ALL INDIA AGRICULTURAL WORKERS UNION

4, ASHOKA ROAD, NEW DELHI-110001

Tel: 011-23073666, 011-23782890, Email:[email protected]

ALL INDIA AGRICULTURAL WORKERS UNION

4, ASHOKA ROAD, NEW DELHI-110001

Tel: 011-23073666, 011-23782890, Email:[email protected]

The All India Agricultural Workers Union is the largest organization of rural
labour in India, with the membership of over 5.1 million in 2011-12. This
membership is renewed every year to ensure the democratic participation of
members over a period of time apart from the natural expansion our
organization has seen since its inception in 1982 from a membership of just
over 1 million. The organization has had over the years, outstanding leaders of
the Indian people, as its office bearers many of them elected representatives in
Parliament, like Comrades Dasrath Deb, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, M.
Basavapunniah, L.B. Gangadhar Rao, N. Varadarajan and P.K. Kunjachan. Of
its present leadership, its General Secretary A. Vijayaraghavan and Joint
Secretary Hannan Mollah have been Members of the Indian Parliament while its
President P. Ramayya was a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative
Assembly. This reflects our genuine mass influence not only among agricultural
labourers but also among the people. This influence has been the result of
countrywide struggles for land, wages, social justice and legislation to protect
agricultural labourers in an unequal society through important legislation like
the Comprehensive Agricultural Workers Act of Kerala and the National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act which our union fought for and is working to
implement as fully as possible.

Our union has been in the forefront of struggles to eliminate the disabilities of
untouchability, extreme poverty and attacks of the feudal and capitalist
landlords, communal forces and sectarian elements as such, we are concerned
with the questions of human rights, social discrimination and the exercise of
democratic rights not only in our own country but also in the world.

This is the basis of our submission to the Office of the High Commission for
Human Rights in respect of the Republic of Cuba to be submitted before the
Universal Periodical Review in April-May 2013.

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 ALL INDIA AGRICULTURAL WORKERS UNION
4, ASHOKA ROAD, NEW DELHI-110001
Tel: 011-23073666, 011-23782890, Email:[email protected]

Our submission to the Universal Periodic Review on Cuba is based on our

understanding that the triumph of the Cuban Revolution permitted the Cuban
people to attain their genuine independence and allows for the full, universal
enjoyment of all human rights in every sphere of social life. Moreover, they
have vindicated their support for the revolution that allows them the right to self
determination, development, peace and the capacity to contribute to a fair,
democratic and equitable international order. This has been further vindicated
by the position of respect acquired by the Republic of Cuba among its
neighbouring states in Central and South America and the failure of the USA to
isolate it despite an illegal and inhuman blockade that it has imposed on Cuba
more or less consistently since 1960. The fact that regularly the vast majority of
the member countries in the UNO have consistently voted in favour of ending
this blockade proves the global support to the present regime of Cuba despite
billions of dollars spend by the USA in trying to force an undemocratic regime
change in that country even through supporting terrorists and murderers, like
Posada Carriles, whose acts of terror have brought about 3478 deaths and 2099
serious injuries so far.

What is worse is the fact that five patriotic Cubans who were successful in
exposing these acts of terror have been held in jail for 14 years. The USA must
be questioned by the commission on its support of terror against innocent
people of a fellow member of the UNO, and granting asylum to terrorists facing
charges for a number of crimes including murder in near by countries. The
evidence provided by the Cuban five about such activities must be accepted and
supported as a prime example of Cuba’s serious attempt to conduct a genuine
war on terror which the USA talks a lot about, but implements its opposite in
practice. This inconsistency of the USA must be nailed down and noted.

We also support the steps undertaken by Cuba between 2009 -2012 to ensure
important transformations in its codes and laws to improve the functioning of
the socialist system that has continually been endorsed and expanded by its
people with the object of advancing towards a society that is moving
consistently towards ensuring justice that increases the realm of freedom and
independence encouraging social and global solidarity, equitable access to
social and material benefits and an environment to develop creativity and
productivity for all without discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion
and origin.

