A Pseudo-Democracy Against Freedom

This interview was published at World War 4 Report:

COUNTER-TERRORISM THREATENS SPANISH DEMOCRACY

An Interview with Martin Scheinin, UN Human Rights Rapporteur

by Xan Harriague, Berria, Bilbao

Last spring, Martin Scheinin, the UN's Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights while countering terrorism, spent a whole week in Spain and the Basque Country. He analysed Spain's legislation, its justice system and its tribunals. On March 9, 2009 the results of his analysis were made public before the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. He showed concern about several issues, including Spain's definition of "terrorism," freedom of speech, the practice of holding detainees incommunicado and the methods of the country's highest court, the Audiencia Nacional. He recommended to the Spanish government changes and specifications to improve laws.

Scheinin, born 1954 in Helsinki, was named Special Rapporteur in 2005. He is also a professor of international law at the European University in Italy, and vice-president of the International Association of Constitutional Treaties. He was also a member of the UN Human Rights Committee during the years of 1997 and 2004 and President of Finland's Abo Akademi Human Rights Institute from 1998 to 2008.

The Spanish government has nevertheless attempted to discredit the conclusions presented by Scheinin. Javier Garrigues, the Spanish government delegate, spoke in these terms about Scheinin and his report when it was his turn to enter the opposition: "He does not know the reality of the fight against terrorism, or the opinion of the majority of the Spanish population or the basis of the Spanish Constitution... He has made his critiques and complaints that are baseless and that are not tested. He has doubted the impartiality of the judges and the division of powers."

The Bilbao Basque-language newspaper Berria spoke with Scheinin on March 18. This English translation was provided to World War 4 Report.

The Spanish government says that your definition of terrorism is too limited. What do you think about that?

I believe that the definition of terrorism is well defined in Spanish legislation, but then there are many other derivative crimes. The definition extends itself more and more, and in the end engulfs crimes that have nothing to do with terrorism. I believe that the use of the anti-terrorist legislation is too broad in Spain. Some of the issues treated in the Audiencia Nacional should not be there, such as for example, the kale borroka [violent street protests].

Then, should the government better define the legislation?

Yes, I propose the use of anti-terrorist legislation against the real terrorism. The criminal court is enough to take care of the other crimes, without having to mention terrorism. Kale borroka is a violent act, but not terrorism. They are not the same.

What is your opinion of the politicians imprisoned for being members or collaborators in a "terrorist group"?

It is very difficult for me to know if there is [sufficient] evidence. It is very difficult to know if someone receives orders from ETA, or, as the government says, is part of ETA. I have received more information in the case of political parties and electoral platforms. I believe that the point of view of the government is too broad. It acts against groups that have nothing to do with violence. To have the same political objectives as ETA should not be considered a crime, not a reason to have a political party made illegal, as long as there is no relation with violence.

The Spanish government has answered your report by stating that the terrorism is in the objective, not in the behavior. What is your opinion of this logic?

I am in complete disagreement with that definition... In my opinion the definition of terrorism is always in the behavior. It is a strategy defined by the use of violence against innocent people... If we start defining violence by its political objectives, then any organization opposing the government could be defined as terrorist.

Do you believe that there is freedom of speech in Spain and in the Basque Country?

It is a confusing picture. Spain is an insecure democracy, that does accept many criticisms and points of view. At the same time it is true that the banning of political parties and the closing of newspapers limit freedom of speech. Then it is the judges who decide if these limitations are acceptable or constitute a violation. As far as I'm concerned, the Spanish government has gone too far in some cases.

In your opinion, is the Law of Parties [electoral law] a guarantee of freedom of speech?

It is too broad. It is too open to interpretation and in the end, it is confusing. The Law of Parties can be used against freedom of speech, but I would not say that this is specifically its objective. That would be going too far. Although in my opinion as it is too broad, it causes problems.

What would the Spanish government need to change to guarantee freedom of speech?

I proposed an examination by an expert on Penal Code, in order to improve and clarify the Law of Parties. This expert would analyze how to make it not so weak and to leave less open to interpretation.

The Spanish government has made it clear that they will continue to hold detainees incommunicado, ignoring your recommendations. What do you think of this?

I am not the first one who asks for such a measure. Many experts on human rights have said similar things before me. Most countries don't have similar measures. Spain is hanging itself with this practice. As long as it is being used, it is debilitating itself in order to defend against complaints and false accusations of torture. I asked for it to be discontinued and, as long as it is being maintained, to improve measures to guarantee the rights of the detainees.

In its defense, Spain has mentioned the legislatures of England and France...

There is a huge difference. Other countries limit the choice of a lawyer, but they can still choose one of confidence... They have some special measures for the first days of detention, but not a system of incommunicado detention. Here lies the biggest difference in respect to Spain. The majority of countries allow for the choosing of a trusted lawyer from the very beginning of the detention, which is one of the most useful measures to avoid police mishandling. That is why Spain's attitude is much more dangerous than the majority of European countries.

What is your opinion on the return to incommunicado detention by the Ertzaintza [Basque police]?

As I have said before I am against the practice, which should be replaced with other measures. Therefore the news is not good in my opinion.

What do you think about the many torture complaints that are not investigated?

I believe that when there is a torture complaint, the criminal case should be postponed until the complaint gets clarified. I don't think it is good, the way Spain deals with this issue, investigating the crime in one court and the torture complaint in another. Besides, there are very few cases of torture complaints that are actually investigated.

Is that why you say the Audiencia Nacional can be a problem?

Yes, among other reasons, but there are many more reasons. First of all, only one tribunal deals with too many offenses. They should be better distributed. Second, it has too much power from the very beginning of the investigation, and finally, too much control... The appeal process is limited, as the higher court is the one in charge from the beginning of the investigation... Therefore, the Spanish government should think again about dealing with terrorist crimes through the ordinary judicial means.

How do you reply to the Spanish government's statement that when you mention the Audiencia Nacional you are entering territory that does not concern you?

What can I say...? The Spanish Government says it is its concern to establish its institutions and legislations, that this is part of its sovereignty. In my opinion, it is mistaken. Speaking as a UN Special Rapporteur, I can give recommendations to any country to modify any law or to install a new institution or to depose another one. I am an expert in international legislation, above all concerning those human rights, and therefore I am in full capacity to do so. I do it in many countries, and Spain is not the exception. In any case, yes, it is clear that Spain is sovereign and I am not reforming the law. I am simply giving some recommendations.

