Guterres: The white supremacist movements have become the number one threat to homeland security in many countries
Today, Monday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, expressed his regret over the use of the epidemic as an excuse to suppress “dissenting voices” and silence the media, as he warned of the dangers of white supremacist movements.
“The authorities of some countries have taken strict security measures and imposed emergency measures to suppress dissenting voices, abolish basic freedoms, silence independent media and obstruct the work of non-governmental organizations,” he told the Human Rights Council in a pre-recorded video.
“Measures related to the epidemic have been invoked to undermine electoral processes, weaken the voice of opponents and suppress criticism,” Guterres said.
He pointed out that human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, activists and even workers in the health sector “were subjected to arrest, prosecution, intimidation and surveillance for criticizing the imposition of measures, or lack thereof, to confront the epidemic.”
“Vital information was sometimes withheld, and deadly misinformation was exaggerated, including by some leaders,” the Secretary-General added, without mentioning any of them.
Guterres devoted a large part of his annual speech to the Council to the “Covid-19” epidemic, noting in particular that it “exacerbated vulnerabilities” and changed the lives of hundreds of millions of families who lost their jobs or had their income reduced.
He also denounced the “national” tendencies in the vaccination operations, as “10 countries alone received more than three quarters of the doses of the Covid-19 vaccine given so far.”
The UN Secretary-General considered that “the inability to ensure equitable access to vaccines represents a new moral bankruptcy that takes us back.”
The return of Nazism and the supremacy of the white race
Guterres warned that the white supremacist and neo-Nazi movements were turning into a “transnational threat” and said they had used the coronavirus pandemic to boost their popularity.
He added – in his speech to the United Nations Human Rights Council – that the threat of hate groups is increasing day by day.
Without specifying countries by name, he said, “the white supremacist movements and neo-Nazism are not just a domestic terrorist threat, they are transforming into a cross-border threat.” “These extremist movements have today become the first threat to internal security in several countries,” he added.
In the United States, racial tensions have subsided during former President Donald Trump’s 4-year rule. His successor, Joe Biden, said the Trump supporters’ attack on Congress on January 6 was carried out by “thugs, insurgents, political extremists and white supremacists.”
“Too often individuals in positions of responsibility pay tribute to these hate groups in a way that was unimaginable until recently,” Guterres said.
He concluded by saying, “We need coordinated international action to overcome this severe and growing danger.”
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