[WSIS CS-Plenary] Tunis censored???

[Renata BLOEM]

Enrique and Sacha,

We are aware of the situation, maybe not in all the details. What we do hope
is that the Tunis process will provide opportunities to help create this
space for more open discussion. A confrontational attitude at the outset is
not always the best way to get there.
Renata

-----Original Message-----
From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org]On
Behalf Of Enrique A.Chaparro
Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 5:44 PM
To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
Subject: Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Tunis censored???


On Sun, 7 Mar 2004 19:36:10 +0100
"Renata BLOEM" <rbloem at ngocongo.org> wrote:

RB> Djilali,
RB>
RB> We were neither threatened, in danger nor any other unpleasant thing.
RB> Quite the contrary, we were met with an offensive de charm and warm
RB> hospitality. As Nnenna said we also talked freely to media about our
RB> hope that Tunis wold provide an excellent opportunity to help
RB> implement the Geneva Declaration and Plan of Action with all its
RB> development and human rights implication.
RB>
RB> However, it is also true that certain websites as of now can not be
RB> accessed, and therefore freedom of access to Internet is not yet
RB> guaranteed. Best
RB> Renata

No tengo conocimiento directo de la situacion de derechos humanos en
Tunez. Por lo tanto, puedo estar basandome en informacion distorsionada.
Sin embargo, numerosas organizaciones respetables como Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch y la Organizacion Mundial
contra la Tortura, han señalado (y continuan señalando) graves
violaciones a los derechos humanos en ese pais. Más de 2.000 presos
políticos en un país de menos de 10M de habitantes deben estar
indicando que `algo huele a podrido en Dinamarca'.

Si alguno de ustedes llegaba cuasi-oficialmente invitado a mi pais
durante la dictadura asesina de 1976-1983, probablemente tambien
hubiese hallado `warm hospitality' de parte de los funcionarios de
gobierno y algunos miemros de la sociedad civil (cuidadosamente
escogidos). Asi que las afirmaciones de la Sra. Bloem no proporcionan
ninguna prueba convincente sobre la situacion real de los derechos
humanos en Tunez.

Insisto en que debemos reflexionar _seriamente_ y mas alla de la
prueba anecdotica, acerca de la actitud que debemos tomar ante la
etapa tunecina de la Cumbre.

Regards from the Far South,

Enrique

===

I have no direct knowledge of the human rights situation in Tunisia.
Therefore, my judgement could be based on distorted assumptions.
However, many respected organizations as Amnesty International, Human
Rights Watch and World Organization Against Torture have pointed
out _serious_ violations of human rights in Tunisia. More than 2,000
political prisoners in a country with less than 10M inhabitants must
be indicating that `something is rotten in the state of Denmark'.

If any of you had come to my country as a quasi-official guest during
the bloodthirsty dictatorship of 1976-1983, would have quite probably
felt `warm hospitality' from government officials and some (cautiously
selected) members of the civil society. Therefore, Ms. Bloem' assertions
don't give any convincing evidence with regard to the actual and current
status of human rights in Tunisia.

I must insist on the point that we should _seriously_ discuss, beyond
anecdotal evidence, our attitude vis-a-vis the Tunisian stage of the
WSIS.

Saludos desde el Lejano Sur,

Enrique

--
``Izena duen guzia omen da.''