Do you think the Spanish government's position goes far enough in the improvement of human rights?

It is a position with a double facet: Spain is a reference on many levels, above all, on an international level, in the promoting of dialogue among civilizations. In this field it is doing a good job. But I find problems in regard to the anti-terrorist legislation; it utilizes too many restrictive measures and besides, Spain has institutions that have no place in a democracy.

What is your response to the Spanish government claim that your report is a personal opinion and that it is based on unproved facts?

It is not true. I am an independent expert dedicated to analyze the bases of human rights international legislations. I analyze the current law. In regards to method, I am completely free to obtain information from any source. I should point out that in my report there is nothing that the Spanish government has not previously seen. I have presented my report to them and they have had months to comment on it. Consequently, I am the one who decides what to include or not in the final report.

Is it common that the governments act this way?

Yes, I always receive criticism. From there, it is a question of intensity and style...

In the future, do you believe that Spain will move towards an improvement of human rights?

In general, I perceive a good attitude. Especially since the change in the Government of the USA, many countries have admitted to making mistakes. I hope Spain will move in that direction, too.

What will the UN do after the answer that Spain has given to your report?

I don't think that the Human Rights Commission will take special measures. In regards to me personally, I will keep a vigilant eye on the case.

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This story first appeared March 18 in Berria. It is archived in Spanish translation at www.escuela.net.

RESOURCES

UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism

You can also read this interview in Spanish at Eusko Blog : Gazteleraz.

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Democracy Now! and the Gernika Bombing

This video from a show dedicated to Gernika's bombing was posted at the Democracy Now! webpage:

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On Anniversary of 1937 Guernica Bombing, Basque Community in Idaho Looks Back

Seventy-two years ago this Sunday, in the midst of the Spanish Civil War, on April 26th, 1937, the Basque town of Guernica was carpet bombed by Fascist Italian and Nazi German forces. Three-quarters of Guernica was destroyed, and as many as 1,600 civilians were killed. Boise, Idaho is home to one of the largest Basque populations in the United States. We speak with a survivor of the Guernica bombing and with the director Basque Museum and Cultural Center in Boise. [includes rush transcript]

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Support in Belfast

Supporters of Arturo Villanueva Arteaga hold Basque flags and display placards at Lagonside Court in Belfast, yesterday, April 22nd. Spanish authorities say Northern Ireland police have arrested a man suspected of having links to an outlawed Basque group. The Interior Ministry says police arrested Arturo Villanueva Arteaga, 32, in Belfast on Wednesday on a European arrest warrant. Villanueva is accused of belonging to Haika, a group outlawed in 2007 by Spain as a terrorist organization linked to armed Basque separatist group ETA, something that Spain's D.A. has failed to prove thus violating international law and treaties regarding human rights. This action by Madrid's government is part of an ongoing campaign to force governments around the world to curtail the civil rights of Basque citizens.

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Language Issues in Euskal Herria II

This is the follow up to an article published at the Portland Cultural Travel Examiner about the Basque language that we posted here a couple of days ago:

Tyler Sprecker

Language, identity and education policy in Spain’s Basque country: Part 2

As I mentioned in Part 1, the language debate taking place in the Basque Country of Spain is more than one about culture versus economy. The status of Basque as a language is tied closely to Basque nationalism and the fight for sovereignty. The Basque Country of Spain enjoys a great degree of autonomy from the rest of Spain, though not enough for Basque Nationalists who want nothing short of absolute sovereignty. While not representative of all Basque Nationalists, the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), a pro-independence terrorist organization, has been the darker face of the independence movement.

Although the separatist movement has lost some steam in recent years, it remains an important force in Spanish politics. Basque separatists have long argued for their right to self-determination as a separate ethnic group with their own language and culture. Surely a sovereign country retains the right to choose and promote its own language? Given the Basque country’s semi-autonomous status and current demographics, that has been a point of frustration for many.

Many native Spanish speakers in the Basque Country feel frustrated with the Basque language requirement for civil service jobs, arguing that some professionals such as doctors should be focusing their time and energy on learning about disease and medicine rather than a second language. Foreign language requirements have aroused public discontent in other regions of Spain as well. Protests were recently held in opposition of a government decision to make knowledge of Catalan mandatory for civil service jobs in the Cataluña region.

While not recognized as such by the federal government, Basque is a co-official language along with Spanish in the Basque Country of Spain. The Basque Country government strongly encourages bilingualism among its citizens. Under current policy all civil servants are required to speak Basque. The government has even taken to encouraging business owners to encourage their employees to learn Basque if they do not already know it. Educational policy is geared toward the same goal as well.

The Basque Country of Spain currently has three educational models from which parents are obliged to choose for their children. In Model A, all classes are taught in Spanish, except for language classes; Basque language classes are required. In Model B, some subjects are taught in Basque while others are taught in Spanish. In Model D, all classes are taught in Basque; Spanish language classes are required. In all three models English language classes are a required part of the curriculum. Some schools have even been testing a new trilingual education model where subjects are taught in Basque, Spanish and English. Over the past several years, the Basque Nationalist led government has been closing Model A schools due to reportedly low demand.

The need for bilingualism appears to be shared by many, though there is disagreement about the languages. Many native Spanish speakers see Basque as a language with marginal utility and would prefer their children to be taught English instead.

Public policy as it relates to language, however, may see some changes in light of recent political developments. After 30 years of governance by the Basque Nationalist Party (or by Basque Nationalist Party-led coalitions), the People’s Party (PP) – Spain’s main right-wing party, and the Socialist Party of the Basque Country (PSE) have formed a governing coalition that is set to begin governing starting mid-May of this year. Exactly what this means for language policy is yet to be seen, although a joint-statement of policy goals agreed to by both governing parties was recently issued.

The joint release clearly states the new government’s support for freedom of choice for parents among educational models. It also states the parties’ support for bilingualism as official government policy whereby all students are to be bilingual, though their parents retain the right to choose their educational path towards that end. Only time will tell if such policies will in effect create a bilingual citizenry. The only other question remaining is: Have they chosen the right languages?

