This weekly electronic newsletter is researched and written by students in Professor Rachel Taylor's Contemporary Issues in Human Rights class. The contributors read widely in their areas of focus and choose the week's most important human rights stories to highlight. Information in the write-ups comes from the sources provided and has not been independently verified.
Minority Rights | Counterterrorism and Human Rights | Migration and Human Rights
Human Rights Defenders | Corporations and Human Rights | Human Trafficking
International Criminal Law | UN Human Rights Mechanisms
Women's Rights | Human Rights in the Middle East
Human Rights in Africa | Human Rights in the Americas | Human Rights in Asia
Thematic Roundup
Minority Rights
by Tiphanie Miller
President Bush Warns of Sanctions against Sudan
If a strengthened force of UN troops is not permitted to enter the Darfur region of Sudan “within a short period of time,” the United States will impose sanctions against the regime in Khartoum. A recent UN panel has found Khartoum to be violating an arms embargo by transferring weapons into the troubled Darfur region. Bush said that he is giving the UN Secretary-General and Sudanese President Bashir one final chance to achieve a diplomatic solution permitting the entry of a UN force. Prime Minister Tony Blair has stated that the UK will propose a new UN resolution on Darfur, necessitated by the refusal of the Sudanese government to comply with international law. (See this news story from the BBC, this summary of President Bush’s statement, and the full text of President Bush’s statement.)
Delegation from Security Council to visit Kosovo
In order to consider a UN envoy’s proposal to grant a phased independence to Serbia’s ethnic-Albanian-majority province of Kosovo, a region that has been run by the UN since 1999, the Security Council will send a panel on six-day fact-finding mission, which will stop by the province and discuss its future with ethnic minority communities and the leaders of its provisional government. This is the fourth trip the Security Council has sponsored to the region. The delegation is tasked with assessing the progress Kosovo has made in implementing agreed-upon standards since the UN took over. The fifteen-member panel, composed of current members of the Council and headed by Ambassador Verbeke of Belgium, is designed to give the Council “a first-hand understanding of the political, social and economic situation inside Kosovo.” (See this UN press release.)
Inter-American Commission Encouraged by Human Rights Efforts in Haiti
After completing a four-day visit to Haiti from April 16th to April 20th to gain general information about the status of human rights in Haiti and to follow-up on a 2005 report on the country, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights was encouraged by efforts of the government to address human rights issues, but was still concerned about the amount of discrimination faced by women and children. The Commission was troubled by the continued detention of children, especially considering the lack of legal aid services in the country, and the inability of women and children to obtain equal access to basic services, such as education, health care, and shelter. The Commission was also concerned about the amount of domestic violence and the lack of political participation for women. (See this press release from the Inter-American Commission, and the Inter-American Commission’s 2005 report on Haiti.)
Counterterrorism and Human Rights
by Joseph Sant
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter Terrorism to Visit South Africa
At the invitation of the government, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter Terrorism will visit South Africa from April 16 through April 26. He will meet with lawyers, government officials, non-governmental agencies, and affected individuals to investigate counterterrorism measures. On April 26 the Rapporteur will hold a press conference to announce his findings. Later he will present a report to the Human Rights Council with his findings and recommendations. (See this UN press release.)
Jose Padilla Trial Faces Difficulties with Jury Selection
The trial against Jose Padilla in a Federal District Court in Miami is entering its second week of jury selection. However, finding an impartial panel is proving difficult due to exposure in the press and the emotionally and politically charged nature of a terrorism case. Padilla was arrested in 2002 at O’Hare airport. At the time, the Bush administration described him as an al Qaeda terrorist attempting to detonate a “dirty bomb” although he was never charged for this crime. He was indicted in 2005 and transferred to civilian custody in 2006 at the administration’s request. (See this article from the New York Times.)
Canada will Investigate Allegations of Afghan Abuse
Canada’s prime minister announced on April 23 that the government will investigate allegations of abuse by Taliban detainees. Over 30 detainees in Afghanistan have told newspapers recently that they were abused after being captured by Canadian forces. There are no allegations that Canadian soldiers themselves tortured or beat detainees. Rather, the allegations are that Canadian forces handed over their detainees to Afghan authorities where they were electrocuted, beaten, starved, frozen, and choked. (See this article from the New York Times/AP.)
