Archive for category: Human Rights

Information and stories about human rights.

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Human Rights in Nauru

Human Rights in Nauru

What do you know about Nauru? That it is the smallest republic in the world? In 1968, the island of Nauru gained its independence, and a bit over three decades later became the smallest independent republic in the world when it joined the United Nations.

The south Pacific island is home to just under 10,000 people. Those who live there are governed by a parliamentary republic. Today, Nauru is arguably better known for its human rights issues than for its last place finish in the world’s largest country contest. While there are certainly those who are not satisfied with the protection of human rights in Nauru, the evidence suggests that the nation does a very admirable job in this area.

Some of the allegations of human rights violations in Nauru were related to corruption. However, the U.S. State Department’s 2014 report on Nauru did not reach the same conclusion. The report states that the government, led by President Baron Waqa, utilizes its resources effectively to investigate and punish abuse and corruption. This seems to be working well, as there were zero reports of impunity involving Nauruan security forces in 2014.

Another frequent concern are the prison and detention center conditions in Nauru. This worry stemmed from an incident in the summer of 2013 when asylum seekers in Nauru’s Australian-run detention center rioted. The riot was the result of Australia announcing that Australia would put into effect more rigid immigration policies. Ultimately, more than 60 asylum seekers faced criminal charges. The world’s perception of human rights in Nauru has been greatly affected by this incident.

While this occurrence certainly represents a stain on the nation’s human rights record, it does not capture the full picture. In fact, the State Department’s report states that prison conditions generally met international standards.

The protection of women and women’s rights is another aspect of Nauru’s protection of human rights that is sometimes criticized. Part of this concern stems from the fact that women’s participation in politics is significantly less than that of men’s. However, since there are no rules or laws stopping women from participating, this may be more of a cultural issue.

Authorities in Nauru have been successful in protecting women against domestic violence and rape. The State Department’s report states that the courts “vigorously prosecuted” reported cases of rape.

There is clearly still work to be done and room for improvement, but the tiny island nation of Nauru is succeeding in protecting its people’s human rights in many regards.

– Adam Braunstein

Photo: Flickr

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The Female Experience of War

Female Experience of War

Contrary to the title of this article, there is no singular female experience of war. The very statement illuminates one of the issues in historical and contemporary engagement in understanding and analyzing women during wartime. Too often, the intellectual and political community groups women from different countries, ethnicities and religions together to presume they suffer the same wartime experiences. The world sees war through a gendered lens which colors women as victims who idly wait for their husbands, sons and fathers to return home. War is as immediate and tolling for women as it is for men in ways that vary drastically across the board.

Take World War II as an example of the diversity of the female experience of war. The white American woman gained access to the workforce during WWII and momentum in furthering her cause in the feminist movement. Meanwhile, her black counterpart experienced barriers and institutionalized racism. These consequences did not decline until over a decade later. When employed, African-Americans were forced to use separate bathrooms and often worked the lowest-paying jobs despite having high qualifications or manual and cognitive skills. Black men and women accounted for only 6 percent of employees in the American aircraft industry while white women accounted for approximately 40 percent. Despite the pushback, black women used WWII as a platform to herald the inequalities back at home with campaigns such as “Victory Over Racism at Home” and “Victory Over Fascism Abroad”.

Across the Pacific Ocean, the Korean female experience differed significantly from that of women in the U.S. Thousands of Korean (and other southeast Asian) women under Japan’s imperial rule were forced into sexual slavery and served as “comfort women” for Imperial soldiers during WWII. Gross violations of human rights included female genital mutilation, forced abortions and even murder. Under colonization, many women turned to prostitution as a means of survival, adopting the fetishized symbols of orientalism that their oppressors projected upon them. In the eyes of the public, many of these survivors of sexual slavery lost their virtue and thereby their value to their community following liberation from Japan. Their communities ostracized them, forcing them to live isolated lives. In this way, it not only becomes a question of women’s experiences during the war but also their experiences after the war.

