WHY THE BRETON LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ?

In the field of defense of human rights there are many groups or societies working, and each or them works in a particular sector.

Their existence is justifiable because attacks on human rights by governments and different powers are various and numerous , including in countries considered as democratic. As evidence you just have to look at the annual reports of organisations such as Amnesty International.

Such is it that in the pretext of controlling immigration freedom of movement is denied as well as foreigners’ right to work. These people, fleeing their dictatorial or not very democratic regimes, hope to find safety and work in another country. Indeed, sometimes these rights are denied to European citizens as well.

Many states, either dictatorial or so-called democratic, invoke struggle against terrorism and security of citizens and use exceptional procedures to eliminate any political opposition and hush down those who denounce oppression.

That is why we can see states (and the French state is one of them) adopting and preparing laws and rules to limit the righs and liberties of citizens.

That is why, against those attacks, and to defend and protect fundamental liberties and human rights, all groups and associations are essential.

THE BRETON AND FRENCH CASE.

In Brittany defending human rights is also a necessity.

It is of upmost importance when we see how the French government treats the call in favour of Breton identity.

We have created the Breton League of Human Rights because we consider:

Ø that fundamental cultural liberties are not effective,

Ø that international declarations on human rights that should be inforced are not recognized by French government,

For instance:

-cultural rights and international treaties are not respected

-the teaching of the breton language, although it exists in a very small number of places, is not organized in state schools, and authorities refuse to establish new classes, as in Bulat-Pestivien, or Languidic,

- in some state schools where breton is taught, bilingual classes are left without Breton teachers when the Breton teacher is ill, as in Lorient now.

-French television does not allow more than an hour programmes in breton per week, but these programmes disappear when there are football or tennis competitions;

-Breton language radio stations are not allowed new frequencies by CSA authorities

-no Breton is allowed in public service.

OUR DIFFERENCE

Most French organizations involved in defense or Human Rights are in charge of particular sectors of this defense, although they rightfully claim the universality of Human Rights.

However, the rights are defended from an individualistic point of view. Only individual rights are considered, never collective rights of individuals, children, women or men, as members of communities, with their cultural values, language and history.

Those organizations have adopted the ideological views and talk of the State, which says that man is only an abstract individual, interchangeable, without any particular origin without any other identity than the one that the State wants him to have, or to make up for him, whose language can only be the State’s language, whose history can only be the one taught in state schools, where existence of various communities is denied.

The only linguistic community recognized by the State is the community of individuals who practise the State language, the only one recognised by the Constitution, the only one who deserves legal protection.

The very fact that linguistic rights of the Breton people are not recognised justifies completely the existence of the Breton League of Human Rights.

We can see that the state which recognizes the existence of different religions, denies the existence of different people and different languages on its territory.

Not far away from us, the United kingdom recognizaes of welsh speakers, Spain recognizes bask speakers, Belgium recognizes Flemish.

That is why we consider that, as other organizations of defense or Human Rights do not work on that field, either on purpose or not,

the Breton League of Human Rights fullfills a need, and that defending collective rights of a people has a universal value too.

Man is often hurt (affected) in his individual rights, for political or economical reasons. He is also frequently oppressed for collective reasons when he is a member of a community under domination of a more powerful, more aggressive, or better organised, state or a group.

In that case, if effects are individual, it is obvious that the cause has a collective origin.

And when the consequences are systematical and massive, as in Brittany, we can speak of ethnocide. Or we can, as president Bouteflika did in Algeria, speak of cultural genocide.

Against all those consequences, whatever we call them, all willing efforts for human rights are needed.