United Nations human rights bodies, including the Sub-Commission, had hitherto focused attention exclusively on States or Governments. For individual victims, however, it did not matter whether their human rights were violated by Governments or by any one else, and he felt that the time had come to give some attention to human rights violations not perpetrated by Governments. Mr. Eide's words seemed to open a door -or at least a tiny window -which might lead to an entirely new world in terms of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Since that matter was clearly related to State responsibility, he would return to it under agenda item 4. E/CN.4/Sub.2/1990/SR.8 page 4 10. With regard to the question of the balance between the rights of nationals and of non-nationals, Mr. Eide envisaged the possibility of non-nationals belonging to a "settled" majority being granted suffrage, either at local or at national level. He was not opposed to the idea; indeed in Japan human rights activists were advocating the idea that Japanese nationals living abroad for long periods should have the right to vote, at least in national elections. But that could well result in non-nationals belonging to settled minorities being able to vote both in their own country and in their country of settlement. He would therefore favour non-nationals belonging to settled majorities being granted the right to vote in the country where they were residing, but only if they were not entitled to vote in their home country. 11. According to paragraph 16, the existence of a given majority depended on objective and subjective factors -for example, a child's mother tongue was not the language that the Government recognized but the one the mother spoke. He would like to know whether that example was intended to illustrate the 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing human rights and international law, specifically the rights of individuals, including non-nationals, to participate in political processes and the balance between national and non-national rights. The language used is formal and technical, suggesting a legal or academic context.

**Category**
Human rights, Culture