Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The national and international communities are rightly concerned about Covid. Long may that level of concern continue. However, another issue is emerging across the globe, that of the suppression of human rights. All over Africa, the activities of Boko Haram have become evident. There have been instances of genocide and ethnic cleansing. In Russia, there has been the imprisonment of a main opposition leader. This morning, we heard about the imprisonment of an Irish businessman in China. Lastly, Princess Latifa has been confined and all of the personal freedoms she would have in any democracy have been ignored. Is it now time to ask the EU and the UN to focus on these issues before they become accepted as the norm?

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