Peru to name ex-terror prisoners

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/7104909.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Peru's President Alan Garcia has been criticised for plans to release the names of almost 2,000 people once imprisoned on terrorism charges.

Mr Garcia said the move was in the interests of public safety, so people would know who their neighbours were.

Human rights groups say many of the former prisoners were later found not guilty of terrorism.

Revealing their identities would violate their right to privacy, activists say.

The term "terrorist" is used by the Peruvian government to describe anyone who once belonged to a leftist guerrilla group, mainly the Shining Path.

Cocaine trade

Leading rights activists said the released prisoners had already paid their debt to society and there was a risk of demonising those who were already recognised as innocent.

The national ombudswoman, Beatriz Merino, said the measure could prove counter-productive by hindering the re-integration of the former prisoners.

Shining Path remnants are still active protecting drug traffickersShe said the government should focus more on dealing with the remnants of the Shining Path who were still at large.

Last week, four police were killed and six wounded in an ambush which the government blamed on the Shining Path, which it says is providing protection for drug-traffickers.

Peru is the world's second largest producer of cocaine.

Almost 70,000 people died in the Maoist guerrilla group's war against the state during the last two decades but analysts say its remaining several hundred members have dropped ideology in favour of the lucrative drug business.

Mr Garcia has accused Shining Path members of inciting anti-government protests.

But some critics say this has been the president's way of downplaying the real reason behind the demonstrations - frustration at the slow pace of reform despite high economic growth.

The trial of former President Alberto Fujimori on human rights charges, which is scheduled to begin next month, is likely to polarise public opinion even further over what constitutes terrorism.