Migration and Human Rights
by Sunil Varghese
Australia and the United States Agree to Swap Refugees
Australia and the United States signed an agreement last week intended to discourage future asylum seekers. The countries agreed to exchange detained refugees with the intent to settle them in a country other than their first choice destination where they would have few cultural links. Around 90 Sri Lankan and Burmese asylum seekers being detained would be resettled in the United States. Australia would resettle up to 200 Cubans and Haitians detained at Guantanamo each year. Some criticize the effectiveness of the program. Human rights organizations claim that the plan violates international law. For example, Human Rights Watch claims that the strategy is inhumane and violates the principle of not using detention solely as a deterrent for future refugees. (See these articles from the Associated Press, The Age, the International Herald Tribune, and The West. See also this press release from Human Rights Watch.)
Human Rights Organization Pushes Malaysia to Accept Burmese Asylum Seekers
The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO), dedicated to the human rights of the Chin people of Western Burma, issued a statement accusing Malaysia of failing to protect Burmese refugees who have entered Malaysia. The military-led government of Burma has been accused of numerous human rights violations. Last week the other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations refused to defend Burma, also an ASEAN member, from international accusations of human rights violations. CHRO is asking for Malaysia to align its domestic asylum policy with this foreign policy. (See this press release from CHRO and this press release from CHRO. See also articles from Mizzima News, BurmaNet News, and BurmaNet News.)
Zimbabwe Refuses to Issue Visas in Extradition Case
Lawyers for former British special forces officer Simon Mann are fighting his extradition to Equatorial Guinea to face charges involving a failed coup plot. Mann has been held in a Zimbabwean prison since September 2004, but is due to be released in May. Mann’s lawyers argue that Mann would likely be tortured or killed if sent to Equatorial Guinea. The nation’s attorney general has publicly announced that the death penalty would not be sought in the case. The international witnesses that have been denied entry include a victim of torture by Equatorial Guinea and representatives of Amnesty International. (See these news reports from News24.com, the Independent Online, ZWNews.com, and Voice of America.)
Human Rights Defenders
by Venir Cuyco
Uighur Rights Activist Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
On April 19, Huseyin Celil, an ethnic Uighur activist, was sentenced to life imprisonment on separatism and terrorism charges by a Chinese court. The court held that he was an active member of the East Turkestan Liberation Organization (ETLO). Chinese authorities accuse ETLO of using violence in its struggle to establish an independent state in predominantly Muslim Xinjiang, an autonomous region in China that borders Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other Central Asian states. Celil fled China in the mid-1990s and went to Canada, where he obtained citizenship. He was detained in Uzbekistan in March 2006 while visiting relatives, and sent to China last June. The Canadian government expressed grave concern about the sentence and over reports that Celil was tortured while in prison. China said Canada should not meddle in what it described as a purely domestic matter. (See this Reuters report, the Human Rights in China website, and background from the BBC on the Chinese government’s campaign of religious repression against Muslim Uighurs.)
Japanese Rights Group Confirms Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines
(This is another follow-up to previous reports on extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.)
Human Rights Now (HRN), a Japanese human rights group, confirmed the involvement of state security forces in extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture of human rights defenders and journalists after conducting a fact-finding mission in the Philippines from April 14 to 21. The killings, according to HRN, are not isolated incidents but part of a systematic pattern of human rights violations. HRN also reported that these killings continued even after the country visit of Professor Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings. HRN called on the Japanese government to suspend its official development assistance to the Philippines until the Arroyo administration’s human rights record improves. It also asked Japan to closely monitor the human rights situation in the Philippines and to bring the matter before the U.N. Human Rights Council. (See this report from Inquirer.net and background information on the Philippines’ heavy reliance on Japanese ODA here and here.)
