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DE RUEHKM #0073/01 0470654
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O R 160654Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0229
INFO IGAD COLLECTIVE
RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
ID:248885 Cable dated:2010-02-16T06:54:00C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KAMPALA 000073SIPDISE.O. 12958: DECL:
2020/02/16TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM UG
1. (C) Summary: Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero discussed the anti-homosexuality bill and
other human rights concerns with local activists XXXXXXXXXXXX. The activists expressed appreciation for U.S. support and
described their own efforts to combat the bill. Several human rights defenders but not members of the Gay Lesbian
Bisexual Transgender (GLBT) community situated the anti-homosexuality bill within a broader context of growing state
sponsored limitations of human rights and democratic freedoms in advance of the February 2011 presidential elections,
and urged the U.S. to expand condemnation of the anti-homosexuality bill to cover other human rights concerns. End
Summary
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U.S. Support for GLBT Rights in Uganda
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2. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX human rights activists participated in a roundtable discussion with Under Secretary Otero and DRL
Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel Baer XXXXXXXXXXXX. XXXXXXXXXXXX are outspoken opponents of anti-homosexuality bill.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3. (C) Under Secretary Otero and DAS Baer stressed the U.S. commitment to democracy and human rights, highlighted
Secretary Clinton’s recent Georgetown University speech, and said safeguarding human rights is a central tenet of U.S.
foreign policy. DAS Baer assured participants that the U.S. is committed to defending universal principles of human
rights and will continue to engage with other nations on human rights-related concerns. Under Secretary Otero noted that
our engagement is intended to produce not just press headlines but real accomplishments and change, and invited
participants to discuss the impact of the anti-homosexuality bill and recommendations for preventing its passage.
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Anti-Homosexuality and Anti-Human Rights
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4. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX placed the anti-homosexuality bill in the context of a general trend toward restricted human rights
and democratic freedoms in Uganda. He said the anti-homosexuality bill is one of many regressive legislative initiatives
that are not in the interests of all Ugandans and are intended to tilt the February 2011 presidential elections in the
government’s favor. XXXXXXXXXXXX cited draft legislation to expand the Security Ministry’s monitoring of electronic
communications, expanded and perhaps politically motivated enforcement of the 2002 Anti-Terrorism Act, the recently
passed Land Amendment Act (ref. A), reduced press
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freedoms, and the slow pace of electoral reform as pressing human rights concerns. He encouraged the U.S. to treat these
issues in the same manner as the anti-homosexuality bill, and said the anti-homosexuality issue is a government
“gimmick” to divert attention away from other assaults on human rights and democratic freedoms that will ultimately
undermine the integrity of the 2011 elections.
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XXXXXXXXXXXX Views
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5. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX agreed that threats to human rights in Uganda are growing, but said the anti-homosexuality bill is
the most regressive legislation yet introduced. XXXXXXXXXXXX described the bill as a “gag” order to prevent anyone from
talking about homosexuals or acknowledging that sexual minorities are entitled to rights as human beings. He referred to
Ethics Minister Nsaba Buturo’s proclamation that homosexuality is not a human rights issue, and wondered why the Ugandan
government is so intent on targeting such a small population of individuals. XXXXXXXXXXXX agreed that homosexuality is
the least of Uganda’s problems, and said the bill’s proponents are scapegoating homosexuals for political reasons.
6. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said Uganda’s GLBT community has received considerable support from human rights groups and
diplomatic missions, but that the draft bill is already negatively impacting homosexuals. XXXXXXXXXXXX said threats have
increased, and alleged that some homosexuals have been arrested and detained by authorities and homophobic extremists
eager to build legal cases in advance of the legislation’s ratification. He said state-sponsored homophobia is filtering
down even to low level government officials in rural areas.
7. (C)XXXXXXXXXXXX said XXXXXXXXXXXX reads about the anti-homosexuality bill every day, trying to understand why MP
David Bahati would introduce such a bill. XXXXXXXXXXXX said Bahati is not trying to protect the Ugandan heterosexual
family or children, as he claims, but to instill fear and intimidation. XXXXXXXXXXXX said Members of Parliament who
privately oppose the bill fear losing their seats if they speak out against the legislation, and therefore support the
bill in public and will vote for it should it ever reach the parliamentary floor. XXXXXXXXXXXX said Bahati is blaming
homosexuals for the spread HIV/AIDS, pornography, and increasing incidents of rape and defilement, and that the
legislation is a diversionary ploy intended to steer attention away from real issues like corruption and the 2011
elections. XXXXXXXXXXXX (ref. B). NOTE: XXXXXXXXXXXX told PolOff that XXXXXXXXXXXX is not aware of any homosexuals who
have been arrested by police since the bill was submitted in October (septel). END NOTE.
