La
Jornada Saturday, April 8, 2000.
Kyra Nuez, correspondent. Geneva
My Mandate Doesn't Restrict Me to "Counting Bodies,"
says Jahangir
The United Nations Special Relator for Extrajudicial, Summary
or Arbitrary Executions, Asma Jahangir - refuting criticisms
made by the Mexican government regarding the content of her
visit to Mexico last year, and her subsequent recommendations
- stated that she does not agree that her mandate restricts
her to "only counting the bodies of victims of executions,
because, if that were the case, they wouldn't need an expert,
but a mathematician."
Jahangir has found herself being directly questioned by President
Ernesto Zedillo's government since mid-February when her report
was published concerning her visit to the country, made from
July 12 to 24 of last year. The direct criticisms were sent
to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, in
a nota verbal of February 11, which set forth the government's
differences. This noted stated - as did the Mexican diplomatic
delegation yesterday in an official statement to the Human Rights
Commission - "the Relator does not have the mandate to
speculate on either the election processes, or on the duties
which the constitution assigns to the armed forces."
The Relator clearly takes the opposite position. Even though
she has not yet responded formally to the nota verbal - as she
says she is studying it - she agreed to answer La Jornada's
questions regarding the controversy of her having, in full accordance
with her mandate, recommended - among the 18 actions for the
Mexican government to follow if it truly does want to face the
"real and present" danger of extrajudicial executions
- that international observance be invited for this July's elections
and that the Army no longer be used for what the government
calls fighting organized crime.
A Clarification
It was not a defense, but a clarification: "I do not agree
that my mandate restricts me to such a degree, of merely counting
the bodies of victims, because, if that were the case, then
an expert wouldn't be needed, but a mathematician.," she
responded to the question about the government's refutations.
"All those questions of post-electoral and pre-electoral
violence, and violence during elections, have a long history
in Mexico. Mexicans themselves, even officials, want to do something
in that regard, that is why they have invited visitors and observers.
And so we should encourage them to cooperate with the international
community, because I understand that is a positive role that
the government plays, that of acting in accordance with the
rules and inviting everyone, even us, the Relators.
"That is why I do not believe that that - encouraging them
to invite and to give election observers working facilities
- is a recommendation that the government should find offensive.
I ask myself: where is the offense really coming from?"
Jahangir queried.
To a question concerning the role of the Army, the Pakistani
notes: "The government has taken it as a question derived
from the Constitution, therefore they want to frame it within
the concept of national sovereignty. And in that sense I think
that the question of sovereignty is something we should all
think about again. The government's [Mexican] response is similar
to, or using the same logic as, that used for crimes of honor.
'She is our daughter, we will act as we wish. She is my wife,
I can beat her when I want, and the neighbors have no right
to intervene.' I am sorry, this is a world where violations,
even if they are committed by the most powerful armies on the
planet, are human rights violations, and they must be treated
very much beyond the concept of sovereignty. This, seen now
from the perspective of a new millenium, is sovereignty that
belongs to the peoples - not to territories - and to their rights,
which are the center of that sovereignty. And so I don't believe
I'm exceeding my mandate as Relator by making these recommendations,"
she told La Jornada
Translated by irlandesa |