Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BOGOTA3509
2009-12-07 19:20:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:
UNHCHR TO AMBASSADOR: NGOS AND URIBE ARE OCEANS APART
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHBO #3509/01 3411920 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 071920Z DEC 09 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1474 INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0017 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 003509
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/07
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS CO
SUBJECT: UNHCHR TO AMBASSADOR: NGOS AND URIBE ARE OCEANS APART
REF: BOGOTA 3231
CLASSIFIED BY: William R. Brownfield, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 003509
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/07
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS CO
SUBJECT: UNHCHR TO AMBASSADOR: NGOS AND URIBE ARE OCEANS APART
REF: BOGOTA 3231
CLASSIFIED BY: William R. Brownfield, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)
1. (C) SUMMARY: UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
Kyung-wha Kang shared her concerns with the Ambassador on December
2 about the growing distance between the Colombian Government and
NGOs on their perception of the human rights situation. She
attributed the discord in part to the ongoing dispute between
President Uribe and the Supreme Court. Kang stressed UNHCHR's
continuous "middle man" role would be critical to helping Uribe and
the NGO community reach common ground. To that end, Deputy High
Commissioner Kang told the Ambassador that UNHCHR had signed an
agreement with the GOC to monitor the military's application of its
human rights policies (reftel). Regarding its role in helping
revamp Colombia's intelligence agency, Kang cautioned that UNHCHR
lacked the expertise and resources but would facilitate the visit
of a Colombian delegation to Germany to glean insight on the German
experience with purging the Stasi's intelligence files. End
Summary.
NGOS AND GOVERNMENT AT ODDS
--------------
2. (C) United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
Deputy High Commissioner Kang told the Ambassador that the
political rhetoric on human rights continues to worsen, with the
Colombian government reporting improvements and NGOs bemoaning GOC
abuses. Kang said she had noted increased anxiety among NGOs over
President Uribe's ongoing battle with the Supreme Court, which has
yet to select a new Prosecutor General (Fiscal General). While
recognizing the government's significant advances in addressing
human rights, Kang said that the UNHCHR mission in Colombia was
very protective of its credibility with both the government and the
NGO community and would continue taking painstaking efforts to not
take sides. The Ambassador commented that human rights groups have
personalized the debate around President Uribe and his potential
re-election based on the perhaps incorrect assumption that a new
president would be more sympathetic and responsive to their
grievances. The Uribe government, meanwhile, simplistically lumps
most of the human rights NGO's into the category of FARC
sympathizers.
DAS SCANDAL DOESN'T HELP TO BRIDGE THE GAP...
--------------
3. (C) Both Deputy High Commissioner Kang and the Ambassador agreed
that the wiretapping by the Administrative Department of Security
(DAS) and other GOC institutions of judges' conversations provided
unfortunate fodder for the human rights community to suspect the
executive branch of meddling with the judiciary. Kang reported
that the UNHCHR was re-thinking its proposal to help the DAS purge
Colombian intelligence files of inappropriate information about UN
officials and, subsequently, NGOs, political opponents, and the
courts. She said the DAS Director Felipe Munoz' premature
announcement of such an agreement had startled Geneva, which is
being highly protective of its credibility as it wades into this
complex issue. Kang said the UNHCHR was considering asking for
assistance from other governments with expertise in intelligence.
In any event, the UNHCHR plans to take a GOC delegation to Germany
to learn about purging intelligence files of the East German
Ministry for State Security (Stasi) during reunification. The
Ambassador emphasized the international community's obligation to
help Colombia sort out what happened in the DAS scandal and to
avoid a repeat.
...BUT POLITICAL WILL ON MILITARY MONITORING PROJECT
-------------- --------------
4. (C) Deputy High Commissioner Kang reported a breakthrough with
the Defense Minister, Interior Minister, Armed Forces Commander and
the Procurador, who all agreed to UNHCHR's proposal to monitor
seven of the military's fifteen measures passed in the wake of the
Soacha extrajudicial executions case. Kang cited the agreement as
proof that the GOC has the political will to address human rights
problems, and the Ambassador added that the international community
should capitalize on this opportunity with the Uribe
administration. The Ambassador noted that the GOC seemed most open
to projects such that do not take predetermined positions, focus on
feasible solutions, and encourage a non-confrontational approach.