In her book, “Bananas, Beaches and Bases,” international relations theorist and author Cynthia Enloe illustrates how women in Jaffna, Sri Lanka played a role as ethnic minorities during the armed conflict between Tamil guerrillas, the government’s military and the Indian army. These women describe how their experiences as women compared to their oppression as Tamils in the Singhalese-dominated nation, penetrating what had been a male-dominated intellectual space. Eventually, these women played a crucial role in the reconciliation period, finding allies in Singhalese feminists and voicing their concerns about the militarized state and lack of female rights. Enloe further notes that these women, who played an essential part in stabilization, were repressed by their husbands who believed their outspoken critique to be outside the parameters of their female duties.

These examples neither serve to pit woman against woman nor seek to rank their experiences, but rather illustrate the diversity of women and the female experience of war. These women as individuals and as participants in a wider community have their own narratives and experiences. Giving them the due diligence they deserve begins with recognizing the diversity of 50 percent of the world’s population and their nuanced participation as both victims, perpetrators and protestors of war.

How do societies break out of masculinized power structures of international politics to acknowledge women as a priority during conflict and post-conflict discussions? It is critical to recognize the many different and extremely nuanced versions of war that women around the world experience. The idealized projection of the ‘female’ is so deeply entrenched that society often glosses over the experiences of women from ethnic, religious and sexual minorities. The female experience of war is extremely diverse, and it is critical that existing international and domestic power structures acknowledge and embrace it.

– Sydney Nam

Photo: Google

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Human Rights in Nicaragua: Three Issues You Should Know

There are many components to consider when evaluating how well a country is promoting human rights. On many fronts, the government of Nicaragua is failing its most marginalized populations: women and indigenous people. Human rights activists and journalists are also subject to government harassment. Here are three issues of human rights in Nicaragua:

Violence Against Women and Girls
The lack of legal protections for women in the case of domestic violence is a huge issue for human rights in Nicaragua. Studies estimate that one out of every two women in Nicaragua has experienced violence. Though a comprehensive law addressing gender-based violence was passed in 2012, many of the major advances in the law were overturned in subsequent years. In 2014, President Daniel Ortega issued a special decree shifting responsibility for the law’s implementation to the Ministry of the Family and mandated the establishment of neighborhood-based counseling as the first step to resolving “family conflict” prior to filing a legal complaint.

In 2016, this decree made it more difficult to access legal justice in cases of domestic abuse. The already under-resourced police units in charge of handling gender violence cases were shut down altogether. There is an emphasis on “family values” within Nicaraguan culture which makes it difficult for women to be taken seriously when coming forward with cases of domestic abuse. The actions of the government are only exacerbating the problem.

Indigenous Peoples’ Rights
In the past several years, there has been a wave of violent attacks against the Miskitos, the largest indigenous group on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. According to CEJUDHCAN, a non-governmental indigenous rights organization, 21 indigenous men have been killed since 2014 and dozens more wounded or kidnapped. Women have been raped, and armed men have attacked several villages. The Miskitos blame the attacks on settlers coming from other parts of the country. Thousands of Mestizos (Nicaraguans of Spanish descent) have moved into the rainforest, enticed by cheap, fertile land and timber and gold. Tensions have erupted into violence, and almost 3,000 Miskitos have fled their homes since 2015. The government’s failure to properly address this conflict has been a huge blight to human rights in Nicaragua.

The Miskitos say the government has done little to stop this violence. The army was only deployed once in December 2015, and once stationed, they did little else to help the locals. President Daniel Ortega has publicly backed the Miskitos’ right to their land but has initially denied any connection between the violence and the land conflict. The Miskitos accuse the president of only using the conflict for political gain around election time, and of taking no concrete action to protect the Miskitos or their land.

Mistreatment of Activists
The Nicaraguan government has been accused of unfairly targeting, detaining and deporting activists. In June 2016, six foreign environmental activists were detained and expelled from the country. There was a human rights hearing last year in regards to the killing of Francisco Garcia, whose family claims that he was targeted due to his wife’s work in the field of indigenous rights. His family alleges the government failed to diligently investigate the incident. Several other indigenous activists have reported cases of harassment and intimidation, with little response or support from authorities. Governmental targeting of activists leaves these citizens vulnerable and is a hindrance to human rights in Nicaragua.

