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04/27/2008: "Isak for Zero tolerance against indiscipline"

Isak for Zero tolerance against indiscipline morungexpress
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Dimapur, April 25 (MExN): Chairman of the ‘National Socialist Council of Nagalim’, Isak Chishi today called for ‘zero tolerance’ policy in the matter of indiscipline and corruption in the organization and said that members must be revolutionary by action in order to salvage the NSCN from degeneration.
In copy of the speech released to the media today, Isak Chishi Swu in the outfit’s “budget session,” claimed that the Naga struggle has survived the ravages of time due to the ‘exercise of sobriety for the past 60 years.’ However, he said that there ‘is an increasing propensity to indiscipline’. He said that the process of ‘our economic resources has been disturbed beyond tolerable level and that the question of random collection of taxes already in existence has become an unbearable burden on the people.’ However, he said that “for all practical purpose this does not augur well for the nation’s economic interest”.
Besides he said that “this also indicates that the emergence of the reactionary groups has become more of a national liability than anything else”. However, the NSCN (IM) chairman asserted that ‘this flagrant abuse of taxation where the anti-national and anti-social elements are exploiting the situation’ should not be allowed and that ‘it should always be our duty to nip this kind of activity in the bud’.
Therefore, Isak Swu, while calling upon the NSCN (IM) members to be revolutionary by action, Isak Swu said that ‘corruption of serious nature is surreptitiously practiced by some national workers’.
“Fiscal discipline is the strength of any revolutionary organization, and so is the critical importance of observing financial probity. Because, corruption is an assault on the revolutionary image of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim and it robs the organization of its virtue,” he said. Isak added that the pervasive corruption not only undermines the moral and political integrity but it also alienates the people from their government as they lost their confidence in it.
In this regard, Isak Swu said that given the nature of the exigency, the NSCN has to enforce ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy in the matter of indiscipline and corruption. Unpalatable it may look, but there is the urgency to clean ourselves to save the nation, he said. Also commenting upon the Look East Policy propagated by the Indian government, Isak Swu said that the Policy is the sugar coated slogan which will never benefit the people of the North East people.
“History has taught us that any policy framed by Delhi for Nagalim in particular and Himalayan in general cannot but be viewed with revulsion. In this context, we may refer to ‘India Look East Policy’ that carries the tag of deceptive economic policy but has nothing to do with the interest and economic development of the locals, stated the NSCN-IM chairman.
Further expounding on the Look East Policy, the Chairman said that it was launched in 1992 by the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao mainly “for expanding India’s military and political hegemonism in the East and South East Asia with a sugar coated slogan of improving trade relations with one and all.” “But beware the real motive of ‘India Look East Policy’ is to militarize the region with the strategic co-operation of the Burmese Military Junta to crush the revolutionaries. New Delhi wants our land and resources for its economic development and also trade relations with others but it is for sure, they don’t want the people. The policy is not only going to cause environment devastation and economic disaster, but it will definitely widen the gap between the ‘haves and have-nots’. As such, the right of the people for justice and democracy is deliberately and brutally suppressed,” alleged Isak Swu.
Naga Council urges state govt
26 April, 2008 12:19:00 morungexpress
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Dimapur, April 26 (MExN): The Naga Council Dimapur today took strong note of the recent spate of killings in and around Dimapur and urged the state government to take stringent measures to bring the situation under control. The Naga Council Dimapur also declared that it would not support the group or faction that indulges in provocative acts and attempting to disturb the peace and tranquility of the place.
A press release received here from the Naga Council which was appended by its Vice President, T Bangerloba Ao and General Secretary, W Lemba Chang, said that the Council during its emergency councilors meeting held today, resolved to voice out its strong resentment over the recent incidents of killing in Dimapur, especially the killing of an IRB jawan, ‘a law and order keeping agent of the state government’, on April 25 night.
Saying that the Council has time and again approached through writings and also by meeting the various groups urging them to shun violence of any sorts and to restrain from shootouts which creates fear psychosis, the Naga Council declared that it would not support the group or faction that indulges in violence.
“The Council can never at any cost be remained a mute spectator to such senseless act but take genious note of the situation which is going out of hand,” it declared and urged the state government to take stringent measures to contain the situation.
Naga struggle has become factional struggle: I. Imchen
26 April, 2008 12:33:00 Our Correspondent
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Chingmei (Tuensang) | April 26 : In the backdrop of the intermittent factional clashes and the deteriorating law and order situation in the state especially Dimapur, Nagaland Home Minister, Imkong L Imchen yesterday lamented that the Naga struggle has now become a factional struggle. More Nagas are killing Nagas, he said added that if the present trend continues, then the Nagas will finish themselves off for good.
Unless the blood-thirsty mind of the Nagas, is eradicated, not only would the aspirations of the Nagas ever be fulfilled but, but also ‘God will curse the Nagas and it would lead to disaster after another, said Imchen while formally inaugurating the new created EAC Head quarter at Chingmei, about 34 Kms away from Tuensang and 25 Kms away from Noklak ADC HQ on Friday.
Lamenting that more Nagas are killing Nagas in the last 60 plus years of Naga struggle “for independence,” Imchen said that killing own brothers and sister today has become rather a pride for the Nagas. However, he cautioned that if Nagas continue to like this, then they will ‘finish themselves’off.
In this light Imchen, while referring to the continuing unabated factional clashes and killings, maintained that the ‘Naga struggle is over’, he added that it has turned to factional struggle now. “Nagas need a national identity, but if we go on killing like this, where is our freedom,” he asked and added that lives are worth no more than animals in the prevailing ‘gun culture’ where Nagas are killing Nagas without any heart or care.
Further, Imkong lashed out at the various factions for indulging in extortion, threats, intimidations and killing of innocent citizens in the name of the “Naga freedom struggle.” “In the name of Naga freedom, carrying AK 47, extorting money from the innocent for no cause, threatening and killing the innocent Nagas, is this Naga independence?” he questioned. He regretted that the unending appeals for unity and peace made by the Church, NGOs and tribal bodies have not been heeded by the different factions who continue to fight and kill each other. “If they’re not listening to the people then for whom are they fighting for freedom?” he asked.
Pointing out that the so-called “Naga national workers” or undergrounds are just a section in the Naga struggle, the Home Minister stressed ‘the need for involvement of the entire Naga citizens including the chief minister, ministers, MLAs, chief secretary, commissioners and secretaries to peons and chawkidar in the government and also people from all walks of life.’
When all Nagas are united and have consensus in the Naga struggle, only then, will the Government of India listen and will be compelled to solve the Naga political issue, even by amending any part of the Indian constitution, he maintained.
Meanwhile, Imkong also expressed his happiness that the DAN government could fulfill the long cherish dream and demand of the people of Chingmei Range to have an EAC HQ at Chingmei. He also reminded the people on the problem the state is confronting due to the lack of sense of ownership of government properties by the Nagas and also because of the people’s knowledge of the Article 371(A) of the Indian constitution where the owner of the land and its resources of the Nagas are protected. “This is one reason that Nagaland is presently not able to bring any development. Too much knowledge sometimes is dangerous” he added.

