Honduras Coup Leaders Suspend Civil Rights

Last Updated 11:10 a.m. ET

Honduras' coup-installed government has silenced two key dissident broadcasters hours after it suspended constitutionally-guaranteed civil liberties to prevent an uprising by backers of ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

Dozens of soldiers raided the offices of Radio Globo on Monday. Officials have also shut down the Channel 36 television station, which is broadcasting only a test pattern.

Interim government spokesman Rene Zepeda said the two outlets have been taken off the air under a government emergency decree announced late Sunday that limits civil liberties and allows authorities to close news media that "attack peace and public order."

It was the second time soldiers have raided Radio Globo since Zelaya was ousted June 28.

Leaders of the interim government leaders issued a decree late Sunday suspended civil rights, in a pre-emptive strike against widespread rebellion Monday, three months to the day since Zelaya was ousted in a military-backed coup.

Zelaya supporters said they would ignore the decree and march in the streets as planned. Some already had arrived in the capital, Tegucigalpa, from outlying provinces.

The measures - announced just hours after Zelaya called on his backers to stage mass protest marches in what he called a "final offensive" against the government - are likely to draw harsh criticism from the international community, which has condemned the June 28 coup and urged that Zelaya be reinstated to the presidency and allowed to serve out his term, which ends in January.

Officials also issued an ultimatum to Brazil on Sunday, giving the South American country 10 days to decide whether to turn Zelaya over for arrest or grant him asylum and, presumably, take him out of Honduras. They did not specify what they would do after the 10 days were up.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva responded, saying that his government "doesn't accept ultimatums from coup-plotters."

Interim President Roberto Micheletti has pledged not to raid the Brazilian Embassy building where Zelaya has been holed up with more than 60 supporters since he sneaked back into the country a week ago. The building is surrounded by armed police and soldiers. On Tuesday, the day after Zelaya's return, baton-wielding troops used tear gas and water cannons to chase away thousands of his supporters.

Protesters say at least 10 people have been killed since the coup, while the government puts the toll at three.

Interim Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez has said that, because Brazil has broken off diplomatic relations with the interim government, it would have to remove the Brazilian flag and shield from the Embassy "and it (the building) becomes a private office."

The government's suspension of civil liberties violates rights guaranteed in the Honduran Constitution: The decree prohibits unauthorized gatherings and allows police to arrest without a warrant "any person who poses a danger to his own life or those of others."

The Honduran Constitution forbids arrests without warrants except when a criminal is caught in the act.

The government measures also permit authorities to temporarily close news media outlets that "attack peace and public order."

In a nationally broadcast announcement, the government explained it took the steps it did "to guarantee peace and public order in the country and due to the calls for insurrection that Mr. Zelaya has publicly made."

There was no immediate reaction from Zelaya, who is demanding to be reinstated and has said that Micheletti's government "has to fall."

Zelaya's supporters pledged to ignore the restrictions and forge ahead with their scheduled demonstrations.

"The protest is on," said pro-Zelaya leader Juan Barahona. "Tomorrow we will be in the streets."

The media restrictions appear aimed at pro-Zelaya radio and television stations that - while subject to brief raids immediately after the coup - had been allowed to operate freely, openly criticizing the interim government and broadcasting Zelaya's statements.

Under Sunday's order, authorities may now "prevent the transmission by any spoken, written or televised means, of statements that attack peace and the public order, or which offend the human dignity of public officials, or attack the law."

The decree states that the country's national telecommunications commission, known as Conatel, is authorized "through police and the armed forces ... to immediately suspend any radio station, cable or television network whose programming does not comply with these regulations."

Pro-Zelaya television station Channel 36 warned earlier Sunday that restrictions on the news media were coming and said they were part of a pattern by the interim government of quashing constitutional rights.

Micheletti's administration had previously bragged about the democratic atmosphere in the country, citing media outlets such as Channel 36 as proof. The station continued broadcasting without interruption Sunday night.

Talks between Zelaya and interim government officials aimed at resolving the political standoff have gotten nowhere. Prospects for success appeared even grimmer after the government expelled at least four members of an advance team from the Organization of American States who had arrived Sunday to re-establish negotiations.

Micheletti has previously said the OAS was welcome to come, but suggested that representatives begin arriving Monday. Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez said that the team's arrival didn't come "at the right time ... because we are in the middle of internal conversations."