In Nicaragua, the government is failing to protect the human rights of women and indigenous people. Activists are being unfairly targeted and left without legal protection. Without fair legislation and concrete action by the government, these groups will continue to struggle.

– Hannah Seitz

Photo: Flickr

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Human Rights in Bulgaria

Human Rights in BulgariaBulgaria is integrated into the EU and its economy is growing while unemployment and poverty decline. But not all populations are benefiting from these improvements. Income inequality is vast and not all Bulgarians have good economic opportunities. Furthermore, certain populations are denied human rights in Bulgaria.

Journalists
The U.S. State Department notes that there have been threats of intimidation against journalists. While the courts generally rule in favor of free speech, government officials have often sued for libel and defamation. Some have threatened journalists’ lives for their reporting.

The Disabled
Mentally and physically disabled people tend to be institutionalized in Bulgaria. These sites are poorly maintained and understaffed. For those capable of education, there is little policy to guide how to teach them. As a result, many disabled children are uneducated. While discrimination based on disability is illegal, many cannot obtain jobs because of their lack of education and training. Additionally, most workplaces are not equipped to accommodate the disabled.

Roma
Bulgaria generally excludes the Romani population from society. Their children have less access to education and healthcare than other Bulgarian children. They are also found in mental health institutions, special education schools and detention centers more often. The Romani also experience more violence and police harassment.

Women
Women face several human rights abuses in Bulgaria, from income inequality to religious discrimination and sexual abuse. Sex trafficking of Bulgarian women and children is recognized as a great concern to the U.S. State Department. Furthermore, there is a taboo about reporting rape in Bulgaria, leading to many women not reporting the crime.

Refugees
There are numerous reports of police brutality against refugees fleeing into Bulgaria. Refugees have been separated from family members, beaten and robbed. Some are sent back to their country of origin, while others are detained longer than what is considered ethical.

There are alarming abuses of human rights in Bulgaria. The good news is that many watchdog organizations are aware and working to end them. Amnesty International and The Human Rights Watch are acting as sentries on Bulgaria’s activity. The U.S. State Department has released reports about Bulgaria, while the U.N. has called on Bulgaria to improve conditions. As the country grows in the global community, hopefully the gains will been felt by all populations.

– Mary Katherine Crowley
Photo: Flickr

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Human Rights in Timor-Leste: Where Do Women Stand?

Human Rights in Timor-Leste
Most nations balance violations and successes in achieving justice for females. Human rights in Timor-Leste are no exception to this.

For the country’s 2016/2017 report, Amnesty International highlighted a few key issues which are being dealt with by Timor-Leste. Among these brief descriptions, the topic of gender-based violence was very relevant.

The nongovernmental organization cited a statistic for the category that found that approximately 60 percent of women who had experience with a relationship (aged 15 to 49) reported violence—sexual or otherwise.

A 2016 human rights report included the same statistic and expanded upon this issue, emphasizing that slightly less than 15 percent of females experienced rape perpetrated by individuals who were not their significant others.

Furthermore, rates of domestic violence in the nation reportedly only fell behind assault for “commonly charged crimes in the criminal justice system.”

Issues for women in the country involve matters such as:

  • A lack of prosecutions and investigations regarding sexual-based violence.
  • Difficulties in the enforcement of legislation regarding domestic violence due to “cultural and institutional obstacles.”
  • Questionable classification for the level of the crime.
  • Poor acknowledgment of victims’ needs relating to their protection.

In spite of these hurdles, improvements are consistently made for the sake of women and their human rights in Timor-Leste.

The country’s legislation to combat domestic violence (mentioned above) receives praise despite impediments to its usage—seen as a method that enables individuals to feel comfortable going to law enforcement and reporting their experiences.

Amnesty International noted that the nation joined other countries in southeast Asia by taking on a National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security, spanning from 2016 to 2020.

Other successes for women in the country (according to the 2016 report) include:

  • More abuse-related cases being examined in the justice network.
  • Greater instances of incarceration for individuals guilty of domestic violence from the beginning of the year until August (about nine).
  • The Ministry of Social Solidarity’s operation in districts, each of which involved a “gender-based violence focal point to coordinate a referral network, a coordinator for the Bolsa de Mae (Mother’s Purse) support fund, and two additional staff who focused on children’s issues.”
  • Coordination with other organizations—in the face of shortages in personnel—enabled individuals to access nutrition, places to reside, funding and other forms of protection during times of need.

Although Timor-Leste must still address many issues relating to the disproportionate difficulties females face in its country, it continues to make improvements to the lives of those subjected to brutalities and violence.

– Maleeha Syed

Photo: Flickr

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Human Rights in Papua New Guinea: Corruption and Brutality

Human Rights in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a small country in Oceania, just north of Australia. While PNG has enjoyed the benefits of economic improvement due to extractive industries, more than 40 percent of its population of six million live in poverty. Across government corruption, abuse of female rights, inhumane conditions for asylum seekers, police brutality, lack of minority rights and prosecution for sexual orientation and gender identity, the state of human rights in Papua New Guinea is severely lacking.

Police abuse is rampant in PNG, and, between 2007 and 2014, a total of 1,600 complaints regarding police brutality were logged by the Internal Affairs Directorate. The government has yet to release how many of these cases resulted in judicial proceedings. Since 2014, the Anti-Corruption Directorate has held a warrant for the arrest of Prime Minister O’Neill, but in April 2016 the Supreme Court dismissed the suit. As a direct result, in June 2016, police forces shot at University of Papua New Guinea students for peacefully protesting government corruption. Over thirty people were injured.

The United Nations has not overlooked such violations of human rights in Papua New Guinea. In May 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Council released a 687-page World Report. The report was critical of PNG’s government and its authoritarian actions.

Police aggression and abuse have also reportedly been highly gendered, with PNG remaining one of the worst in the world for its rates of family and sexual violence. A study conducted by The Lancet in 2013 reported that 41 percent of people on Bougainville Island admitted to raping a non-partner. This statistic neither includes other parts of PNG nor accounts for marital rape. The normalization of these actions has prevented aggressive prosecution of perpetrators or prosecution of these men by police and judiciaries. In fact, the Human Rights Watch notes that police demand “fuel money” from victims before considering their cases any further.

The government has failed to rally legislative or judicial action against gender-based corruption and coercion, and much of it is deeply ingrained in the different cultures of PNG. Historically, violent groups of people have attacked individuals and families for alleged acts of witchcraft. The normalization of severely violating human rights in Papua New Guinea requires serious action but proves difficult because of cultural complexities.

Undoubtedly, there is no simple solution in breaking cultural and national norms. The nuanced approach towards fighting against governmental corruption and gender-based violence, among many other human rights issues, requires federal and community-level strategies.

– Sydney Nam

Photo: Flickr

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Statelessness a Major Barrier to Human Rights in Estonia

Human Rights in Estonia

Estonia, a European country located near the Baltic Sea, has been a member of the European Union for 13 years. It is a parliamentary republic, but the country still struggles with the consequences of being under Soviet rule until 1991. Estonia has come a long way since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but there are still barriers to full human rights in Estonia as a result of ethnic tensions.

Child statelessness has consistently been a major issue in Estonia. Statelessness is when a person does not possess citizenship in any country. Over six percent of the Estonian population remains stateless, and many of those affected are children. There are several international requirements for statelessness that Estonia has yet to comply with, and they have the tenth largest stateless population in the world even though their overall population is only 1.3 million.

In January 2016, the government made amendments to citizenship laws to make it easier for people to become citizens, but it is still difficult for children between 16 and 18 years old who were not born in Estonia to become Estonian citizens. While statelessness barely impacts the level of education or healthcare these children receive, it can often make them a target of discrimination, causing them to experience unequal human rights in Estonia.

The tension between citizens and the stateless is a result of several factors. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the government enforced citizenship requirements that made almost 40 percent of inhabitants stateless, the majority of whom were originally from Russia. The requirements included an Estonian language exam. Human Rights Watch labeled this extreme process as “discriminatory” and in direct opposition to international agreements. Most of those discriminated against were Russians.

This discrimination is a result of fear. Under the Soviet Union, Estonia suffered from oppression at the hands of Russians. Even today, Estonians still remember the pain caused by the USSR. The president of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid, has openly expressed worry about Russia’s movements. While these fears are not baseless, Estonians end up projecting them onto their neighbors who are ethnically Russian, causing an environment that challenges the state of human rights in Estonia.

Because statelessness status in Estonia often results in discrimination against Russian-born individuals, the tension between the two ethnic groups is reinforced. With Estonia working towards reforming citizenship laws, Russian people living in Estonia will hopefully become Estonians and the country can fully heal the old scars left by the USSR.

– Julia McCartney

Photo: Flickr

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Human Rights in Belize: How Police Brutality is Being Resolved

Human Rights in Belize

In the country of Belize, there are about 366,000 citizens to take care of. These 366,000 individuals may be different from one another, but they are all entitled to basic rights. Human rights in Belize are not perfect, nor will they ever be, but are a work in progress as efforts are continuously being made to better them.

One major issue in Belize is police brutality. This past April, a video of an altercation between citizens and police in San Pedro Central Park went viral. While attempting to bring a woman to the police station, the police proceeded to kick her. They also fired gunshots, injuring five people. Although PC Norman Coye and PC Darnell Madrill of the San Pedro Police Department were charged for wounding others in the incident, the victim of the incident remains disappointed in how the situation is being handled. Since there were other officers involved, she finds it unfair that only two were reprimanded for their actions.

According to the U.S. 2016 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, in 2015 there were 217 new complaints of police abuse. Despite that large increase, less than half of them were actually investigated.

With police brutality being a major concern in Belize, it is a priority to resolve it. One of the first steps in finding a solution is addressing the problem. Thankfully, public officials in Belize are doing so. The United Women’s Group criticized the police’s mishandling of the incident in San Pedro Central Park. Besides expressing disappointment in the way the Police Professional Standards Branch responded to it, they also urged the government to bring justice to the victims and properly punish the officers involved.

Besides the United Women’s Group, others are acknowledging police brutality in Belize. First Lady Kim Simplis Barrow also made a public statement in response to the same incident. She not only told the Belize Police Department to handle situations less violently, but also asked the Professional Standards Branch of the Department to thoroughly investigate the case.

A person of higher power has the ability to influence more people, since they have a larger following. By taking a public stance, different organizations and individuals are leading others to acknowledge the problem by doing so themselves. Human rights in Belize will continue to improve as more people take a stand against police brutality.

– Raven Rentas

Photo: Flickr

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Human Rights in Fiji

Human Rights in Fiji
The island nation of Fiji is considered to be one of the most developed economies in the Pacific. The celestial archipelago is rich in resources such as minerals, fishes and forests that contribute to the flourishing economy. Fiji also is home to an array of cultures that add to the unique feel of the country. Despite its level of development, there are still human rights in Fiji that are being violated and that need to be addressed.

Some human rights in Fiji that are not up to par include violence against women and prison overcrowding. Although in comparison to other countries Fiji has higher standards, these issue are still a problem.

Prison overcrowding results in human rights violations due to a lack of sanitation and infrastructure. One prison in particular had 1,423 inmates when the capacity was set at 1,000. This causes problems because there are only so many cells and beds, which leads to prisoners being cramped in small spaces. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for officers to rape detainees, particularly the female ones.

One of the most prominent human rights violations is violence and discrimination against women. Despite stringent domestic violence and rape laws, perpetrators are often not brought to justice. For instance, there is a “no drop” policy for domestic violence cases that states that under no circumstance can the case be put away.

However, many women’s rights organizations have brought light to the fact that the police are not always consistent with this policy. Moreover, courts often either dismiss or give the minimum sentence in these cases even if they go to trial. Cases involving violence against women are often taken very lightly by the courts. Some even release the offender without a conviction on the basis that they do not repeat the crime.

Regardless of the situation, progress has been made to educate and support women, especially in rural areas. There are currently four women’s centers available that offer counseling. Also, 43 percent of women of reproductive age are employing modern contraceptives as of 2015. These contraceptives are offered for free at public hospitals and clinics, increasing their usage.

Although rural areas still have plenty of advancements to make in the upcoming years, Fiji is on the right path towards modernization and equality for women.

– Tanvi Wattal

Photo: Flickr

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Nine Facts About Human Rights in the United Kingdom

Human Rights in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy. A range of political parties participate in free and fair elections. Freedom of the press and human rights are, generally, constitutionally guaranteed and respected in practice.

However, in the recent past, reports on human rights in the United Kingdom show the development of some disturbing practices. Such trends were further complicated by Brexit U.K.’s vote out of the European Union (EU) and the victory of conservatives in the general election of June 2017, which changed the state of human rights in the country.

Here are nine of the most troubling facts about human rights in the United Kingdom that have gone unaddressed by the authorities.

  1. The new counter-terrorism policy seems to have trumped human rights and the freedoms of people. Prime Minister Theresa May, during her first party conference speech, said that left-wing human rights lawyers will no longer be allowed to pursue claims of victims of human rights by the British Armed Forces. Benjamin Ward from Human Rights Watch says “judging from the comments by Prime Minister May… you would think human rights are a dangerous and alien construct.”
  2. In 2015, the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom killed three people, including one British citizen, in a drone strike in al-Raqqa, Syria. In May 2016, the Joint Committee for Human Rights published its inquiry which called on the government to clarify the use of drones for targeted killings.
  3. In 2004, the U.S. and Libyan governments —with the knowledge and cooperation of the U.K. government—had subjected two Libyan families to rendition, torture and other ill treatment. In June 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service, the principal public criminal prosecuting agency in England and Wales, decided not to bring any criminal charges relating to the allegations by the families.
  4. Abuse and mistreatment by the British Armed Forces also loomed large in reports on human rights in the United Kingdom. In September 2016, it emerged that between 2005 and 2013 the Royal Military Police investigated approximately 600 cases of alleged mistreatment of those in detention in Afghanistan. Similarly, the Iraq Historic Allegations Team had concluded investigations into 2,356 of 3,389 allegations received. These allegations were related to abuse of Iraqi civilians by British Armed Forces personnel.
  5. Following Brexit and the conservative victory in recent U.K. elections, there has been a substantial increase in hate crimes. Member of Parliament Jo Cox, who had campaigned vigorously on behalf of asylum seekers, was murdered. There was also a marked rise in xenophobia and arson attacks against EU citizens, particularly those from Eastern Europe.
  6. Despite some progress, the U.K. government has generally not been immigrant-friendly lately. It passed the Immigration Act into law in May 2016, which “extended sanctions against landlords whose tenants’ immigration status disqualifies them from renting while increasing landlords’ eviction powers…” The government continued to resist calls for hosting more refugees, although it announced its plan to resettle up to 3,000 refugees from the Middle East and North Africa by 2020.
  7. Violence against women and girls remains a serious concern. There is a lack of funding of specialized services for women who have undergone domestic violence and abuse. Research by Women Aid shows that shelters were being forced to turn away two out of three survivors due to lack of space and resources. The rate among women who are ethnic minorities was four out of five.
  8. In November 2016, the U.K. Parliament approved the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA). This has entrenched and broadened the State’s surveillance powers both at home and abroad. The IPA increased the powers of public authorities to interfere with private communications and information. It also permitted “a broad range of vaguely defined interception, interference and data retention practices” without adequate safeguards for protecting the right to privacy.
  9. The government continued to refuse to set up an independent inquiry into the 1989 killing of Patrick Finucane—an Irish politician—although it was previously acknowledged that there had been a “collusion” in the case. This is one of the historical and structural issues of injustice, abuse and torture of Northern Ireland that has been systematically neglected for decades.

– Aslam Kakar

Photo: Flickr