Pubdate: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 Source: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (Germany Wire) Copyright: 2001 Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH Note: The petition - actually an open letter - is at http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/race_conf_letter.html where there are also versions in Spanish, French and Portugese Website: http://www.drugwarinjustice.org/ Also: We can not help but note that a rather substantial number of the folks who signed the letter are DrugNews readers and/or participate in various DrugSense supported email discussion lists See http://www.drugsense.org/lists/ PETITION ASKS U.N. RACISM CONFERENCE TO TAKE UP U.S. WAR ON DRUGS New York -- A petition signed by more than 100 U.S. civil rights and religious leaders on Wednesday asked the United Nations to take up what they called the biased implementation of the U.S. "war on drugs" at the upcoming U.N. World Conference Against Racism. The petition was sent to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, asking him to make the issue a top priority at the conference, set August 31 to September 7 in Durban, South Africa. The petition charged that the U.S. government unfairly targets blacks and Latinos for prosecution in its fight against drugs and treats whites with leniency although the rate of drug use in the United States is equal among the races. The group cited statistics showing that black men are sent to prison for drug offences at 13 times the rate of white men and that half of those arrested for using marijuana are Latinos although whites make up a much larger percentage of the U.S. population. "The drug war is one of the most serious obstacles to achieving racial justice both in the U.S. and internationally," said Deborah Small, the public policy director at the New York-based Lindesmith Centre's Drug Policy Foundation, which drew up the petition sent to Annan. "It is racially unequal in its implementation," the petition said. "And it is racist in its disproportionate impact." It said drug wars carried out in some other countries also target minorities, who receive unequal treatment once they enter into the criminal justice system. "The link between racial discrimination and the 'war on drugs' exists not only in the United States but throughout much of the world," the petition said. "In most countries, racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately targeted, arrested, prosecuted and punished for drug offences," it said. In the United States, blacks, Latinos and native Americans are more likely to be stopped and searched by police, the petition said. There are today an estimated 500,000 people jailed in the United States on drug violations, compared to 50,000 in 1980, the petition said). The petition said blacks constitute 57 per cent of the drug offenders in U.S. prisons and Latinos account for 22 per cent. In New York state, 94 per cent of people imprisoned on drug charges are blacks and Latinos. The petition said California's prisons also have a high rate of black and Latino prisoners. It said the U.S. government violates the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in implementing its drug policies. The United States is a signatory of the convention. The petitioners include actor and human rights activist Harry Belafonte, actor Danny Glover, New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and dozens legislators, church leaders, scholars and scientists. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk