in Ankara, Druck auf die Union
auszuüben: Hinter einem Antrag, den die CDU/CSU im Bundestag zum
Massaker der Türken an den Armeniern einbringt, vermutet die Türkei
einen Komplott, um den EU-Beitritt zu verhindern. Doch vergeblich:
In dieser Woche wird im Bundestag der Antrag beraten.

AFP

Gedenkstätte im armenischen Eriwan: Streit über die Deutungshoheit
Berlin – In der vergangenen Woche erhielten die Bundestagsabgeordneten
Post vom türkischen Botschafter Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik. “Mit
der Zuversicht, dass Sie entsprechend der vielschichtigen
Sensibilität und mit dem der Bedeutung dieses Themas gebührenden
Verantwortungsbewusstsein vorgehen werden, danke ich Ihnen für die
Zeit, die Sie dafür aufwenden”, so die Bitte des Diplomaten.

Die Sendung enthielt Dokumente, in denen die Türkei
ihre verharmlosende Sicht des Völkermords an den Armeniern
darstellt. “Verkürzungen” machte darin der frühere Ministerpräsident
von Sachsen-Anhalt, Christoph Bergner, aus. “Dass eine Botschaft so
ein Material an Abgeordnete weiterleitet, ist äußerst fragwürdig”,
wundert sich der Christdemokrat.

In diesem Jahr jährt sich zum neunzigsten Mal der Massenmord an
den Armeniern, der am 24. April 1915 seinen Anfang nahm. CDU und
CSU nahmen das Datum Mitte Februar zum Anlass, einen Gedenk-Antrag
in den Bundestag einzubringen. Die geschichtliche Aufarbeitung
des Völkermords gehöre für die Union zur europäischen
Erinnerungskultur, betonten CDU-Politiker. Seitdem ist Ankara
verstimmt. Aber auch die Bundesregierung geriet in Nöte.

Nun wird an diesem Donnerstag über den Antrag im Bundestag
beraten. Statt einer Abstimmung wird das Papier zunächst in die
Ausschüsse überwiesen. Ein gängiges Verfahren im Parlamentsalltag –
das allerdings in diesem Falle eine außenpolitische Note erhielt. Denn
nun wird der Antrag erst im Mai oder im Juni zur Abstimmung kommen –
also nach der Reise des Kanzlers vom 3. bis zum 4. Mai in die Türkei.

Ursprünglich hatten SPD und Grüne sogar daran gedacht, ein eigenes
Papier ins Parlament einzubringen. Wegen interner Abstimmungsprobleme
und aus Rücksicht auf die Bundesregierung wurde darauf aber
verzichtet, heißt es.

Das Thema ist brisant. Denn in der Türkei ist der Mord an der
christlichen Minderheit der Armenier noch immer ein Tabu. Historiker
im Westen gehen von mehr als einer Million Opfern aus.

Von Völkermord oder Genozid zu sprechen, wie es in vielen Forschungen
heutzutage getan wird, wagt auch der Unionsantrag nicht. Peinlichst
wurden beide Worte darin vermieden – um die Tür für künftige
Gespräche mit der türkischen Seite nicht zuzuschlagen. Stattdessen
wird an die “planmäßige Durchführung der Massaker und Vertreibungen”
erinnert. Die Bundesregierung solle dafür eintreten, “dass sich die
Türkei mit ihrer Rolle gegenüber dem armenischen Volk in Geschichte
und Gegenwart vorbehaltlos auseinandersetzt”. Zudem müsse sie sich
“für die Gewährung der Meinungsfreiheit in der Türkei, insbesondere
auch bezüglich der Massaker an den Armeniern” einsetzen.

