First International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism: Partial tally of the Castro dictatorship

Remembering and speaking truth to power.

 Today is the first International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, and it is a proper occasion to remember, continue to demand justice, and demand an end to the dehumanization and violence visited on our fellow human beings.

Victims of the Castro regime's state terrorism on February 24, 1996

Last year the United Nations General Assembly, "in its resolution 72/165 (2017), established 21 August 2017 as the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism in order to honor and support the victims and survivors of terrorism and to promote and protect the full enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms. Resolution 72/165 builds on existing efforts by the General Assembly, the Commission of Human Rights and the Human Rights Council to promote and protect the rights of victims of terrorism."

According to the United Nations this action reaffirms the "promotion and the protection of human rights and the rule of law at the national; and international levels are essential for preventing and combating terrorism."

But far too often the United Nations has honored those who have systematically violated human rights, ended the rule of law in their country, been a negative force internationally, and even sponsored and perpetrated terrorist acts. 

Victims of the Castro regime's state terrorism on July 13, 1994

On three occasions the United Nations paid homage to a dead dictator linked to terrorism and drug trafficking. First on December 1, 2016 the United Nations General Assembly held a moment of silence for Fidel Castro in New York City. Five days later on December 6, 2016 at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva Switzerland a moment of silence was held for Fidel Castro. Two weeks later on December 20, 2016 the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York City paid tribute to the dead Cuban dictator for the third time.

NY Daily News Photo, H Hamburg. 1975 Fraunces Tavern bombing by Cuban backed FALN

Worse yet, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added “The Life and Works of Che Guevara” to the World Registrar. UNESCO is providing funds to preserve Che Guevara’s papers. Guevara in addition to promoting communist ideology, is best known as an advocate for guerrilla warfare who viewed terrorism as a legitimate method of struggle against an enemy.

In the first year of the revolution in Cuba (1959) Mr Guevara remarked on the mass executions taking place: “To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary … These procedures are an archaic bourgeois detail. This is a revolution!”  Eight years later (1967) he offered up a terrifying vision of what should drive a combatant. “Blind hate against the enemy creates a forceful impulse that cracks the boundaries of natural human limitations, transforming the soldier in an effective, selective and cold killing machine. A people without hate cannot triumph against the adversary.” This is a recipe for war crimes.

Dr. Eduardo Cardet MD, prisoner of conscience since November 30, 2016

On December 5, 2016 delegates of the U.N. Human Rights Council opened a meeting in Geneva by standing silently after Venezuela’s delegation requested a minute of silence to “honor” the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Meanwhile in Cuba those Cubans that refused to mourn the dead tyrant were being beaten down, jailed and threatened with 15 year prison terms for speaking out.  At least 20 cases were documented and one high profile example stands out two years later, the medical doctor  beaten down in front of his family and jailed for freely expressing himself:  Dr. Eduardo Cardet. He remains in prison today as a prisoner of conscience.

It appears that the UN had forgotten that Fidel Castro presided over the extrajudicial executions of thousands of his countrymen, the destruction of Cuba, twice called for a nuclear first strike on the United States, sponsored terrorism across the world, collaborated with genocidal dictators who murdered millions in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.  

In 1976 Fidel Castro addressed the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) and declared: "If we decide to carry out terrorism, it is a sure thing we would be efficient. But the mere fact that the Cuban revolution has never implemented terrorism does not mean that we renounce it. We would like to issue this warning."  What Castro failed to mention was that his revolutionary movement came to power not only through a guerrilla struggle in the hills but also widespread urban terrorism and the placing of a huge number of bombs.

On New Year’s Eve in 1956 members of Castro's 26th of July movement set off bombs in the Tropicana nightclub, blowing off the arm of a seventeen-year-old girl. From bombings, killings, and arson in 1957 to a botched plane hijacking to smuggle weapons to the Cuban guerrillas that led to 14 dead and the night of the 100 bombs in 1958 . The organizer of the bombing campaign Sergio González López nicknamed “El Curita” and the terrorist action itself are remembered fondly by the dictatorship.  A park is named in his honor along with a plaque pictured below.