BROWNFIELD
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/07
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS CO
SUBJECT: UNHCHR TO AMBASSADOR: NGOS AND URIBE ARE OCEANS APART
REF: BOGOTA 3231
CLASSIFIED BY: William R. Brownfield, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)
1. (C) SUMMARY: UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
Kyung-wha Kang shared her concerns with the Ambassador on December
2 about the growing distance between the Colombian Government and
NGOs on their perception of the human rights situation. She
attributed the discord in part to the ongoing dispute between
President Uribe and the Supreme Court. Kang stressed UNHCHR's
continuous "middle man" role would be critical to helping Uribe and
the NGO community reach common ground. To that end, Deputy High
Commissioner Kang told the Ambassador that UNHCHR had signed an
agreement with the GOC to monitor the military's application of its
human rights policies (reftel). Regarding its role in helping
revamp Colombia's intelligence agency, Kang cautioned that UNHCHR
lacked the expertise and resources but would facilitate the visit
of a Colombian delegation to Germany to glean insight on the German
experience with purging the Stasi's intelligence files. End
Summary.
NGOS AND GOVERNMENT AT ODDS
--------------
2. (C) United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
Deputy High Commissioner Kang told the Ambassador that the
political rhetoric on human rights continues to worsen, with the
Colombian government reporting improvements and NGOs bemoaning GOC
abuses. Kang said she had noted increased anxiety among NGOs over
President Uribe's ongoing battle with the Supreme Court, which has
yet to select a new Prosecutor General (Fiscal General). While
recognizing the government's significant advances in addressing
human rights, Kang said that the UNHCHR mission in Colombia was
very protective of its credibility with both the government and the
NGO community and would continue taking painstaking efforts to not
take sides. The Ambassador commented that human rights groups have
personalized the debate around President Uribe and his potential
re-election based on the perhaps incorrect assumption that a new
president would be more sympathetic and responsive to their
grievances. The Uribe government, meanwhile, simplistically lumps
most of the human rights NGO's into the category of FARC
sympathizers.
DAS SCANDAL DOESN'T HELP TO BRIDGE THE GAP...
--------------
3. (C) Both Deputy High Commissioner Kang and the Ambassador agreed
that the wiretapping by the Administrative Department of Security
(DAS) and other GOC institutions of judges' conversations provided
unfortunate fodder for the human rights community to suspect the
executive branch of meddling with the judiciary. Kang reported
that the UNHCHR was re-thinking its proposal to help the DAS purge
Colombian intelligence files of inappropriate information about UN
officials and, subsequently, NGOs, political opponents, and the
courts. She said the DAS Director Felipe Munoz' premature
announcement of such an agreement had startled Geneva, which is
being highly protective of its credibility as it wades into this
complex issue. Kang said the UNHCHR was considering asking for
assistance from other governments with expertise in intelligence.
In any event, the UNHCHR plans to take a GOC delegation to Germany
to learn about purging intelligence files of the East German
Ministry for State Security (Stasi) during reunification. The
Ambassador emphasized the international community's obligation to
help Colombia sort out what happened in the DAS scandal and to
avoid a repeat.
...BUT POLITICAL WILL ON MILITARY MONITORING PROJECT
-------------- --------------
4. (C) Deputy High Commissioner Kang reported a breakthrough with
the Defense Minister, Interior Minister, Armed Forces Commander and
the Procurador, who all agreed to UNHCHR's proposal to monitor
seven of the military's fifteen measures passed in the wake of the
Soacha extrajudicial executions case. Kang cited the agreement as
proof that the GOC has the political will to address human rights
problems, and the Ambassador added that the international community
should capitalize on this opportunity with the Uribe
administration. The Ambassador noted that the GOC seemed most open
to projects such that do not take predetermined positions, focus on
feasible solutions, and encourage a non-confrontational approach.
BROWNFIELD