Burmese Human Rights Defenders Attacked; Government Complicity Reported
Last April 18, Maung Maung Lay and Myint Naing, members of an organization called Human Rights Defenders and Promoters, were on their way to a human rights education campaign in a village about 30 miles west of Rangoon when they were attacked by a group of around 50 persons armed with slingshots and sticks. Both were hospitalized due to head and other injuries. The attack was reportedly designed to stop Human Rights Defenders and Promoters from continuing its human rights education activities, which include distributing copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Burmese. Citing local sources, the Asian Human Rights Commission reported that the attack was organized by leaders of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), a state-sponsored organization whose patron is the head of the Burmese military junta, Senior General Than Shwe. USDA is accused of being behind the 2003 Depayin massacre—a violent attack on a convoy carrying National League for Democracy (NLD) leader and Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi that resulted in the death of, and serious injuries to, several leaders and supporters of NLD. (See this Asian Human Rights Commission report and urgent appeal, this Amnesty International (USA) press statement, and background information on USDA’s participation in the 2003 Depayin massacre from Article 2.)
Corporations and Human Rights
by Eric Rahn
Corporations Behaving Badly: Amnesty International Pressures JP Morgan to Take a Stance Against Dow’s Alleged Human Rights Violations in India
As part of their 13th Annual Get On The Bus rally, Amnesty International staged a rally outside of JP Morgan’s headquarters in New York, calling on the financial giant to back Amnesty’s proposed shareholder initiative to require Dow to disclose the details of its perceived efforts to escape liability for the Bhopal chemical spill in India. The allegations stem from several letters to Indian officials seeking apparent favorable treatment from the Indian government as a prerequisite for increased investment by Dow. Amnesty’s concern stems from their perception that Dow – which acquired Union Carbide, the actual perpetrator of the environmental damage – is putting undue pressure upon the Indian government to limit the liability that the chemical company might face for the alleged 22,000 deaths and over 100,000 injuries caused by the Bhopal spill. A rally organizer stated, “By demonstrating outside JP Morgan Chase’s World Headquarters, the former Union Carbide Building, we seek to send a clear message to Dow’s management that promises by the company concerning its environmental and social obligations must be matched with action, especially in Bhopal.” JP Morgan is the 16th largest institutional investor in Dow. (For more information, see the CSRWire story, Amnesty’s GOTB webpage, and the April 18 issue of this newsletter.)
Market Responses to Human Rights Violations: Citing Humanitarian Concerns, Rolls-Royce Decides to Cease all Business with Sudanese Businesses
Rolls-Royce recently announced its decision to gradually but steadily decrease its dealings with businesses operating in Sudan due to “increasing international humanitarian concerns about the situation in Darfur.” In announcing its decision, the firm stated, “Rolls-Royce believes this is a responsible line to adopt in the current circumstances.” Currently, Rolls-Royce provides engine and machinery to oil companies operating in Sudan. Though they have no contracts or significant dealings with the government, the move will result in the removal of 20 employees operating in Sudan. Sudan Divestments UK, a British organization pressing for further severing of all economic ties with Sudanese firms, called the move “a stark challenge to the other companies whose operations are helping fuel the world's worst humanitarian crisis.… Companies cannot blinker themselves from the impact they are having on the vulnerable people of Sudan.” (For more information, see the BBC story or the CNN story. For background on the Sudan conflict, see the Save Darfur Coalition background statement.)
Furthering a Human Rights Culture: Responsible Investment Practices of Pension Funds Highlighted and Analyzed in First-Ever In-Depth Report
A partnership between the UK Social Investment Forum and the UN Environmental Program Finance Initiative recently produced the first-ever in-depth report analyzing responsible investment practices among pension funds. The report, which focused upon fifteen pension funds with assets between $33 million and $460 billion from five continents, is meant to be a guide to other pension funds as to how to maximize returns on investments while directing funds towards socially responsible firms. Carl Rosen, head of AP2, a pension fund based in Sweden, stated, “As a large investor with significant assets we believe responsible investment is aligned with our duty to beneficiaries, it is our understanding that an enlightened attitude to environmental and ethical issues can enhance a company’s value.” Two US firms – CalPERS and TIAA-CREF – were profiled in the study. (For more information, see the press release or the report.)
