在歐巴馬的古巴行，棒球無法打出人權 Baseball shouldn’t trump human rights on Mr. Obama’s Cuba trip

The Washington Post

George Gershwin - Cuban Overture

By Editorial Board March 7

二個星期後，美國總統歐巴馬將拜訪古巴，觀賞一場棒球比賽，據說白宮對此高興得不得了，美國坦帕灣光芒和古巴球隊的競賽，顯示出美國與勞爾‧卡斯楚政權的關係變暖。不過，美國總統沒有承諾會與古巴異議人士會面；古巴是全世界最高壓的國家之一，古巴異議人士在這樣的國家為民主自由而戰，這是一群勇敢的男女；跟美國職棒大聯盟相比，古巴比較沒有魅力、也更危險。

THE WHITE House is said to be thrilled that President Obama will attend a baseball game when he visits Cuba two weeks from now: The matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and a Cuban team will provide a splashy exhibition of the warming relations with the Castro regime. There’s still no word, however, about a promised presidential meeting with Cuban dissidents, the brave women and men whose fight for democratic freedoms in one of the world’s most repressive countries is less glamorous — and more dangerous — than Major League Baseball.

讓我們說得清楚一點：「雖然歐巴馬總統期待古巴之行會很有趣」，可是，如果歐巴馬總統沒有與古巴島上最重要的人權運動人士見面，那就沒有意義，他的訪問就是失敗。

So let’s be clear: Notwithstanding Mr. Obama’s expectation that Cuba will “be fun,” his visit will be an ignoble failure if he does not have a meaningful encounter with the island’s most important human rights activists.

歐巴馬訪問古巴失敗的風險看起來逐漸升高。美國政府官員曾經說，歐巴馬總統到古巴島後，將選擇他會見誰，現在同樣的美國政府官員承認，古巴官員試圖阻止歐巴馬總統見真正的反對派領袖。取而代之的是，他們提議歐巴馬總統與古巴政權批准的『公民社會』成員見面，裡面可能有幾個溫和的批評者。據報導這項爭執是因為，國務卿凱瑞上星期決定取消到哈瓦那的準備行程。

The risk of such an outcome seems to be rising. Administration officials who said Mr. Obama would choose whom he met when he is on the island are now conceding that Cuban officials are trying to prevent him from seeing true opposition leaders. Instead they are proposing that Mr. Obama gather with regime-approved members of “civil society,” perhaps with a couple of moderate government critics mixed in. The disagreement reportedly contributed to a decision by Secretary of State John F. Kerry to cancel a preparatory trip to Havana last week.

勞爾‧卡斯楚總統的抵抗是可理解的。歐巴馬總統與古巴反對派領袖直接會面，將讓反對運動產生巨大的推動力，古巴的反對派領袖有Guillermo Fariñas，他因為捍衛人權而獲得薩哈羅夫獎，另外一個薩哈羅夫獎得主是「白衣女士」。歐巴馬總統與古巴反對派領袖直接會面，將合法化他們對言論自由、集會自由和釋放政治犯的需求，施壓古巴政府回應人權鬥士。不過，這會給古巴人希望，歐巴馬總統與古巴的人權鬥士約見面將帶來長期的改變。

The Castros’ resistance is understandable. A direct meeting between Mr. Obama and leaders such as Guillermo Fariñas, the winner of the European Union’s Sakharov Prize for human rights, or the Ladies in White, another winner, would give a big boost to their cause. It would legitimize their demands for free speech, free assembly and freedom for political prisoners and put pressure on the regime to respond to them. It would give hope to Cubans that Mr. Obama’s engagement with their country might bring about long-overdue change.

勞爾‧卡斯楚希望的替代方案是，歐巴馬總統關注在棒球，讓美國為加強古巴經濟踏出新的一步，例如允許古巴使用美元。如果這麼做的話，那將會轉移社會大眾對古巴政府壓迫人權的注意力，美國與古巴外交解凍的這15個月，古巴對百姓的壓迫沒有緩解；事實上，還變得更糟。教宗方濟各最近訪問古巴，異議人士試著見教宗方濟各都被拘留或打擊。那些試著去接近歐巴馬總統的人會遭遇何種下場？任何想要進入『公民社會』的批評，都將被效忠古巴政府的人所淹沒。

What the Castros hope is that Mr. Obama instead will focus on baseball and new U.S. steps to bolster the Cuban economy, such as allowing use of the dollar. That would divert attention from the fact that repression in Cuba has not eased in the 15 months since the diplomatic thaw began; in fact, it has gotten worse. Dissidents who tried to meet with Pope Francis during his recent visit were detained or beaten. Will those who try to approach Mr. Obama meet the same fate? Any critic who manages to get into a “civil society” meeting such as that proposed by the regime would be drowned out by its loyalists.

與勞爾‧卡斯楚總統討論行程時，歐巴馬政府經常犧牲調控權力槓桿，在與古巴政府達成歐巴馬政府會見古巴異議人士之前，就宣布歐巴馬總統要拜訪古巴。那讓美國政府更難去堅持與異議人士聚會：與國際公認的民主與人權倡議者舉行一場小型、重點對話。如果，白宮推動美國總統與人權鬥士Fariñas和白衣女士會面，與推動坦帕灣光芒與古巴球隊比賽，付出一樣的心力，這應該會成功。如果無法成功，歐巴馬總統可以，也必須取消他的古巴行程。

As so often in its dealings with the Castros, the administration sacrificed leverage by announcing the presidential visit before the terms for a meeting with dissidents were agreed on. That makes it harder to insist on the gathering that should take place: a small, focused dialogue with internationally recognized advocates of democracy and human rights. Still, if the White House pushes as hard to see Mr. Fariñas and the Ladies and White as it has for the Tampa Bay Rays, it should succeed. If not, Mr. Obama can and should call off his trip.