Uribe seeks Farc hostage talks

[UnrepentantFenian]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4141014.stm



The Colombian government is seeking to open fresh talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or Farc.

[jjcarroll]

It is always worth remembering that FARC's support never gets into double figures, and that Colombia for all its flaws is a funcitoning democracy.

[UnrepentantFenian]

It is always worth remembering that FARC's support never gets into double figures, and that Colombia for all its flaws is a funcitoning democracy.

Taken from the FARC website concerning their political wing UP:

According to data from the media and Human Rights bulletins, as 1986 came to a close, the list of assassinations of UP members was: three members of Congress, one deputy to the Meta Departmental Assembly, and eleven council members. In the same period, one magistrate from Santander, two candidates to public corporations, sixty-one leaders and activists in patriotic groups, sixty-nine members of the bases, twenty-four guerrillas in truce, and thirty-four UP supporters were murdered.

Later, before the perspectives of the 1988 mayoral elections in which the UP participated for the first time, reactionary sectors regarded the UP's prospects for victory in wide regions of the country with apprehension. From 1986 up to the 1988 elections, militarism concentrated its attackes on UP leaders; approximately 30% of its candidates were assassinated before elections.

In October 1987 UP presidential candidate Jaime Pardo Leal was assassinated. Later, in March 1990, his successor Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa met the same fate. More recently, at the beginning of the Samper administration (1990), the only UP senator, Manuel Cepeda Vargas, was assassinated; 1½ years later, its highest national leader, Aida Abella, fled the country after an attempt on her life. Yet the UP is hanging on amidst so much genocide in some regions of the country.

[Gerrry]

It is always worth remembering that FARC's support never gets into double figures, and that Colombia for all its flaws is a funcitoning democracy.

Colombia is not a democracy. Holding elections does not make it democratic, no more than the Soviet Union or Saddam Husseins Iraq holding elections made those countries democratic.

To be democratic, elections must be free and fair - Colombia's are neither. Political opponents, trade union a nd human rights activists are executed and intimidated by the Colombian Government and its right Wing Death Squad Allies. As all the Human Rights organisations will tell you, Colombia has an appalling human rights record.

[jjcarroll]

To be democratic, elections must be free and fair - Colombia's are neither

According to whom? Would you trust the OAS on this?

The biggest limitation on democracy in Colombia, is FARC who are at present holding 21 politicians hostage. BTW, have you any thoughts on Ingrid Betancourt?

[Gerrry]

To be democratic, elections must be free and fair - Colombia's are neither

According to whom? Would you trust the OAS on this?

The biggest limitation on democracy in Colombia, is FARC who are at present holding 21 politicians hostage. BTW, have you any thoughts on Ingrid Betancourt?

I have no truck whatsoever for any hostage takers, whther that be FARC the Colombian Regime or their Right Wing Allies the AU.

However, when the UP tried to move into politics over 4000 of their members were assassinated. So thats Colombian Democracy for ya?

[pluralist]

Gerry, would THIS be one of the human rights organisations you are referring to:-

'Human Rights Watch considers that "the FARC-EP's continued use of gas cylinder bombs shows this armed group’s flagrant disregard for lives of civilians...gas cylinder bombs are impossible to aim with accuracy and, as a result, frequently strike civilian objects and cause avoidable civilian casualties." '


How about this:-


"Another incident occurred on July 10, 2004, when the FARC allegedly assassinated seven peasants (Francisco Giraldo, Carlos Torres, José Velásquez, Israel Velásquez, Mauricio Herrera, John Jairo Usuga and Pablo Usuga), in Samaná, near the municipality of San Carlos, Antioquia, according to the mayor of San Carlos, Colombian authorities and witnesses to the event.

The victims of the massacre were labourers who had returned to the zone after being forcefully displaced by the FARC earlier, presumably due to military or paramilitary activity in the area. They were apparently murdered because they had not received permission from the FARC to return yet, according to witnesses. The July 10 massacre provoked a further exodus of at least 80 persons from the surrounding rural area towards the urban locality of San Carlos.

On July 13, 2004, the office of the United Nations's High Commissioner for Human Rights publicly condemned this further act of violence and the ensuing displacement, accusing the FARC of violating article 17 of the additional Protocol II of the Geneva Convention and of international humanitarian law, expressing its solidarity towards the families of the victims."

[jjcarroll]

However, when the UP tried to move into politics over 4000 of their members were assassinated. So thats Colombian Democracy for ya?

Firstly, they were not all assainated, and even if they were, that happened almost twenty years ago. It has about absolutely no relevance to Colombian democracy today.

Secondly, do you accept the report of the OAS observers of the 02 elections?

Thirdly, would you accept that there is no evidence at all to suggest that the AUC or any of the paramilitaries operate under executive control from the civilian government?

Fourthly, what is your opinion of the Ingrid Betancourt case?

Fifthly, do you believe that FARC has any moral right to attack targets which are pricnipally civilian in nature e.g. water reservoirs, electricity pylons, gyms, politicians, etc?

[pluralist]

Colombia has an appalling human rights record.

Which elements in Colombia? Its government? Or its revolutionary communist paramilitaries known popularly as FARC?

[Gerrry]

Yeah. Idont think you will have ever seen me suggest FARC were angels. That is why I support the re-starting of the Colombian Peace Process to bring an end to the killings there on all sides. I alreaddy said I had no truck with hostage takers on any side. Would you agree? - would JJ?

However, woudl you care to also publish what these human rights groups say about the Colombian Regime and its allies in the Right Wing Death Squads who are reponsible for the vast majority of deaths in this conflict.