I insist, seems like the author took many of his cues from that infamous article by Keith Johnson although it does a better job at keeping a more objective view on the issue.

And I insist, how dare any US citizen label any group as "terrorist" after all the crimes committed by the US military in Afghanistan, Irak and Pakistan?

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Language Issues in Euskal Herria I

I've got to tell you, ever since that infamous article about the Basque language by Basque-phobe Keith Johnson I cringe each time I find an article about this issue in an US media outlet. Here I present you one published at Examiner:

Tyler Sprecker

Language, identity and education policy in Spain’s Basque country: Part 1

Governing has never been so complicated. Political scientists the world over have been scratching their heads over the simultaneous integration and devolution of governments. The European Union has expanded to include 27 member countries and Asia has discussed development of a European Union-like structure while separatist movements from Quebec, Canada to the Tibet, China fight on for sovereignty. All the while, political and economic commentators from Benjamin Barber to Thomas Friedman have reflected on the effects of globalization and what it means for people around the world.

For many, it has meant having to balance economic and cultural survival. That struggle is evident in the Basque Country of Spain, where the regional government is feudally trying to weave a trilingual web of Basque, Spanish and English among its citizens, making education policy a hotly debated issue. This two part series will explore language in Spain’s Basque Country, education policy and the current debate.

Spain’s Basque Country is a semi-autonomous region on the northern coast of Spain near the French border and longtime home to the indigenous Basque people. In fact, Basque is believed to be the last remaining pre-Indo European language in Europe. Communities in the Basque region had enjoyed a great degree of autonomy until the late 18th-19th centuries. Spain’s dictator Francisco Franco (1892-1975) even went so far as to outlaw the Basque language, nullifying all legal documents recorded in the language and punishing those that dared speak it in public. Since the ratification of Spain’s 1978 Constitution, the Basque Country has been named a “historical region” and has been afforded a great degree of autonomy.

Unfortunately for many non-Basque speakers, the Basque government seems to have concluded that the best way to protect the Basque language is to force it onto others, and that may not be such a bad assessment. Language displacement has occurred in many parts of the world as dominant languages such as English, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and Arabic have spread. As a necessity for survival, speakers of the marginal languages are often forced to learn the dominant language of their respective regions, creating a generation (or several) of bilingual speakers that function as a bridge between their cultural past and the future of their children. Faced with economic marginalization, parents will often times raise their children in the dominant language but will not teach them their mother language, or if they do, the marginal utility of that language will not be sufficient so as to warrant its use by the younger generation who often times will abandon it completely. Left to evolutionary forces alone, many marginal languages will simply disappear as they are replaced by dominant ones. Simply permitting a given population to speak their native tongue does not guarantee that language’s survival. But is this a matter of survival for Basque speakers?

Perhaps not; there are an estimated 632,000 native Basque speakers (roughly double the number of Icelandic speakers). Aggregate numbers alone, however, do not tell the whole story. While the Basque people are largely confined to one geographic location, only an estimated one quarter of Basque region inhabitants speak Basque as a native language, and the region’s main center of commerce, Bilbao, is largely populated by native Spanish speakers, with native Basque speakers largely confined to the outskirts and surrounding areas.

But to frame the debate exclusively in terms of culture versus economy is to distort it. In Part 2, I will explore in further detail Basque Country politics and the identity debate.

Just one little detail, Euskara is not forced "onto others", the government of the Basque Autonomous Community can do nothing about having someone in Andalucia or the Canary Islands learning the language. The language policy is implemented only in the three Basque provinces it rules and all the inhabitants minus the inmigrants of these three provinces are supposed to be Basques.

If they don't feel Basque and they refuse to speak Basque they can always go to Spain and live their happy lives in a Spanish speaking environment, in the end, Spain is not awefully far from the Basque Country.

We'll wait and see what Tyler tells us in the second installment of the series.

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Bleak Era Starts in Euskal Herria

The Basque Autonomous Community's Parliament has a Partido Popular President for the very first time. A bleak era of human, civil and political rights has opened in the Basque Country with the Partido Popular’s Arantza Quiroga, elected President of the Basque Parliament in Vitoria on Friday. The pact between the Socialists and the Partido Popular gives then 38 of the 75 seats and has led, for the first time in the history of the BAC'sParliament, the election of a P.P. President. Who can forget that the Partido Popular was founded by ministers from the Franco dictatorship, a genocidal regime that murdered thousands of Basques. Who can forget that not one single Spaniard has been prosecuted for all those murders.

The President of the Government, the Lehendakari, is the Socialist Francisco "Patxi" López, and for the first time also the left wing pro-independence parties have no representation in the chamber after Madrid resorted to a law that is a throw-back to Francisco Franco's regime to declare 100,000 votes null. The PNV Basque Nationalist Party, despite being the largest party at the regional elections on March 1, is now therefore out of power for the first time in 29 years.

On Sunday the new President went walkabout in her home town of Irún. Aratxa Quiroga admitted that her family are having a hard time of it, as now she is in the ‘eye of the hurricane’. She is also being the target of harsh criticism for her stance against the usage of condoms in Africa, as a member of the Spanish extreme right she champions the most backwards positions defended by the Catholic Church. Also, like every other member of her political party, she has never condemned the crimes committed by the Franco regime.

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Is Not Our National Side

It's been 42 years since Spain's side has played in the Basque region. And there is a good reason for it, the Basques do not support the team that represents the colonialist state that denies us our right to self determination, to the extreme that they won't allow the teams representing the nations trapped within the Spanish State nightmare to take part it international events unlike England that allows Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to do so.

But things changed after the botched electoral process last month in which the Spaniards on an all out attack against democracy were able to finally take over the Parliament in the Basque Autonomous Community. Now they want to celebrate and they will do so by adding insult to injury by having their national team playing on Basque turf.

There is supposed to be a debate in Spain following the revelation that the Spanish Football Federation wants to play in the Basque Country. It’s normal in Spain for friendly and some other international matches to be played in the regions, but the Basque Country has been ignored since 1967, 42 years ago.

It’s down to nationalist politics of course, and the thought of Spanish flags being waved in the San Mamés stadium is simply unthinkable.

