7 September, 2010

ASIA:

• China = If you are not already following it, there is a great weekly briefing on human rights in China, available online here. This week's update includes stories on the detention of protesters in a village outside of Beijing and the release from a detention center of Fujian activist Fan Yanqiong. (CHRD)

CENTRAL ASIA:
• In Pakistan, the logistics of getting aid to flood victims is still a massive challenge. (IRIN)

AMERICAS:
• United States = A new social media and public education campaign (as a reaction to or a corollary of the American Apparel's Legalize Gay campaign), Legalize Trans, has launched with the goal of drawing increased attention to transgender people and their issues. (ADV)

• Find out more about Legalize Trans and its efforts at http://www.legalizetrans.com.

• Florida, United States = Why?? In a move likely never to be approved by Jesus, a Florida church allegedly led a "Burn a Koran Day." Not only does this engender hatred (a concept never promoted by religion), it also endangers US troops and citizens abroad. In fact, General David Petraeus, the top Commander in Afghanistan, said that the "Burn a Koran Day" puts our troops in danger and fuels extremist violence. (HRF)

ALSO OF INTEREST:
• Next week (14 September, 2010) the Managing Global Insecurity Project at the Brookings Institute will host a conversation on the Millennium Development Goals and their relationship with human rights, featuring remarks by Salil Shetty, secretary general of Amnesty International; Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and Professor Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown Law School. (BRK)

• I've been sayin' it for years: development is all about the ladies. Recent data now supports this knowledge: investments in women are the key behind progress on the Millennium Development Goals. (Change)

24 August 2010

AFRICA:
• Tanzania = women’s sexuality is being targeted, in the name of preventing the spread of HIV. A 21 year old woman was forced to strip naked in a public market and then was beaten up by a group of men for “dressing inappropriately” and therefore trying to spread the HIV. Community elders (male elders) are also using HIV as an excuse to “return to ancient cultural values” where women dressed “decently” and therefore did not entice men into sex, which spreads HIV. (IRIN)
o Thankfully community educators are challenging these ideas that HIV is not a personal responsibility and that the way women dress negates a man’s free will. In fact, Mkinga’s HIV/AIDS Committee has been facilitating educational workshops to educate community members about the legal consequences of perpetuating violence against women. (IRIN)
• South Africa = the currently proposed legislation, the Protection of Information Bill would severely restrict the independent press corps from reporting on governmental activity, as officials and state agencies would be given broad discretion to classify data as secret. The ANC is also proposing a special Media Appeals Tribunal to address complaints against the press. (CPJ)

CENTRAL ASIA:
• Pakistan = The effects of the massive flooding are obviously still being felt. For a Westerner’s take on what the past week has been like, click here to view UNICEF Regional Director Daniel Toole’s day-by-day diary. (UNICEF)
• Afghanistan = couple stoned to death (CNN, HRW)
• Bangladesh = Yay! In a move that supports the human right to freedom of religion and the practice thereof, a Bangladesh court has ruled that the wearing of religious clothing is a “personal choice” which may not be legally imposed upon anyone. (BBC)

AMERICAS:
• United States = Birthright Citizenship debates are the new racism (CAP)

EUROPE:
• Italy = Racism against people of the Roma and Sinti ethnicties has escalated again. Roberto Maroni, Italy’s interior minister, is continuing his lobbying efforts to be able to expel from Italy EU citizens who do not meet minimum income and housing requirements, despite the European Commission’s concerns about this racist plan. (AJ)
o France = Claiming that the repatriation was voluntary, France sent over 200 people of the Roma minority to Romania this week. (AJ, WP)

CULTURAL:
• A new musical compilation is out, entitled Yes We Can! Songs About Leaving Africa … it includes titles by K’Naan and Daara J Family among others.
o What do you think of this message? Its reference to Obama’s campaign?

