Universal principles of ethical conduct

Universal principles of ethical conduct

Just two weeks after the bloody offensive by anti-independence paramilitary groups in East Timor, the Indonesian government has accepted the presence of a U.N.-led force there. The critical situation in East Timor, now the focus of international concern, can no longer be ignored. The violence against that population evokes other recent cases of genocide, such as those in central Africa and the Balkans. Such extreme human rights violations make external (peacekeeping) efforts necessary, safeguarding a group whose very survival is threatened. It is not just a case of international strategic interest, but of universal principles of ethical conduct.

-- Clarin, Buenos Aires, Argentina