Now the Federation President, Ángel María Villar, who is an ex Athletic de Bilbao player himself, has made the idea one of his objectives before his mandate ends in four years time, this shows that as usual, Spain resorts to traitors in order to advance its colonialist strategy.

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Spain's New Crusade in the Basque Country

For the second time, Spain’s conservatives and socialists are to share power in the Basque country. The banning from recent elections of pro-independence left-wing parties left the ruling Basque Nationalists with no natural allies. Despite winning the most seats, the PNV had no overall majority and was forced out.

In its place the Basque socialist leader Patxi Lopez will become regional prime minister, a significant political boost for Spanish premier Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The post of regional parliament head will be filled by a member of the extreme right Partido Popular. There is no surprise whatsoever about this outcome which ends a three-decade period of Basque Nationalist rule in the region.

The PNV had enjoyed unbroken rule since 1980, but now faces time in opposition thanks to an deal between the PSOE and the PP that ends a masquarade. For the longest time these two parties were shown to the Spanish electorate and to the international community as two separate columns of Spain's alleged democracy. Now it is quite clear that they are little more than the right wing and the left wing of the same government, the one presided by Juan Carlos Borbon who was selected by the genocidal dictator Francisco Franco to replace him after his death.

The big wigs in Madrid decided that the precedents set by the independence of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Croatia and more recently Kosovo, plus the calls for independence from Scotland, Wales, Feroe Islands, Breizh, Corsica and even the possible split in Belgium were far too dangerous because they could not keep up with their campaign of lies and misconceptions that they erected around the right to self determination of their own continental colonies; Nabarra, Cataluya and Galiza. This is why they decided to forget about their "differences" and joined forces in order to secure that they will be able to continue to deprive the Basque people of their civil and political rights.

The main stream media insists that this was the first time ever which is not true, the PSOE and the PP did the same thing over a year ago in the Basque province of Nafarroa when they left out a Basque coalition party known as Nafarroa Bai (NaBai).

The BNP (PNV) will be in the opposition yes, and they deserve it, because for the longest time they enabled Spain to supress the political rights of the left-wing parties thanks to a Franco era like law, it is just right that now they will suffer the consequences of their betrayal to their own people, serves them well.

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Football's Identity Matters

The article you are about to read was published at Goal.com and it tip-toes around the fact that the inhabitants of Euskal Herria and Catalunya (two out of the three abducted nations by Spanish colonialism) do not feel Spanish and therefore do not support Spain's national football team. Here you have it:

World Cup Debate: Spain - Divided, But Still Successful

Goal.com takes a look at that land of many cultures - Spain - and the status of the national team...

It's a rare country that has everyone within its borders cheering for national team success. Virtually everywhere on earth you will find ex-pats, immigrants, and the children of immigrants - sitting quietly at home while the majority are out watching the national team compete in the World Cup.

What's more, in quite a few you will even find native-born citizens, stretching back generations, who are not the least bit interested in the fortunes of the national side. Perhaps nowhere in Europe is this more true than in Spain.

A House Divided

The Spanish football roadshow - easily one of Europe's more mobile national teams - seems to cover a heck of a lot of ground, but this is deceptive. The vast, vast majority of the matches are played in the various pro-Spain heartlands of Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Andalucia, Asturias, Extremadura, and even Galicia and Murcia. Valencia is well-resented, too, while La Rioja, Navarre, Aragon and the Canaries are also visited. But Catalonia? The Basque Country? No.

There are parts of Spain, then, in which the national side simply is not relevant. Catalonia is the first example: sure, there are Spain fans there, but not many, borne out by the fact that the Furia Roja have not played there since 2000. (To give some context, Spain have in the meantime visited such footballing hotbeds as Vila-Real, Elche, Logrono, and Leon.)

More amazingly, the last time Spain hosted international opposition in Bilbao was in 1967 - at the height of Francoism, in other words - and San Sebastian/Donostia in 1923. Have they any immediate plan to return? Why would they? The attendance would probably be low and the outcry massive.

Flying The Flag

Yet despite the groundswell of opposition at grassroots level, when it comes to professional football, Spanish recognition remains the big prize. Proud Catalans such as Xavi and Bojan without hesitation - and without moderation - play for Spain as readily as they would their clubs. So fulsome were Xavi's efforts last summer, in fact, that he was named Euro 2008's Player of the Tournament.

That's not to say that there cannot be tensions. This current squad is undoubtedly one blessed with camaraderie and spirit, but previous coaches have not quite managed the same. Just look at Javier Clemente. He was accused by Marca, among others, of having a bias towards his beloved Athletic Bilbao, and selecting players who had 'a couple of half-decent games' for the San Mames outfit. Later, Luis Aragones weathered the same controversy for his Atletico Madrid predilection, but in Clemente's case there was, sadly, an ethnic undertone to both his (alleged) policy and some of his critics.

In other words, it's a minefield, and specifically so in the Basque country. This video, courtesy of Carlsberg and partofthegame.tv, featuring football writer Phil Ball, may explain more.

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What they do not point out is that unlike England that allows for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to play in international tournaments, Spain will not even allow Euskal Herria, Catalunya and Galiza to do the same which once again proves that those who call the shots in Madrid have little regard for the right to self determination of all nations in the world.

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Basque Good Friday

This information comes to us from our friends of the Irish Basque Committees:

6TH ANNUAL IRISH BASQUE NIGHT

GOOD FRIDAY 10TH APRIL


Featuring:


ERIK NOON & THE FUTURE GYPSIES

http://www.myspace.com/eriknoon


THE RED RASTA SOUND SYSTEM


with speakers, videos, raffles, merchandising, books...


DOORS OPEN 8PM

£5 BEFORE 10PM / £7 AFTER 10 PM

LIMITED TICKETS

Organised by: BELFAST BASQUE SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE

Keep up to date on Basque struggle news at: Irish Basque Committees

Listen to Basque Info at www.feilefm.com on line on Tuesdays from 6.30-7pm and Wednesdays 12-12.30pm

Once again, thanks to all of our Irish friends for your kindness and solidarity.

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Spain Punishes Basque Politicians

Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon charged 44 Basque politicians with membership of the militant separatist movement ETA, which the the fascist Spanish government calls a terrorist organization.

