Mr Fazio: “Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to stand in support of this amendment, because | think we have developed myopia about India here, We have a long tradition of appreciation for this democracy, a pluralistic society much like our own. We know what a struggle it is to keep all the disparate elements in India working together in the same direction, but our love of India and our appreciation of the Angitoized leadership of India in the last 40 years particularly has led us to look the other way when human rights abuses have clearly occurred.
Freedom House, Amnesty International, the Asia-Watch, have all documented the human rights violations that have occurred, and yet we have not been able to have one fair balanced hearing in the proper subcommittee to look at all sides of this dispute, to bring to the floor for discussion the kind of cross-examination that ought to occur as a result of the obvious problems that occur there.
We talked about having these hearing, but they have never been held. The people who feel strongly about what has happened in the particularly the Sikh community, but also as a result of the rise of fanatic Hindu fundamentalists in other parts of India have been rebuffed, have been told that this would somehow undermine our positive ongoing trading relationship with India, somehow undermine our support in the United Nations, somehow impact the other ways that we Care even more about our relationship with India and the proliferation of nuclear weapons,
I think this amendment is on the _ floor properly because of the pent-up demand, the inability to air these issues in committee; so I am going to support this amendment fam convinced that this Congress has done a poor job of focusing on these problems and must take action in order to send a message to India that we think it has some very serious work to do on its human rights problems.
“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Burton amendment to H.R, $368, the fiscal year 1993 foreign aid appropriations bill, The people of India continue to be plagued by human rights abuses-serious abuses which have been documented by various nonpartisan, International human rights organizations, as well as by the media, The human rights situation in India is continuing to deteriorate; Improvements do not appear to be forthcoming.
“House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Fascell and Human Rights and International Organizations Subcommittee Chairman Yatron have already expressed their grave concern to Secretary of State Baker. Both chairmen have noted that three serious human rights violations are constant and go unchecked by Indian police and security forces. They have urged the administration to take up these issues with the Indian Government immediately. Chairman
Fascell and Yatron have also asked that, if the Indian Government is unwilling to put an end to these human rights violations, the administration withdrawing United States financial support,
There are others of us here in the House who, as ardent supporters of basic human rights, share these concerns and feel that Congress cannot idly stand by while these abuses are perpetrated. Those of us who are determined to exercise our influence to effect a change have cosponsored H.R. 5234, Burton’s bipartisan legislation which conditions United States development aid to Indian upon the repeal of certain specific laws ~ including detainment without formal charge or trial and searches and arrests without warrants which encourage and sustains these human rights violations.
Now, that we have the foreign aid bill before us on the floor, is the time to exercise this influence the time to link our continued financial support of India to the Indian Government’s willingness to address its human rights problems. We cannot afford to miss this window of opportunity if we are serious about our commitment to basic human rights for all people.
The Burton amendment to the foreign aid bill will cut development assistance funds to India by $24 million, i in light of the serious human right violation that continue to plague this country. The Burton amendment will send the Indian Government very clear message-development assistance is linked to a marked improvement in human rights for all of India’s people.
Violence and terrorism can only serve to undermine a true and lasting peace between all the people of India. The Government of India must renounce the use of force and put an end to human rights abuses.
Mr. Chairman I believe that the Burton amendment both effectively and clearly sends this message.”
Article extracted from this publication >> June 10, 1994
