wfn.org | LWF intervenes at UN Commission on Human Rights meeting

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

Religious minorities, indigenous peoples, Bhutanese refugees, Colombia

GENEVA, 16 April 1998 (lwi) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), World
Council of Churches (WCC), World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and
Conference of European Churches (CEC) have jointly brought the growing
number of conflicts between religious minorities and majorities to the
attention of the UN Commission on Human Rights, at its meeting taking place
here March 16 - April 24.

The Christian bodies expressed concern over attempts by governments to
control and regulate religions and religious organizations and over
situations in which religious intolerance and discrimination is a mask for
ethnic hatreds.

In the post-cold war period, religious and intellectual freedom, instead of
advancing, has received a setback, the church umbrella organizations said
in their analysis of the situation. The way to move forward, they said, to
overcome intolerance and discrimination is to build a culture of tolerance,
nonviolence and justice: "Churches, long-experienced in the area, have
shown that sustainable progress towards tolerance can only come, not
through denunciation, but through a positive and constructive approach
based upon dialogue."

Serious human rights violations in Colombia

In the discussion on Colombia, the LWF, WCC and WARC expressed concern
about the violent attacks on and intimidation of human rights defenders and
humanitarian workers, the employment of children as combatants and the
disproportionate levels of impunity enjoyed by members of paramilitary or
"private justice" groups.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, earlier had reported
on "serious and systematic" human rights violations, massacres, executions,
torture, abductions and forced resettlement in Colombia. The report,
submitted March 31, considers paramilitary groups responsible for the
majority of the killings. These groups act with support from members of the
army and police, the report states.

LWF continues advocacy for Bhutanese refugees in Nepal

The LWF continues its advocacy for the over 90,000 Bhutanese refugees in
Nepal. The refugees, Southern Bhutanese, almost exclusively of Nepali
ethnicity, fled Bhutan from 1991 onwards because of ethnically
discriminatory policies implemented by the Bhutanese government. So far,
according to the intervention jointly presented by the LWF, World Christian
Life Community, Jesuit Refugee Service and Save the Children Fund UK, the
bilateral negotiations between the governments of Nepal and Bhutan since
1993 have not led to a breakthrough for the refugees.

The bilateral negotiations would have to be actively encouraged and
accompanied by the international community to achieve proper guarantees of
respect for human rights and personal security of the refugees upon their
return to their homeland, the statement continued.

In a further intervention the LWF commented on the slow progress of
negotiations on the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

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Lutheran World Information
Editorial Assistant: Janet Bond-Nash
E-mail: jbn@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/