Commentary: The unlawful government in Honduras is disrespectful to the United Nations
Posted by editor on October 03 2009 00:00:00
Several months ago the Honduran military, along with Congressman Roberto Micheletti, the unlawful president of Honduras, overthrew the president of Honduras the Right Honorable Manuel Zelaya, who was duly elected by the people in a presidential election. Since the overthrow of this president, this...
Extended News
By Wellington C Ramos

Several months ago the Honduran military, along with Congressman Roberto Micheletti, the unlawful president of Honduras, overthrew the president of Honduras the Right Honorable Manuel Zelaya, who was duly elected by the people in a presidential election.

Born in Dangriga Town, the cultural capital of Belize, Wellington Ramos has an M.A. in Urban Studies from Long Island University
Since the overthrow of this president, this unlawful government has declared several curfews and martial laws restricting the free movement of their citizens to deny them of their basic fundamental and constitutional rights. In one instance this government had the nerve to close down a hospital that was established by the Garifuna people, one of the largest African indigenous people living in Honduras numbering about six hundred thousand people.

These people originally were deported from their native country Saint Vincent on March 11, 1797, as prisoners of war by the British after losing the long war against them and sent to Roatan, Honduras. They landed in Honduras on April 12 of that same year and have been living in all parts of Honduras and other countries in Central America since then.

In the mid 1800s there was an uprising in Honduras, which led to the massacre of several of these people, causing them to leave Honduras and many of them fled to Nicaragua, Guatemala and Belize. Today, the Garifuna people live in all these countries and maintain constant relations with all their relatives in these respective countries and continue to practice their Garinagu culture.

When Manuel Zelaya became president of Honduras, he introduced several policy initiatives to improve the quality of life for the Garifuna people and he was liked by many of them. Since the military and this de facto president Roberto Micheletti came to power, they have revoked and cancelled all those initiatives that are now affecting these people.

The United States and many other countries in the world have condemned the overthrow of the president and some countries have severed all diplomatic relations with this country. Yet, this unlawful government continues to act as if the government belongs to them and that they will not bow or listen to the democratic nations of the world.

The Organization of American States (OAS), Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and other regional organizations have also pleaded with this unlawful regime to restore power back to the lawful president Manuel Zelaya but all those appeals have fallen on deaf ears.

Under the United Nations Charter, it is unlawful for other nations to interfere in the internal affairs of another country. However, when a democratically elected president or government is overthrown by the military or any other organized group against the aspirations of the citizens of that country, then it is the responsibility of the United Nations, along with the other democratic governments of the world, to take action and intervene to restore that government to power. Failure by the United Nations to act will set a bad precedent for other countries and could lead to the declining of confidence in the United Nations as a reputable institution.

The whole world is watching how the United Nations is going to deal with this crisis at hand. The United Nations is not moving fast enough to rectify this problem and in my opinion they possess the means to end this crisis immediately.

I am now calling on the United Nations to convene an urgent meeting of the Security Council and the members of that body, to submit a resolution to this body that a United Nations multinational force be assembled to go to Honduras and restore President Manuel Zelaya back in power. Why should the United Nations and the democratic nations of the world be afraid to act lawfully, when, the de facto regime had no fear to act unlawfully.?

President Manuel Zelaya has made it much easier for them because he has risked his life to go back to his country and serve his people as the duly elected president of the country. The Honduran government has its military surrounding the Brazilian Embassy trying to await his exit from the embassy to arrest, detain and probably cause harm to him.

This is now the appropriate time for the United Nations to intervene to avoid bloodshed. It is clear that this de facto government has no respect for international laws, national laws and the constitution of their country because they have already violated it and continue to do so everyday by denying and refusing to reinstate their constitutionally elected president Manuel Zelaya.

If the United Nations and the democratic nations of the world want to regain their credibility in the politics of world opinion, then this is the appropriate action to take and the time is now. To allow this conflict to drag on further indefinitely is not to the benefit of the Honduran citizens, the democratic nations of the world or anyone, but it will continue to cause further suffering on the people of this country and give rogues in other countries to do the same thing to other existing democracies in the world today.