The Castro regime views terrorism as a legitimate tactic to advance its revolutionary objectives. In 1970 the Cuban government published the "Mini Manual for Revolutionaries" in the official Latin American Solidarity Organization (LASO), a publication  of the Tricontinentaland translated it into many languages. The manual is written by Brazilian urban terrorist Carlos Marighella, and it gives precise instructions in terror tactics, kidnappings, etc. and distributed worldwide by the Cuban dictatorship. There is a chapter on terrorism that declares, "Terrorism is a weapon the revolutionary can never relinquish." This manual is still circulating today.

Plaque erected by Castro regime to honor bomber Sergio González López “El Curita”

Apologists for the Castro regime hide behind the propaganda claims of healthcare and education, but that too has been a failure. Costa Rica, Chile, and Colombia have better healthcare than Cuba and did not have to sacrifice their freedoms to achieve it.

On this first International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism people of goodwill should call the United Nations to task for its hypocrisy in honoring terrorists with moments of silence and disseminating the writings of another in the world registrar. Let us remember, pay tribute to the victims of terrorism, and show our solidarity but let us also honor them by demanding justice, the rule of law, and the defense of human dignity.

Tiananmen Square Crackdown & June 4, 1989 Beijing Massacre: It was 25 years ago today

In memory of those who stood up for their rights, lost their lives and for those still unjustly imprisoned today in China.

Students peacefully demonstrating

Twenty five years ago today the Communist leadership of China opened fire on the Chinese people. The Pro-Democracy Movement that had taken to the streets in April of 1989 was violently crushed by the Chinese communist dictatorship beginning on the evening of June 3, 1989. By dawn on June 4, 1989 scores of demonstrators had been shot and killed or run over and crushed by tanks of the so-called People's Liberation Army. and the blood of students and workers splattered and flowed in the streets of Beijing. The Chinese Red Cross had initially counted 2,600 dead when they were pressured to stop by Chinese officials and silenced on this matter. Following the massacre an additional 1,000 were sentenced to death and executed. Scores of Chinese who participated in the Tiananmen protests would spend years and decades in prison. The British Broadcast Corporation reporter Julia Hatton identified Miao Deshun, a humble worker, as possibly being Tiananmen's last prisoner.

Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace laureate, who is also a prisoner of conscience currently imprisoned for his continued non-violent activism had already served a prison sentence for his participation in the Tiananmen student protest in 1989. He was again jailed in 2008 for his human rights activism and sentenced to 11 years in prison on December 25, 2009.

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger persuaded the Bush Administration in the immediate aftermath to downplay the human rights considerations surrounding the Beijing Massacre and to focus on the economic and strategic relationship.  Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) published a October 1, 1989 article revealing Kissinger's direct business ties to Communist China and his defense of the regime and justification of the massacre. FAIR reported how on August 1, 1989 this business consultant who also heads "China Ventures" [that engages China's state bank in joint ventures] wrote a column that appeared in a Washington Post/L.A. Times ("The Caricature of Deng as a Tyrant Is Unfair", 8/1/89). In it Kissinger argued against sanctions: "China remains too important for America's national security to risk the relationship on the emotions of the moment." He asserted: "No government in the world would have tolerated having the main square of its capital occupied for eight weeks by tens of thousands of demonstrators." Kissinger's reputation according to Umair Khan who reviewed his 2011 book, On China, describes him as a man whose "reputation is based on his career as a diplomat turned business consultant." This business relationship was not mentioned back in 1989 by those publishing the former Secretary of State's case against sanctions on China.

Incidentally over the course of six weeks in 1989 beginning on November 17, the one-party government of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia although engaging in acts of repression did not commit a huge massacre against tens of thousands of demonstrators in the main square of its capital. The demonstrations grew to Tiananmen Square levels of 200,000 and 500,000 demonstrators in Prague.  The end result was the Velvet Revolution and 25 years of peace and prosperity. Kissinger's argument did not hold up under the light of events.

