Labour is right on Cuba

Labour is right on Cuba

Our policy of prioritising human rights and freedom of speech – unlike
the Tories – in relations with Cuba is the right one

Stephen Wilkinson is profoundly wrong to argue that the UK government
should not insist on meeting a range of political voices within Cuba.
The Labour government has always opposed the embargo of Cuba as it is
counterproductive. What is more, I would be delighted to talk to Cuban
ministers on bilateral issues, and to visit Cuba. Indeed, in recent
months both Baroness Kinnock and I have tried to make progress on this
point with the Cuban government.

But – and it is a big but – the Cuban government refuses to allow any
such visit to take place if it includes meetings with anyone the
government has not approved – and this includes political opponents. As
noted in the paper Opting for Engagement, Cuba is a "one-party state
with restricted civil and political liberties, which prioritises unity
and punishes its opponents" and cites the arrest and issuing of long
jail sentences to some 75 political dissidents in spring 2003. This is
exactly why it is important for British politicians to meet political
voices outside of the one-party state when we visit the island.

In line with the 1996 EU common position on Cuba, human rights remain a
priority in the government's relations with Cuba. In June 2009, EU
foreign ministers expressed serious concern at the lack of human rights
progress, and reaffirmed the relevance of the common position and "dual
track" engagement with the Cuban government and Cuban civil society.

Although fundamental rights are guaranteed under the Cuban constitution,
they may not be exercised "contrary to the existence and objectives of
the socialist state". Cuba's penal code effectively criminalises
dissent. Charges of "pre-criminal social dangerousness" – a pre-emptive
charge based on the likelihood of a person committing a crime in the
future – are often used to target potential or actual dissent. The
unofficial Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation
estimates that there may be between 3,000 and 5,000 people sentenced
with up to four years in prison under "pre-criminal dangerousness"
charges, including prostitutes, alcoholics and unemployed people. We
wrote to the Cuban justice ministry last March asking for official
figures for people held on this charge, but have not yet received a
response.

Wilkinson mentions trade union support of Cuba. On 3 August 2009, four
independent trade union activists from the Independent National Workers'
Confederation of Cuba were summoned to a police station in Havana and
detained until the following day. Maria Elena Mir Marrero and her
colleagues allege they were threatened with further harassment and
physical harm unless they stopped their activities. Political prisoners'
families allege routine use of solitary confinement, denial of medical
care and restrictions on family visits.

We have full diplomatic links with Cuba, we are and will continue to
engage with Cuba. It is positive that Cuba ratified the International
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
in February 2009. But ratification and implementation of key human
rights conventions remains uncompleted.

Wilkinson finishes with the rather naive claim that people who want
better relations with Cuba should vote Tory. If he'd read the rest of
the original story he might experience a more severe disquiet over Tory
donor Lord Ashcroft's attendance at meetings with Cuban officials. It
seems the Tories have naively subcontracted their foreign policy to a
man who has financial interests in the region. That's what Wilkinson
should be really worried about.

Labour is right on Cuba | Chris Bryant | Comment is free |
guardian.co.uk (4 February 2010)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/04/cuba-human-rights-labour