HUMAN RIGHTS: UN Commission Condemn Hostage Taking

By Gustavo Capdevila Reprint | | Print |

Gustavo Capdevila

GENEVA, Mar 12 1997 (IPS) - The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Commission condemned the occupation of the Japanese ambassador’s residence in Lima, Peru, and the “taking of hostages by terrorist elements,” Wednesday.

The Commission president, Czech ambassador Miroslav Somol, signed a declaration giving support to the governments of Peru and Japan, the hostages and their families.

The declaration, which obtained the consensus of the 53 Commission member states, said the organism has repeatedly and firmly condemned the taking of hostages “as an act tending towards the destruction of human rights.”

The text of the document supports the efforts made by the Peruvian and Japanese governments to resolve the problem in a peaceful manner and to encourage talks to continue between the government and the guerrilla group.

The Japanese ambassador’s residence was occupied on Dec.17 last year by a commando group from the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) which burst into the building during a party celebrating the birthday of the emperor of Japan.

Only 72 of the 600 guests initially taken, including close relations of Peru’s President Alberto Fujimori, both Japanese and Peruvian, are still being held.

Peru’s ambassador to the international organisms in Geneva, Jose Urrutia, admitted that Lima and Tokyo had promoted approval of the declaration condemning the taking of hostages.

The Human Rights Commission was the UN organism best suited to making declarations on a situation which clearly violated the basic rights, said Urrutia.

Along with the Japanese embassy in Geneva, “we think we could collaborate with President Somol, suggesting some elements to be included in the declaration,” explained the Peruvian diplomat.

The declaration is based on similar statements by the UN Security Council, made up of the Group of Seven and Russia, of all the Asian and European Union foreign ministers.

Another special element, said Urrutia, was the Organisation of American States’ (OAS) resolution to issue a condemnation.

The president of the Human Rights Commission took all of these into account and presented a text which had been consulted with various regional groups.

The agreed document clearly reflected the Commission sentiments in “the vigourous condemnation of action which affects the international community,” said Urrutia.

The MRTA group are calling for the freedom of all of their fighters currently detained in prisons throughout Peru.