Scharfe Töne aus Ankara

Kaum hatte die Union den Antrag eingebracht, brach ein Sturm der
Entrüstung über sie herein. Die türkische Seite mobilisierte ihre
Diplomaten und Politiker, in den Medien wurde eine regelrechte Kampagne
gegen die Union gestartet. “Es steht ausschließlich Historikern
zu, über geschichtliche Ereignisse Urteile zu fällen”, lautet die
offizielle Linie Ankaras, die sich etwa in der Presseerklärung des
Botschafters vom 27. Februar wieder findet. Das zweiseitige Papier
wurde auch an alle Konsulate der Türkei in der Bundesrepublik
verschickt – und ging von dort an sämtliche Landtagsfraktionen von
CDU und der CSU.

“Wir möchten nicht hoffen, dass unsere Freunde in den Unionsparteien
durch die plumpe Verleumdung der türkischen Geschichte beabsichtigen,
insbesondere unsere hier lebenden Bürger zu beleidigen und auf
diese Weise den Integrationsprozess zu beeinträchtigen sowie den
traditionellen und vielfältigen Beziehungen zwischen der Türkei und
Deutschland Schaden zuzufügen”, heißt es da. Und: Eine so wichtige
Institution wie die CDU/CSU werde der Verantwortung für Deutschland
nicht gerecht, “wenn sie sich zum Sprecher des fanatischen armenischen
Nationalismus macht”.

Ankara ließ nichts unversucht, um ihre Deutung der Geschichte
vorzubringen. Bergner und der CDU-Außenpolitiker Friedbert Pflüger
trafen sich gleich zweimal mit türkischen Politikern. Zum einen mit
zwei führenden Vertretern der regierenden konservativ-islamischen
AKP, dem früheren Außenminister Yasar Yakis und Saban Disli,
zum anderen mit Mitgliedern des EU-Harmonisierungsausschusses der
Nationalversammlung in Ankara.

Beim Gespräch mit den beiden AKP-Vertretern Yakis und Disli
erörterten die Christdemokraten auch die Möglichkeit, ob zwei
Historiker der deutschen und zwei der türkischen Seite sich des Themas
noch einmal annehmen. Das soll geschehen. “Auf unsere Beschlusslage
hat das aber keinen Einfluss, das betone ich ausdrücklich”,
so Bergner.

Ebenso suchten türkischstämmige Christdemokraten aus Berliner
Bezirken das Gespräch. Sie hätten von Austritten aus der CDU
berichtet, berichtet Bergner. Das Thema sei emotional aufgeladen,
stellte er fest.

Ankara vermutet eine Anti-Beitritts-Kampagne

Ankara vermutet hinter dem Antrag den Versuch, dem Land den Zutritt
zur EU zu erschweren. Im Gegensatz zu Rot-Grün und dem Kanzler
ist die Mehrheit in der Union gegen eine Vollmitgliedschaft und
plädiert stattdessen für eine privilegierte Partnerschaft des
Mittelmeer-Staates. Bergner weist die Behauptung, man wolle die
Annäherung der Türkei an Europa durchkreuzen, weit von sich. Um
die Frage der Türkei und die Art und Weise, wie sie an die EU
herangeführt werde – ob durch eine EU-Vollmitgliedschaft oder
privilegierte Partnerschaft – nicht mit der Armenierfrage zu belasten,
werde der Antrag federführend im Auswärtigen Ausschuss beraten – und
nur begleitend im Europaausschuss, betont er. “Es geht beim Gedenken
an den 90. Jahrestag nicht darum, die Türkei auf die Anklagebank
zu setzen, sondern sie in die europäische Erinnerungskultur mit
einzubeziehen”, sagte der Christdemokrat SPIEGEL ONLINE. Die EU
sei als “Versöhnungswerk” entstanden. Dazu gehöre auch, “sich den
dunklen Kapiteln der eigenen Geschichte zu stellen”.

