HUMAN RIGHTS: Honduras Military Cleans up its Image

By Thelma Mejía Reprint | | Print |

Thelma Mejia

TEGUCIGALPA, Oct 10 1996 (IPS) - The armed forces in Honduras has been notorious in Latin America for its disregard for basic human rights isappeñÒûà±òͽÖѽÉÑÕÉòíàÙòëòò¹±ò¥ò¹‘U¹ÑѱÉòìò¹Ñ±åòÙò¹Ñౡ½ÖíÕµà¹ÉÑ¥ íÑÍÑàë½½àɽչ‘à¹åàɵåëàÉÉàì¡Í๑à¹å½¹òÝí½‘Ñ‘ÉÑÍ¡ò‘ëòѹ¥ëÉ๑ò‘àì½µµ Õ¹ÑÍÑѹÑíòÍòÉÙÑìò½ÖÑíò¹àÑѽ¹Íò¹òµÑòÍoday, however, the armed forces is seeking a þËíÑÁÝÑÑíͽìÑòÑåàÖÑòÉÍÁò¹‘ѹ¥ÑݽåòàÉÍÍÑÕ‘åѹ¥ÑíòÅÕòÍÑѽ¹½ÖíÕµà¹ÉÑ¥í ÑÍ๑±½ìà±à¹‘ѹÑòɹàÑѽ¹à±ì½¹Ùò¹Ñѽ¹Íѽ¥ÕàÉà¹ÑòòÉòÍÁòìѽÖëàÍÑìÉÑ¥íÑ ÍMost officers and miliary judges received training in human rights, and it is now common to see civilian human rights groups participating in military talks and forums.

“It hasn’t been easy,” said military spokesman Col. Mario Villanueva, “but we are aware that the global context has changed…”

Villanueva said the Honduran armed forces had been a “victim” of the Cold War, blamed for all “disappearances” – a practice he insisted was a state, rather than military, policy.

Villanueva, an expert in counter intelligence and psychological warfare, said army analyses “indicate that human rights will be universally respected in the 21st century. As an institution, we cannot isolate ourselves from that process. So we decided to train our members in human rights.”

A new programme to modernise the Honduran military – “Morazan 2000” – includes the creation of a human rights department in each local military academy which will handle specialist training of officers abroad.

Overdue reforms of the military legal system are also undwerway. The Honduras military penal code dates back to 1906, and some clauses are unconstitutional, said Colonel Abraham Reyes, a military judge-advocate in charge of promoting the discussion of human rights among officers. The old penal code even stipulates the death penalty for soldiers who disobey orders.

“The death penalty does not exist in Honduras, but it is still part of our military code. That is something that must be corrected,” said Reyes. ” It is also necessary to ban the use of shackles and chains on soldiers, which we now know is a violation of human rights.”

Human rights activists believed there was a reason for the armed forces – involved in numerous coups and accused of the vigilant-style execution of some 187 people in the 1980s – forging a new public image. They saw the effort as being linked to a new U.S. policy towards Latin America since the end of the Cold War as Washington now demanded that human rights be respected, and armies reduced or eliminated.

A Honduran general told IPS that the United States had trained local officers in the dirty war, but now had “abandoned us… we have learned our lesson, however, and we can maintain more dignity now in our relations with the U.S.”

In a forum on military justice and human rights sponsored two months ago by the U.S. government, Honduran officers raised questions on what was “right and wrong” when it came to defending national interests. “Where were human rights when the U.S. army invaded Panama in 1989?,” one officer complained.

Overall, said Leo Valladares, a representative of the Human Rights Commission, military interest in the issue is “a good sign and indicates that something is happening among the armed forces.”

Much still remains to be done, he said. The training of officers must include practical elements as well as theory, to demonstrate “that they are truly repentant for having violated human rights.”

According to Valladares, the best example of a change of attitudåVëËíòµÑ±ÑÑàÉåëÉàÍÍݽձ‘ëòÑíòÑÕɹѹ¥½ÙòɽֽÖÖÑìòÉÍÝí½àÉòÖÕ¥Ñ ÑÑÙòÖɽµ©ÕÍÑÑìòÝí½íàÙòëòò¹àììÕÍò‘½ÖÑà¡Ñ¹¥ÁàÉÑѹÑíòòßÑÉà©Õ‘ÑìÑà±òßòì ÕÑѽ¹Í½ÖÑíòÍ9%AMÑÉ‘ÍÁѵÖÖÍݵ¡101021 IPS065