In respectful disagreement with Michael Robbins, we feel it is entirely
appropriate to publicize, on a librarians' listserv, information about a
country where librarians are being persecuted. It cannot be a crime to
oppose censorship or to open a library, and opposition to human rights
violations, wherever they occur, should be above politics.
Yes, as Mr. Robbins states, contradictory information is being
circulated, but does this mean it is impossible to verify the truth or to act
upon it? Systematic violations of intellectual freedom in Cuba have been
documented by every reputable human rights organization that has studied the
country over the past four decades. With specific regard to the persecution
of Cuba's independent librarians, Amnesty International assigned Prisoner of
Conscience status to Ramon Colas, the co-founder of the library movement,
after his most recent arrest
(http://www.Cubanet.org/CNews/y99/nov99/15e25.htm). Every charge made by the
Friends of Cuban Libraries about the campaign of threats, intimidation,
harassment, arrests, evictions and confiscations being directed against the
independent librarians was confirmed and documented in IFLA's investigative
report on this subject (http://www.faife.dk, in the "news and events"
section).
With every press release issued by the Friends of Cuban Libraries, more
and more librarians around the world are being awakened to the grim reality
of Cuba. For forty years, the standard response of Cuban officials to
criticism of human rights violations has been to issue flat denials of
wrongdoing or to remain silent. In pressing Cuban officials to end the
shameful persecution of our colleagues, we refuse to take "no" for an answer,
and silence is no answer at all.
Subscribers to lis-link are encouraged to contact the Friends as to how
they can take part in our growing worldwide movement for justice.
Robert Kent
Friends of Cuban Libraries
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