Briefly, On That Same Note…
Investment Website “The Motley Fool” Reports on Socially Responsible Investing
The article includes a primer on socially responsible investing and advises “Here's the scoop, and please don't take it too personally: It really doesn't matter how you feel about SRI. Like it or not, this way of investing has already made its presence known in the press and in the boardroom, on campus and in congregations, through a larger number of tailored securities products, increased shareholder activism, and greater corporate acknowledgement.” Notably, it specifically mentions TIAA-CREF, highlighted in the previously-mentioned pension fund report. (For more information, see The Motley Fool article.)
Human Trafficking
by Sarah Yeomans
Four Members of Indian Parliament Accused of Human Trafficking
Sunder Lal Yadav, a travel agent recently arrested for human trafficking, accused Mohammed Tahir Khan and Ramswaroop Koli of being the masterminds behind a human trafficking scheme that used diplomatic passports of family members of Members of Parliament. He also named Mitrasen Yadav and Ashok Rawat as key players in the scheme. After investigators scrutinized the four parliamentarians’ travel records, notice was served of the accusation to all four. The four will be grilled by police about their involvement in the crime. (See these articles from Andhracafe.com and the Business Standard.)
Malaysian Cabinet Approves Anti-Trafficking Bill
The Malaysian Cabinet approved an anti-trafficking bill which is expected to be submitted to Parliament very soon. If the bill is passed in Parliament and becomes law (Parliamentary approval is considered a formality), the powers of immigration officials and police would be enhanced to fight against human trafficking, which is currently on the rise in Malaysia. The bill would also provide for setting up halfway houses for the victims as an alternative to the detention centers where victims are currently taken. Amnesty International estimated 700,000 people were victims of human trafficking in Malaysia in 2004. No details of the bill have yet been released. (See these articles from Bernama.com and the International Herald Tribune.)
Concern About Human Trafficking Grows In Many Parts of U.S.
- This week, California State Assemblyman Cameron Smyth announced it was time to get tough on human trafficking. (See this Op-Ed by Assemblyman Smyth in The Signal.)
- Utah cited concern that its seldom-patrolled back roads were serving as smuggling routes for human trafficking, after an accident on one of the roads revealed a car containing 14 illegal immigrants. (See this article from the Associated Press.)
- On April 18, local and federal authorities raided eight spas in Dallas, Texas, that were believed to be operating as brothels and involved in human trafficking. (See this article from Pegasus News.)
- South Texas College hosted its first international conference on human trafficking on April 18-20. The speakers included professors, scholars, and judges. (See this article from KGBT-4.)
International Criminal Law
by Xander A. Meise
Reporting on War Crimes in the Balkans: “A Dangerous Profession”
IWPR published an article this week calling attention to the plight of journalists in the Balkans who report on war crimes issues. Journalists in Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia receive regular death threats. Just last week, a hand grenade was thrown into the bedroom window of a prominent Serbian journalist who had recently expressed “disappointment” with the “inadequate” sentences against Serbian paramilitaries convicted of murdering six Bosnian Muslims captured at Srebrenica. A Croatian journalism professor interviewed for the article was quoted as saying, “War crimes are still not a subject that can be openly discussed… The fact is that many of those who were directly or indirectly involved in the atrocities are still in power and they naturally becomes very nervous when someone raises that issues.” (See this article from IWPR.)
Canada’s first ICC-Implementation Case Hits Rough Road When Prisoner is Severely Beaten
Désiré Munyaneza, the first person indicted under Canada’s ICC-implementation statute, has been transferred to protective custody and placed in his own wing of a Canadian prison. Munyaneza has been charged under Canada’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act with two counts of genocide, two counts of crimes against humanity, and three counts of war crimes, for actions during the Rwandan crisis. He was beaten with a hotplate last week by a 17-year old inmate who acknowledged that he had been following the case in the newspapers. The isolation measures that the government has since taken are unprecedented in Canada and raise the issue of how Canada and other governments are going to handle prisoners arrested under ICC-implementation statutes. (See this article from the Montreal Gazette.)