Doch wenn es um das dunkelste Kapitel der türkischen Geschichte geht,
wird die türkische Botschaft schnell aktiv. Als kürzlich das Land
Brandenburg den Völkermord an den Armeniern in ein Schulbuch aufnehmen
wollte, sprach der Generalkonsul Aydin Durusoy persönlich beim
Brandenburger Ministerpräsidenten Matthias Platzeck vor. Kurzfristig
zurückgestellt, wird das Vorhaben nun nach einer Überarbeitung des
Lehrplans doch noch realisiert. Vorgesehen ist nun ein Kapitel über
mehrere Genozide, darunter auch den 1915/16 verübten Völkermord an
den Armeniern.

In Berlin gedachten vor vier Wochen Türken des früheren
Innenministers des Osmanischen Reiches, Mehmed Talaat
Pascha. Organisiert worden war die Kranzniederlegung vom Vorsitzenden
der Türkischen Gemeinde in Berlin, Tacittin Yatkin. Talaat, der mit
deutscher Hilfe nach dem Zusammenbruch des Osmanischen Reiches nach
Berlin geschleust worden war, gilt als einer der Hauptverantwortlichen
der Massaker.

Yatkin nannte Pascha noch im März einen “Märtyrer”. Der frühere
Innenminister des Osmanischen Reiches war am 15. März 1921 von einem
jungen Armenier auf der Hardenbergstraße in Berlin erschossen worden.

Die Aktivitäten der türkischen Seite zeigen: Der Antrag der Union
hat die regierende AKP unter Zugzwang gesetzt. Auf dem Weg nach Europa
versuchte sie vergangene Woche, das Thema in die Hand zu nehmen. In
der Nationalversammlung wurde eine Resolution verabschiedet, in
der unter anderem eine türkisch-armenische Historikerkommission
vorgeschlagen wird. Ohne den Unionsantrag zu erwähnen, wurde darin
der Versuch verurteilt, dass “ausländische Parlamente zu einem unter
internationalen Historikern umstrittenen Kapitel der Geschichte der
osmanischen Armenier” Beschlüsse fassten.

Das Dokument der Nationalversammlung landete via türkische Botschaft,
aber ohne Anschreiben, auch bei den CDU/CSU-Abgeordneten – im
türkischen Original und als zweiseitige “inoffizielle Ãœbersetzung”,
wie es im Titel des Kopfes ausdrücklich heißt. Offenbar war der
türkischen Seite daran gelegen, der Union so schnell wie möglich
den Beschluss zukommen zu lassen. Die Sätze sind im holprigen Deutsch
formuliert, der Sendung lag kein Anschreiben bei.

CDU-Politiker Bergner nahm auch die jüngste Materialzusendung aus Ankara
gelassen hin. Es sei eben der “Versuch der türkischen Seite”, so der frühere
Ministerpräsident diplomatisch, “unsere Meinungsbildung zu begleiten”.

© SPIEGEL ONLINE 2005
Alle Rechte vorbehalten
Vervielfältigung nur mit Genehmigung der SPIEGELnet GmbH

Images:
CDU-Vorsitzende Merkel, türkischer Premier Erdogan: Gespanntes Verhältnis zur
AKP

Türken vor gehängten Armeniern (1915): Bis heute tabuisiert

Erdogan-Anhänger in der Türkei: Reif für die EU?

CDU-Politiker Bergner: “Versuch, unsere Meinungsbildung zu begleiten”

–Boundary_(ID_SBmzRxtJYXidpty9pdgimQ)–

New Zealand Herald, New Zealand
April 16 2005

To forge ahead, people must address the past

by Bronwyn Sell

Thousands of young Chinese who stoned the Japanese Embassy in Beijing
this week could probably explain to John Tamihere why he will hear
about the Holocaust for the rest of his life.

Their protest evolved in a strictly 21st-century way – text messages
and emails urged them to assemble.

But their grievance started long before they were born, in the bleak
years of the Japanese invasion of eastern China before and during
World War II.

China says up to 30 million of its people died during the eight-year
invasion, and 95 million were made refugees. Sixty years later, many
Chinese are still bitter. They say Japan has not shown adequate
contrition.

