Marco Rubio Slams 'UN Experts' as Oxymoron, Refuses to Weigh in on India Protests
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio refuses to comment on India's handling of protests, calling "UN experts" an oxymoron.
In a striking a response to questioning regarding the United Nations' criticism of India's handling of public protests, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has dismissed the term "UN experts" as an "oxymoron," effectively distancing Washington from the UN's narrative on India's internal affairs.
The 'Oxymoron' Remark
When a reporter questioned Rubio on the allegations made by UN experts regarding a crackdown on students and opposition parties in India, the Secretary of State did not hold back his skepticism. "Well, the UN experts, yeah. My favourite. The UN experts, or is that an oxymoron?" Rubio remarked, signaling a clear lack of faith in the UN's assessments.
Respect for Indian Democracy
Rubio explicitly declined to intervene or offer an opinion on the specific allegations of human rights abuses, framing the issue as a strictly domestic political matter. He emphasized that India is a democracy with its own electoral processes, stating, "No, it's a domestic political matter. I mean, I am not going to get involved in their politics. This is a democracy. They have elections here."
While acknowledging that the expression of differing political opinions and demonstrations are fundamental components of democratic discourse, Rubio drew a sharp distinction between peaceful protests and riots characterized by arson, vandalism, and the destruction of property.
A Contrast with Authoritarianism
To illustrate the point, Rubio Rubio pointed to Cuba as a contrast, noting that opposition voices in there face the risk of exile, oppression, or imprisonment—a stark difference from the democratic nature of Indian society.
"But we're not going to comment on internal political matters. That's for the Indian people to decide and navigate," Rubio concluded.
India's Rebuttal to the UN
The US Secretary of State's comments come amid a larger clash between India and the United Nations. India has recently exposed what it describes as "double standards" within the UN and its frontal organizations. Indian diplomat Barkha Tamrakar, addressing the Assembly, argued that human rights should not be used as a tool for political pressure or the selective targeting of specific nations.
Tamrakar highlighted that India's constitutional safeguards, including Article 21, ensure due process and protect human rights. She strongly opposed the attempt to use unverified allegations and incomplete statistics to paint a negative characterization of the world's largest democracy.
Allegations vs. Reality
The UN experts had previously claimed that Indian authorities were restricting peaceful assemblies and engaging in "enforced disappearances." However, India has pushed back against these claims, asserting that they are based on unverified data.
In a further critique of the UN's approach, India pointed out the contrasting stance taken by UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. While the UN experts were critical of India, a much milder tone was used regarding police crackdowns on violent protests in Europe and France, where Türk even referred to the protestors as "vandals," further fueling the accusations of a selective and biased approach by the UN.