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Recommendations for Engagement on Human Rights
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8.(C) Under Secretary Otero asked how local human rights activists are working to defeat the legislation, what forms of
technology they are using, and what the U.S. can do to support these initiatives. XXXXXXXXXXXX said rallying local
voices against the bill is key, and that a coalition of XXXXXXXXXXXX local NGOs is using public dialogues, media
outreach, and publications to discredit the rhetoric of the bill’s proponents, translate the bill into layman’s terms,
and raise awareness of how the legislation will impact not only homosexuals but all aspects of Ugandan society. In
December, the coalition published a professionally produced booklet on the bill, complete with press clips from local
and international media; statements of condemnation by Secretary Clinton, Rick Warren, and others; and transcripts from
the Rachel Maddow show. XXXXXXXXXXXX noted
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that even parents who wish their children were not gay do not want them to be executed, and that most Ugandans support
the bill because they wrongly believe the legislation will impact only homosexuals.
9.(C) Both XXXXXXXXXXXX and XXXXXXXXXXXX said local XXXXXXXXXXXX activists are using cellphones, blogs, and the internet
to the extent possible, but stressed concerns about government monitoring of electronic communications. XXXXXXXXXXXX
said one local human rights NGO had to switch its domain name after someone hacked its email address, and XXXXXXXXXXXX
and XXXXXXXXXXXX said they and other activists have been forced to switch telephones and restrict electronic
communications to avoid harassment and eavesdropping.
10. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX thanked the U.S. for standing up for the right of Ugandan homosexuals to be happy, and attributed
overwhelming domestic homophobia to a general lack of civic education. He said the Ugandan leaders at the forefront of
the anti-homosexuality bill are using the issue to build populist, xenophobic support. XXXXXXXXXXXX dismissed claims
that homosexuality is an un-African, foreign import, noting that he witnessed homosexuality among cattle herders as a
boy in rural Uganda. He warned that reporting requirements in the bill will result in increased HIV/AIDS rates and an
explosion of Ugandan LGBT asylum seekers.
11. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said while international pressure may block the bill, homophobia in Uganda remains and is fanned by
religious leaders. He said the bill’s proponents were shocked by the level of international condemnation, and urged the
U.S. to apply this kind of direct engagement to other human rights issues like electoral reforms, press freedoms, the
use of torture, and illegal detention. XXXXXXXXXXXX added that several governments in East Africa have proposed laws
restricting freedoms of the press, speech, assembly, and minority rights. XXXXXXXXXXXX also hailed XXXXXXXXXXXX’s
courage for speaking out XXXXXXXXXXXX against the bill XXXXXXXXXXXX - despite increasing threats and harassment - to
defend GLBT rights. He recommended that the State Department dedicate a section of its annual human rights report to the
specific acknowledgement of critical human rights defenders in each country, as this would increase the legitimacy and
visibility of their work and perhaps also afford some level of protection.
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Comment: Fighting State Sponsored Homophobia
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12. (C) International and particularly American condemnation of the anti-homosexuality bill has forced Ugandan leaders
to reconsider their initial support for Bahati’s legislation. However, Ugandan officials continue to give conflicting
assessments of the bill’s prognosis. Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa said the bill will die a natural death in Parliament
(ref. C). On February 5, Ethics Minister Buturo said an amended version of the bill - without provisions on capital
punishment - will reach the parliamentary floor for a vote. President Museveni told the Ambassador the bill would be
scrapped or amended (ref. D), and State Minister for International Affairs Henry Okello Oryem has said Cabinet wants to
shelve the bill but also find a “win-win” solution acceptable to all sides (ref. E). Even if draft bill is shelved in
the weeks ahead, rampant homophobia in Uganda won’t go away. Local efforts to deconstruct Uganda’s anti-homosexuality
movement go well beyond public condemnation of the anti-homosexuality bill by directly challenging Uganda’s pervasive
homophobia. These efforts are worthy of additional and sustained support.
12. (C) In his meeting in October with Assistant Secretary Carson, even President Museveni said the anti-homosexuality
bill would “divert us” (ref. F). Local human rights activists fear this is exactly the point - to divert the Ugandan
populace and international donors during a contentious and competitive election
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year. As the debate over the anti-homosexuality bill extends into its sixth month, we remain cognizant of XXXXXXXXXXXX’s
reminder not let the anti-homosexuality bill obscure other limitations on human rights and democratic freedoms. LANIER