Human Rights – 1993

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Human Rights – 1993

1993

Intermediate Implementation Intermediate implementation

The National Counsel for the Defense of Human Rights opened regional offices and established itself as an autonomous protector of the peace agreements and burgeoning democracy.1

On 20 May 1993, Salvadorian riot police opened fire on a group of disabled FMLN war veterans demonstrating in Sal Salvador. At least three persons were killed. It was marked as the worst outbreak of violence since the cease-fire took effect.2

ONUSAL saw the report of the Commission on the Truth as one of the most importation human rights developments during its mission. It was clear that it viewed the recommendations of the Commission on the Truth as mandatory for the parties to the conflict.3

Serious concerns persisted regarding the continued trend of violations of the right to life and the right to integrity of person during the mid-year months.4 At the end of October 1993, two FMLN leaders were assassinated, raising political tension further around the issue of extrajudicial killings.5 Of particular concern was the number of these cases that seemed to involved death squads committing murders and making threats of a political nature.6 UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and the Security Council pressed upon ONUSAL and the parties to the Peace Agreement to take decisive action to curb the continuing trend of political murders. A Joint Group consisting of representatives from the Government, the National Counsel for the Defense of Human Rights and the ONUSAL Human Rights Division formed to investigate politically motivated illegal armed groups.7 The Government also created the Inter-institutional Investigation Commission to respond to the many reports of extralegal executions, especially those of FMLN ex-combatants. ONUSAL still criticized the Government for its inability to guarantee proper criminal investigations and due process procedures.8

ONUSAL observed that the overall human rights situation improved at the end of the year, after several tenuous months during the middle months of the year. Concerns about politically motivated violence persisted, as details about the violent acts emerged. The total number of complaints deemed admissible by the Human Rights Division during 1993 was 1618, with the greatest proportions regarding violations of the right to life (23.3%), due process (22.7%) and personal freedom (22%). The persons most responsible (presumably) for the violations were members of the National Police (32.5%), the judiciary (19%) and persons unknown (15.1%).9

  1. “Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador,” United Nations Security Council (S/25812), May 21, 1993; “Report of the Director of the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador up to 30 April 1993,” United Nations General Assembly / Security Council (A/47/968 S/26033), July 2, 1993.
  2. “Killings at demonstration,” Keesing’s Record of World Events Volume 39, El Salvador, p. 39456.
  3. “Report of the Director of the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador up to 30 April 1993,” United Nations General Assembly / Security Council (A/47/968 S/26033), July 2, 1993.
  4. ibid.
  5. “Letter Dated 3 November 1993 from the Secretary-General Addressed to the President of the Security Council,” United Nations Security Council (S/26689), November 3, 1993).
  6. “Further Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador,” United Nations Security Council (S/26790), November 23, 1993.
  7. “Letter Dated 7 December 1993 from the Secretary-General Addressed to the President of the Security Council,” United Nations Security Council (S/26865), December 11, 1993).
  8. “Ninth report of the Director of the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL),” United Nations General Assembly / Security Council (A/49/59 S/1994/47), January 18, 1994.
  9. “Tenth report of the Director of the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador,” United Nations General Assembly / Security Council (A/49/116 S/1994/385), April 5, 1994.