Unfortunately, the downplaying of the human rights situation in China has had consequences over the long term. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dictum "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" has special resonance.

In 2011 Muammar Gaddafi believed that he could get away with mass murder because the world looked the other way in June of 1989 in Beijing and said it plainly: "The unity of China was more important than those people on Tiananmen Square." Its not the first time impunity in one bloody deed has encouraged another. Between 1915 and 1917 the Ottoman Turks murdered more than 1.5 million Armenians and like the Chinese communists in 1989 got away with it. This inspired Adolph Hitler to carry out his own holocaust stating in 1939: "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"

Holocaust survivor and writer Elie Wiesel has denounced indifference and silence before injustice stating that: "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest."

Unfortunately, the United States government and much of the Western world failed sacrificing human rights and decency for the sake of economic interests. Leaving it to civil society, the press and non-governmental organizations to take up the slack. The outcome has been a steady deterioration of human rights and freedoms around the world. China is now a rising superpower with a regime that has blood on its hands and refuses to recognize, apologize or repent for its past crimes. The Chinese diplomat in London who shoved two women to the ground as they tried to leave red roses in memory of the June 4, 1989 Beijing Massacre victims demonstrates the regime's violent contempt for human rights. The regime has also sought to censor communication detaining activists prior to the anniversary and blocking Google and messaging apps.


Twenty five years later in 2,000 free Chinese in Senado Square in Macau, another 2,000 free Chinese in Taipei's Liberty Square and over a 180,000 Chinese in Hong Kong  held vigils in memory of their compatriots massacred in Beijing on June 4, 1989. Around the world Chinese diasporas, human rights groups, and members of civil society organized events to remember and continue the call for justice, repentance and reconciliation.   

Prayer vigil at Florida International University in 2014

In Miami at Florida International University members of the university community gathered for a prayer and candlelight vigil taking part in a call to action by Initiatives for China and read their recommended prayer. Below is an excerpt:

Let us give thanks for the courage of the young people of Tiananmen Square who 25 years ago showed the world that the Chinese people desire freedom and justice above all earthly goods, and who were willing to give their lives in their brave witness. May all be strengthened by their bravery. May all be blessed by their memory.

All: Let us remember with gratitude the martyrs of Tiananmen Square.

In this anniversary of China’s young martyrs let us pray that the Chinese leaders of today would turn their hearts away from fear and defensiveness, that they would reach out to the victims and victims’ families, and repent of the massacre of China’s youth. May repentance be the first step toward reconciliation and be a promise to history to never again turn on their own people in murder.

It is in that spirit that this blog post is published today along with the time line below.

Abbreviated Time line of the June 4, 1989 massacre
 
30 May 1989 - Goddess of Democracy is unveiled: During the previous night, students of the Central Academy of Fine Arts assemble the 37-foot-high statue of the Goddess of Democracy, built in two days out of plaster and styrofoam. It stands opposite the giant portrait of Mao Zedong.
 
2 June 1989 - Hunger strike by Capital Joint Liaison Group: The Liaison Group, now composed solely of intellectuals, decides to stage a series of 72-hour hunger strikes to show the students that others too are ready to put their lives at risk. Literary critic Liu Xiaobo, rock star Hou Dejian, and economist Zhou Duo are among the first to start fasting.

- Communist party elders approve plan to put down the protests by force

The Goddess of Democracy

3 June 1989 - Troops are ordered to reclaim Tiananmen Square at all cost. They begin to open fire upon people blocking the advancement of the army and also on people who are just shouting at the troops. Tanks and armored vehicles move towards the center of the city. An unknown number of Beijing citizens die, succumbing to gun shots—sometimes at point blank—or crushed by tanks and armored personnel carriers. In angry retaliation, civilians throw stones at the soldiers, who shoot back. Some soldiers are attacked and beaten up. Buses and cars are set on fire.