ICTY Receives “Justice in the World” Award
On April 19th, Justice in the World, a Madrid-based Foundation affiliated with the International Association of Judges, awarded the ICTY its “Justice of the World” award for its achievements, “in particular for the independence in which it carries out its mandate.” (See this ICTY press release.)
UN Human Rights Mechanisms
by Andrene Smith
Somalia: Heavy fighting in Mogadishu, Somalia, has caused 250 deaths and more than 320,000 dislocations. The fighting began a week ago. In December 2006, the Transitional Federal Government dislodged the Union of Islamic Courts from Mogadishu and much of the rest of the country. UN relief agencies, including UNHCR and the World Food Programme, are being hampered from doing their jobs as the result of the security threat in the capital. Some warehouses are currently inaccessible. The UN Secretary-General has called for an immediate cessation of the hostilities because they disregard international humanitarian law. The Secretary-General is calling for UN cooperation with the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, international assistance and a potential peacekeeping mission in the region to bring about stability. He cites “massive and systemic” human rights violations in the country. (See this news story from the UN News Centre, this statement by the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, and this article from the UN News Centre.)
Democratic Republic of Congo: Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro is in the DRC to promote United Nations support for the country’s efforts to consolidate peace. The largest UN peacekeeping mission is located in the DRC. The Deputy Secretary-General commended the country for last year’s elections. She is to meet with the Prime Minister to assure him of the UN’s commitment to the peace efforts and will attend a UN Development Programme (UNDP) meeting that will focus on Africa’s development agenda in a UN system that is undergoing reform. (See articles from the UN News Centre here, here, and here.)
Malaria: The United Nations-backed Roll Back Malaria Partnership announced on April 23 that it has set ambitious new targets to attain funding to fight the disease in Africa. Malaria is the leading cause of death in Africa. One child dies every thirty seconds from the disease. Funds are awarded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria to countries to fight the disease. The Partnership hopes to fund 50% of grants worldwide and 80% in African countries. The Partnership is made up of the UN World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNDP, and the World Bank. The Abuja Declaration commits African governments fighting the disease to halve the infection rate by 2010. (See articles from the UN News Centre here, here, and here.)
Women's Rights
by Amy Steiner
Some Progress in Reducing Gender Discrimination in Asia
The 2007 annual regional survey carried out by the Bangkok-based Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) found that the number of female politicians in the area has increased by 50 percent since 1997, and that women’s life expectancy has risen to 70 years. However, the director of the UN’s development policy and analysis division believes that gender inequality in the area of employment has severely hurt the region’s economy. He estimated that 42 to 50 billion dollars are lost annually because of low female workforce participation, and an additional 16 to 30 billion dollars a year are lost because of the gender gaps in education. (See this article from the Inter Press Agency News Service and this Inter Press Agency News Service article on effect of gender impediments on Asian economy.)
Politicians Reintroduce the Freedom of Choice Act in Response to United States Supreme Court Abortion Decision
Two leading supporters of abortion rights, democrats Sen. Barbara Boxer of California and Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, reintroduced the Freedom of Choice Act in Congress a day after the Supreme Court upheld the ban on partial-birth abortion. Pro-choice supporters fear the decision will precipitate a wave of new abortion restrictions at both state and federal levels. Rep. Nadler said: “We can no longer rely on the Supreme Court to protect a woman's constitutional right to choose. This Supreme Court may have gone out of the business of protecting women's rights; it is time that Congress stand up to the challenge." The Freedom of Choice Act would codify into federal law the rights established in the 1973 Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade. (See this article from Women’s E-News and information on the NARAL campaign to support the act.)
Complications from Illegal Abortions Leading Cause of Gynecological Emergencies in Kenya
In Kenya, abortion is permitted only if the woman’s life is in danger, and anyone found guilty of providing abortion services can be imprisoned for 14 years. An estimated 300,000 illegal abortions are performed in Kenya every year, resulting in 20,000 hospitalizations and 2,600 deaths from complications. Recent studies found that complications from illegal abortions account for the majority of all gynecological emergency hospital admissions. Many of the women admitted are teenagers, including girls under 14 years old, and are from poor and rural areas. (See this article from the Feminist Majority Foundation, the study in the East African Medical Journal, and this Inter Press Service News Agency article about abortion in Kenya.)