NNC questions ‘rebel leaders’ for rejecting the will of God
26 April, 2008 12:22:00 morungexpress
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Dimapur, April 26 (MExN): Amidst various shortcomings in Nagaland, the NNC has stated that it has been repeatedly stating the truth but none of the factional leaders believed it nor accepted it. The NNC ascertained Nagas are aware of what is happening in Nagaland since “the formation of so-called NSCN in 1980 and no one could deny it.” While believing that God has bestowed the sovereignty of Nagaland and has been protecting it and leading the Naga nation, the NNC accused the ‘rebel leaders’ for rejecting the will of God and attempted to lead the nation on their own interest and also charged that they even rejected the peace that God has brought to Nagaland in 1975. “They misled young Nagas and made them to fight against their own Naga brothers,” stated Thomas, member, NNC in a press statement.
“As the sectarian leaders rejected God given peace, more fighting is taking place among them. Following the false propaganda of the sectarian leaders, the NGOs, GBs, DBs and even Church leaders who are working for peace among the Nagas ignored God given peace, so no peace at all even they work more for peace, instead more fightings are taking place among the factions. Hence, none of them can effort to bring peace among the Nagas,” it enunciated. The NNC highlighted that these leaders ignored the truth and justice, so they find no peace and did not want to admit their mistake rather trying to justify their misdeed by lies and false allegation against innocent people.
While questioning how they can have peace among them, the group stated that indeed God is working against them. “That is, a fulfillment of what God told to Isak and Muivah in 1984 through Evangelist Athiu. God told them “stop killing and rejoin the NNC. If you do not obey me I will work against you”. So there will be no peace until or unless they accept the truth,” the statement explained.
While stating the truth to be accepted, the NNC mentioned that Nagaland is a sovereign independent nation and we are not demanding any political status from India or any other nation, the NNC is not a faction or political party but it is a national institution of the Nagas and without which the Nagas have no way to claim as a nation. Besides the NNC, the Nagas should have no other political organization as the Naga national law enshrined on April 27, 1955 at Lakhuti village, Lotha Region, the Nagas need not to have a new referendum or political solution, because the Plebiscite of 1951 was a solemn pledge and final verdict of the Naga people for their future, all Nagas honour Dr. AZ Phizo, the father of Naga nation, so also all Nagas should follow his footstep, and God our Lord is leading and protecting Naga nation. He brought peace to Nagaland in 1964 and restored it again in 1975 when India resorted to fight against the Nagas with her armed might. The NNC further stated that “Thus, the Nagas need not to have another peace except God given peace. We have to follow the path that God is leading us from the beginning, and that is the leadership of NNC/FGN.” “When we accept these truths, we will surely free from distrust, hatred and enmity,” it concluded.
Villages urge factions to respect public
27 April, 2008 11:07:00 morungexpress
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Dimapur, April 27 (MExN): Taking a stern stand against the deteriorating situation, the GBs and Village Councils of Sovima, Diphupar ‘B’ and Ikishe villages held a joint meeting today in the council hall of Sovima village. The meeting deliberated on the tense situation created due to firing incidents that have taken place around the three villages in the last few days and observed that the prevailing situation has put the lives of innocent villagers at stake. The release issued by the GB and VC chairmen of the three villages stated that fear psychosis has overcome the villagers who are now afraid to venture out of their homes; and parents are not sending their children to school fearing that any untoward incident could take place anytime.
In the light of this situation the Joint Meeting adopted a four-point resolution wherein it unanimously and outrightly condemned the April 25 incident that occurred at Diphupar ‘B’ and Sovima village boundary where an IRB personnel was shot dead. The three villages also resolved it “will not tolerate and will not extend cooperation to whichever faction stationed in any of the three villages entice their rivals and create untoward situation.”
The resolution further made an “appeal to all underground factions to respect the sentiments of innocent public and restrain from resorting to gunfight in populated areas, as it is a desired will of everybody for peace to prevail in the society.”
