India to oppose a human rights monitor at CHOGM
India will oppose a Commonwealth report that seeks to establish a
monitoring group for member countries on human rights, democracy and
rule of law. At the Commonwealth summit in Perth this week, India is
working the diplomatic levers to make the case that such groups are
beyond the mandate of the 54-nation grouping. This might put India in
the direct path of advocacy by western Commonwealth nations UK, Canada
and Australia.
The 11-member eminent persons group drawn from civil society in
various countries has put out 106 recommendations in its report, most of
which India would be happy to accept. The group was set up after the
last summit in Port of Spain in 2009 and the report may be accepted at
this week’s CHOGM. India, sources said, opposes the appointment of
another human rights commissioner, given that the UN’s Human Rights
Council is a functioning body with a more far-reaching mandate. India
comes up for its periodic review next year at the Council, where, among
other things, India will be fighting attempts to put caste under racism.
India is likely to get support from almost all South Asian states, as
well as some African nations. This appointment may be used by the West
to critize Sri Lanka with, fear Indians. On democracy promotion and rule
of law advocacy, India believes that though it is a staunch practitioner
of these values, it is equally opposed to outside imposition of these
values on countries. The battle is fairly joined with the Western
countries pushing that there should be a fight against ills like forced
and early marriage.
The one issue which has flummoxed Indian diplomats is a
recommendation that countries should be penalized or criticized for
discriminating against gays and lesbians.
While India has moved out of that group with the decriminalization of
homosexuality, almost 40 countries in the Commonwealth declare
homosexuality to be a crime. This issue, many feel, is likely to cloud
the larger issues at the summit., Times of India reports.
(Times of India)
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