Ecuadorian Foreign Minister's Press Conference continued...
This man (Snowden) is being persecuted by the ones who should be explaining to the world what they are doing.
We would also like to say the word treason has been batted around in recent days and we must reflect on this. We must ask who has betrayed who.
Perhaps it is the case that some citizens are not loyal to fellow citizens and the rest of humanity when they expose the risk and dangers we are all
facing. Is that not loyalty?
There is an accusation that is being presented in relation to global espionage that is not only affecting US citizens but every citizen in the world
that would violate the rights of every citizen. Is that treason or committing treason against only the elites in power. Wouldn't it be more useful
to avoid such suffering of hundreds of thousands of people? The invasion of Iraq was based on completely false information. Wouldn't it have been
convenient for that to be known before hundreds of thousands would have been murdered and killed and the suffering of a nation avoided?
The question is treason against who and treason to whom? Was Snowden betraying our principles or betraying humanity or was Snowden betraying only the
interests of certain elite groups in certain countries?
The government would like to give some information regarding the contents of its Constitution and how we have to deal with the request for asylum
presented by Mr Snowden and this must be related to certain articles in our constitution:
This espionage plan of listening to phone calls and looking at emails world wide would be a violation because it could access our journalistic
sources and information which is reserved and should be protected because it's held in Ecuador and Article 20 guarantees the secrecy of sources.
The Ecuadorian State is also run by Article 40 in relation to Human Beings and their condition. It says, "We will not identify or will not consider
any human being as illegal - no human being will be considered illegal because of their status. We could consider that some people have an
irregular immigration problem but to us not one person is 'illegal'.
Article 41 says that we recognise the asylum rights in accordance with the laws and international agreements of human rights., People needing asylum
should have rights to exercise their freedom and the State should exercise its freedom of the right of non-return and instead rendering humanitarian
assistance.
International Laws also need to be considered:
The fact that the UN, in 1968, issued a resolution speaking about the dangers of new technology and the necessary protection of people's privacy and
honour and fundamental rights.
There are other articles in the Declaration of Human Rights 1948 in relation to which it says all signatory States are bound by Article 12,, that
no-one should be subjected to interference in their private life, their home nor their correspondence. Every person has the right to protection of
their privacy.
Article 9 - Freedom of opinion and expression. The right to opinion and freedom to express through any mode that opinion.
The Amendments 4 and 5 of the US Constitution also speaks of things in relation to these topics.
Mr Edward Snowden, we'd like to say, as all of us know, has arrived in the Russian Federation and the Government of Ecuador has been maintaining
respectful and diplomatic contact with the Russian Government and has informed them that Ecuador is CONSIDERING Mr Snowden's asylum request so that
the Russian Government may make the best decision with reference to international laws and norms in relation to this case.
Questions:
Q: Do you know where Snowden is?
A: Maybe but I'm not going to tell you (okay, i made that bit up).
Sorry, the translation's a bit iffy but that's the general jist.
edit on 24-6-2013 by Archie because: BTW mods, before you delete due to
excessive quoting - this was a done live and as yet, this is not up on any other web sites at the time of posting so it couldn't be quoted from.
okay?