This approach has developed a sense of social responsibility among the Cuban
people to bring relief to those in need of it. Its outstanding success in the field of
health is an example of this. In 2011 its infant mortality rate was 4.9 the lowest
in the region. Maternal mortality was only 40.6 per hundred thousand births.
The UNESCO Report on Lifelong Learning for All (2011) admitted that Cuba’s
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 ALL INDIA AGRICULTURAL WORKERS UNION
4, ASHOKA ROAD, NEW DELHI-110001
Tel: 011-23073666, 011-23782890, Email:[email protected]

educational development was the 14th highest in the world. This is a

considerable achievement for a country where the majority of the people were
illiterate at the time of the revolution.

Cuba has given an international character to its concern for a healthy and
educated world. Its Comprehensive Health Programme is being conducted in 40
different countries. Its Operation Miracle has brought sight to the sightless all
over the world. From its inception on June 8, 2004 to January 2012 over 2
million surgeries have been performed. 5490 Cuban doctors have provided
medical assistance to more than 3 million victims of disasters and epidemics. In
countries as wide apart as Haiti and Pakistan winning international acclaim. In
pursuing its goal of empowering those without access to adequate health
facilities, the Latin American School of Medicine has trained 9960 medical
doctors from 58 countries between 2008-2011.

Apart from training professional in health workers in 11 countries, Cuba

broadened its cooperation in the processes of literacy and post-literacy
campaigns using the Cuban method called “Yes, I Can.” The total number
beneficiaries is 853,088. Cuba has provided its international cooperation to
various Latin American and Caribbean countries in the reduction of disaster
risks. It also participates with agencies and bodies in the United Nations system
on projects interested in reducing disaster risks, allowing for safer lives for
those most in need of them.

Cuba is party to numerous international instruments in these field of human

rights, such as the International a Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Racial Discrimination: Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
“Discrimination Against Women: Convention on the Rights of the Child:
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the sale of
children, child prostitution and child pornography; Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the participation of children in Armed conflict ; International
Convention on the suppression and punishment of the crime of Apartheid;
UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education; Convention Against
Torture and Other cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training
of Mercenaries.

Further it has adhered to: the International Convention for the Protection of
Persons from Enforced Disappearance, in February 2, 2009; ILO
Recommendation 200 concerning HIV and Aids and the World of Work
(February 13, 2012); the UN Convention against Corruption (July 28, 2008)
New norms regarding the transfer of land to peasant and other citizens have
been adopted, as well as those referring to social security have been adopted , as
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 ALL INDIA AGRICULTURAL WORKERS UNION
4, ASHOKA ROAD, NEW DELHI-110001
Tel: 011-23073666, 011-23782890, Email:[email protected]

well as those referring to social security employment, housing, etc. At the same
time, Cuba is working on amendments that it will incorporate into the Criminal
Code, the Family Code and the Labour Code.

Cuba presented 3 reports to human rights treaty bodies, namely: the second
periodic report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child(2011), the
combined reports of the 14th to 18th to the Committee on the Elimination of
Racial Discrimination(2011) and the combined second, third and fourth reports
to the Committee Against Torture (2012). Cuba also sent another 3 reports for
corresponding consideration, namely: the seventh and eighth combined periodic
reports by virtue of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (2010), the initial report by virtue of the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the
participation of children in armed conflict (2011) and the initial report by virtue
of the convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2012).

Cuba has promoted numerous measures and initiatives in the last four years
with a view to continue moving forward in its effort to ensure broader
enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all on an equal
basis and without discrimination for any reason whatsoever. Those measures
include boys and girls, youth, senior citizens, the disabled, prison inmates, etc.
The Cuban government has also adopted measures to fight against forms of
discrimination based on prejudices due to sexual orientation and gender
identity.

Moreover, Cuba’s contribution to the right to life, liberty and personal security
can be summed up as follows: In Cuba no death sentence has been passed by
the courts since the last UPR report. In April of 2009, the Council of State
decided to commute the death penalty and replace it with a 30 year sentence of
life imprisonment for any inmates having received the death sentence. The
decision was adopted as a sovereign act, in accordance with the humanitarian
conduct and ethics of the Cuban Revolution from its beginning. Today in Cuba
there is no longer anyone sentenced to the death penalty.

