The Reality of “Outposts of Tyranny”

The six countries—North Korea, Cuba, Myanmar, Iran, Belarus, and Zimbabwe— which were designated as “outposts of tyranny” by the to-be U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will likely suffer from the U.S. diplomatic policy for human rights in the future. The U.S. Department of State raised a deep concern on the status of human rights in those six nations in a human rights report released in February 2004.

Common Features of the Six Nations-

Rice pointed out that the people of those six nations can’t peacefully exercise their rights to change the government. Meanwhile, she praised the case of Malaysia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and Ukraine as having succeeded in achieving a peaceful and democratic shift of government

The people of those six nations, she said, are unable to enjoy the freedom of press, publishing, gathering, and forming associations and religions. Moreover, they are suffering from the government’s wide and constant infringement of human rights.

The countries that draw the most attention are North Korea and Iran. These two countries are described as both the “outposts of tyranny” and the “axis of evil,” which U.S. President George W. Bush mentioned previously. The remaining countries will be pressed mainly for the human rights issue, but these two nations are likely to be placed under direct pressure for “nuclear activities.”

Relationship between the U.S. and the Six Nations-

The Associated Press (AP) on January 19 introduced the relationship between the “outposts of tyranny” and the United States.

Excluding North Korea and Iran, which are confronting against the U.S. regarding the nuclear issue, the remaining nations are typically indicated as infringing human rights by the U.S. Department of State.

The U.S. and Cuba have maintained an uncomfortable relationship for years since Fidel Castro seized political power. The U.S., in particular, blames Cuba for having arrested 75 anti-government figures in 2003, and urged the nation to free the political prisoners.

Myanmar also has been listed steadily in the human rights-abused nations, as it has been ruled under a military government for several decades. The U.S. strongly criticized Myanmar’s military government for putting anti-government leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest, and for its measure of economic sanctions.

The United Nations recently classified Belarus as a destitute country with a low level of administration, just like North Korea, Myanmar, and Zimbabwe. Since 1994 when Alexander Lukashenko seized the power, the freedom and rights of the people have been restrained, and the general and presidential elections were stained by fraud.

Robert Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe, has violently suppressed the opposition party, and also admitted the passage of a rigorous security bill and press related law to remove the underground groups.

However, the level of the confronting mood in the international world seems to be higher in the future, as the six nations are blaming the U.S. for threatening their nations by applying economic sanctions and plotting against the current administrations.

Young-Sik Kim spear@donga.com