Furthermore, the meeting “also resolved and constituted a Joint Council to three villages. Kakiho Sumi, Chairman Diphupar ‘B’ Village Council was chosen to be the Chairman of the Joint Council, Neikhriehu, Chairman Sovima Village Council was elected Secretary and Ikishe, Head GB Ikishe Village was given the responsibility of Treasurer.”
Nagas at CrossRoads
25 April, 2008 08:58:00 morungexpress
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Today, the Nagas are at crossroads. Nagas are now at a point in history where it must decisively determine which value system will best represent their aspirations; and like any other young society in this world, Nagas must engage with the dilemmas of truth; and the truth about dilemmas. Take for instance, today somewhere in a Naga village a child will be born; and the mother will hold, comfort, care and feed the child – just as any mother would anywhere in the world. In these most basic acts of human nature, humanity knows no divisions.
But to be raised in an environment of degenerating values - where the most basic value to respect human dignity and human worth is being challenged - is the defining crisis. Today, real borders are not between divided states. The real borders are between human hearts and human values. They are between the powerful and the powerless, the free and the bonded, the privileged and the unprivileged, the rich and the poor, and the equal and unequal.
No one today can claim ignorance of the cost that this divide imposes on those who are no less deserving of human dignity, fundamental freedoms, security, food and education than anyone. The values of inclusiveness are but a natural demand of human life. These are issues posed by the history of our times and the manner, in which our values and our culture collectively address them, will define and shape the future of our collective destinies.
Which values are we pursuing and nurturing? Are Nagas feeding and nurturing the forces that will consolidate a humanity of respect, dignity, justice, freedom and hope. Or are Nagas only fueling the forces of prejudice, hatred, oppression and the ‘isms’ that destroys human dreams and hopes? When have we ceased to learn that one cannot begin building a future founded on ‘fear’ ‘hate’ and ‘exclusivity?’ This reality cannot be ignored. It must be confronted.
It will not be wrong to point out that our generation has inherited a legacy of extraordinary changes from the last century, and now in the first decade of the new century we are faced with greater dilemmas and newer opportunities in the search for human security. I therefore claim that Nagas are at a unique turning point and it is for us to be steadfast in redefining human affairs and conduct.
It is crucial for Nagas not to forget that in history genocide begins with the killing of one person – not for what he or she has done, but because of who he or she is, or that poverty begins when even one child is denied his or her fundamental right to education. What begins with the failure to uphold the value and dignity of one life, all too often ends with a calamity for entire nations.
The last century was perhaps the most violent in human history, devastated by countless conflicts, untold suffering, and unimaginable crimes. Time after time, a group or a nation inflicted extreme violence on another, often driven by irrational hatred and suspicion, or unbounded arrogance of power and monopoly over resources; only to realize that after the bloodbath, the only way to resolve differences was for them to sit across the table and engage in dialogue. If only the bloodbath had been avoided!
Can we therefore consolidate values that will empower us to realize the futility of a bloodbath and to acknowledge that humanity indeed is indivisible?
Some scientists tell us that the world of nature is so small and interdependent that a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon rainforest can generate a violent storm on the other side of the earth. This principle is known as the “Butterfly Effect.” Today, we realize, perhaps more than ever, that the world of human activity also has its own “Butterfly Effect” – for better or for worse.
Nagas must focus therefore as never before, on improving the humanity of Naga men and Naga women who give the Naga political community its richness and character. It must begin with that young Naga child, recognizing that saving that one life is to save humanity itself. That Naga child being born somewhere today must be raised to learn and live the inclusive values of a shared humanity. Are Nagas still in the CrossRoads?

