August 20, 2009

OAS human rights commission to Honduras, August 19

"We, the employees of Popeye's, condemn the acts of vandalism
against our source of employment"

According to the news yesterday, the OAS human rights commission (CIDH) report on Honduras is basically already decided. Apparently they are refusing to talk to anyone except those in the so-called Resistencia. You remember who they are, right? The ones who are blocking roads, attacking police, denying children education, and burning buses, cars, and businesses.

The reporter is showing the same confusion and disappointment that so many of us here in Honduras have felt since the beginning of this whole mess. Minds are made up, don't confuse them with the facts! Law abiding citizens rights, including children's rights, don't matter a damn. It's only the criminals who need to be protected.

Millions of poor Honduran children have been denied their constitutional right to an education. Thousands of teachers who want to teach have been intimidated, threatened with losing their jobs and even violence by corrupt union leaders and school directors. Not important.

While the commission refuses to talk to 123 congressmen*, they will talk to the 12 congressmen who have refused to attend congressional sessions, but still come to collect their generous paychecks, while the poor in this country continue to go hungry. Not important.

Similarly, teachers and other government employees collect their government paychecks without working. They do this while blocking roads preventing others from getting to their jobs, delivering their products, or exercising their constitutional right to freely circulate. They get to talk to the human rights people. Those denied health care and other government services do not.

Many citizens have been threatened or physically attacked, many businesses have been damaged or destroyed, all by the so-called Resistencia. No, they don't get to talk to the OAS CIDH commission. Not important.

A large group of fast food employees tried to talk to the commission. They arrived at 9 a.m. and were told that only written complaints were accepted. They wrote complaints about being fearful to go to work, about being subjected to falling sheets of glass (from rioters breaking windows), bombs, and fires and about suffering from threats and psychological damage because of the violence in their workplaces. They waited all day until 5 p.m. Nope. They aren't important.

A large parent group went to talk about their children being threatened and brainwashed by Zelayista teachers. No. Not important.

Apparently, unless all of these people start throwing rocks and starting fires and then resist arrest, they aren't going to be heard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* One bright point occurred yesterday which gives hope. (Google translation) Twelve of the congressmen "in resistance" reported to the CIDH commission that they have been prevented from attending the congressional sessions and that the new oppressive government is not paying their salaries as further pressure.

The commission went to the Congressional building and met with a committee of 12 congressmen from four political parties to find out if these salaries had been paid and whether these congressmen had been denied access to the National Congress. The representatives of the fifth political party, UD, were among those who have not attended sessions since June 28.

The CIDH commission members were provided with payroll records showing that the congressmen and women in question had punctually come to collect their full salaries in July and August. They also provided attendance records showing that these congressmen, who had been paid, had not attended a single session of congress.

As to being denied entry to the sessions, the congressional committee pointed out that the doors to the congressional floor are open to the point that the media transmits "live and in color". If there had been any sort of altercation or assault, as those 12 congressmen falsely claimed, it would have surely been covered by the media.

The committee also asked about the new "Obligatory Military Service" law which has been denounced. This took the congressmen by surprise because no such law is being discussed. Military service in Honduras has been voluntary for 15 years and the current law being discussed is Ley del Servicio Militar Voluntario y Educativo (Law of Voluntary and Educational Military Service). José Saavedra, President of the Congress, said that the commission was convinced that an obligatory military service law had been passed and that is "simply not true".

They provided copies of the proposed law, the report, and the first two debates that have been held to prove resoundingly that this charge also was false.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One Congressman was still not hopeful about the fairness of the CIDH report, saying that it is already written based on the false complaints of people associated with ex-President Zelaya. He noted that the committee did not even talk to Congressman Ramón Velásquez (who was also in the meeting) about being assaulted by zelayistas outside the congressional building last week (video here).


Newer posts Older posts
Home

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...