No Interference in Name of Human Rights: Lao FMIt's not right to interfere in other country's internal affairs under the pretext of the human rights issue, Lao Foreign Minister Somsavat Lengsavad told Chinese press in an interview recently in Vientiane.Somsavat, also deputy prime minister, said the issue of human rights is, first of all, an issue of dependence. "If a country is not independent, how can its people talk about the human rights?" he asked. "When Laos was ruled by colonialists, its people were living like slaves. It was absolutely impossible for them to think of the human rights at that time," said he. Only after a country is independent, can it begin to develop, he said, adding that when deciding the road for development, a country's history, culture and customs should be taken into consideration. Respecting for the human rights means respect for all peoples' decisions on their own nation's fate, said Somsavat. "I used to ask western journalists why the western colonialists never mentioned the human rights when they came here to colonize the Lao people. Why didn't the United States talk about the human rights when they threw three million tons of bombs in Laos? Why doesn't the United States talk about the human rights when the bombs they left are still posing great threat to the Lao people's security?" Somsavat said when developing bilateral relations, all countries should abide by the Charter of the United Nations and norms of the international laws. All countries should respect each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the rule of noninterference into internal affairs, said the foreign minister. Since most countries in the world are still under-developed, he said, the issue of human rights should be how the developed ones help the developing ones to develop, instead of interfering in the latter' internal affairs. He voiced regret over the belief held by some western countries that the developing countries are poor because they don't respect the human rights. "What a ridiculous theory!" retorted Somsavat, expressing wish that all countries can cooperate with each other in a friendly way. |
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