Yaruiwo’s speech on Budget Session- Nagaland Post
In God we put our trust and hope. This has been our working culture and our belief. But Satan never stops working, and today it is openly seen that the monstrous wave of unruly elements have created an unprecedented financial crisis, putting the political stability of the Republic of Nagalim at stake. But undaunted, we must find an ingenious means to overcome the economic destabilization. Let us keep our revolutionary reputation intact and nothing should be considered insurmountable, however formidable the task may be. And without oversimplifying the situation we have to face it but with pragmatic approach.
It is a matter of great indignation that for months we have been placed in a perpetual state of provocation and it has been an exasperating experience in dealing with the reactionary groups. But in the process our economic resources has been disturbed beyond tolerable level. And the question of random collection of taxes already in existence has become an unbearable burden on the people. But for all practical purpose this does not augur well for the nation's economic interest. This also indicates that the emergence of the reactionary groups has become more of a national liability than anything else.
But we cannot allow this flagrant abuse of taxation where the anti-national and anti-social elements are exploiting the situation. It should always be our duty to nip this kind of activity in the bud.
It is in the fitness of things to mention that our struggle for the past 60 years had survived the ravages of time due to the exercise of sobriety. There is however, an increasing propensity to indiscipline. Therefore, to salvage the National Socialist Council of Nagalim from degeneration, the National Socialist Council of Nagalim members must be revolutionary by action.
Significantly, corruption of serious nature is surreptitiously practiced by some national workers. Fiscal discipline is the strength of any revolutionary organiza-tion, and so is the critical importance of observing financial probity. Because, corruption is an assault on the revolutionary image of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim and it robs the organization of its virtue. The pervasive corruption not only undermines our moral and political integrity but it also alienates the people from their government as they lost their confidence in it. (To be concluded)
Isak Chishi Swu.
Naga polemics of peace



