Turning a Blind Eye to Uganda's Human Rights Record

From the Saturday, November 24, 2007, Toronto Star, World section, page AA3, an article about the hypocrisy of Commonwealth countries in ignoring Uganda's record on human rights:

'DOUBLE STANDARDS' SLAMMED
Opposition accuses Commonwealth of hypocrisy for ignoring Uganda's disturbing rights' record

Richard Brennan
Ottawa Bureau

Kampala - The Commonwealth is turning a blind eye to the fact that Uganda is one of the most oppressed countries in world where murder, corruption and intimidation is systemic, says the leader of the main Ugandan opposition.

"The level of corruption in Uganda is unprecedented," Kizza Besigye, leader of the Forum for Democratic Change, told Canadian reporters yesterday.

Besigye said it was the height of hypocrisy for Uganda to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which espouses the values of human rights, democracy and an independent judiciary.

"We are quite disappointed with the Commonwealth, mainly for being unable and unwilling to promote and uphold its own principles," he said.

Up to 100 protesting opposition supporters gathered near the summit site yesterday and were attacked by police wielding batons and sticks, Beti Kamya, an opposition MP, told Associated Press.

The crowd responded by throwing empty bottles and stones, she said.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni will be chair of the Commonwealth for the next two years, and outgoing secretary general Don McKinnon of New Zealand has been quick to defend criticism of Museveni's government.

Besigye said the Commonwealth clearly displays a "double standard," referring to the fact it suspended Pakistan's membership this week for imposing emergency rule and jailing thousands of people who opposed President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's heavy hand, while conditions in Uganda are as bad or worse.

He accused the governing party, the National Resistance Party, of bribing members of the parliament to support amending the constitution to void term limits, allowing Musveni to run a third time.

Museveni yesterday defended the move, saying other Commonwealth countries don't have term limits.

Besigye, a former personal physician to Museveni, was jailed in 2006 on charges that included treason and rape, and during his time in prison he was nominated as a presidential candidate. While campaigning, he was handcuffed to a man charged with killing eight tourists.

"For the entire period of the campaign, I was busy in court defending myself against charges of rape," which were determined to be unfounded, he said.

Besigye said the presidential election was marred by violence - "including the open killing of our supporters here in the town of Kampala," as well as ballot stuffing and vote buying.

When Helena Guergis, Canada's secretary of state for foreign affairs, was told about Besigye's comments, she replied: "Duly noted."

Besigye also said it is shameful to have the government spend $150 million to host the Commmonwealth leaders when most Ugandas live in abject poverty.

"This expense is undertaken against the background of extreme poverty" and the fact that thousands of people have lost everything in recent floods with no help from the government, Besigye said.

"Not even one shilling has arrived in the emergency area ... but we are happy to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a talk show,"he said.