Commonwealth admits Rwanda, skips rights issue

Commonwealth leaders ended their biennial summit in Port of Spain Sunday on an upbeat note, pledging to present a consensus position on climate change to the UN global conference in Copenhagen next month.

They also agreed to meet in Australia for their next conference in 2011 and in Sri Lanka two years later.

Sri Lanka had lobbied to host the next 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) but the leaders agreed to let the South Asian nation host the 2013 meetings instead.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was one of the leaders who opposed Sri Lanka as the 2011 hosts.

He said the delay to 2013 would give Sri Lanka enough time to deal with the fallout of the government's handling of the civil war.

"That should give Sri Lanka plenty of time to get on a path towards genuine political reconciliation, and broad-based, multi-ethnic participation in their democracy," Harper said.

The Commonwealth leaders also agreed to admit Rwanda, increasing the group's membership to 54 members.

It becomes only the second nation without direct colonial links to Britain to join the Commonwealth. The other is the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique.

Uganda's proposed "anti-homosexuality bill" that seeks to jail and even execute homosexuals, didn't get a mention at summit despite calls before the conference for the country's suspension from the organization.

But Canada made a special point to address it. Harper said leaders generally don't talk about specific laws during the Commonwealth meetings but he felt strongly enough about it to express "Canada's deep concern".

He said he told President Yoweri Museveni Canada finds the legislation inconsistent with any reasonable understanding of human rights.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown also expressed concern with the law.

The proposed legislation is a private member's bill, but at least one government minister has praised it and Museveni has yet to comment on it as it goes through the parliamentary process.

The bill would send anyone who has engaged in homosexual activity to prison for life. Those found guilty of "aggravated homosexuality," for having had sex while HIV positive or with someone under the age of 18, would face a death sentence.

In addition, anyone found to be promoting gays and lesbians on the Internet or through the media would also face prison, as would anyone who does not expose homosexuality when they find out about it.

The bill is being framed as a defence for heterosexual marriage in the country.

Read related story: Manning in hot water over gay rights

The Ugandan anti-gay bill has a shocking footnote. The independent online site Alternet is claiming that the bill was engineered by a right wing Christian group in the U.S. that is aligned to the Republican Party.

Read the story by Stephen Webster: Cult of Conservative Christian GOPers Backs Death Penalty for Gays With HIV