The Commonwealth and Uganda – Business As Usual?

Filed Under GLBT Equality, Hate Crimes, Homophobia, Human Rights, Politics | November 26th, 2009 

On Friday, November 27th, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) takes place in Trinidad and Tobago — chaired by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni — Will the Commonwealth suspend Uganda for its pending hate legislation or will it be business as usual?

For weeks now I’ve been wondering when Canada would speak out against the Uganda’s proposed anti-human-rights legislation that would make homosexuality punishable by death. You wouldn’t know it from the Prime Minister’s site or the Canada News Centre site, but apparently the PMO has finally broken their silence on this issue.

According to The Globe and Mail:

In Ottawa Tuesday, a spokesman for Mr. Harper also criticized the bill, using words that were virtually identical to the official U.S. comment of several weeks ago. “If adopted, a bill further criminalizing homosexuality would constitute a significant step backwards for the protection of human rights in Uganda,” said Dimitri Soudas, a spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office.

“Canada has clearly spoken out against human-rights violations committed against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation and we urge states to take all necessary measures to ensure that sexual orientation and gender identity may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties, in particular executions, arrests, or detention.”

If that’s what speaking out clearly against human-rights violations consists of for our government then that’s a pretty poor reaction to Uganda’s hate plan.

(On a side note, a Globe and Mail blogger examines the striking similarity of the Canadian and American response.)

Other recent Canadian actions that speak louder than those words include:

- Training Ugandan military officers at a “Tactical Operations Staff Course” on an ongoing basis;

- Providing Uganda with six new armoured personnel carriers, (equipment , maintenance and training included – the APC’s were bought from South Africa);

- Canada also provides various forms of financial aid to Uganda on a regular basis — Including, CIDA’s 2007-2008 disbursements for projects and initiatives in Uganda: $23.75 million for starters.

I’m sure that other Commonwealth countries that can afford to, make similar contributions to Uganda.

Reactions:

On Tuesday, The Commonwealth Action Group (CHAAG) called for the rejection of the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality private members bill by the Ugandan government and for the Commonwealth suspension of Uganda if the Anti-Homosexuality Bill is passed.

Stephen Lewis, Co-Director of AIDS-Free World at the Commonwealth People’s Forum on the Eve of the CHOGM: “This is a moment of truth for the Commonwealth. The anti-homosexuality Private Member’s Bill introduced into the parliament of Uganda, and now proceeding through the normal legislative process, puts the Commonwealth’s legitimacy and integrity to the test.”

Also on Tuesday, speaking at the Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma warned against publicly listing grievances, saying among other appeasing things, “We see greater value in raising a helping hand, than in raising a wagging finger.”

Helping hands are great…But when one is helping to fund and arm a government who wishes to slaughter it’s people, then it’s time to sever those ties.

Canada’s PM & The Commonwealth Leaders:

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that he will be attending the CHOGM. In the release he said, “Our relationships with Commonwealth countries provide Canada with an important opportunity to explore our shared core values of promoting the pursuit of democracy, good governance, human rights and the rule of law.”

The release also noted, the Prime Minister will have a number of bilateral meetings while at the conference.

It is my hope that the PM remembers those words and that he and the other Commonwealth leaders strongly condemn Uganda’s hate plan against homosexuals while they’re in these meetings. I also hope that they unite to demand that the Ugandan president renounce the anti-gay legislation and to make it clear that if he doesn’t drop it then Uganda will be cut off from further aid and from participating in the Commonwealth.

That is my hope…Whether or not the Commonwealth leaders will show strong leadership and have a united voice against hate and the systematic extermination of a group of people, or whether it will be business as usual, is another matter.

Related Post: Uganda’s Anti-Gay Bill Denounced In Canadian House of Commons