The conflict flared again this week when Japan printed new school
history textbooks that critics say distort the past and portray
imperial Japan as a liberator rather than an occupier of its Asian
neighbours. The books don’t even use the word “invasion”.

“Japan doesn’t face up to its history,” said Cheng Lei, a 27-year-old
information technology professional protesting in Beijing.

North and South Korea have also condemned Japan’s seeming reluctance
to acknowledge the past.

The lesson in the streets of Beijing for Tamihere is that it is
all-but impossible to shake off the grip of historical injustices.
And what the Japanese invasion is to the East, the Holocaust is to
the West. (And the Armenian massacre is to Turkey, and the Rwandan
genocide is to Africa … to mention just a couple.)

So John Tamihere couldn’t have picked a worse way of illustrating a
point.

Tamihere says he brought the Holocaust up in an interview with
Investigate magazine to draw a parallel with Maori Party politicians
raising issues from the past rather than dealing with the issues
facing Maori today.

He told the magazine: “I’m sick of hearing how many Jews got gassed
… How many times do I have to be told and made to feel guilty?”

Dr David Macdonald, senior lecturer in political studies at Otago
University, and an expert in genocide and Holocaust studies, says the
point of discussing the Holocaust is not to make people feel guilty.

“I don’t think anyone wants New Zealanders to feel guilty about what
happened. I don’t think any Jewish people are going to imply that New
Zealand collaborated in the genocide or could have prevented it.

“I suppose what John Tamihere wants is for the issue not to be
discussed anymore, but part of moving on as a society is talking
about the issues … ”

Macdonald says talking about the past can be a way of resolving it.
“Germany, you might say, has moved on in the fact that it probably
isn’t going to exterminate people again, but their idea of moving on
is to endlessly discuss issues of the Holocaust to make sure that
everybody knows about it and everybody is committed to making sure it
doesn’t happen again.

“So moving on doesn’t necessarily mean forgetting, and it doesn’t
necessarily mean not talking about an issue. I think to properly move
on you have to acknowledge that something has happened.

“The Japanese style of moving on is to try to minimise what happened
… and that’s a way of moving on for some people but it doesn’t
really move the society forward in a very positive way.”

The philosopher Nietzsche suggested we abandon the past. The past, he
said, “returns as a ghost and disturbs the peace of a later moment”.

He advocated that for the sake of happiness people should “actively
forget” the past and thus be liberated from it.

“It’s still there, but it doesn’t affect you. I think that’s
extremely difficult,” says Dr Patrick Hayden, senior lecturer in
political theory at Victoria University in Wellington.

That’s because attempts to bury the past tend to backfire and create
a backlash – as in the case of the Japanese textbooks.

“It’s the return of the repressed,” Hayden says. “In one way or
another these past injustices are going to continue to haunt the
society that’s attempting to make some kind of transition. And that
will come back and have to be dealt with.

“Some kind of catharsis is needed. If there’s no catharsis, I think
whatever the past issue is will continue to haunt a society.”

How do we ensure that the mistakes of the past don’t recur? “Well
unfortunately for someone like John Tamihere, that does require
repeating history so that we can continue to learn from it,” Hayden
says.

“One might pose the question: is that a responsibility of a
democratic citizen, in fact, to continue to learn and to hear about
these things, if we’re going to build into our culture respect for
human rights or democratic values, or whatever it might be?

“And history doesn’t stand still, so if he, or some other person, has
heard it now, someone else has not heard it, so the dialogue has to
continue.”

Gerhard Schroeder, the German chancellor, says in Germany remembrance
of the past is a moral obligation.

“It is true that the temptation to forget and suppress it is great,
but we will not succumb to it,” he promised in a speech in January to
mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi death camp
Auschwitz.

Schroeder had some advice for Japan. “With a sensitive and
self-critical manner of dealing with your own history you will not
lose friends but rather win friends,” he said.

