The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide slammed the president of the Philippines for calling for a campaign to kill millions of drug addicts in a manner similar to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany, where over 6 million Jews were systematically killed by the government.
Special Adviser Adama Dieng said recently elected Rodrigo Duterte’s comments were “deeply disrespectful of the right to life of all human beings,” in a statement issued on Friday.
The Holocaust was “one of the darkest periods of the history of humankind and that any glorification of the cruel and criminal acts committed by those responsible was unacceptable and offensive,” he said, adding that his remarks undermined decades of work to ensure the prevention of mass atrocities.
"The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide called upon President Rodrigo Duterte to exercise restraint in the use of language that could exacerbate discrimination, hostility and violence and encourage the commission of criminal acts which, if widespread or systematic, could amount to crimes against humanity," the statement continued.
"Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now, there are three million drug addicts... I'd be happy to slaughter them," Mr Duterte had said.
The remarks also provoked a strong reaction from Germany, with the Foreign Ministry reportedly having summoned the Philippines ambassador. Ronald S Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, also criticised Mr Duterte’s remarks, stating that “drug abuse is a serious issue”. “But what President Duterte said is not only profoundly inhumane, but it demonstrates an appalling disrespect for human life that is truly heart-breaking for the democratically-elected leader of a great country.”
Meanwhile Mr Duterte's spokesperson said, "We do not wish to diminish the profound loss of six million Jews in the Holocaust... The president’s reference to the slaughter was an oblique deflection of the way he has been pictured as a mass murderer, a Hitler, a label he rejects”.