The top United Nations human rights body on Wednesday ducked discussion of a resolution that condemned violations in Zimbabwe.
The 53-nation UN Human Rights Commission passed a ”no action” motion proposed by African countries, a procedural move that blocked further debate and a vote on the European Union resolution, which was strongly critical of President Robert Mugabe’s government.
Twenty-eight mainly African and Asian countries in the 53 member body rallied around a South African proposal for a ”no action” motion, warding off a debate on Zimbabwe’s human rights record and a vote on the resolution.
Twenty-four countries, including European, Latin American states and the US, had wanted to pursue the effort, while Brazil abstained.
The United States said last month that it would lead a campaign to condemn Zimbabwe for what it called flagrant and ruinous human rights abuses at the Commission’s annual meeting, which ends next week.
A State Department official said the US wanted at least to stir a vigorous debate on human rights violations committed under President Robert Mugabe’s regime.
The EU’s draft resolution had expressed deep concern at continuing abuse by the government, including assaults, torture, cases of rape, arbitrary arrests, and attempts to clamp down on the judiciary.
It also said there was ”apparent political bias in the distribution of food through government channels” and criticised ”politically motivated violence by both parties”.
The text had urged Zimbabwe’s government to ”support independent civil society and to allow it to operate without fear of harrassment or intimidation”, and to allow missions inside the country by UN rights experts.
Zimbabwe’s Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa last month accused western countries of double standards in their attempts to censor the country.
South Africa has favoured a policy of ”quiet diplomacy” toward Zimbabwe and along with Nigeria has called for lifting Harare’s suspension from the Commonwealth.
A UN human rights expert sharply criticised ”governmental lawlessness” in the southern African state in February, noting a pattern of arrests of judges and lawyers ordered by Zimbabwe’s authorities.
Zimbabwe authorities habitually reject criticism by the EU — in particular that from Britain, the country’s former colonial ruler.
Zimbabwean Ambassador Bonaventure Bowa made only a short statement to the commission saying he supported criticism of the EU motion made by other developing country members.
Ahead of the vote, South African Ambassador Sipho George Nene said, ”The political history of the country is either not being understood or for political expediency is being ignored.”
Cuban delegate Juan Antonio Fernandez said ”no one has the right to criticise Zimbabwe.”
”The independence of Zimbabwe (in 1980) brought an end to one of the most abominable forms of colonialism in the history of the world,” Fernandez said.
However, Loubna Freih, representative for the US-based Human Rights Watch, said Zimbabwe’s suffering under colonial rule should not be used as an excuse to prevent scrutiny of the country’s record today.
”But an emboldened group of human rights abusers has decided to vote en bloc to stop discussion at the commission,” she said.
In other votes on Wednesday, the commission voted 26-24, with 3 abstentions, to end its regular consideration of Sudan’s human rights record. It also voted 21-15, with 17 abstentions, against an EU proposal condemning Russia for its record in Chechnya but agreed by consensus to adopt a motion critical of Myanmar — or Burma.
The commission postponed until Thursday discussion of a motion censuring Cuba for rights violations on the communist-led island.
ensure by the UN body brings no penalties but draws international attention to a country’s rights record. – Sapa-AP