All were members of three banned separatist parties -- the Communist Party of the Basque Country (PCTV), Basque Nationalist Action (ANV) and Batasuna. Among those charged are the mayoress of the northern town of Mondragon, Maria Inocencia Galparsoro, as well as Pernando Barrena and Joseba Permach, leading figures on the radical left.

The charges are a new example of how Spain violates the civil and political rights of the Basque people, specially those who work towards the self determination and the eventual independence of Nabarra (the historic Basque Country) currently occupied by Spain and France.

Spain's Supreme Court banned two further nationalist parties from regional elections earlier this month using a so called Law of Political Parties, a Franco era style law that allows Madrid to ban any political party that demands and end to the long colonialist rule of the nations abducted by Spain's statehood, meaning that there is no truly democratic elections in Spain, a country ruled by a king elected by Francisco Franco since the death of dictator.

After more than one hundred thousand votes where declared null by Madrid, the ruling Basque Nationalist Party is expected to lose power in the Basque Country to a coalition of the two parties that represent Madrid's colonialist rule, the PP and the PSOE -- ending an unbroken run of Basque nationalist governments going back to 1980.

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Colonialist Spain

The article you're about to read will show you how Spain desperately clings to its colonialist past. First they refuse to recognize the right of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo to their self-determination, a right that they have also denied to its own European colonies (Nabarra, Catalunya and Galiza).

But then they are all too willing to contribute to the USA's colonialist occupation of Afghanistan.

Here you have the article published at The New York Times:

Spain: Troops to Leave Kosovo

By VICTORIA BURNETT

Spain said Thursday that it would withdraw its 600 peacekeeping troops from Kosovo by the fall, easing the way for a possible increase in the number of soldiers it has deployed in Afghanistan. The Spanish government, which is trying to rein in secessionist movements in the Basque region and Catalonia, does not recognize Kosovo as a sovereign nation. Defense Minister Carme Chacón, above, who was visiting Spain’s force there on Thursday, said the withdrawal would take place gradually over the coming months. “Your mission has been accomplished,” she told the troops in comments broadcast on the Web site of the newspaper El País. “Now it is time to go home.”

Rafael Calduch, a professor of international relations at Complutense University in Madrid, said in a telephone interview that it did “not make sense to have troops in an independent country that Spain does not recognize.” He added that there was also “a lot of pressure to send more troops to Afghanistan.” Spanish officials have high expectations of a closer relationship with the United States after the inauguration of Barack Obama, but diplomats and foreign policy experts in Madrid say an early test of the relationship will be Spain’s willingness to enlarge its force of nearly 800 troops in Afghanistan.

Did you know that the Spaniards celebrate the genocide that they unleashed in America every year on October 12th when they initiated their colonization of the continent?

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The "Decline" of Basque Nationalism

The article you're about to read was published at The Politonomist, it is a fine example of the way the international media is reading the outcome of the recent electoral process in the Basque Autonomous Community:

The Decline of Basque Nationalism

by Lindsay Amantea

March 9th, 2009 at 5:23 pm

In an interesting change during the regional elections in Spain on March 1st, the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) lost it’s 29 year hold on the parliament in the Basque Autonomous Community. Approximately 1.7 million Basques of the 2.1 million living in the region are eligible to vote. The new government is expected to be made up of a coalition between the Basque Socialist Party, a non-nationalist group led by Patxi López, and the People’s Party (PP), which has a right-wing conservative platform. This also marks the first election without Batasuna, one of the parties that was banned by the federal government for its connection with the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), which is a militant Basque group fighting for an independent nation state. There are calls for a re-election, as the votes that were cast for the banned parties were not counted, and theoretically could have gone to giving one of the other parties (namely the PNV) a majority. While ETA related groups were not allowed at the polls, there were no attacks from the militants during the campaign.

Actually, the Basque Socialist Party led by Patxi Lopez is a rabidly nationalist party, only that it is a Spanish nationalist party, their only goal is to erode the Basque identity of the province in favor of the Spanish identity.

Now, a couple of important facts:

a) The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV for its initials in Spanish) did not lose any of its electoral power, they actually managed to retain their votes and even attract some voters from a former political partner, the Eusko Alkartasuna party.

b) More important, pro independence party D3M (Democracy Three Million) obtained a total of 100,000 votes and seven seats in the parliament. These votes were voided later during the electoral process which consitutes a clear violation of the political rights of the Basque people. The decision to declare these votes void amounts to Apartheid and Spain should be taken to court for this.

c) Aralar, the other openly pro-independence party increased its presence in the parliament from one seat to a total of four seats.

But let us continue with the article:

Basque nationalism has been alive for more than two hundred years, with justifiable right. The Basque region, which spans the Pyrenees between France and Spain, is home to possibly the least assimilated group of the Palaeolithic inhabitants of Western Europe. According to the most believed theory, while the rest of Europe was being assimilated into the Roman Empire, Basque society developed outside of its influence. They created their own language, Batua, which is still spoken by about 650,000 people, almost all of whom live in what is considered Basque country. The Basque people were largely autonomous until the French Revolution in France and the Carlist Wars in Spain at which point the governments of both countries took an interest in their rule.

There is a minor mistake in this paragraph, the language spoken by the Basque people is called Euskara which is divided in seven different dialects. Batua is the unified language that was created to bridge the gap between dialects and provide the language with a common grammar and lexicon to use at government insitutions and even written literature.

Since the early 1800s there has been a significant movement towards an autonomous Basque region or for complete independence from Spain and France. As it currently stands, about 60% of those living in the Spanish Basque Autonomous Community want some sort of an autonomous state for the Basques, while only 25% want to see an independent country spanning the Spanish-French border. There has also been a movement away from living in the Autonomous Community in recent years. While there are about 2.1 million people living there now, over the last 25 years approximately 380,000 people have left the area, many of which have settled in other regions in Spain. One of the most cited reasons for this exodus has been the violent tactics used by ETA.

ETA was founded in August 1959 as a group that advocated for cultural traditions of the Basque people. It has since evolved into a paramilitary operation which has been responsible for an estimated eight hundred twenty five deaths, thousands of injuries and dozens of kidnappings since it first took a violent stance in 1968. Hundreds of members of ETA are currently imprisoned in France and Spain, and most countries, including all of the EU, Canada, and the United States consider them a terrorist organization. Between 1983 and 1987 a sort of war raged between ETA and Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberacion (GAL). GAL kidnapped, tortured and killed members of ETA, as well as their family members and even some people who had no connection to ETA. This war is what prompted thousands to flee the area. In 2006 ETA announced a ceasefire, which was subsequently broken in 2007.