Victims of the massacre

4 June 1989 1:00 a.m. The troops have blocked off all approaches to Tiananmen Square. Various people who witnessed the killings of civilians report to the BWAF and to the students’ Command Headquarters, urging them to withdraw.
3:00 a.m. Liu Xiaobo, Hou Dejian, Zhou Duo and a fourth men who began the second hunger strike negotiate with the troops to allow the students to leave the Square.
4:00 a.m. On the square the lights go off. The statue of the Goddess of Democracy is toppled by a tank.
4:30 a.m. The tanks and the troops stationed in the north corner of the Square begin to move forward. Students vote and eventually agree to leave. The soldiers shoot out the students’ loud speakers. Led by the Command Headquarters, the students walk away from the Monument to the People’s Heroes toward the southeast part of the square. A row of armored vehicles moves slowly toward the monument. Other troops arrive from the west, squeezing the crowd. As the students leave, army tanks crush tents on their way. The student guards are the last to leave, with soldiers about 18 feet behind them firing warning shots.
5:00 a.m. As the students pass Qianmen, residents line the streets and applaud. The army throws tear gas and shoots at students and citizens near the square and in other areas of the capital. Some people are crushed under tanks. The number of victims is not known.
6:20 a.m. Tanks crush retreating students.

5 June 1989 - Final act of defiance. An unarmed men blocks a column of tanks as they rolled towards Tiananmen Square. He's taken away by men in plainclothes. 22 years later his identity remains unknown.

Tankman

  

December 10, 2013: Dark Day for Human Rights in Cuba

It was not the first time that a U.S. president had shaken hands with a dictator named Castro. Bill Clinton did it first in 2000 at a U.N. Summit in New York City shaking hands with Fidel Castro. However falling on International Human Rights Day in the midst of a human rights crackdown in Cuba, the symbolism this time around is even more unfortunate.

The attempt by the press to portray this encounter as "in the spirit of reconciliation" while ignoring the ongoing crackdown; Alan Gross, the American citizen held hostage in Cuba; and the demands for justice from the families of murdered human rights defenders Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero is a depressing commentary on the quality of press coverage in the 21st century.

Reconciliation not only implies some measure of justice but also of repentance on behalf of the wrong doers and recognition that they have done something wrong. To speak of reconciliation on the same day that human rights defenders are being rounded up and beaten up in Cuba is a travesty.

It is nearly on the same level as those in media trying to portray Nelson Mandela as some sort of pacifist which he was not.

Vaclav Havel, the former president of the Czech Republic and dissident, spoke of the importance of holding fast to moral principle and avoiding even minor compromises on October 12, 2009 at the Forum 2000 conference:

I believe that when the new Laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize postpones receiving the Dalai Lama until after he has accomplished his visit to China, he makes a small compromise, a compromise which actually has some logic to it. However, there arises a question as to whether those large, serious compromises do not have their origin and roots in precisely these tiny and very often more or less logical compromises. 

Unlike many in the world today, Havel defended human rights even when it challenged the powerful whether it be the economic giant of China or the United States and he was a constant ally of dissidents the world over until the final day of his life. Havel considered Nelson Mandela a friend but he would never re-write who the man was to make him more palatable for mass consumption.

The Orwellian character of much of the mainstream media highlighted in today's coverage combined with its silence as activists are rounded up and beaten up in Cuba to avoid their participation in International Human Rights Day is disturbing. Having to learn about what is happening in Cuba via twitter because accredited press agencies in the island refuse to cover dissidents and government repression is an outrage. Some of the reports today from Cuba over twitter:

TR @yoanisanchez #Cuba Repressive action in 23 & L against activists & @DamasdBlanco various detained & violent operation by agent #Volodia

TR @oswaldopaya #Cuba State Security assaults #MCL Roger Curbelo's home in Puerto Padre, various hurt & detained http://www.goear.com/listen/9e83af1/policia-cubana-irrumpe-casa-miembro-mcl-golpearle-destruri-vivienda-mcl

TR @yoanisanchez #Cuba Informs Gloria Llopis from project #VioleniaCero her home is surrounded by a big police operation Info at +5353224504

TR @ivanlibre #Cuba in Havana a large paramilitary operation at different sites around homes of @DamasdBlanco who are preparing to go out.

