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A30 world news
Diaranson 14 october 2020

China and Russia win seats on UN rights council, Saudis lose

(AP) — China, Russia and Cuba won seats on Rights Watch's U.N. director, Louis Charbonneau, Of the four winners of seats in the Asia-Pacific
the U.N.’s premiere human rights body Tues- said after the results were announced, “Had there group, China got the lowest vote.
day despite opposition from activist groups been additional candidates, China, Cuba and Rus-
over their abysmal human rights records, but sia might have lost too," he said. “But the addition The rights group said Russia’s military operations
another target, Saudi Arabia, lost. of these undeserving countries won’t prevent the with the Syrian government “have deliberately
council from shining a light on abuses and speak- or indiscriminately killed civilians and destroyed
Russia and Cuba were running unopposed, but ing up for victims. In fact, by being on the council, hospitals and other protected civilian infrastructure
China and Saudi Arabia were in a five-way race these abusers will be directly in the spotlight.” in violation of international humanitarian law,” and
in the only contested race for seats on the Human noted Russia’s veto of U.N. Security Council reso-
Rights Council. Charbonneau earlier criticized U.N. member lutions on Syria, including blocking Damascus’ re-
In secret-ballot voting in the 193-member U.N. states, including Western nations, saying: “They ferral to the International Criminal Court.
General Assembly on that race, Pakistan received don’t want competition. ... Essentially these are
169 votes, Uzbekistan 164, Nepal 150, China 139 backroom deals that are worked out among the The Geneva-based Human Rights Council can
and Saudi Arabia just 90 votes. regional groups.” Last week, a coalition of human spotlight abuses and has special monitors watch-
rights groups from Europe, the United States and ing certain countries and issues. It also periodi-
Despite announced reform plans by Saudi Arabia, Canada called on U.N. member states to oppose cally reviews human rights in every U.N. member
Human Rights Watch and others strongly opposed the election of China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, country. Created in 2006 to replace a commission
its candidacy saying the Middle East nation con- Pakistan and Uzbekistan, saying their human rights discredited because of some members’ poor rights
tinues to target human rights defenders, dissidents records make them “unqualified.” records, the new council soon came to face similar
and women’s rights activists and has demonstrated “Electing these dictatorships as U.N. judges on criticism, including that rights abusers sought seats
little accountability for past abuses, including the human rights is like making a gang of arsonists into to protect themselves and their allies.
killing of Washington Post columnist and Saudi the fire brigade,” said Hillel Neuer, executive di- The United States announced its withdrawal from
critic Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Is- rector of UN Watch. the council in June 2018 partly because it consid-
tanbul two years ago. ered the body a forum for hypocrisy about human
Under the Human Rights Council’s rules, seats are The Geneva-based rights organization published rights, though also because Washington says the
allocated to regions to ensure geographical repre- a 30-page joint report with the Human Rights council is anti-Israel.
sentation. Foundation and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for
Human Rights evaluating candidates for council Human Rights Council spokesman Rolando Go-
Except for the Asia-Pacific contest, the election seats. The report lists Bolivia, Ivory Coast, Nepal, mez said when the newly elected members take
of 15 members to the 47-member Human Rights Malawi, Mexico, Senegal and Ukraine — all win- their seats in January, 119 of the 193 UN mem-
Council was all but decided in advance because all ners — as having “questionable” credentials due to ber States will have served on the council, reflect-
the other regional groups had uncontested slates. problematic human rights and U.N. voting records ing its diversity and giving the council “legitimacy
Four countries won four Africa seats: Ivory Coast, that need improvement. It gave “qualified” ratings when speaking out on human rights violations in
Malawi, Gabon and Senegal. Russia and Ukraine only to the United Kingdom and France. Human all countries.”
won the two East European seats. In the Latin Rights Watch pointed to an unprecedented call
American and Caribbean group, Mexico, Cuba and by 50 U.N. experts on June 26 for “decisive mea- “No country has a perfect human rights record …
Bolivia won the three open seats. And Britain and sures to protect fundamental freedoms in China,” (and) “no state is immune from scrutiny of their
France won the two seats for the Western European warning about its mass rights violations in Hong human rights record, whether they are a member
and others group. Kong and Tibet and against ethnic Uighurs in the or not,” Gomez said. “If a State thinks they can
Chinese province of Xinjiang as well as attacks on conceal the human rights violations they may have
“Saudi Arabia’s failure to win a seat on the Human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and govern- committed, or escape criticism by sitting on the
Rights Council is a welcome reminder of the need ment critics. Their call was echoed by over 400 Human Rights Council, they are greatly mistaken.”
for more competition in U.N. elections," Human civil society groups from more than 60 countries.

Philippine military says no risk from China-backed towers

(AP) — The Philippine “We don’t see any security and cellphone services in the espionage are misplaced, say- that the military has estab-
military chief said Tues- risk, it’s very low and we find country. ing the Philippine company lished cybersecurity units
day there is virtually no it better that they are inside has invested heavily on cy- to protect its communica-
risk that towers and com- because we could have un- Critics and some lawmak- bersecurity and would never tion system. The Philippine
munications equipment announced inspections. We ers have raised concerns that be a threat to the country's military, meanwhile, plans
to be put up in military could inspect them at mid- China may be able to spy on national security. Dito is ne- to obtain radars and drones
camps by a China-backed night,” Gapay told reporters the Philippines through Di- gotiating to set up communi- from Japan, including some
telecom firm can be used in a video news conference. to’s communications equip- cation towers and equipment that would be used in off-
for espionage. ment to be installed in mili- at 22 sites in a proposal the shore areas to help monitor
Dito was accepted by the tary camps given the long- military will closely scruti- Manila-claimed territories
Gen. Gilbert Gapay said in- Philippine government as raging territorial disputes of nize, Gapay said. The two in the disputed South China
stalling the towers and equip- the third major player in the the Asian neighbors in the other major Philippine tele- Sea, Gapay said.
ment of Dito Telecommu- local telecom industry. The South China Sea. com companies have set up
nity Corp., a Philippine firm company is controlled by The Philippines is a treaty towers and equipment in The Philippines has strug-
in which Beijing’s China Filipino businessman Den- ally of the United States. The military areas after hurdling gled to carry out naval and
Telecom has a 40% financial nis Uy, a supporter of Presi- Trump administration has the same military review, he air patrols to protect its ter-
stake, in camps would allow dent Rodrigo Duterte, who wanted its allies to exclude said. ritorial interests in the con-
the military to better monitor has long complained about Chinese companies like tele- tested region, which Gapay
its operations. poor internet connections communications giant Hua- Telecommunication towers said remains “very tense.” He
wei Technologies Ltd., which have been erected in mili- cited China’s recent firing of
Washington regards as a se- tary-controlled areas in the a missile during an exercise
curity risk, as they upgrade to past for security. Communist and its militia forces “practi-
fifth-generation, or 5G, tech- and Muslim guerrillas have cally swarming” many areas
nology. bombed and toppled down of the strategic waterway. The
such towers, including gov- U.S. military has pressed its
Chinese officials have ac- ernment-maintained power freedom of navigation cam-
cused Washington of discred- transmission towers. paign with a “show of force,”
iting and oppressing Chi- The military uses a classi- he said. “It is really a potential
nese companies without any fied communication system flashpoint in this part of the
evidence. Dito officials have to link up units across the globe,” Gapay said.
said such fears over possible country, Gapay said, adding