Regional Round-up
Human Rights in the Middle East
by Babak Mohassel
Demanding Immediate Release for Egyptian Television Journalist and Blogger
The Egyptian State Security Forces raided the home of a prominent Egyptian blogger and television journalist, Abdel Moneim Mahmoud, on April 13, 2007. Mr. Mahmoud was not home during the raid and had a chance to communicate with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood before his capture at the Cairo Airport. He stated in a phone conversation with the organization that he did not expect the Egyptian government to arrest him for doing his duty as a journalist. In his interview, Mr. Mahmoud articulated his dissatisfaction with the government’s repressive methods against those who unveil its human rights violations. He stated, “It seems that the State Security Police doesn't want anyone to reveal its ugly face to the public opinion; the state security is seemingly hunting me because of my speech in a symposium in which I narrated my torture experience at the headquarters of the State Security Police.” Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, further criticized the Egyptian authorities by stating, “The government should focus its energies on ending the abuses, not silencing those who expose them.” (See this report from the Alliance for Essential Liberties in the Middle East, the Muslim Brotherhood’s website, and this press release from Human Rights Watch.)
Amnesty International Report on Death Penalty in Iraq
On April 20, 2007, Amnesty International released a comprehensive report on Iraq’s death penalty practices titled, “Unjust and Unfair: The Death Penalty in Iraq.” The well-respected human rights organization finds that the use of the death penalty in Iraq has increased dramatically after it was reinstated in mid-2004. Amnesty International considers Iraq’s restoration of the death penalty not only unjust, but also a “seriously retrograde development.” According to Amnesty International, 270 people have been sentenced to death and approximately 100 individuals have been executed. The report concludes that the death penalty is a violation of the right to life and recommends that the government “move towards the abolition of the death penalty” and “ensure the most rigorous standards for fair trial are respected in all cases.” (See the Amnesty International report, Amnesty International’s report overview, and this Amnesty International press release.)
Anwar al-Bunni: A Prisoner of Conscience
Syrian authorities have detained and charged Anwar al-Bunni for crimes that can only be traced to his human rights activities in Syria. Al-Bunni’s plight is yet another example of how “the situation of human rights defenders in Syria has deteriorated over the past year.” According to Human Rights First, Anwar al-Bunni has been charged with “disseminating false information likely to undermine the morale of the nation in wartime.” Amnesty International reports that if al-Bunni is convicted, he can face up to three years in prison. Although his health has continuously deteriorated in prison, al-Bunni has continued to “champion human rights from behind bars.” Human Rights First describes the way in which Anwar al-Bunni has utilized his trial as an instrument to denounce Syria’s human rights practices. Also, while in prison, al-Bunni has sent a letter to President Bashar al-Assad requesting an investigation into prison conditions where prisoners “are routinely subject to beatings, insults, and terror.” In a declaration made to the Court, Anwar al-Bunni boldly articulates the voices of Syrian human rights defenders to the government when he states, “You know and I know and people know that there are other reasons for this detention and trial that everyone knows.” (See this Defender Alert from Human Rights First and this public statement from Amnesty International.)
Human Rights in Africa
by Meghan C Fennelly
This week’s update focuses on human rights developments in Nigeria, Somalia, and Zimbabwe.
NIGERIA: Nigeria’s presidential elections on April 21, 2007 have generated outcry as election observers, including former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, report numerous incidents of vote rigging. Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission declared the ruling party candidate, Umaru Yar Adua, the victor over the next highest vote recipient—opposition candidate and former military leader Muhammadu Buhari—with three times the number of votes. The U.S. State Department, the European Union, and NGOs such as Human Rights Watch have all declared that the election results are not credible. President Obasanjo has acknowledged some problems with the elections, but ruled out a revote. The opposition candidates have rejected the result, but reports are conflicting on whether they will pursue a legal challenge of the elections. The allegations of fraud follow similar charges after the local elections on April 14th. (See this article from the New York Times, BBC dispatches from election day in Nigeria here and here, and BBC reports from the European Union and NGO Election Monitoring Groups.)