ALSO OF INTEREST:
• The UN’s World Youth Conference is being held in Mexico this week and UNIFEM has organized a Young Women’s Forum for 24 August 2010 which will include a live webcast. Check it out here! (UNIFEM)
• Human Rights Watch and 95 other groups called upon the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to cancel the “Obiang Prize” to be rewarded in October because President Teodoro Obiang, for whom the prize is named and who donated $3million toward the prize, is widely criticized for his highly repressive regime, including his violation of the rights of his people to freedom of expression—one of the core rights recognized by UNESCO (HRW)

16 March 2009

AFRICA:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo = Mai Mai commander Gedeon Kyungu Mutanga was convicted for crimes against humanity by a military court in Katanga province on March 5^th. Yay! (HRW)
• This ground-breaking ruling also awarded damages to victims of militia violence and found the government liable for failure to disarm militias. (HRW)
• Nigeria = The National Assembly is debating the “Same Gender Marriage Bill” which would punish same sex marriage by imprisonment. (HRW, Queerty)
• Sierra Leone = is kicking kids out of school if they get pregnant, or get a partner pregnant. (IRIN)
• Anyone else think this is a terrible idea? Yowza.
• Somalia = is instituting Sharia (Islamic) law. (AJ)
• Sudan = 4 staff members of Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) who were abducted in Darfur have been released. (AJ)
• Following these abductions, DWB pulled out of Darfur almost entirely, like many other aid organizations (see last week’s HRRU posting). (AJ)
• Tunisia = Political prisoner Sadok Chorou was rearrested this week for speaking his dissident views to the media, apparently. He spent almost 20 years in prison on questionable charges and was only released from that original arrest a few weeks ago. Not cool. (HRW)

MIDDLE EAST:

• Afghanistan = Journalist Jawed “Jojo” Ahmed was shot and killed this week; one of many media workers facing increasing violence and intimidation. (AI)
• Israel = Moshe Katsav, Israel’s former president, is to be charged with rape and sexual misconduct, including assault and harassment. (AJ)
• Pakistan = In response to massive street protests, the Pakistani government will restore the Supreme Court’s chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudry. (WP)
• Protestors began marching on Thursday in a rally against President Asif Ali Zardari, demanding the reinstatement of several judges who were dismissed, and defying the government’s ban on public gatherings. (DN)
• Hundreds of activists were jailed prior to the protest march. (DN)

CULTURAL:

• Liberia = 10 girls share their stories in a new documentary film: “I Have Something to Tell You” (UNICEF)
• Yay! Comic Relief 2009 raised £57m overnight. The money is for “disadvantaged people” in the UK and the African continent. Nice. (BBC)

AMERICAS:

• United States = Legislators in the state of New Mexico have voted to revoke the death penalty and replace it with life without parole in prison. (AJ)
• While the US does NOT view the death penalty as a human rights violation, the majority of nations globally DO. (AI)

ALSO OF INTEREST:

• Sri Lanka = UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Pillay is concerned that both the Tamil Tigers and the government are committing war crimes against Sri Lankan civilians. (AJ)
• “Pillay said the government had repeatedly shelled the designated ‘no-fire’ zones for civilians and also cited reports that the Tigers were holding civilians as human shields and had shot some as they tried to flee.” (AJ)
• Tibet = This week marked the 50^th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against China. (DN, WP))
• The Dalai Lama called for “meaningful autonomy” for Tibet. (DN, WP)
• Turkey is hosting the 5^th Annual World Water Forum this week. (ICRC)
• Turkey = Ebru Soykan, a transgender human rights activist was killed on March 10^th. Lambda Istanbul is the local transgender advocacy group. (HRW)
• Women may be at a higher risk of violence during the current and continuing global economic crisis according to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. (AJ)
• As 53 million more people are expected to fall into poverty THIS YEAR, progress toward gender equity is likely to be halted in many countries as “more pressing” concerns take precedence. (AJ)

16 February 2009

AFRICA:

• Africa = Human Rights Watch has issued a report about HIV/ AIDS related human rights abuses against women and girls in Africa. Available here. (HRW)
• Burundi = is debating a new criminal code that would—for the first time ever in Burundi’s history—criminalize consensual homosexual sex. No, no, no! (HRW)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo = Aid workers are accusing the Emergency Relief Coordinators of the UN of not protecting the people they are there to protect, and not stopping massacres they know are in progress. The UN says that they only have 300 peacekeepers – most of whom are engineers protecting the airports – for 6,000 square kilometers of rebel territory. So … shouldn’t the UN increase the number of peacekeepers in the area? Ask Alan Doss to do just that. (BBC)
• Ethiopia = Greater and greater numbers of people from Somalia are seeking refuge in Ethiopia. They are fleeing both general insecurity in Somalia as well as accusations that they are sympathetic with a foreign source and/ or that they have converted to Christianity. (AT, BBG)
• Ghana = Outgoing President Kufuor commuted all death sentences in the country before leaving office and encouraged the new President, John Atta Mills, to abolish the death penalty entirely in Ghana. (AI)
• Libya = is writing a new Constitution! Gaddafi’s son is apparently leading this effort. The new Constitution will allegedly adopt the system of direct democracy as a way of governance and will modernize the mechanisms of practicing this authority by the citizens without canceling previous documents like the Declaration of the People’s Power. The content of this new proposed Constitution is still largely unknown. Something to keep your eye on … (AT, TG)
• Nigeria = the Nigerian National Human Rights Commission, and other national, regional, and international bodies, including Human Rights Watch, urged legislators and the president to reject a bill before Nigeria's National Assembly to ban "same gender marriage." (HRW)
• South Africa = Dock workers in South Africa are refusing to unload Israeli goods – to show their solidarity with the Palestinians! Yay. (DN)
• Sudan = Human Rights Watch issued a report titled, “There is No Protection” about the current security situation for civilians in Sudan, and in Darfur in particular. You can read the HRW report here. (HRW)
• Zambia = President Banda commuted the death sentences of 53 prisoners, giving them life in prison instead. (AI)

