A meeting of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva has seen some strange, even violent actions by members of the Cuban delegation, all of which make it even more obvious that servants of the dictator Castro should not be allowed to attend such a meeting in the first place.
Here's the statement by Ambassador Richard Williamson, the U.S. representative to the commission, expressed with undiplomatic bluntness:
April 16, 2004Posted by Alan at April 18, 2004 05:57 PMRight of Reply -- Cuba
Ambassador Richard Williamson
Head of the U.S. Delegation to the 60th Commission on Human RightsDuring the course of this session of the Commission, our delegation has witnessed and experienced a number of acts of intimidation, threat and aggression by members of the Cuban delegation, or their affiliates, aimed at the United States and its representatives and supporters.
A member of our delegation was threatened by a member of the Cuban delegation on March 30 with the words, "You know you will pay a high toll for what you are doing, and we will be the ones to do it."
On a second occasion, this same US delegate, while distributing copies of a newspaper article to interested attendees of the session was approached by a member of the Cuban delegation who demanded to know what he was distributing, and ripped the copies of the article from his hands. A UN guard, who witnessed the incident, had to restrain the Cuban delegate.
In a third incident, a member of our delegation was jogging on the streets of Geneva on a Saturday when a van pulled up and a member of the Cuban delegation leaned out and told the delegate that he "better watch out. We're keeping an eye on you."
Finally, many of us witnessed yesterday the outright physical attack by a member of the Cuban delegation on a representative of an American-based NGO in the lobby just outside this very room. The victim was attacked from behind and knocked to the floor. UN Security guards had to physically subdue the Cuban delegate. This kind of behavior is not only outrageous but shows disrespect for this Commission and its members.
It is, unfortunately though, fully consistent with the attitude and practice of the Cuban regime under Fidel Castro throughout the last half century, demonstrating once again the importance of maintaining international attention to the situation of human rights in Cuba.
Yesterday this Commission adopted a resolution concerning the Human Rights situation in Cuba and then witnessed another attempt at intimidation by the Cuban delegation when it tabled a resolution concerning the United States in obvious retribution for the Commission's adoption of the Cuba resolution.
Whatever individual members felt about the merits of the Cuba resolution or any of the other resolutions we considered yesterday, I think all of us would agree that their consideration by this Commission was squarely within the core business of this body and squarely within the parameters of Item 9.
The same cannot be said for the resolution Cuba tabled yesterday.
It should be seen for what it is - a calculated act of retribution -- a reprisal, pure and simple. Cuba did not get the result it desired on the Item 9 resolution, so it now seeks to inflict more of its guerrilla theater on this commission through misuse of our proceedings under Item 17.
Such misuse of the Commissions procedures should be rejected.
Cuba's acts of intimidation should be rejected.
Cuba should be asked to show respect for the other delegates of this Commission and for its procedures.
Thank you.