TR @felixncuba #HumanRightsCuba Jose Diaz Silva & other emergent civil society members in Havana are DISAPPEARED & homes under seige S.O.S!

TR @oswaldopaya #Cuba Dozens of guards with interior ministry uniforms reach the town of Velasco, in Holguin, reports Eduardo Cardet

TR @ivanlibre #Cuba Castro regime police arrest Marielis Diaz Torres, Eduardo Diaz Fleitas y Raul Risco Perez in Pinar del Rio

TR @LibradoLinares #Cuba I was arrested at 5AM handcuffed & taken in patrol car to Camajuani Police Station. Just released under heavy surveillance

The picture of the international community that is emerging is of one that is at risk of moral bankruptcy. Silence before the brutal beating of activists and the dictator Raul Castro operating in complete impunity. President Obama addressed this hypocrisy, in part, at the services for Nelson Mandela earlier today:

There are too many leaders who claim solidarity with Madiba’s struggle for freedom, but do not tolerate dissent from their own people.  And there are too many of us who stand on the sidelines, comfortable in complacency or cynicism when our voices must be heard.

The death of Martha Frayde Barraqué, a founder of the Cuban Committee for Human Rights on December 4, 2013 , a day prior to Mandela, in relative obscurity despite her powerful moral example is tragic. Rafa Rubio, a Spanish activist summed it up best over twitter: "Sometimes I think if Mandela were born in Cuba he would have died forgotten in jail or in exile."

Legitimizing Tyranny: The Price of Hypocrisy at the UN

Human rights defenders protesting election of abusers to HRC / AP

How abusers trumpet their HRC election to silence dissent

By U.N. Watch

On November 12, the UN General Assembly elected 14 new members for the Human Rights Council. Among the 14 elected were 6 countries that UN Watch evaluated as unqualified for membership: Algeria, China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Vietnam. Their newfound membership of the UN’s top human rights body will be yet another occasion for these abusers to spew propaganda and silence dissidents and civil society – often the only ones who dare to tell the truth about these regimes. Since Tuesday’s election, members of the respective governments and representative of their UN Missions have commented on the election explaining that their victories were due to the international recognition of their commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights.

China
“The Chinese government attaches great importance to the promotion and protection of human rights. It has made remarkable achievements and has vigorously developed international cooperation in the field of human rights …China is fully qualified to be elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Council. China’s election to the UN Human Rights Council Tuesday also serves as the international community’s acknowledgment of China’s significant achievements in the field of human rights.”
Wang Min, China’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, 13 November 2013 (Source)

Cuba
“Cuba’s selection is nothing less than a recognition of its consistent stance of rejecting double standards and the persistent efforts by Western powers to use the Council for political ends, to manipulate the issue of human rights in service of its interests and to convert this body into an inquisitor tribunal for the nations of the (global) South who don’t submit to their designs.”
Anayansi Rodriquez, Cuba’s UN ambassador in Geneva, 13 November 2013 (Source)

Saudi Arabia
“The Kingdom’s election to the Human Rights Council for the third time in a row is yet another confirmation of its pioneering role in the council and the service of human rights issues.”
Abdullah bin Yahya Al-Ma’alami, Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, 12 November 2013 (Source)

“This election confirms the Kingdom’s efforts in the enhancement of justice, equality and the protection and promotion of human rights at both domestic and international arenas, as well as the Kingdom’s firm positions towards issues of fair human rights in the world … This election confirms the Kingdom’s prestigious status and international respect and recognition for its roles in the promotion and protection of human rights.”
Dr Al-Aiban, President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, 13 November 2013 (Source)

Russia
“The UN election was a ‘good result.’ We will work in order to strengthen cooperation and dialogue and create constructive working atmosphere in the council.”
Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, 12 November 2013 (Source)

Vietnam
“This determination reflects the Vietnamese Party and State’s view of human rights as a common aspiration of human being as well as their consistent policy of respecting and ensuring human rights, and enhancing international cooperation in this field … Vietnam’s election to the UNHRC with the highest vote is of great significance. It shows the international community’s acknowledgement and appreciation of Vietnam’s policies and achievements in its comprehensive renewal process, including the building of a state of law that offers a better guarantee of citizens’ rights.”
Pham Binh Minh, Foreign Minister of Vietnam, 13 November 2013 (Source)

Hypocrisy and the UN Campaign to End Violence Against Women

The hope of impunity is the greatest inducement to do wrong. - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Julieta Venegas in Havana, Cuba

The Cuban government is one of the most anti-woman regimes on the planet. Women who speak out and exercise their fundamental rights are regularly physically assaulted and sometimes die under
suspicious circumstances.