In addition, while many nations have announced they would send diplomatic representatives back to Honduras to support negotiations, the interim government said Sunday that it would not automatically accept ambassadors back from some nations that withdrew their envoys.

[nextgenman09]

They must have talked to Cheney about strategy......

[rocketjl]

All this so a guy can get back into office for 30/60 days???

There is more here than meets the eye. Look very carefully before you become the problem as opposed to the solution.

You think this guy wants back in for a couple days?? He probably has a few dictator buddies ready to move 'allied forces from friendly dictator countries in for training exercises'

[AlexanderVesla]

Your knowledge of Central America politics and Honduras politics is humble mister rocket, try the same thinking process for your comment and ask yourself if only Zelaya got like 3 month left in office and his vice president quit to by able to run for the president office, that will be Mr. Elvin Santos, from the same party of Mr Michelliti Why a coup? Where they afraid of a referendum? those who dont support the amends to the Honduras Constitution? That claim the majority were against ? With the congress and the supreme court support those branches of the goverment will not defend their votes? There is more than meet the eyes, indeed

[zamorin44]

America has been criticised for years for interfering in the affairs of the Latin American countries.Now.Brazil has blatantly thrust itself into the turmoil in Honduras,probably with the blessings of Obama.This is a portent of the things to come with American stooges like Brazil acquiring new clout.Democracy will be in retreat once again in Latin America with the rise of "socialist " dictators.

[stuart-johns]

The government measures also permit authorities to temporarily close news media outlets that "attack peace and public order."
===================

Hey! Can we do this to Faux News???? I think Glen Beck and a few others would be qualified.

I think I like this part of the Honduran Constitution. What kind of government would allow subversives to disrupt peace and public order? The kind of government that Beck et al would support.

[ToolMangler1]

"What kind of government would allow subversives to disrupt peace and public order? The kind of government that Beck et al would support."



The US Constitution!!!!.
It's called Freedom of speech, The right to lawful assembly, The right to dissent. and a whole bunch of other rights that we have that other countries don't (which is why they are called 'oppressive regimes')

[didserve]

This criminal was threw out because he was setting himself up as a ruler for life and not doing the will of the people!

that is why all these other corrupt governments are calling for him to be put back in power!

maybe the people should stand up and be assertive in other countries too!

that scares the heck outta other corrupt governments!

[prometheus21]

I'm not sure if you can READ or not, but the people are being KILLED by the military backed coup in Honduras.

The FIRST paragraph in this report:

"Honduras' coup-installed government has silenced two key dissident broadcasters hours after it suspended constitutionally-guaranteed civil liberties to prevent an uprising by backers of ousted President Manuel Zelaya."

The people who are standing up and being assertive are being taken down by a corrupt takeover that really could care less about Constitutional rights of the individual in Honduras.

"Protesters say at least 10 people have been killed since the coup, while the government puts the toll at three."

"Micheletti's administration had previously bragged about the democratic atmosphere in the country, citing media outlets such as Channel 36 as proof. The station continued broadcasting without interruption Sunday night."

[AlexanderVesla]

Didserve where are you from? You ever hear about, freedom of political expression, freedom of speech and freedom of the press. What corrupt governments are you talking? Last time i check no country support mister Michelleti, maybe you read other news.... or you are one of those- no government is good-, like the oklahoma bomber fellow. Can i ask who is Elvin Santos, you can google him maybe, well he resign from his office for running for president of Honduras, he was the vice president of whom? is easy, try a little. Mr Michelliti loose the primary of his own party against Mr Zelaya. When this coup really start? maybe when the military head was asked to step down, i dont know the chain of command but in the USA the president is commander in chief. Did you never ask yourself if Zelaya was a criminal, why they packed him out of the country, and why they put troops on the streets?, why they close the media? and the energy in Tegucigalpa(Honduras capital)?, all that, ordered by a Hight Court Arrest warrant ,wow (in not working hours and in the night they put the elected president out of the country) I am not a lawyer but thats a nice big warrant. Did you ever hear about fair trail?Maybe we should defend the constitution,like you said and let them never, change the constitution, those corrupts fellow, what they were thinking? changing the constitution, why they do that? those first 10 amendments of the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, all of those should go down...then, then you will be happy, then you got tyranny and a nice boot on your neck. Real commies or commies hatter are the same, they like to put fear and anger to work for them.