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Dublin: 10 °C Thursday 20 June, 2013

Cameron threatens to cut aid to ‘anti-gay’ countries

British Prime Minister David Cameron has said that he want to see countries which receive aid “adhering to proper human rights”.

Image: TONY ASHBY/AP/Press Association Images

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER David Cameron has threatened to block aid from the UK to countries that impose anti-homosexual laws.

Cameron raised the issue with some of those involved with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia, which is to take place next week, the BBC reports. Cameron said that nations receiving aid should adhere to “proper human rights”.

Countries such as Malawi, Uganda and Ghana have found themselves in the international spotlight over their treatment of homosexual citizens – and Malawi has already had some budget support reduced.

Only one type of bilateral aid would be affected by Cameron’s threat – general budget support – however the overall amount of aid to a country would not be reduced.

Cameron conceded that countries couldn’t be expected to “change overnight” but added “we want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights”.

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Comments (27 Comments)

  • Well done Mr. Cameron! Although I think that particular net could be spread a lot wider, especially has Cameron recently announced his intention to begin assembling an aid package for Libya who have announced that their constitution will be Islamic Sharia based.

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  • Fair play To You Mr. Cameron !

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  • I’m sure Eamonn Delanney will have something to say after his disgraceful article in the sindo

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  • Thank you very much British Prime Minister Cameron for punishing countries that EXECUTE citizens just because they are gay. That is more than discrimination, that is persecuation and extermination! Almost to the equiveleant of the Nazis eradicating the Jews.

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  • Lip service I’d say. His intense pseudo-sincerity tells me, he will pick a minority to defend that least impacts his ratings. Where was this paragon and defender of human rights in March when the Libyan Moussa Koussa one of Gaddafi’s inner circle was allowed to move freely through the UK under the protection of the state?

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  • Nobody can deny the PM his right to make decisions but then he should know his powers rest and ends in UK. Ghana is a sovereign country and therefore can take its own decisions. The aid UK gives Ghana is to help develop the country, so if we should allow sodomy to go on, then, what is the essence of the aid because we are still destryoing what we are making. Someone should tell David Cameron to take his aid because GHANA WILL NOT LEGALISE HOMOSEXUALITY!!! God forbids it.
    Mr. President of Ghana says “NO” to Davids unGodly thoughts. David Cameron should have come to Ghana himself. He would have seen how crazy GHANAIANS can be.

    God bless our homeland Ghana.

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  • Oh My God People! This is clearly about Iran he doesn’t care about gays c’mon. If it were sanctions against Iran people wouldn’t stand for it cause everyone knows Iran is America’s next target. But by phrasing it ” Anti-Gay Countries” the government are sneaking in sanctions. I condemn Iran’s laws against LGBT to the core but don’t let them fool you they wouldn’t be after Iran if it’s main export was broccoli!

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    • For the Love of God! He hardly needs to sneak in sanctions against Iran, Iran is already under sanction from most of the free world and there was nothing sneaky or covert about it either.

      It really is long past the time that Logic was given a prominent place on the Irish school curriculum.

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    • RDX862 30/10/11 #

      You realize he was addressing a Commonwealth meeting and Iran is not in the Commonwealth of Nations?

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    • My impression would be that Cameron is referring to Commonwealth nations. The BBC reports “that some 41 nations within the 54-member Commonwealth have laws banning homosexuality. Many of these laws are a legacy of British Empire laws”. Cameron has pushing power in the Commonwealth and elsewhere like Afghanistan but its hard to see Iran being too bothered about what the British PM spurts out. In fact Iran doesn’t even receive significant levels of aid anyway.

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  • Think this is ill thought. Aid is aid. What about countries where women’s rights are ignored, where the poor’s rights are ignored. A bit of a messy threat

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  • What about the human rights of the poor who need that aid? Should the UK add to their suffering by withholding aid? Cameron needs to think this one through. Genuine aid should not be conditional,

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    • If you read the article it mentions that the reduced aid would be budget based and the overall money given to a country would not be reduced. i.e. Money would not be given to the governments but to the agencies operating within the country

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  • how dare he, its not so long ago the UK was jailing homosexuals

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  • Of course Iran is under sanctions, implying that I didn’t know that is condescending, but they’ll impose tougher sanctions, such as targeting the countries central bank. It’s economy would collapse and then the real suffering of the Iranians will come.
    Reuters, 5 days ago: “David Cohen, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said he met British officials in London on Monday to discuss potential new sanctions focussing on Iran’s access to the global financial system.”

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  • Waffler 31/10/11 #

    guess ireland wont be receiving any aid so

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  • Well done, Dave. I always knew you being a man of integrity. God is on our side and His Grace

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  • May the wrath of the Almighty God our heavenly father strike him. What is Gay rights, Ok, y did he not become one if he so kind love the acts?. To hell with your aid Mr. Cameroon, The Lord God is our provider, your disobedience to God will rob you all that wealth and take it to the poor who abide by the law and you will become desperate beggars, in the name of the Lord!

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  • But just a moment, says David; I know they’re anti-gay, these countries, but we’ll only condemn those with whom we have a budget deficit.

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