After hundreds of years of repression and forty years of violence, the people of the Basque country are ready to try to come to a peaceful agreement. While a majority would like some sort of autonomy and recognition as a distinct people, they do not want this at the expense of the lives of their brothers and sisters. The history of the Basque people has been hard, but it is no longer the time to fight for things that they will never get. As a people they are free, they are prosperous and they are happy. Their children can learn in their native tongue, and no one tells them that they cannot have their culture. The Basques no longer have a cause to fight for. They are content with what they have as a people, and do not need anything more.

Well, actually, the Basque right to self determination is protected by the UN Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Basques really have no need to "fight" to regain their sovereignty, if France and Spain were to respect the rights of the Basque people then all of them could seat down and negotiate a diplomatic way out of the 5oo years of colonialist rule over the Basque Country.

No one can claim that just because you live a good life you should give up your right to the independence of your people. The Colonials were enjoying excellent lives and yet they fought against the English crown because they did not want to share their profits. Same goes for Canada, Australia, New Zealand, all of them were wealthy societies that decided to part from England. Right now Scotland and Wales have strong pro-independence movements and they are not poor and uneducated.

Now, regarding language and culture the author should double check Patxi's political agenda, he has not been annointed as the president of the Basque Autonomous Community yet and he's already launching attacks against the Basque language which happens to be the corner stone of Basque culture.

Basque may be wealthy and happy, but the stark truth is, they are divided in three different political entities and at any time Madrid or Paris (or both) can decide if they want to put limits to the development of Basque culture. Let us remember that Spain has already launched direct attacks against the freedom of speech by shutting down Basque newspapers, magazines and radio stations.

We Basque are missing one thing, it is called self-determination, we want to be what we are, nothing more, nothing less.

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Anti-Democratic Campaign

This article was published at WW4 Report:

Spain escalates anti-democratic campaign in Basque Country

Submitted by WW4 Report

Having already barred two pro-independence parties (3DM and Askatasuna) from taking part in the Basque Country's regional parliamentary elections March 1, Spanish judge Baltazar Garzón last week went further and banned all their activities and ordered the closing of their offices and websites. Eight people remain in prison for trying to organize pro-independence election platforms.

Despite being barred from the elections and the continuous attacks against their activities, the pro-independence parties are carrying on with their campaigns. They have called on the Basque people to carry out a massive action of civil disobedience by voting for the "illegal" slates.

The repression has also prompted an armed response. In the early hours of Feb. 23, an ETA bomb destroyed the Socialist Party's offices in the Basque town of Lazkao. There were no casualties. ETA claimed responsibility in a phone call to the authorities before the blast. The Socialists, who rule nationally, stand a good chance of unseating the Basque Country's long-ruling moderate Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) in the upcoming elections. (Euskal Herria News, Feb. 26; DPA, Feb. 23)

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Ballots of Dignity

Pro-independence Basque citizens show ballots of the outlawed Basque party, Democracy 3 Million or D3M, in Bilbao. The Spanish government has ordered the General Attorney to outlaw D3M, in order to ensure that the ruling party's candidate, Patxi Lopez, stands a chance to win the Basque Autonomous Community's presidency. Since there is no separation of powers in Spain like in other advanced and democratic states, judge Baltasar proceeded to obey and resorted to an Apartheid like law that enables Spain to outlaw any Basque political party they want, which is why no one can understand how is it that Nadine Gordimer decided to become such an ardent opponent of the Basque right to self determination after everything she allegedly did in her own country, South Africa.

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Police Brutality in Bilbao

Ertzaintza's officers acting on direct orders from Madrid attacked demonstrators and arrested five people Saturday at a protest over the banning of pro-independence parties from regional elections next month.

The demonstrators set fire to rubbish bins and blocked roads in the protest in the Basque city of Bilbao, held in defiance of a ban on the gathering by authoritarian Judge Baltasar Garzon.

Leftist Basque activists called the demonstration to protest a Supreme Court decision last week to ban two pro-independence parties, Askatasuna and the Democracy Three Million (D3M), from March 1 regional elections.

Among the protesters Saturday were some ex-leaders of Batasuna and the spokesman of the D3M.

Spain has been blamed for the deaths of dozens of thousands of Basques in a five-century genocidal colonialist occupation.

Basque parties that favor both independence and complete sovereignty draw support from approximately 10 percent of Spain's Basque voters. Those voters have been denied access to the democratic principle known as universal suffrage due to an Apartheid style Spanish law designed exclusively to restrict the civil and political rights of the Basques living in Hegoalde, the southern portion of Euskal Herria.

We have to remember that those civil and political rights are protected by an UN treaty and that just a few days ago the UN's Highs Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report in which it stated that Spain applies the term "terrorist" too liberally and that in doing so violates the rights of the Basque people.

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I'm Contaminated

This letter was published at An Phoblacht:

Repression of Basque independence movement

I am a Basque and I might be contaminated. The Spanish authorities haven’t yet named the virus but myself and another 84 Basque citizens are under strict surveillance in case we have it.

On the 1 March elections will take place in the Basque country and we are all on the list of candidates for the Askatasuna party.

But the Spanish government has decided that we cannot take part in these elections because of that nameless virus.

We have been accused, as many people before us, of helping a terrorist organisation. The reasoning is that we are nationalist.

The ‘evidence’ consists of taking part in pro-independence rallies, visiting or writing to friends in jail or even socialising in the same bars as known pro-independence militants.

I am not a member of ETA but because of this ‘evidence’ I might be considered one soon or at least a collaborator. Today there are over 700 Basque prisoners in Spanish and French jails – all of them under imprisoned under similar allegations. The truth is that most of them have never seen a gun except for movies on TV or maybe in the hands of a heavily armed police officer at a checkpoint.

The Spanish state has launched a new inquisition because it knows that the Basque pro-independence movement is strong in political debate and its position is clear and democratic. They have seen how big Sinn Féin has become in the decade since the Good Friday Agreement. They know the risks of letting Basques decide their own future by peaceful and democratic means.