Laura Pollan (left) and Yris Perez Aguilera (right) both repeatedly badly beaten by State Security

 Cuban human rights defender Yris Tamara Pérez Aguilera has been the victim of numerous brutal beatings by the Cuban dictatorship's state security agents and the pictures above demonstrates a consequence of the attacks. On at least four occasions on this blog the attacks have been reported on: November 4, 2011, September 18, 2011, September 28, 2011, June 20, 2011 and May 26, 2011. In addition the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights issued a precautionary measure.

Lump on back Yris Perez Aguilera's head is produce of repeated beatings

 This violence has gone on for decades and those who are sensitive to repression against women should be outraged by what takes place in Cuba. Instead they are silent and the violence continues.  Laura Pollan died following years of physical assaults at the hands of state security that included fractures which led her to wearing a cast.

Photo of Maria Elena around time of attack

 On November 19, 1991 the Cuban poet Mariela Elena Cruz Varela, who peacefully dissented asking for nonviolent change, was assaulted by a mob organized by the dictatorship who tried to force feed the poet her own words. She wrote about the assault in her book, Dios en las cárceles cubanas
(God in the Cuban jails):

They broke my mouth trying to make me swallow the leaflets that members of my group had distributed throughout Havana. Afterwards I spent three days brutally besieged, imprisoned in my own home with my two children, with no water, no electricity, no food, no cigarettes. We heard what the huge speakers never stopped amplifying, allegorical songs to the country, the necessary punishment of traitors, and anyone who wanted to could shout at me, organized, of course, the slogans they pleased: Comrade worm, we are going to execute you by firing squad!.

 The previous outrage came to mind when I read that a Cuban state security official had shoved sheets of petition signature "For Another Cuba" into the mouth of pro-democracy activist, Yuri Martinez. The failure of the United Nations and popular figures such as Julieta Venegas to denounce these outrages only encourages their repetition with impunity.

A culture of impunity involves self-censorship and submitting to intimidation and this is precisely what the dictatorship in Cuba has achieved through a sophisticated apparatus of repression that projects beyond Cuba into the international community.


Nevertheless, when the subject is violence against women, the plight of Cuban women is ignored. The latest to engage in this shameful practice is Julieta Venegas and worse yet it was backed by the United Nations and their campaign to End Violence Against Women, UNiTE. 

The day before the concert in Cuba the following women were beaten and arrested for trying to attend Mass.

1. Maria Cristina Labrada Barona
2. Anisley Pavón Goberna
3. Aimé Moya Montes de Oca
4. Lisandra Farray Rodríguez
5. Sandra Rodríguez Gatorno
6. Marbelis González Reyes
7. Lis Eladia Quiñones González
8. Raquel Rodríguez Morejón
9. Dianelis Rodríguez Morejón
10. Olga Lidia Torres Iglesias
11. Noralis Martín Hernández
12. Romelia Piña González
13. Danay  Mendiola Duquesne
14. Liliana Campo Bruzon
15.Bertha Guerrero Segura
16. Rosa María Naranjo Nieves

Not a word of this act of violence against women was mentioned at a concert that was supposedly aimed to campaign for the end of violence against women. There is a word for this type of behavior and it is hypocrisy.  Unfortunately it is both a word and practice that the United Nations is all too familiar with.  Hopefully Julieta Venegas is not joining the crowd of artists that legitimize despots. That would be a pity because I do like her music. Besides that, she is playing to a regime that systematically censors music.