DATE=5/10/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-S / TORTURE (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-262189
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:


INTRO:  The top U-S human rights official says the 
United States is committed to eliminating torture from 
the American criminal justice system.  Allegations of 
U-S torture were contained in a recent report issued 
by the human rights group Amnesty International.  As 
Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva, the United States 
has challenged some of the allegations but 
acknowledged that problems do exist.


TEXT:  U-S Assistant Secretary of State Harold Koh 
says the U-S record on torture is not perfect.  But, 
he says torture is a criminal offence in every U-S 
state and people suspected of misconduct are brought 
to trial. 

Mr. Koh says it is easy to criticize the United States 
because it is an open society and its human rights 
record is an open book.  He says the same cannot be 
said for many other countries around the world.

            ///KOH ACT///

      There are 194 countries in the world.  We 
      believe that the U-S human rights record, and 
      particularly its record on torture ranks near 
      the very top.  We think that, obviously, there 
      are problems which we need to address and which 
      we are addressing.  Our report exhaustively 
      details the efforts we are taking to address 
      those problems.  

            ///END ACT///

Mr. Koh rejects a report by the human rights group 
Amnesty International.  The report condemns the U-S 
for, what it calls institutionalized forms of torture, 
especially within the justice system.  It says what it 
calls the increasingly punitive approach toward 
offenders in the United States is leading to practices 
that facilitate torture and other inhuman practices.  
Amnesty International notes the rising U-S prison 
population is contributing to what it says is 
widespread ill treatment of men, women and children in 
custody.

Amnesty mentions a number of cases of alleged U-S 
police brutality.  Mr. Koh says the U-S government 
welcomes criticism from human rights organizations and 
the media.  But, he says the Amnesty Report is riddled 
with mistakes.

            ///2ND KOH ACT///

      To take some of the very high profile cases that 
      were mentioned, virtually all of them were 
      subject to some sort of federal civil rights 
      prosecution.  Some of the most high profile 
      cases are ones in which convictions have been 
      obtained.  We are human beings, imperfect human 
      beings working within a system of universal 
      human rights and we are trying to do our very 
      best.  

            ///END ACT///

Mr. Koh says the U-S government absolutely rejects the 
notion that it takes a half-hearted approach toward 
torture.  He says his government is committed to 
wiping out torture wherever it exists.  The U-S 
delegation will appear before the U-N committee 
Thursday to answer questions about human rights 
issues. (SIGNED)

NEB/LS/GE/KBK



10-May-2000 11:57 AM EDT (10-May-2000 1557 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.