So they chose war. They use the police and special courts, ban political parties and close newspapers.

But the pro-independence movement wants to move forward. It does not want war. We look on with envy to Ireland, Scotland, Greenland and other countries that have democratically decided to take their future into their own hands. We don’t want to impose our views on anyone. We just want the right to defend our political project and to be assured that whatever road the Basque people decide to take it will be respected.

Irish republicans have long been great friends of the Basque Country. Once again we cry for help. In 2009 we face an attempt an inquisition to exterminate the pro-independence movement. One way we can stop this is with the aid and solidarity of the international community.

I hope one day we can work in our cities, towns and villages freely for the Basque independent socialist republic. That is our goal. And while we recognise it might take years to become a reality it needs to be the Basque people who decide their own future, peacefully, democratically and free from outside interference. Our day will come too.

Basque political activist

(named withheld for security reasons)

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International Week of Solidarity in Ireland

This week there has been a series of events around the world as part of a call to show solidarity with Euskal Herria.

This information comes to us thanks to the Irish Basque Committees:

INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE BASQUE COUNTRY 6TH-15TH FEBRUARY

EVENTS IN IRELAND

Friday 13th

DUBLIN

Public talks: Repression and Resistance in the Basque Country. Speaker from Kamaradak, Basque internationalist youth network.

12.30 noon UCD, Montrose (near Donnybrook) Student Centre, Rooms 1 & 2.

3.00pm Trinity College, Dublin Arts Block Room 5039

8.00pm Teachers' Club, 36, Parnell Square, Dublin 1 (has bar)

DERRY

8.30pm Dunloe Bar Food, DVD's, talk and live music £3 Organised by Friends of the Basque Country & Derry Sinn Féin


Saturday 14th Solidarity protests

DUBLIN 11.00am GPO, O'Connell St

CORK 12noon Daunt's Square

DERRY 3.30pm Free Derry Corner

BELFAST 12.30pm City Hall and immediately after first hand perspectives with representative from Kamaradak, Basque internationalist youth network upstairs Kelly's Cellars (Irish stew & drinks available).

THE BASQUE COUNTRY DOESN'T WALK ALONE TOWARDS DEMOCRACY AND SELF-DETERMINATION!!

ORGANISED BY IRISH BASQUE SOLIDARITY COMMITTEES

Keep up to date on Basque struggle news at: http://www.irishbasquecommittees.blogspot.com/

Listen to Basque Info at www.feilefm.com on line on Tuesdays from 6.30-7pm and Wednesdays 12-12.30pm

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Ignored Identity

As it usually happens with an occupied nation, the identity of Wales has been overlooked by a travel guide and bunched together with the English identity, this article regarding the issue comes our way thanks to Wales Online:

Welsh castle is moved into England!

by Martin Shipton, Western Mail

A FULL-PAGE picture of Cardiff Castle appears in First Great Western’s on-board magazine for rail passengers – to advertise walks in England!

Last night the train firm apologised for the gaffe, which appears in the latest edition of Go to ... magazine, read by thousands of travellers between London and South Wales.

Beneath a colour picture of the castle’s medieval keep – and with the Red Dragon flag limp and barely visible against its pole – a caption reads: “Walks of life – Seeing England by foot is the best way to sample other people’s experiences of life. We set the pace with five of the best themed walks.”

The first of the walks, featured on the opposite page, is a stroll around the parks and gardens of Cardiff – without once mentioning Wales or that Cardiff is its capital city.

Plaid Cymru councillor Neil McEvoy, the Deputy Leader of Cardiff County Council, said: “It’s good that they are giving Cardiff’s parks and gardens publicity, but ridiculous that they’ve put us in the wrong country.

“It says quite a lot about the mindset of those who put this magazine together. Too many people classify Wales as being part of England. If you go to the Continent – unless it’s places like Brittany and the Basque Country, where they know better – people usually assume when you say you’re from Wales that you’re actually from England.

“It’s very important that we have our distinctive identity as a nation, and that the message is got across that we are a different country from England.

“I’ll be writing to the magazine to point out their mistake.”

Newport West Labour MP Paul Flynn, a frequent traveller on First Great Western’s trains between his constituency and London, said: “We’re used to this crass kind of mistake, but that doesn’t make it excusable. One would have thought the penny might have dropped by now.

“A little while ago someone told me he had met a lady visiting from California. She asked him three questions: Is it true that people set fire to your home if you don’t speak Welsh? Is it true all the pubs and clubs are shut on Sundays? Is it true that everyone works in coal mines or steelworks?

“He asked her whether that’s what people in California thought Wales was like. She said no – that’s what they had told her about Wales in London.

“They either ignore Wales or resort to old stereotypes.”

'Errors may occur'

A First Great Western spokesman said: “We attempt to check the accuracy of the information contained in our on-board magazine Go To but, in some instances, errors may occur for which we apologise.

“We have a rigorous copy checking procedure internally and externally with our agencies and partners, but sometimes things may slip through the net. We promote our products, services and fares in campaigns all over Wales and the West Country. The fact we gave precedence to Cardiff Castle in the feature with a full-page image is testament to this.

“First Great Western is fully committed to its role in Wales where we are a significant employer. This commitment to Wales and the language is further strengthened through our deep support of the National Eisteddfod.”

Ignoring Wales

* The index of the original 1768 edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica states in its index: “For Wales see England”.

* Wales is not represented on the Union Jack.

* Unlike the other UK nations, Wales is not represented on a new set of coins issued by the Royal Mint – at Llantrisant – last year.

* President Nicolas Sarkozy of France omitted to mention Welsh combatants who died in two World Wars at a commemorative battlefield event last November.

At least the editor apologized for the so called gaffe, in the case of Euskal Herria, Catalunya, Galiza and the Canary Islands it is the Spanish government the one that orders media outlets to divest those nations from their identity and insist that they are portrayed as Spanish.

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Defending Diversity

This analysis about how the so called "stateless people", meaning, the nations that do not count with statehood and therefore are denied a number of rights that happen to be protected by a number of international treaties, have to put forward the defense of diversity has been published at The Morung Express:

‘Stateless Peoples’ defend diversity

Mario Osava

The immense diversity of peoples was apparent at the World Social Forum (WSF), which ended Sunday in Belém, the capital of the state of Pará in the Brazilian Amazon region. The presence of 1,900 indigenous people representing 190 ethnic groups as well as 1,400 Quilombolas (people of African origins living in traditional communities) was conspicuous among the 133,000 participants from 142 countries. They had their own tents, discussions and celebrations at the event.