“Every country must find its own way to deal with the good sides as
well as the darker sides of its history.”

AZG Armenian Daily #068, 16/04/2005

People

ALEKSEY SISAKIAN NEWLY APPOINTED HEAD OF DUBNAY NUCLEAR INSTITUTE

Professor Aleksey Norayr Sisakian was appointed the head of Dubnay United
Nuclear Research Institute during the sitting of DUINR member countries’
authority representatives.

Aleksey Sisakian is a prominent specialist of ultimate particles physics and
mathematical physics, current member of RF Academy of Natural Sciences,
foreign member of RA National Academy of Science, author of over 300
scientific researches and 5 poetic collections.

According to the Russian Mass Media, Sisakian is the fifth head of Dubnay
United Nuclear Research Institute during the 50 years of its history. He was
born in Moscow, 1944. His father was world known Academician Norayr Sisakian
(1907-1966). Norayr Sisakian was the establisher of the Cosmic Biology.
Streets in Yerevan and Ashtarak, as well as one of the Moon craters were
named after him.

Aleksey Sisakian was awarded 6 Russian and foreign medals, including the
medal of the Russian P. Kapica academy of Natural Sciences. He is an
honorable doctor at several foreign universities, as well as current member
of RF Architectural Academy, of the European Academy of Sciences in Brussels
and other scientific centers.

By Petros Keshishian

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 15, 2005 Friday

EU to use neighborhood policy for settling mothballed conflicts

By Alexander Mineyev

LUXEMBOURG

The European Union will use the neighborhood policy for the
settlement of mothballed conflicts in the South Caucasus.

The issue was on the agenda of the Luxembourg EU-Russia ministerial
session on Friday.

The action plans to be signed with Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan
will include human rights and settlement of conflicts, European
Commissioner for External Relations and Neighborhood Policy Benita
Ferrero-Waldner said.

Economic aid is the key method the European Union will be using, she
told Itar-Tass. A delegation of the European Union and a EU special
representative will be stationed in each of these countries and work
on the solution of these problems, she said.

The role of Russia is very important in this respect, Ferrero-Waldner
said. The settlement of conflicts on the post-Soviet territory is
part of the EU-Russia external security roadmap, which may be adopted
at the EU-Russia summit in Moscow on May 10, she said.

Turkish Press
April 15 2005

Press Scan

DIASPORA BEGINS INSULTS

CUMHURIYET- Two of the organizations which was set up by Armenians
living in France, evaluated the proposal of Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan to set up a joint commission to investigate
Armenian claims as ”clowning” and called on European leaders not to
be deceived by Turkey’s trap.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee – Lebanon
Arax Street, Bourj Hammoud, Metn 1203 2050 – Lebanon
Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon
Contact: Hovig Hovhannesian
Tel: 00961 1258300
Cel: 00961 3043727
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

The AGCC through its numerous subcommittees has embarked on several cultural,
publishing, documentation, educational events aiming at raising awareness about
the first Genocide of the 20th century committed by the Turks between the years
1915 and 1923.
The Committee intends to permanently update the media about these initiatives,
which reflect the Armenian collective will in demanding the Turkish recognition
of the Armenian Genocide and in the restoration of the Armenian rights.
We, the rightful inheritors of the Armenian Cause, have the obligation of
embracing our responsibilities in order to erase the consequences of the
Turkish crime and to achieve justice for our Nation.
The committee has already started its activities. The essay and drawing
contests intended for all students is already on the way.
On the 22nd of April, student genocide commemoration event will be held at the
Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia headquarters in Antelias.
On the 23rd of April the central commemoration event will be held also in
Antelias.
In May, a collective concert, performed by school students will be held at
UNESCO hall, organized by the educational subcommittee.
Also in April, several commemoration events will be organized in many Lebanese
universities and a campaign to fill questionnaires about the Genocide victims
will be launched.
In the near future, the Committee will organize an international conference
with Armenian, Turkish, French, US, German and Arab participants. The Committee
will also publish a book containing all the documents and declarations
recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide.
The Committee also has more ambitious plans which will be reported regularly.
On the 1st of April, the main lecture organized by the youth and student
subcommittee was held at West Hall, AUB.
Since April 1st the committee’s website is online.