MIDDLE EAST:

• Afghanistan = A former UN Human Rights Investigator, Cherif Bassiouni, was fired from the UN after releasing a report in the United States criticizing the US of committing human rights abuses upon Afghani people. He accused US troops of arbitrarily breaking into people’s homes, arresting the residents and torturing detainees. The torture allegedly consisted of sexual abuse, torture, beatings, and the use of force resulting in death, violating international treaties and the ideals of humanitarian law. Who is answerable for forcing out Mr. Bassiouni? Anyone know? It’d be great if we could all contact that person. (DN)
• Meanwhile, the US has signed a declaration with Afghanistan to attempt to reduce civilian casualties. (AJ)
• Israel = allegedly deported 10 passengers on a ship from Lebanon who were trying to deliver aid to Gaza. Israeli forces opened fire on the captain, crew and passengers and assaulted them after coming aboard. Another 18 passengers are still in Israeli custody. The ship carried 60 tons of supplies, including medical equipment. (DN)
• See previous posts for the US position on Israel-Palestine relations. It’s just not logical.
• Pakistan = the national government has agreed to restore Sharia (Islamic) law, in the Swat Valley and other areas in the country's northwest as part of a peace deal with local pro-Taliban fighters. How is this deal “promoting peace” if it ends up oppressing all of the ladies? (AJ, BBC)

CULTURAL:

• United Kingdom = The BBC has removed Margaret Thatcher’s daughter, Carol, from her position on “The One Show” for using an ethnically derogatory epithet. She used the offensive term during a private conversation she was having in a green room on BBC premises. She declined to apologize for her use of the remark. (BBC, GUA)
• The movie, “Waltz with Bashir,” has been banned in Lebanon. (PRI)
• So, apparently Fidel Castro has a blog. No kidding. Check it out here. (MSNBC)
• Sex ed via cell phone? (PRI)

AMERICAS:

• United States = The Senate Judiciary Committee leader, Senator Patrick Leahy, suggested that a Truth Commission be convened to investigate the Bush era. Leahy has said that the purpose of this is to assemble the facts, and “at least find out what happened … Those who testify will be offered immunity. Those who do not testify may be prosecuted based on evidence from others’ testimony … and, of course, anybody can be prosecuted for perjury. It may be the ONLY way to get the truth out.” President Obama is allegedly considering this proposal. (DN, MSNBC, NYT)
• United States = The 9^th Circuit Federal Court in San Francisco is considering the Motion to Dismiss filed by the Bush administration in the case regarding the transport and torture of 5 terrorism suspects who were picked up in the CIA’s extraordinary rendition program. This case came before the court during the Bush administration, which pleaded the State Secrets defense to get the case dismissed (State Secrets defense = it would jeopardize national security to even talk about this case in court). The Obama administration is repeating this blanket State Secrets defense. Kinda makes you wonder about the whole transparency issue. (MSNBC, ABC)
• United States = DirecTV has refused to air a pro-Palestinian advertisement on their channels. Click here to take action. (DN, AUPHR)
• US = More people in the military committed suicide in January 2009 than were killed in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan. What will it take for us to recognize the reality and effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Currently in the US military, sufferers of PTSD are not eligible for the purple heart medal. Not cool. (DN, NPR)

ALSO OF INTEREST:

