Pubdate: Tue, 29 Aug 2000
Source: Financial Times (UK)
Copyright: The Financial Times Limited 2000
Contact:  1 Southwark Bridge, London, SE1 9HL, UK
Fax: +44 171 873 3922
Website: http://www.ft.com/
Author: Edward Alden, in Washington and James Wilson in Bogota

CLINTON ATTACKED ON COLOMBIA AID

International human rights groups on Monday condemned the US administration 
for its decision to release $1.3bn in aid for Colombia, charging that the 
Bogota government had failed to meet any of the human rights conditions 
mandated by the US Congress.

In a report released ahead of President Bill Clinton's visit to Colombia on 
Wednesday, the groups say that little progress has been made in bringing to 
justice soldiers or paramilitary groups who have been involved in a series 
of civilian massacres.

The Clinton administration last week issued a national security waiver 
allowing military and other assistance to Colombia, despite acknowledging 
that the Colombian government had failed to meet the conditions.

The aid package released by the US includes $122m for judicial reform and 
support for human rights in Colombia, but most will be used to equip the 
Colombian military for its war against narcotics trafficking.

Mr Clinton is hoping to encourage what it sees as a serious effort by the 
administration of Andres Pastrana, the Colombian president, to deal with 
drug smuggling and an escalating war with both leftwing guerrillas and 
rightwing paramilitary groups.

Thomas Pickering, undersecretary of state for political affairs, said on 
Friday that Mr Pastrana was determined "to make respect for human rights a 
critical component of his plans for Colombia". He cited in particular the 
commitment made last week to try in civilian rather than military courts 
all soldiers credibly accused of gross human rights violations, one of the 
conditions set down by Congress.

But Monday's report, authored by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch 
and the Washington Office on Latin America, says even this first condition 
is far from being realised.

Despite the presidential directive, the report says that Colombia's 
military continues to dispute jurisdiction in most cases involving 
soldiers. If those case go before military rather than civilian courts, the 
tribunals "have a virtually unbroken record of covering up crimes", it says.

Colombia has also failed to make progress on any of the other conditions 
set down by Congress, the report charges. Many senior officers accused of 
human rights violations continue to serve in the Colombian army, the 
military continues to harass and threaten civilian human rights 
investigations, and most arrest warrants against paramilitary operatives 
are never executed.

Despite an increase in arrest warrants, paramilitary commanders "who 
tolerate, order and cover up for human rights violations remain virtually 
untouched", the report says.

Mr Pastrana's government insists it has made substantial progress in human 
rights, with a significant drop in complaints of abuses by the armed 
forces. Senior generals say human rights training has been improved 
throughout military ranks.

A new military penal code has also been introduced that excludes crimes of 
genocide, torture and forced disappearance from military jurisdiction.

Luis Fernando Ramirez, defence minister, acknowledged there were "isolated 
cases" of human rights violations within the armed forces, but said: "There 
is no impunity."
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