Posted by admin on Saturday, April 26, 2008


One thing that Nagaland has in abundance is intellectual capital. The Nagas are much ahead of their tribal brethren in terms of understanding the pangs of conflict, the wounds of which are still raw. Nagas are, however, caught in a bind.


The Naga candour is legendary, especially when you traverse the villages. Naga hospitality is exceptional. They are loyal friends but ruthless enemies. The tribe is the crucible that defines a Naga’s social moorings. He is known and identified by his tribe and is proud of that fact. Nagas may patiently tolerate confreres from other tribes but at the end of the day that’s all it is — simply tolerance for a fellow Naga. So it is rather confusing when Naga candidness suddenly turns to an erudite discourse that ambles into “diplomatese”.

Affinity and loyalty to tribe are so intrinsic to Naga social conditioning that they cannot transcend it except while exhibiting “unity” to the outside world. Although stereotyping defies the norms of social science, the tribes in Nagaland are sometimes considered a robotic category that behaves, reacts or responds to issues in pretty much the same way. Indeed the tribes often subsume individuality and individual initiatives. For instance, the Ao tribes are considered by other Nagas as having sharp business acumen. The Sema tribe is considered shrewd. The Angamis are kind of laid back and, therefore, said to have lost control over Dimapur, which is primarily a commercial hub within the jurisdiction of the Angami tribe. There are adjectives for every tribe and the defining paradigm comes from some common characteristics.

Scott Peck calls the exercise of making assumptions through the use of one-dimensional logic, stereotypes and labelling as failure to think well. While this may be true of societies that are highly evolved it may not be appropriate to apply this benchmark to tribes who still connect to each other by way of their clans and kinship ties. Among tribes the community supercedes the individual. Again, psychologists like Wayne Dyer propose that it is mentally healthy for people not to blindly adhere to tradition merely because their ancestors did so. Daniel J. Flynn Dyer calls all such cocooned communities whose thinking is stuck in the mud, as intellectual morons. Flynn believes that the political Left for instance is afraid of moving out of faulty thinking merely because they need to “belong”. The need to belong is a very strong tribal trait. If you do not belong you are out of the safety of the community womb and as an individual you are more likely to be attacked.


Social cohesion

The social cohesion among tribes is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the community rallies round an individual. When anyone from the tribe is insulted, assaulted or killed as a result of inter-tribal rivalry, the whole tribe joins forces to condemn both the incident and the perpetrator of the crime. There is a deep-seated psyche, a sort of mental bell which rings and dictates to the cognitive mind that the outrage committed on an individual from “my tribe” is an outrage to the whole tribe. This then is where tribal loyalty comes in the way of Naga unity. And without that Naga cohesiveness you only hear disparate voices saying different things at different times. Even that is acceptable if those voices are accommodated. But there is the distinct feeling even among Nagas themselves, that some tribes are more boorish and belligerent and highly intolerant of other views.

At one point the Konyaks made their displeasure public when they decided to have their own Hoho (apex tribal council) and were unwilling to come under the larger umbrella of the Naga Hoho which played a key role in the peace process. Obviously the Konyaks who form a big chunk of the Naga population felt slighted because their more “advanced” brethren never considered their views important enough. In short, they were taken for granted. Those who know the Nagas also know that they are proud people and that the tribe is above anything else.

This article is no panegyric on the Nagas. Many writers will not succumb to this temptation if only to placate the people they write about, lest the subjects take offence. In fact there have been several occasions when Naga friends have felt aggrieved by what this writer has churned out. But they have also had the grace to forgive. However, that forgiveness could also have come from a belated realisation that this and similar articles are from an outsider looking inside and seeing the society warts and all. Normally tribes do not like to admit to the outside world that they fall short of the virtues they believe they are born with.


Peace process

Having said this one would like to dwell on the peace process which is now beginning to look like an opera of many parts, each one ending abruptly for want of a plot, only to be continued to infinity. The Naga people, particularly those wanting to move forward, are, I am sure, quite impatient by this continued equivocation. Each talk is followed by a cleverly worded release with the faultless grammar of diplomacy, which actually says nothing at all. The talks have not moved an inch. The two parties are only talking at each other without listening to one another. The Nagas and the Centre are playing high level chess. But when the game reaches checkmate stage it is postponed until a better plot is discovered.

It therefore makes sense when S.C. Jamir, the Chanakya of Naga politics, speaks about the present Nagaland being the Biblical “tower of Babel” where people are speaking in different political languages both underground and overground. Nagaland does represent a contradiction in terms. While always referring to “India” as a neighbour, Naga legislators have been comfortably and seamlessly adapting to the Indian political system without a glitch.

