Urgent actions
Detailed briefing:
What could the UK Government do to help?
Civil Society
The UK Government believe that their pressure has helped convince the Colombian Government of the importance of civil society organisations like trade unions and human rights groups. Colombia Minister Bill Rammell points out that after a meeting with President Uribe earlier this year, Uribe was persuaded to mention the importance of civil society in a speech to the police academy. Yet early on 8th September 2003, President Uribe made a speech accusing 80 human rights and other civil society groups of being “terrorist sympathisers” and “cowards”. The 80 organisations, including some of Colombia’s most respected human rights groups like the Colombian Commission of Jurists, had recently released a report critical of Uribe’s security polices, which they believe are having a negative impact on the civilian population. Uribe announced; “when terrorists start feeling weak, they immediately send their spokesmen to talk about human rights” and that they should “take off their masks... and drop this cowardice of hiding their ideas behind human rights”. The charge of terrorism is widely used in Colombia to legitimise the assassination or disappearance of trade unionists and other civil society representatives. President Uribe’s charge is deeply worrying and puts the lives and operations of human rights activists in jeopardy. Rather than condemn the speech, however, the British Ambassador said that the President had been misinterpreted supported the notion that there were indeed NGOs in Colombia and abroad involved in “spreading propaganda for the guerrilla”. Under the circumstances we believe this did little to remove those accused from danger. Bill Rammell has since issued a statement which we welcome in which he expresses “concern that the President's recent speech criticising some NGOs ran the risk of being counterproductive.... I urged the Colombian Government to reiterate its support for NGOs and civil society."
Return to top Military Assistance
We believe these events outline the importance of cutting military assistance to Colombia. The UK Government has released some details of this assistance, following on from pressure from the public and Guardian newspaper. It contends that military assistance is humanitarian in purpose – focusing for example on landmine clearance. But as the full details have still not been revealed, we cannot be sure that military assistance from the UK is not falling into the hands of those sections of the armed forces that commit human rights violations themselves, or share equipment and information with the paramilitaries. Military intelligence, while sounding less harmful than equipment, is a key aspect of the collusion between the armed forces and paramilitary units in Colombia. The armed forces themselves are involved in activity which contravenes human rights law. For example, in August, 42 human rights defenders and trade unionists were arrested in the militarised province of Arauca in what Amnesty International referred to as an apparent “on-going coordinated campaign to undermine the work of trade unionists and human rights activists and expose these sectors to increased attack from army-backed paramilitaries”. We do not believe that the UK Government should assist the Colombian armed forces while there is still collusion with the paramilitaries, and we believe that the Department for Trade & Industry should consider instituting an arms embargo on Colombia while the human rights emergency continues.
Return to top International Law
The UK Government believes that the role it plays in international bodies such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) allows them to harness international pressure on Colombia to take workers’ rights seriously. But in June 2003, the UK voted against a resolution supported by trade unions across the world to establish a Commission of Enquiry into the assassinations of thousands of Colombian trade unionists over the last decade.
Return to top Economic Policy
Trade unions in Colombia believe that the economic policies of the Colombian Government – such as widespread privatisation of public services – is increasing poverty and fuelling violence. The UK Government supports these economic policies and in any case believes that: “it is not our place as a foreign government to interfere”. But the UK government repeatedly interferes in the economic policies of countries across the world, through its role in international bodies such as the World Trade Organisation, International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
Return to top We need your help with this campaign
The UK Government believe that their pressure has helped convince the Colombian Government of the importance of civil society organisations like trade unions and human rights groups. Colombia Minister Bill Rammell points out that after a meeting with President Uribe earlier this year, Uribe was persuaded to mention the importance of civil society in a speech to the police academy. Yet early on 8th September 2003, President Uribe made a speech accusing 80 human rights and other civil society groups of being “terrorist sympathisers” and “cowards”. The 80 organisations, including some of Colombia’s most respected human rights groups like the Colombian Commission of Jurists, had recently released a report critical of Uribe’s security polices, which they believe are having a negative impact on the civilian population. Uribe announced; “when terrorists start feeling weak, they immediately send their spokesmen to talk about human rights” and that they should “take off their masks... and drop this cowardice of hiding their ideas behind human rights”. The charge of terrorism is widely used in Colombia to legitimise the assassination or disappearance of trade unionists and other civil society representatives. President Uribe’s charge is deeply worrying and puts the lives and operations of human rights activists in jeopardy. Rather than condemn the speech, however, the British Ambassador said that the President had been misinterpreted supported the notion that there were indeed NGOs in Colombia and abroad involved in “spreading propaganda for the guerrilla”. Under the circumstances we believe this did little to remove those accused from danger. Bill Rammell has since issued a statement which we welcome in which he expresses “concern that the President's recent speech criticising some NGOs ran the risk of being counterproductive.... I urged the Colombian Government to reiterate its support for NGOs and civil society."
Return to top Military Assistance
We believe these events outline the importance of cutting military assistance to Colombia. The UK Government has released some details of this assistance, following on from pressure from the public and Guardian newspaper. It contends that military assistance is humanitarian in purpose – focusing for example on landmine clearance. But as the full details have still not been revealed, we cannot be sure that military assistance from the UK is not falling into the hands of those sections of the armed forces that commit human rights violations themselves, or share equipment and information with the paramilitaries. Military intelligence, while sounding less harmful than equipment, is a key aspect of the collusion between the armed forces and paramilitary units in Colombia. The armed forces themselves are involved in activity which contravenes human rights law. For example, in August, 42 human rights defenders and trade unionists were arrested in the militarised province of Arauca in what Amnesty International referred to as an apparent “on-going coordinated campaign to undermine the work of trade unionists and human rights activists and expose these sectors to increased attack from army-backed paramilitaries”. We do not believe that the UK Government should assist the Colombian armed forces while there is still collusion with the paramilitaries, and we believe that the Department for Trade & Industry should consider instituting an arms embargo on Colombia while the human rights emergency continues.
Return to top International Law
The UK Government believes that the role it plays in international bodies such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) allows them to harness international pressure on Colombia to take workers’ rights seriously. But in June 2003, the UK voted against a resolution supported by trade unions across the world to establish a Commission of Enquiry into the assassinations of thousands of Colombian trade unionists over the last decade.
Return to top Economic Policy
Trade unions in Colombia believe that the economic policies of the Colombian Government – such as widespread privatisation of public services – is increasing poverty and fuelling violence. The UK Government supports these economic policies and in any case believes that: “it is not our place as a foreign government to interfere”. But the UK government repeatedly interferes in the economic policies of countries across the world, through its role in international bodies such as the World Trade Organisation, International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
Return to top We need your help with this campaign
| Click here to send an e-postcard to Bill Rammell about military assistance to Colombia | |
| www.locata.co.uk/commons/ Will give you details of your local MP | |
| www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/MembersMain.htm Will give details of your local MEP | |
| Click here To help us spread the work about the Colombia campaign. Get more actions, a video and report | |
| Click here for a further background information on our Colombia campaign | |
| Click here For further details about our Urgent Action with Project Partner SINTRAEMCALI |
