French Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights François Zimeray has described the enforced disappearances as terrible crime and crime against humanity. He also condemned extrajudicial killings saying that those were against the human rights. “Regarding enforced disappearances, they are terrible crime, crime against humanity. Some of them are reported. I raised this issue today in particular with the president of the Human Rights Commission. He also raised this issue courageously in his report. This is also a collapse of law,” the French envoy told a press conference at the Alliance Française on Tuesday before leaving for Paris after completing his two-day visit to Bangladesh.
“I condemn all enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. They are simply against human rights,” he added.
Zimeray, however, said that in terms of human rights no country was perfect, not even France.
Terming the Savar tragedy as a watershed in the garment sector like the Bhopal disaster in the chemical industry, he said that after returning to France, he would give a strong message to the French buyers that ‘one should put an end of era of cynicism’.
Replying to a question, the envoy said that it was buyers who would have to pay for the increase of wage of the labours to ensure labour rights and safety.
“I think that safety, respect and dignity have a price. And, this price has to be paid by the consumers,” he said.
Zimeray said that the first top priority for the brands was to compensate the victims.
“And I do think in the human rights perspective, the victims did not suffer only from a collapse of a building. They suffer from the collapse of law, the collapse of respect, the collapse of regulation, the collapse of enforcement and the collapse of justice,” he said.
“I am extremely worried about the future of victims. So I can tell you when I go back to my country full of strong impression and strong desire to put an end to this era of indifference, era of ignorance, era of complicity, which I call the fashion cynicism,” he added.
The envoy said that the government and the private sector needed to work together to improve the labour situation in the country.
Regarding the war crimes trials, he said that France always supported the fights against impunity for the perpetrators.
He said that the trials would have to be conducted in accordance with the principles of human rights and the rights of defence must be respected.
France is against death penalty, he added.
French Ambassador to Bangladesh Michel Trinquier and director of Alliance française Olivier Litvine also attended the press conference.
Earlier on the day the visiting French Ambassador said the Rana Plaza collapse was not mere a building collapse, but the collapse of respect and enforcement.
“The Rana Plaza collapse was not only the collapse of building, but the collapse of respect and collapse of enforcement…we’ll have to invent new tools to ensure human rights…Main tools to promote human rights,” he told a seminar. The Department of International Relations of Dhaka University organised the seminar titled ‘Human rights in the context of globalisation’ at the seminar room of Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building.
Zimery also said human rights should be guided by realities. “Human rights are not a religion. It’s a right… right not to be tortured…right to get fair trial. So, human rights should be guided by realities.”
He also emphasised educating the young generation as a tool to make people aware of human rights.
“During the last decade, the feeling of living in a global village has become a common expression. The value of global village is rising, while the conception of human family is decreasing,” Zimery observed.
Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, an IR teacher of the university, moderated the seminar.
-With The Independent input