For the first time, there was also a tent for the Collective Rights of Stateless Peoples, initiating a reflection at the WSF about a "radical democracy" that upholds the self-determination of peoples, said Arnau Flores, a Catalonian journalist responsible for communication at the Escarré International Centre for Ethnic Minorities and Nations (CIEMEN).

A map showing 32 of these peoples-without-states was displayed in the tent, but "there are many more," Flores told IPS. Some are well-known - like the Palestinians, Basques, Roma, Kurds, Tibetans and Saharawi. Others are seldom thought of in this context, like the South American Mapuche and the Australian Aborigines.

More than 20 organisations of such peoples took part in the activities organised by CIEMEN, with discussions ranging from strategies for emancipation and building their own institutions, to topical questions linked to the main themes of the WSF - such as the crisis of civilisation and globalisation.

The seeds of a global network of "stateless peoples" claiming their collective rights were sown at this WSF, aiming at a new kind of decolonisation and running counter to the "idea of the imperialist nation-state" as the only institution possible in the world, said Quim Arrufat, a Catalonian political scientist in charge of CIEMEN's international relations.

The Centre is based in Barcelona, the capital of the Spanish region of Catalonia - a nation-without-a-state. CIEMEN does not itself advocate, for instance, a Palestinian state - the issue at the centre of the bloody conflict with Israel - but the right of the Palestinian people to make their own decision about this concern, Arrufat told IPS, making a careful distinction. The "plurinational state" established in the new constitutions of Bolivia and Ecuador is one way forward, but "perhaps it is not the path for other" peoples who need, for example, to return to their homeland, like the Saharawi, he said.

At the root of the problem is the "single legal framework" exported by Europe to the whole world, which determines the constitution of even international institutions like the United Nations - made up exclusively of nation states - which "is neither representative nor logical," he claimed. One of the consequences of the nation-state model is wars and conflicts, but the issue of peoples-without-states is a new one. Twenty years ago it was a "prohibited" subject, and changing the present system "is not at all easy," Arrufat said.

The WSF opened the way to bringing together organisations from different regions to debate the issue and promote an international movement for the "collective rights of peoples" who have had their own identities suppressed, he said. The legal system of national states does not recognise these collective rights, focusing instead on the rights of individuals, Flores said.

Spain grants a certain amount of autonomy to its regions, but Catalonia cannot carry out its own referendums, which must be exclusively national, and in the Basque Country - another Spanish region - any independent party is "outlawed and accused of being terrorist," he said. Paradoxically, Europe, the cradle of the nation-state, is experiencing a number of conflicts and tensions because of its many "stateless peoples": the various Spanish regions, Corsica (in Italy), Brittany (in France), and Scotland and Wales (in the United Kingdom).

The European Union sparked hopes among marginalised peoples that integration would open the doors to their collective rights, but these hopes were dashed. The bloc of 27 countries was built on the idea of statehood, preventing the acceptance of, for example, multilingualism. Thus the language spoken by seven million Catalonians is official neither in Spain nor in the EU, while in contrast Maltese - an official language of the Mediterranean island state of Malta with a population of 400,000 - is recognised.

The assembly on collective rights decided "to potentiate its participation in the WSF" by promoting this issue which had previously been considered almost solely in relation to indigenous groups, Flores said. Self- determination and sovereignty, among the goals of the 2009 Forum, were the core themes of the discussion. The diversity of groups with identities of their own was highly visible at the Social Cartography by Traditional Peoples and Communities tent in Belém. This project begun by the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM) and the Association of Amazonian Universities (UNAMAZ) has expanded throughout Brazil.

Dozens of maps of their territories have been made by indigenous peoples and the residents of "quilombos" (communities that were refuges for escaped African slaves) themselves, as well as by communities and social movements. These serve to increase knowledge and awareness of their own reality, and to appropriate information to use as the basis of autonomous initiatives and public policies.

These studies highlight an amazing diversity of communities with their own lifestyles, customs and methods of organisation, including riverside dwellers in the Amazon, fisher folk on large rivers, and the different communities who extract forest products, like natural rubber tappers. Another example are the "faxinais", peasants in the south of Brazil who pool their land for livestock raising purposes only and have their own techniques of environmental management. The diversity of WSF participants at Belém was visible too at the Federal Rural University of Amazonia (UFRA), where the Youth Camp and members of social movements were accommodated. The multitudes of people on this campus for the six days of the Forum were visibly poorer than those who attended the non-governmental organisations' activities at the nearby Federal University of Pará (UFPA).

The large numbers of indigenous Amazon peoples who attended, at a time when neoliberal (free market) globalisation is in crisis, provided "new inspiration for renewing the search for another world," said Cándido Grzybowski, one of the founders and organisers of the WSF and head of the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economic Analyses (IBASE). According to the figures he quoted at a press conference at the conclusion of the Forum, out of the 133,000 participants in Belém, 15,000 people were at the Youth Camp and 3,000 were children or teenagers. This is a guarantee of the continuity of the WSF, he said.

In all, "nearly 150,000 people were involved" in the global meeting of civil society, including 4,500 accredited members of the media -2,000 of whom were journalists, 1,000 artists who put on cultural performances, and over 10,000 people who worked in organisation, cooking food and other services. Security was provided by 7,000 police officers, and health care by 900 professionals, according to Ana Claudia Cardoso, a representative of the state government of Pará.

The next WSF, to be held in 2011, will take place in Africa, said Taoufik Ben Abdallah, a Senegalese member of the African Social Forum. But this has not yet been officially agreed by the WSF International Council, which will consider the question on Monday and Tuesday. There are proposals for the next WSF to be held in the United States, and for the biennial character of the Forum to be waived by holding another world meeting in 2010, in order to analyse and respond to the new circumstances created by the global financial crisis.

It is a good thing that now we count with these alternative forums so we can hear the voices silenced by the mega-nations and their hegemonic designs that often go against diversity in order to control their citizens and provide them with an artificial patriotism.

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