The following letter appeared in The Morning Star:
The two greatest advances for humanity would be the elimination of racial prejudice and the ending of the exploitation of people by people.
In Britain we have made a small step in the first objective and there is now legislation on the statute book that places some limits on the right to express racist views and put them into practice.
Using the logic expressed in Kate Allen’s letter (M Star March 31), if the British courts choose to use the legislation to prosecute members of the BNP, Amnesty would, presumably, be adopting BNP members as “prisoners of conscience” for “being held purely for their expression of their political views.”
In Cuba and a few other countries the people have gone further and managed to throw off the yoke of exploitation and done away with all the resulting human misery and suffering that is the inevitable consequence of capitalism. There is legislation in place to prevent a return of the old exploiting classes.
However, there are those who did well under the old system and yearn for a return to their old privileged position. While most accept their position and get a job just like everyone else, a minority choose to defy the law and actively organise and campaign to put the clocks back.
All 55 of Amnesty’s “prisoners of conscience” in Cuba fall into this category.
They are encouraged and usually directed by the ruling circles in the US, who are afraid that others might follow Cuba’s example.
Sadly, Amnesty, by failing to differentiate between just and unjust causes, provides justification for the vile crimes that have been and continue to be perpetrated against the Cuban people.
Amnesty needs to take a simple lesson on the difference between right and wrong before lecturing the Cubans on human rights.
Tom Burr
Redhill
