PRESIDENT URIBE ANNOUNCES NEW MILITARY HUMAN

UNCLAS BOGOTA 004066 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS CO SUBJECT: PRESIDENT URIBE ANNOUNCES NEW MILITARY HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE REF: A. BOGOTA 3959 ¶B. BOGOTA 4028 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) On November 6, President Uribe announced that the Colombian military would designate a special official in every division, brigade, battalion, and police command to receive public complaints of possible human rights abuses by the security forces. The officials will provide publicized weekly reports to build public confidence following the Soacha scandals. Defense Ministry officials told us they are working to implement the President's announcement. At his change of command ceremony, newly appointed Army Commander General Gonzalez Pena highlighted respect for human rights and international humanitarian law as his "primary task." Gonzalez added that the military cannot allow "false positives" to undermine the military's legitimacy. In press interviews, he defended his human rights record and said he has ordered the Army's inspector delegates to focus exclusively on human rights. END SUMMARY -------------- -------------- URIBE ANNOUNCES NEW HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICERS FOR EVERY UNIT -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) On November 6, President Uribe announced that the Colombian military would designated a named official in every division, brigade, battalion, and police command to receive public complaints of possible human rights abuses by the security forces. The officials will provide publicized weekly reports to regain public confidence. They will also regularly report any complaints received to their chains of command. Uribe said the GOC hopes to work with the Inspector General's Office (Procuraduria),Prosecutor General's Office (Fiscalia) and the United Nations on the project. The announcement follows the resignation of Colombian Army Commanding General Mario Montoya Uribe and the appointment of Major General Oscar Enrique Gonzalez Pena to replace him on November 4 (ref A). Uribe also dismissed 27 military officers for their roles in the disappearance and subsequent murders of young men from Soacha and Antioquia in late October (ref B). ¶3. (U) Officials in the Defense Ministry's Human Rights Unit told us they are working to implement Uribe's announcement, and will likely designate an existing officer within each unit to fulfill this function. Their Bogota-based office occasionally receives calls from citizens reporting human rights abuses, but it does not have a dedicated hotline. The MOD's Integrated Policy on Human Rights, unveiled in December 2007, calls for the placement of legal advisors in every brigade, but these officers' main task is to provide legal advice to commanders, not to investigate abuses. The Human Rights Unit was not consulted on the new initiative prior to Uribe's press conference. -------------- -------------- NEW ARMY COMMANDER GONZALEZ PROMISES TRANSPARENCY -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) At his change of command ceremony on November 6, newly appointed Army Commander General Gonzalez Pena highlighted building respect for human rights and international humanitarian law as his "primary tasks." He said commanders at all levels are responsible for promoting institutional ethics, and added that he would instruct existing inspector delegates (each division is assigned an inspector delegate) to focus exclusively on human rights issues. Gonzalez reiterated his commitment to maintain the military's public credibility by obtaining unimpeachable results and providing service to the general populace. In follow-on press interviews, Gonzalez defended his human rights record from criticism by human rights groups, and said "I am not (Montoya's) clone." He stressed that that the military cannot allow "false positives" to undermine legitimate military operations. Gonazalez reiterated the need for results, but said this did not include criminal acts. BROWNFIELD