December 13, 1999

HAVANA, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Cuba has arrested at least 20 opposition activists this week to prevent planned protests against President Fidel Castro's communist government, dissident groups said on Friday.

``This is a clearly established modus operandi now of prior arrests to minimise, neutralise or prevent altogether dissident meetings,'' said Elizardo Sanchez, of the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation.

Ten of the 20 activists who were detained still were being held on Friday afternoon, including five in the capital Havana and five in the neighbouring province of Matanzas, Sanchez added.

His group is an unauthorised human rights monitoring body that the government refuses to recognise.

Most of the arrests apparently were intended to prevent activities planned by Cuban dissidents to mark Friday's 51st anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Two of the 10 activists still held on Friday were arrested in connection with an unusual opposition march held last Saturday in a Havana suburb demanding freedom for political prisoners, dissidents said.

The Cuban government claims all dissidents are U.S.-backed counter-revolutionaries. Opposition political groups are outlawed by Castro's one-party communist system.

14:53 12-10-99

Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.

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