Socialist choir in Cuba

[Jonathanb977]

I note with interest that according to its website the Sheffield Socialist Choir embarks on a further trip to Cuba in November, and I wish them well with their ‘send off’ gig hosted at King Edward VII School.

 

While they are in Cuba I imagine they will spare a thought for the 57 individuals the Cuban Government imprisoned for peacefully expressing their views in 2003. Gerardo Ducos, Cuba researcher at Amnesty International has said ‘There was no valid reason for the original detention of the 57 men and there is certainly no reason for them to remain in prison. The only 'crime' they committed was the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression.’

 

Fifty-four of the 57 current prisoners of conscience in Cuba are the remainder of a group of 75 people jailed in the infamous 2003 crackdown. Most of them were charged with crimes including "acts against the independence of the state" because they are alleged to have received funds and/or materials from organisations supported by the United States government.

 

They were sentenced to between six and 28 years in prison after speedy and unfair trials which failed to meet international standards.

 

Among the jailed is Víctor Rolando Arroyo Carmona, an independent librarian and vice-president of the unofficial organization Foro para la Reforma (Forum for Reform). He was arrested on 18 March 2003 and sentenced less than three weeks later to 26 years in prison.

 

The activities the prosecution cited against him included setting up a library with more than 6,000 books of 'reactionary' character, collaborating with press agencies not accredited by the Cuban government and having been awarded the Hellman/Hammet human rights prize by Human Rights Watch. He is currently being held in ‘Cuba Sí’ Prison in Holguín Province.

[donuticus]

Don't be silly.

 

Socialism is perfect don't ya know.

[epiphany]

Socialism is perfect don't ya know.

 

 

Nobody is claiming Cuba is a model of free speech, whether it truly embodies the principles of socialism or not.

[El Robbo]

Blah, blah, blah...

 

OK, so Cuba doesn't have a great human rights act - I've never seen anyone try to deny that. There are at least 20 other countries worldwide who are holding prisoners of conscience, more who have in the past under the same regime so might again. Do you check in case other community groups ever visit them?

 

Using Amnesty as a yardstick, are you also calling for a boycott of the US (rendition, torture, prisoner abuse) and even the UK (torture, prisoner abuse, illegal arms dealing)?

 

[Wildcat]

Since we are looking at Amnesties stance on Cuba, it seems pertinent to express concern that Obama didn't take the opportunity to normalise relations with the country and lift the trade embargo as advised by Amnesty. A decision that would have helped change the Cuban regime's siege mentality.

 

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/obama-renews-cuba-trade-embargo-20090915

[callippo]

Cuba is tiny, unpleasant as it is, forget Cuba. It's China and Vietnam that are the real communist monsters. Someday their cookies will crumble.

[plekhanov]

Cuba is tiny, unpleasant as it is, forget Cuba. It's China and Vietnam that are the real communist monsters. Someday their cookies will crumble.

Unlike Cuba both China and Vietnam abandoned communist economic policies long ago.

 

They may well be 'monstrous' but they aren't really communist in anything but name.

[LibertyBell]

 

While they are in Cuba I imagine they will spare a thought

 

...for the way US regimes have for years tried to strangle the country by throwing a blockade round the island; thereby stopping essential supplies getting through, including basic medication and school supplies for children. Yet despite that, the country retains it dignity and manages to educate it population to a higher level than the US in terms of literacy and numeracy.

 

Well done to the choir for making this effort to show the Cuban people that people all over the world support them.

[Jonathanb977]

thanks all for contribs

 

I offer the following:

 

trade embargo - indeed bad, and condemned by the organisation i support, amnesty international;

 

should community groups not visit human rights abusing regimes? Dunno. I think there is a case for ethical tourism. And I think if there's a chance a repressive regime will draw support from a visit, then the group ought to pause for thought...

 

Do I criticise other countries - yes, human rights are universal and indivisible. We campaign across the board.

 

The thing I'm trying to nail really here is wider than just cuba. It's this: apologists for repressive regimes the world over claim that the withdrawal of human and democratic rights is a price worth paying for whatever claims of economic / social achievement they're laying claim to. Sometimes they even claim it's necessary, as if human happiness is unachieveable without a `we know best' Government. I've heard people say this about China, Burma (I know, absurd, the generals even managed to cause a famine there) and, repeatedly, Cuba.

 

And they're wrong. Because wherever you are, whoever you are, you should be able to vote for the people in charge. And vote them out what they're past their sell-by. And complain about them, as long as they aren't doing so violently.

 

It might be that given the choice, the Cubans would choose the socialist economics allegedly being practised over there. It might be that they'd elect free marketeers. I don't know. But I know they deserve the choice, and the spectacle of them enduring long prison sentences or throwing themselves into the sea in puny boats to escape Cuba is far from being `dignified,' it's distressing.

 

I chair the Sheffield Amnesty group, and we meet on the second wednesday of each month at the Quaker meeting house, next to the cathedral. The view above are my own, not Amnesty's. But if anyone reading this wantsto join the fight for Human Rights, then Amnesty's where it's at.

 

Jonathan Bailey

[Chris_Sleeps]

throwing themselves into the sea in puny boats to escape Cuba is far from being `dignified,' it's distressing.

I've read Castro's book (Link) and he openly states people are free to leave the island. It is no worst than the people of Mexico who make suicidal attempts to leave their country. I'm no apologist for Castro, but you can't blame him for how people choose to leave.