|
aware of the mock "demobilization" of the paramilitaries, a kind word for DEATH SQUADS for a very long time. They've GOT their number, and they've attempted to make it public knowledge, as in this public statement: Justice & Peace Law and Decree 128
Since 2003, paramilitary groups, responsible for the vast majority of human rights violations in Colombia for over a decade, have been involved in a government-sponsored "demobilization" process. More than 25,000 paramilitaries have supposedly demobilized under a process which has been criticized by AI and other Colombian and international human rights groups, as well as by the OHCHR and the IACHR. The process is lacking in effective mechanisms for justice and in its inability to ensure that paramilitary members actually cease violent activities.
In fact, paramilitarism has not been dismantled, it has simply been "re-engineered." Many demobilized combatants are being encouraged to join "civilian informer networks," to provide military intelligence to the security forces, and to become "civic guards". Since many areas of Colombia have now been wrested from guerrilla control, and paramilitary control established in many of these areas, they no longer see a need to have large numbers of heavily-armed uniformed paramilitaries.
However, evidence suggests that many paramilitary structures remain virtually intact and that paramilitaries continue to kill. Amnesty International continues to document human rights violations committed by paramilitary groups, sometimes operating under new names, and often in collusion with the security forces.
AI would welcome a demobilization process which would lead to the effective dismantling of paramilitarism and end the links between the security forces and paramilitaries. But the current demobilization process is unlikely to guarantee the effective dismantling of such structures. In fact, it is facilitating the re-emergence of paramilitarism and undermining the right of victims to truth, justice and reparation.
Amnesty International is deeply concerned that the law governing the demobilization of armed groups in Colombia is wholly inadequate. It threatens to guarantee the impunity of those responsible for heinous and widespread human rights atrocities, not only paramilitaries, but also those who have backed the paramilitary such as wealthy landowners, and government and military officials. Furthermore, the demobilization law may not rid the country of the scourge of illegal armed activity and human rights abuses against the civilian population. In fact, it may make the situation worse by: - Providing de facto amnesties for paramilitaries and guerrillas responsible for serious human rights abuses and violations;
- Perpetuating impunity for human rights abusers and violators thereby undermining the rule of law in Colombia;
- Failing to guarantee the effective dismantling of paramilitary structures by focusing solely on individual combatants;
- Failing to expose those Colombian security forces, government officials, and private citizens who have supported and benefited from the activities of the paramilitary;
- Failing to establish a full and independent judicial process to oversee the demobilization process;
- Neglecting to respect the rights of victims of human rights violations and abuses to truth, justice and reparation.
The legislation was approved in 2005 with the aim of facilitating the supposed demobilization of army-backed paramilitaries. Yet on May 19, 2006, Colombia's Constitutional Court declared many of the central tenets of the Justice and Peace Law unconstitutional. Today most paramilitaries who have demobilized have benefited from Decree 128 of 2003 under which members of illegal armed groups who are not under investigation for human rights offences receive de facto amnesties. It is precisely because of the endemic problem of impunity in Colombia that most paramilitaries and guerrillas, many of whom are responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other crimes under international law, have never been investigated, let alone been brought to justice for these offences. As such, almost all members of paramilitary groups have already benefited from Decree 128. More: http://www.amnestyusa.org/Colombia/Justice_and_Peace_Law_and_Decree_128/page.do?id=1101862&n1=3&n2=30&n3=885~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~RIGHTS-COLOMBIA: Paramilitarism Alive and Well
By Constanza Vieira
BOGOTA, Apr 1 (IPS) - "If their slogan was land, dignity and peace, this time it will be terror, murder and hell," said a threat sent to human rights defenders and trade unionists who took part in a Mar. 6 march in homage to the victims of Colombia’s far-right paramilitary groups.
Since the march, four of the organisers have been murdered and another survived an attempt on her life. In addition, more than 50 people and organisations have been named in written threats distributed by a group calling themselves the "Black Eagles", who say they will be "implacable" with those who organised the demonstration.
~snip~
Although in the government’s official view, the paramilitary groups no longer exist, they actually only partially disbanded in the disarmament process that ended in 2006.
The groups that never disappeared or have re-emerged under new names like "Black Eagles" are referred to by the government as "criminal gangs."
According to a source with an international body, who asked not to be identified, the demobilised paramilitaries were called to take up their weapons again late last year in Urabá and Chocó in the northwest, and Cesar in the northeast, along the Venezuelan border, as well as in "many other regions."
That situation, observed on the ground by the international body, is in keeping with the threats, which announced the "total rearmament of the paramilitary forces."
The phenomenon is also mentioned by 22 U.S. human rights organisations in a joint letter sent to Uribe on Mar. 26.
"This string of threats and attacks calls directly into question the effectiveness of the paramilitary demobilisation process," said the groups, which included Human Rights First (formerly the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights), Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International USA, Refugees International, the Washington Office on Latin America and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for Human Rights. More: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41817 |
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
