Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-17-Speech-4-177"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2000-02-17"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Human rights2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20000217.8.4-177"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2000-02-17-Speech-4-1782
lpv:speaker	lp:Johan Van Hecke2
lpv:spokenAs	vice-chair; Members from the European Parliament to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) (1999-09-14--2002-01-14)3 member; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 unknown; Christelijke Volkspartij (1999-07-20--2001-09-30)3 member; EPP-ED (1999-07-20--2002-09-17)3 substitute; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, the facts are well-known. On 24 December, the Angolan court sentenced a correspondent of the Portuguese paper, Expresso, to a year’s imprisonment and a fine of USD 20 000. The journalist had brought to light a corruption scandal in the President’s cabinet. The trial took place behind closed doors and the defendant was only allowed one witness. Another journalist was threatened with his life during a parliamentary debate last month by a member of parliament of the MPLA government party. These are only two examples of a trend in Angola to silence any government critics. Over the past year, more than twenty journalists have been arrested for alleged slander or criminal offences against state security. Their only crime was to criticise what human rights organisations have been denouncing all along, namely the large-scale corruption and disappearance of hundreds of millions of dollars, paid by the oil companies to the Angolan Government. Even the British Minister, Peter Hain, conceded this recently. We should ensure that the oil revenue is not used merely to finance the war or to line the pockets of prominent members of government, he told President Dos Santos last month. But, at the same time, we note that Great Britain and also Portugal are continuing to channel military aid to the government. There is indeed a great deal of hypocrisy regarding Angola. On the basis of a report, the human rights organisation Global Witness concluded that the western world is turning a blind eye to the activities of Dos Santos because it is fishing for lucrative oil contracts. I would like to challenge Portugal to deliver proof to the contrary, by making commercial interests subservient to human rights, to which so much lip service is being paid. In my opinion, Angola is a test case. We should, at any rate, judge the Portuguese Presidency on its actions and not on its words."@en1

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