• ACTIVIST HIGHLIGHT: Kumi Naidoo
• This South African activist completed a 3-week hunger strike to draw attention to Zimbabwe’s human rights and humanitarian crises, including the cholera epidemic, financial collapse, failure of basic services, and human rights abuses against both civilians and opposing party politicians. (BBC, HFP)
• ACTIVIST HIGHLIGHT: Alison Des Forges
• Activist for the people of Rwanda and the Great Lakes region and genocide expert, Alison Des Forges was killed in a plane crash this week. You can read Human Rights Watch’s tribute to her here. (HRW)
• Cambodia = is finally trying leaders of the Khmer Rouge for human rights abuses committed 30 years ago. In this instance, the revolution WILL be televised. (AJ, NYT)
• Hungary = A Hungarian woman appealed to international law – in the form of CEDAW (The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women) -to stop her abusive partner from further harming her. This remedy is not available to American women because our great nation has not yet ratified CEDAW. (HRW)
• Sri Lanka = is threatening to expel foreign aid workers and journalists in this 3^rd year of war between the government and the rebel Tamil Tigers, now that the military is capturing the last of the rebel bases. The Sri Lankan government has accused reporters from CNN, the BBC, and Al Jazeera of being sympathetic to the Tamil Tigers. Independent journalists are not allowed in the conflict zone. The current humanitarian situation is poor—250,000 civilians are trapped in the midst of the fighting in the Mullaitivu district. Meanwhile the foreign minister says, “there are no human rights abuses in our country.” (DN, AI)
• Russia = Human Rights Watch has issued a report of the status of migrant workers in Russia. People who are migrant workers face many challenges, including being denied wages, threats of violence and police abuse. Check out the report here.

1st February 2009

AFRICA:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo = General Laurent Nkunda was arrested while on a recent trip to Rwanda. He is wanted for war crimes in Congo, and it is still unclear whether his Rwandadn captord will turn him over to Congolese forces or not. Refugees at camps in Rwanda have called for his release, calling his arrest illegal and citing entrapment. This prompted Rwandan forces to tighten security in the camps. (AT, BBC, 702)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo = There is concern about ongoing military operations to disarm the Rwandan Hutus in Eastern DRC. Rwandan and Congolese militia are forcibly “disarming” FDLR rebels. Rwanda sees this group as THE major threat to its security. These military operations will almost certainly create massive displacement of civilians in North Kivu. (UNHCR)
• Somalia = There have been explosions and gunfire in Mogadishu, killing at least 5 people. This prompted Parliament to move to Djibouti for their presidential vote, where they extended the time for elections by five days. (AT, DN, BBC)

MIDDLE EAST:

• Iran = Two doctors focused on HIV prevention, Dr. Arash Alaei and Dr. Kamiar Alaei, who talk to their clients about sex, along with other methods of infection, were arrested in 2008 and charged with seeking to overthrow the Iranian government. They are currently awaiting a verdict in their case. The World Health Organization, btw, says that their efforts helped to give Iran one of the best HIV prevention programs in the world. (PHR)
• *TO TAKE ACTION = Sign the online petition to the Government of Iran on behalf of Doctors Arash and Kamiar Alaei HERE.
• Pakistan = the United States launched 2 airstrikes into Pakistan, with new President Obama’s approval. 20 people were killed, including 3 kiddos. (DN, GUA)
• Gaza, Palestine = 8 Israeli human rights groups are calling for an investigation into Israel’s use of white phosphorous in its recent 22-day attack on Gaza Strip, accusing the Israeli military of war crimes. The human rights groups calls the number of women and children killed “terrifying” in its enormity. (DN, AI)

CULTURAL:

• For a good mini-history lesson, check out John Prendergast’s podcast on the Eastern Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo, that is) for the United States Holocaust Museum. It’s 12 minutes of great background info for those of you who are new to this conflict area.
• The BBC and SkyNews are refusing to broadcast an Oxfam appeal for Gaza, calling the recent attacks by Israel a “political crisis” and citing fears of being seen as endorsing one side over the other. Why suddenly quash this issue with political rhetoric? C’mon BBC. It seems pretty clear that—from a strictly human rights perspective—an Oxfam appeal certainly makes sense. Gaza’s resources were overstretched before the attacks – now there is even less food, water, and medical supplies available for Gazan civilians. And FYI: The BBC HAS aired politically charged Oxfam appeals before, including one for Darfur. You can find others here.(DN, PRI, BBC)

ALSO OF INTEREST:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo = Tomas Lubanga, a former militia leader in Eastern DRC is being tried at the International Criminal Court, in its first trial ever, for conscription and use of child soldiers. This is being prosecuted exclusively as a war crime for the first time. (AT, DN)