Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-04-21-Speech-3-279"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2004-04-21"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Pakistan2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20040421.11.3-279"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2004-04-21-Speech-3-2802
lpv:speaker	lp:John Walls Cushnahan2
lpv:spoken text	"In their decision to abandon the human rights and democracy clause in the Third Generation Agreement with Pakistan, regrettably the Council and the Commission are betraying those in Pakistan – especially those within civil society – who risk their personal safety on a daily basis to defend these principles. This betrayal is taking place for a combination of unjustified geopolitical reasons and the 'thirty pieces of silver' in trading benefits that some Member States value so much. I listened today to Minister Roche, Commissioner Patten and Baroness Ludford, who argued that there will be an enhanced human rights dialogue. Ask those who are persecuted and incarcerated in China, North Korea and Uzbekistan, where there is already a supposedly enhanced human rights dialogue whether it has helped them. Let me remind you that, in the case of Uzbekistan, this Parliament was pressurised into ratifying a similar agreement in 1999 and, since then, the human rights situation has deteriorated further. The real reason why we are being asked to approve the accord is because of pressure from the US and the UK as a consequence of the current mess in Iraq resulting from a war that should never have been fought without UN approval. Does anyone think that it will help the situation in Iraq by abandoning the democratic and human rights of the people of Pakistan? Instead we will be feeding the arrogance of the President of a unipolar power and a subservient UK prime minister and supporting their mistake, which is currently being repeated in the Middle East with likely disastrous consequences! I must ask my colleagues in the European Parliament, are we to be the puppets of the Council and the Commission or will we be the democratic voice of the people of Europe, defending freedom and human rights and giving hope to the oppressed people of the world? If we ratify this agreement we abandon this role in favour of conferring political legitimacy on a quasi-military regime which continues to abuse democracy and human rights and allows nuclear secrets to be sold to rogue states. I ask Members of this Parliament, where do you stand on this issue?"@en1
lpv:spokenAs	unknown; Fine Gael Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia and the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; EPP-ED (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Cushnahan (PPE-DE )."1

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