SOMALIA: Fighting continues in Somali as the U.N. declares that the country is headed toward its “worst crisis ever.” A U.N. spokesperson reported that more than 320,000 people have fled fighting in Mogadishu in the past six days, and over 250 have been killed in the same time period. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a report to the Security Council that a “coalition of the willing” may be needed if the violence worsens. The Security Council will consider the report next week. (See this Reuters article on the lack of attention to Somalia, this Norwegian Refugee Council Press Release, and this U.N. Security Council report on Somalia.)
ZIMBABWE: While Zimbabwe celebrated its independence day on April 18, 2007, reports of human rights abuses continue from the country. This week a local rights group, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), reported that some of its members were assaulted and held without clothes in police custody after being arrested for a sit-in at the country’s main power company to protest electricity shortages. Amnesty International issued a call on Zimbabwe’s Independence Day for African leaders to speak out against human rights violations in the country. Meanwhile South Africa’s President Mbeki, the appointed regional mediator for the Zimbabwe crisis, has thus far written letters to the ruling and opposition political parties, but it remains unclear how much he will accomplish before the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe. (See the Institute for War and Peace Reporting’s April “Zimbabwe Crisis Report”, this article from The Herald (Harare), and this Associated Press article in the International Herald Tribune.)
Human Rights in the Americas
by Ingrid Fuentes
OAS Negotiates Draft of the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Representatives of the Organization of American States (OAS) and of indigenous peoples throughout the hemisphere met to discuss a draft of the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The initiative began nearly two decades ago when the OAS Permanent Council asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to draft a legal instrument. Since then, OAS representatives have held 10 meetings, including a meeting in March 2006 in Brazil and another in October 2005 in Guatemala. This last meeting, held in La Paz, Bolivia, included 200 representatives of the more than 40 million indigenous peoples in the Americas. The meeting is scheduled to end this week. (See this press release from the OAS, and this press release from the OAS.)
Assistant Secretary-General of the Inter-American Commission of Women Calls for Wider Synergies
The Assistant Secretary-General of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), Albert R. Ramdin, called for the creation of an “inter-American partnership on gender issues.” Speaking before the Commission’s Executive Meeting, Ambassador Ramdin argued that CIM must continue to adopt “visionary” initiatives and commended the OAS for its progress in the Andes and across Central America. He also called for the creation of “wider synergies” between the OAS and other inter-American institutions, including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Inter-American Institute for the Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). (See this press release from the OAS.)
Peruvian Authorities Challenge Freedom of Speech
On April 18, Peruvian authorities raided three radio stations in Ancash, Amistand, and Miramar. They seized the stations’ equipment and presented criminal charges against their operators, who may serve up to six years in prison. Peruvian officials claim that the stations violated the Radio and Television Law by operating with expired licenses or using equipment that does not meet standards. Meanwhile, the stations’ operators and the Chimbote Journalists’ Federations argue that the order was a reprisal for the stations’ coverage of popular mobilizations in Chimbote, in which two people died and several were wounded. (See this article from IFEX.)
Human Rights in Asia
by Woo-Suk Jun
Normalization of Relations between the United States and North Korea Will Only Come After North Korea Improves its Human Rights Record
At a seminar hosted by the Heritage Foundation, Jay Lefkowitz, the U.S. Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea, stated that North Korea would have to improve its human rights record if it really wants to normalize the relationship with the United States. (See this article from The Daily NK.)
Pope Benedict XVI Emphasizes the Need for Sri Lanka to Improve its Human Rights Record
At his meeting with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, the Pope stressed the need for Sri Lanka to improve its human rights practices as well as to resume negotiations with Tamil rebels. (See these articles from Scoop Independent News, Tamil Sydney, www.lankaeverything.com, the International Herald Tribune, and Reuters AlertNet.)
No Political Critics in Vietnam?
Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, the Vietnamese novelist and journalist, was arrested by police due to her articles that criticize the government. (See this article from ABC Radio Australia.)
