Cuba = No human rights = United Nations HRC

From the Washington Times, excellent commentary on the price paid by Armando Valladares in the castro gulag, for simply believing that communism as an ideology was a dead end. The commentary questions the absurdity of Cuba's position in the new United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Viva Valladares
By Arnold Beichman
Published July 9, 2006

For a reason I will explain toward the end of this article, I will tell you the story of Armando Valladares, who spent 22 years as a political prisoner in Fidel Castro's Cuban jails. He was, of course, one of many such prisoners. Mr. Valladares was guilty of opposing the adoption of communist ideology after the anti-Batista Cuban revolution.

Because he would not compromise his opposition to communism, Mr. Valladares was not only jailed but tortured as well. He was subjected to brutal beatings, isolation and guinea pig biological and psychological experiments that only a sadist could dream up.

Mr. Valladares was locked away in so-called tiger cages. The steel mesh ceiling was easily punctured by the guards who prodded and poked him with their clubs so he could not sleep. He was regularly doused from above by the guards with buckets of excrement and urine collected from the other prisoners.

Steel plates were welded on the cell windows and door so no light could enter his cell. According to his memoir, he lived mired in his own waste and went for years without a bath. In his 22 years as a prisoner of conscience, he was allowed 13 visits. Mr. Valladares survived years of solitary confinement.

In 1963, he was given a blue uniform to wear, which would distinguish common criminals from political prisoners, he refused to wear it and went naked. Since Mr. Valladares refused to participate in any political rehab programs, the Fidelistas tried to starve him into submission: No food for 46 days. That didn't work.

By now his plight had become known worldwide: Mr. Valladares had become a symbol of resistance to the Castro dictatorship. An international campaign for his release was led by then French President Francois Mitterrand who made a personal appeal to Mr. Castro to release Mr. Valladares. Upon his release, Mr. Valladares published a memoir, "Against All Hope," which became an international best-seller.

Why this long story? Because the last Human Rights Commission had such a disgraceful collection of violators of human rights that Kofi Annan created a new commission. And guess what? Cuba is a member of the new commission.

Has the United Nations no shame?

No there is no shame. The honor of having the highest number of political prisioners in the Western Hemisphere goes to (drum roll please) CUBA!