Every political party in India, including the party of Lalu Prasad’s is alive and kicking in Nagaland. Laloo campaigned extensively during the last election. Besides, Indian currency is attractive legal tender. These are ambivalences that cannot be swept under the carpet for they add up to the conflict in the individual mind. Conflict is as much a state of mind as it is a manifestation of disquiet about something. The human mind is never completely at rest because that is unnatural. But the inner conflict can also be a positive stimulant spurring people to strive for excellence.

What sort of conflict is Nagaland passing through at this point of time? Internecine killings, extortion and violence are no indicators of a movement with a purpose. So has the movement meandered to the point of being unrecognisable? Tomorrow, if a solution does present itself, will the spiritual distortions (greed, violence, and killings) that have overtaken the Naga consciousness in the name of the national movement be corrected? Is it possible to correct the wayward human spirit through political solutions? This is a question that the Naga intelligentsia, ever so quick on their feet with semantics on peace, needs to honestly answer. [PATRICIA MUKHIM, TI]
'Europe must lead on Human Rights'
24 April, 2008 08:36:00 David Cronin
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When stojan Miodrac's corpse was identified by his wife in 1991, his ears had been cut off and his eyes gouged out. He met his horrific end after being asked to produce his identity card when he went to a social security office in Croatia. His only transgression was that he bore an ethnic Serb name. He was one of more than 100 civilians living in the small industrial town of Sisak who were murdered or forcibly disappeared during the war that engulfed the former Yugoslavia. Today -- 17 years later -- virtually none of those responsible for these crimes has been brought to justice.
Interview with Amnesty International Secretary-General Irene KhanAs Croatia has applied for membership of the European Union, Amnesty International believes there is an onus on the Brussels institutions to ensure that there is accountability for crimes committed during the 1990s conflict, in which both ethnic Serbs and Croats were butchered. Amnesty's Secretary-General Irene Khan raised the matter when she visited senior EU leaders Apr. 15. She spoke about this and a range of other human rights issues with IPS Brussels correspondent David Cronin.

IPS: In the last few days you have called for an end to impunity for war crimes in Croatia. Shortly, you will be meeting Olli Rehn, the European commissioner handling negotiations, on the country's bid for EU membership. What will you be asking him to do?
IK: What Amnesty is asking the European Union to do is to make sure that tackling impunity for war crimes remains a major issue in the accession negotiations.
We have seen some progress in Croatia in terms of cooperation with the (Hague-based international war crimes) tribunal. But there are key concerns about the lack of prosecutions and of investigations into war crimes, particularly where this concerns crimes against the Serbian minority. And there is also heavy politicisation of investigation and prosecution, mixed messages coming from high levels of the government, attacks on witnesses that have not been investigated.
What we are asking is that when the justice chapter is opened (in the negotiations), that it isn't closed too rapidly without addressing these issues.
We met victims on both sides of the conflict in Croatia. We met the (ethnic Croat) mothers of Vukovar, for instance, and we went to Sisac, where there are Serbian victims. And on both sides the wounds are still very fresh. People want justice, they want reconciliation, but that is not going to happen unless there is an even-handed and impartial approach.
For the European Union this is a big challenge. It is the first time that they are dealing with war crimes and impunity in the context of an accession. So it is important that they handle it right because there may be others down the road in that region that they will need to deal with. They will need to deal with Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia in the future, so it is very important that they handle Croatia correctly.

IPS: You will also be addressing asylum issues during your visit. Some organisations have voiced fears about the EU's so-called returns directive, which is due to be debated by the European Parliament in the near future. Does Amnesty share the fears that it could make the detention of asylum-seekers routine?
IK: Our concerns about asylum in the European Union are long-standing. I will be discussing the returns directive with the European Parliament president (Hans-Gert Poeterring). The two aspects we are particularly concerned about are the detention issue and the re-entry ban (on deported asylum-seekers).
But we have a longer-term concern about the EU's harmonisation process (for asylum and immigration laws). Over the years, this has been driving down standards towards a lowest common denominator, whereas the objective should be to harmonise around best practice. We hope that the European Union as it looks ahead at its asylum policies will try to set straight the mistakes of the past. The directive on (asylum) procedures, for example, Amnesty has described as a catalogue of bad practice.
Europe is a model for others. Europe cannot expect neighbouring countries and other parts of the world to be generous towards asylum-seekers and refugees, when it is not prepared to be itself.