Cuba had institutionalized a system of independent bodies, headed by the

Supreme Court, acting collegially, composed according to their competency and
with broad popular participation in the dealing of justice. The Cuban judicial
system is based on the principle of absolute independence of judges individually
and of the entire system of Courts in the function of dealing justice; the popular
nature of justice; the elective nature of judges (both professional and lay
judges); the absolute equality of all persons before the law; the presumption of
innocence; all trials are public, except in cases excepted by law; all rulings of

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 ALL INDIA AGRICULTURAL WORKERS UNION
4, ASHOKA ROAD, NEW DELHI-110001
Tel: 011-23073666, 011-23782890, Email:[email protected]

the courts may be appealed against according to stipulations establishes by law

in each case; every accused party has the right to legal defense.

In Cuba, human rights defenders are protected, in equal conditions, according to

the postulates of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. Nobody in Cuba
has been persecuted or penalized for peacefully exercising their rights,
including those of expression, opinion and association, within the frame work of
the broad liberties guaranteed by the constitution of the Republic and its laws,
completely compatible with international human rights instruments. Ethics has
been and important protective shield for the Cuban Revolution in the face of a
policy of aggression and hostility by the greatest power in the world.

Discrimination for religious reasons does not exist. There are around 400
religions and religious institutions based on the credo of their membership; they
carry on their activities with no interference whatsoever by the state. All the
religions have their churches and places of worship for their activities which
regularly take place without any impediments.

In Cuba the freedom of opinion and expression has their fullest realization.
Cuba attaches a highest importance to protecting and promoting the right to
freedom of information. It is a right which is fully guaranteed and provided for
in the Cuban Constitution. Cuba respects and stimulates conflicting views while
debating ideas to find the best solutions to its problems. They are still engaged
in perfecting the ways in which their citizens exercise democracy effectively
and truly.

All Cubans have equal access to quality basic services like education, health
care and social assistance and security. Education is universal and free at all
levels of the education system. In Cuba, nobody is repressed by reason of
thinking differently. On thing is to disagree, and another to be funded by an
enemy state to promote subversion. There are projects encouraged by the state
to protect minorities and respect sexual, racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. In
2009, Cuba was the object of the Universal Periodic Review of the Human
Rights Council which had satisfactory conclusions. Cuba’s progress in the field
of human rights was recognized. Numerous international organizations,
including UNESCO, have also recognized Cuba’s achievements in ensuring the
full enjoyment of human rights by the Cuban people.

Since then, a number of steps have been taken to deepen and broaden this trend.
But the main reason for the USA’s calling for a regime change in Cuba is its
economic perspective based on two principles: First, the foundation of the
economic system is the socialist ownership of all the people over the means of
production, and secondly, the preponderance of planning to ensure that
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 ALL INDIA AGRICULTURAL WORKERS UNION
4, ASHOKA ROAD, NEW DELHI-110001
Tel: 011-23073666, 011-23782890, Email:[email protected]

everyone gets resources according to his or ability and its paid for according to
his or her work. Unleashing the productive forces of the Cuban people on an
egalitarian and just basis is the prime concern of the Cuban state, to ensure the
continuity and development of their socialist society. Surely, to force regime
change on such a state is a serious violation of human rights in the first place,
involving the murder and maiming of innocents for imposing economic
prejudices by force on people who palpably do not wish to accept them.

Moreover, the unilateral blockade of Cuba by the USA affects the sovereignty
of other member states of the UNO, violating international law and the
principles of the UN character, notably to the rights of peace development and
security of a sovereign state. Economically till 2010 it has cost the Cuban
economy over 975 billion dollars, and in human terms, it qualifies as genocide.
In fact, as recently as August 2012, the Non Aligned Movement, in its final
declaration at Tehran, has ratified once again its stance towards the blockade
against Cuba that qualifies as a unilateral act, which violates the United Nations
Character and International Law and reiterate its claim to the US government to
return the illegally occupied territory of Guantanamo Naval Base likewise, the
movement has urged the US government to suspend the radio and TV
aggressions against Cuba.

We as citizens of a State that is one of the founders of this movement endorse

this view and wish to communicate it to you unequivocally and without
hesitation seeking action towards redressing these injustices being perpetrated
against the Republic of Cuba and its people.

Forwarded on behalf of the All India Agricultural Workers Union:

P. Ramayya A. Vijayaraghavan Hannan Mollah Suneet Chopra

President General Secretary Joint Secretary Joint Secretary