EuroNews – English Version
April 7, 2005

Turks clearly cooler on EU bid – newspaper

Public opinion in Turkey on the secular, mainly Muslim country’s bid
to join the European Union has dropped significantly.

In the latest survey, by Pollmark Turkey Agenda Research for the
daily Milliyet, 63.5% of respondents said they supported the effort.

This is the first time favourable opinion for Turkish EU membrship
has gone below the 70% mark.

Ten months ago, support stood at 10% higher than today.

Since then, the ‘no’ camp in Turkey has made a nearly 30% gain.

It is a far cry from last December, when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan made a triumphal return home, having secured a date from the
EU’s leaders to begin negotiations on entry into the bloc, this
October.

The newspaper survey said the reasons for the decline in support
included EU insistence on curbing the military’s influence,
conditions on Cyprus, the Kurdish community and recognition of the
Armenian genocide at Turkish hands in WWI, which Ankara currently
rejects.

ABU DHABI ARMENIANS PLAN TO JOINTLY COMMEMORATE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

DUBAI, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. For the first time in many years the
Armenians of Abu Dhabi have agreed on a united program for Genocide
commemoration, involving the Embassy, the Council of Armenian
Community and the Armenian Cultural Association, “Azad-Hye” newspaper
of Dubai reported. This year coincides with the 90th Anniversary of
the Genocide committed by the Ottoman Turks. Thus on Sunday morning,
24th April, Armenian Genocide Commemoration will take place in
St. Andrew’s Church Hall, in Abu Dhabi Church Area. Mr. Aghvan
Vartanian (specially invited from Armenia) will deliver a lecture,
analyzing the event that led to the planning of the first genocide of
the 20th century, which is still waiting for formal recognition from
the perpetuating Turkish authorities and their modern-day heirs. The
National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, under the baton of Maestro Aram
Gharabekian, as well as the students of the Armenian Community Weekly
School will present a cultural program. On the same day, the Embassy
of Armenia in Abu Dhabi would be opening a condolences book for the
memory of the one million and half victims of the Armenian
Genocide. Armenians and foreigners are invited to record their
thoughts on this significant event in the modern Armenian history.

A1plus

| 17:26:06 | 12-04-2005 | Politics |

TURNING PONT TO CHANGE SOCIETY

After the violence committed April 12 in Baghramyan Avenue a civil forum
entitled `The Turning Point’ composed of many public organizations including
the Helsinki Committee, Mijnaberd, and the Institute of Civil Society.

With the first day of formation the public organizations started a
collection of signatures for the liberation of political prisoners. Then a
photo exhibition dedicated to the Aril events, Vardavar, protection of
environment and a number of actions in support of `A1+’ TV Company were
held.

`Each nation wishes to live in freedom, safety and prosperity, to have just
laws and constantly developing homeland. The forum offers all those
interested to form a `Civil Union: People are Masters of the Country’.

The forum is interesting as it gives the people the opportunity to discussed
urgent issues and come to realistic decisions. The forum participants
decided to focus on conduction of elections, free mass media, justice,
education, constitutional amendments, town planning and some other issues.

United Press International/Washington Times
April 12 2005

Outside View: Human rights and wrongs

By Thomas P. Kilgannon
Outside View Commentator

Dulles, VA, Apr. 12 (UPI) — In the Roper v. Simmons decision handed
down last month by the U.S. Supreme Court, a five-to-four majority,
led by Justice Anthony Kennedy, sought and applied international
standards to their opinion to manufacture a pre-determined
conclusion. Desperately seeking to eliminate the death penalty for
juveniles, the justices cherry-picked interpretations from law
libraries in Europe to rationalize their decision. Roper v. Simmons
has been roundly criticized and rightly so, but if another reason was
needed to explain why the justices should refrain from applying
international standards to the adjudication of U.S. law, you can find
it in Geneva.

