Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-03-Speech-3-172"
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"en.20030903.7.3-172"2
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"Mr President, Mr van den Bos is to be congratulated on his work, but the trouble with a wide-ranging report like this is that it eventually includes everyone's pet hobby-horse and the key messages may be obscured.
It is a cliché now to state that human rights are indivisible. But I am not convinced that the human rights of mass murdering terrorists or those that aid and abet them in any way deserve the same consideration as those of decent law-abiding citizens. We are reminded that in the fight against terrorism our democracies must take care not to abuse civil liberties and human rights. This is, of course, true, but equally, we must not allow human rights to become a political weapon in the terrorist armoury. It is the terrorists and their apologists that are the biggest abusers of the human rights of our citizens.
It is very easy for us to wring our hands over all the human rights abuses around the world. To my mind, the European Union should focus more precisely on some achievable objectives where it has leverage. It should concentrate action on a few areas where there is the possibility of getting results and then act with consistency and determination.
I think of Burma – on which I shall speak tomorrow – and Zimbabwe, where millions of people are suffering under Mugabe's tyranny, a situation shamefully tolerated and encouraged by leaders in some African countries in the region. Resolutions of this Parliament have too often been ignored by the Council. Some countries have tried to exploit the situation to their own advantage. Instead there should be a consistent, coherent approach based on a clear strategy to remove Mugabe's boot from the neck of his people. It could be done.
Corrupt and brutal governments in failed states are usually the main source of human rights abuse of millions of the world's most disadvantaged people. As British Conservatives, we are insistent that, in return for enhanced development assistance, recipient countries should implement their side of the bargain, namely good governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Maybe then we would have some progress."@en1
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