IPS: Amnesty has urged EU governments to be more generous towards refugees from Iraq. What kind of generosity are you seeking?
IK: On Iraq, it's actually a lottery. (Whether or not they are granted asylum) depends on where the plane lands. In Slovenia, it is 0 percent, whereas it is quite high in Sweden.
That is the kind of lottery on protection that we don't want to see in the European Union. We'd like to see I would say a commonality of approach, but a commonality based on the protection needs of the people. On the one hand, we all know what the situation in Iraq is. We know how serious protection and security issues are. But on the other hand those seeking asylum are being denied it and being denied it on a very arbitrary basis depending on where they end up.

IPS: Amnesty has complained that European governments have failed to properly investigate the alleged European collusion with the CIA's so-called extraordinary rendition programme. José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, was the prime minister in Portugal when CIA flights are believed to have passed through his country. Does he have a case to answer?
IK: We have been asking all the European Union governments that have been implicated in this issue of renditions to come clean. And we know recently (David) Miliband, the British foreign secretary, has admitted now that the Americans have retracted assurances they had earlier given about the use of Diego Garcia (a British dependency in the Indian Ocean). And that shows assurances on the basis of which the European governments claim that their territory was not being misused are not reliable. That puts on the European governments a responsibility to investigate and come clean.
But it also puts a responsibility on the European Union institutions to take a tougher stand on what has happened. On the one hand, the European Union projects itself as a union based on values of human rights and democracy. But on the other hand, one of the biggest human rights scandals in the European Union is being denied. And that has huge repercussions for Europe's moral authority to champion human rights around the world.

IPS: What is your view about the European Union's position -- or arguably lack of a common position -- on what has been happening in China and Tibet lately?
IK: I believe the EU will have its next human rights dialogue with China on May 15. This will be the last opportunity before the holding of the Olympic Games for the European Union to take a strong position. Dialogue takes place regularly but it is unclear what progress is being made through this process. From Amnesty's perspective, we have been looking at China over the past year or so. And we have set some benchmarks against which we are measuring China's performance. We'd like to see the European Union adopt some clear benchmarks and press China on them. That would also bring coherence to the European Union's policy; there would be ways of measuring whether they are making progress or not.
The death penalty is an issue and I think China is still the top executioner in the world, although we have seen some improvements in China on the death penalty issue. But there are many other issues: Tibet, the use of excessive force in Tibet; the treatment of human rights activists in China; dissidents and others. All these have actually worsened in the run-up to the Games.

IPS: The European Union has a policy of including a human rights clause in the formal agreements it signs with countries in the wider world. But there has been a huge reluctance to invoke such a clause in the case of the cooperation agreement the EU has with Israel, despite the abuses carried out by Israeli forces in the Palestinian territories. Is there any point in having human rights clauses if they are not used?
IK: Putting the clauses in is the first step. But what we would like to see the European Union doing now is to move that forward. First, to find concrete ways of measuring whether those clauses are making any difference or not in the dialogue they have with different governments.
There is a tendency, of course, that once you have a human rights dialogue, to use it as a parking lot for human rights issues. It is important to make the point that human rights is not a stand-alone issue. It should be a cross-cutting issue, according to European values. Therefore, it should be a basis for all discussions with all governments.

IPS: Amnesty has tended to focus on civil and political rights, rather than economic and social rights. As you approach the 60th anniversary this coming December of the United Nations' Universal Declaration on Human Rights, do you think that you should take a more comprehensive approach?
IK: For the last seven or eight years, Amnesty has been doing its own work to include economic and social rights along with (civil and political rights). We have looked at the issue of gender violence and its causes: discrimination, impunity and so on, which covered economic and social rights, as well as civil and political rights.
Victims and survivors don't make a distinction between whether their right to health has been violated or right to a fair trial has been violated when they are beaten up and thrown into prison. From that perspective, Amnesty is taking a holistic view.
We feel that we cannot credibly address human rights problems if we fail to recognise the problems with which a lot of people are grappling: gender violence, poverty and discrimination. In Europe, we have been looking at the rights of Roma children, which includes the right to education. And those kinds of issues bring forth both economic and social rights and civil and political rights.

Inter Press Service