There, the U.N. Human Rights Commission is meeting for its 61st
gabfest, and when the curtain was raised on this theater of the
absurd, the members assembled on the dais looked less like a human
rights symposium and more like a casting call for “America’s Most
Wanted.”

Representatives from Togo, Indonesia, Gabon and numerous other
regimes which routinely torture or oppress their citizens showed up
to pass judgment on the freedom and human rights records of the
world’s governments.

In a February cover story, Parade magazine asked “Who is the World’s
Worst Dictator?” and listed 20 of the most evil human rights abusers
in the world. Among them are Sudan, which supports militias that are
massacring people by the thousands; and communist China, where slave
labor is common and the death penalty is employed for killing a
panda.

Others which made Parade’s list: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe,
Swaziland and Cuba, among others. What makes these dictatorial
regimes unique, is that they each enjoy a prestigious membership on
the U.N. Human Rights Commission. In fact, almost half of the
dictators listed by Parade are on the Human Rights Commission in
Geneva.

Last month, the State Department issued its annual report on Human
Rights Practices. It finds that half of the members of the UNHRC —
who are responsible for improving human rights around the world —
have a record on the subject which the State Department judges to be
“poor” or worse.

Analysts at Foggy Bottom report that Sudan is committing “genocide.”
In Saudi Arabia, “the religious police continued to intimidate,
abuse, and detain citizens and foreigners.” The human rights record
in China is “disappointing.”

Overrun with tyrants, the Human Rights Commission is a joke. It took
its shape in part because United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
openly displays his tolerance for dictators and terrorists and is
ignorant of how to use a “bully pulpit” for positive change. Annan’s
moral indifference was on display when he recently paid homage to the
grave of the late Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.
Annan has called for change in the commission, but his
recommendations are fueled more by a desire to keep his job for
another year than to increase the dignity with which people are
treated in repressed regimes.

The ridiculous nature of the commission was on display at the opening
of the most recent session when Cuba’s representative climbed upon
his soap box to condemn the United States. Felipe Perez, Cuba’s
foreign minister, said the commission “has lost legitimacy,” not
because it seats terrorists, but because the United States has
“turned it into some sort of inquisition tribunal to condemn the
countries of the South and, particularly, those who actively oppose
their strategy of neocolonial domination.”

But what is really wrong with this situation is that the U.S.
government continues to take its seat on this commission next to
terrorists, dictators and tyrants. The United States invested $10
million in 2004 in the Human Rights Commission — nearly double the
amount of the second-highest contributor — and as a consequence, the
tax dollars of the American people are legitimizing dictatorial
regimes. In contrast, Sudan invested all of $2,500 and Armenia a
whopping $1,096 to improve their image. For them, it’s a lot more
economical to have the Americans subsidize their supposed human
rights makeover, than it is to retain an expensive public relations
firm.

The Bush administration, which has shown unprecedented courage in
exposing the myths of the United Nations, should resign its seat in
protest, pull our funding from the commission and demand meaningful
reforms before we will invest or participate again. But to continue
to legitimize the world’s worst thugs by sharing membership on the
U.N. Human Rights Commission only harms those in repressed countries
we are trying to help and wounds our national pride. It also gives
Supreme Court justices like Anthony Kennedy reason to look to
Zimbabwe the next time he wishes to rewrite a part of the
Constitution.

—

(Thomas P. Kilgannon is the president of Freedom Alliance, a
foundation dedicated to preserving U.S. sovereignty.)

—

(United Press International’s “Outside View” commentaries are written
by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important
issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of
United Press International. In the interests of creating an open
forum, original submissions are invited.)