China and Human Rights
China’s lack of political freedoms
Opinion towards China brings mixed agendas
Tibet crackdown, 2008
China’s poor attempt to deflect attention
Resentment of Chinese economic policy not benefiting locals
What is a Free Tibet?
Lack of international unity, despite statements by media
and world leaders
China’s actions fuels the very thing it says it tries to
fight
China and Africa; concerns over rights and exploitation
Indonesia and Human Rights
Indonesia and East Timor
Other areas of Indonesia also Facing Abuses
Indonesia and East Timor
The situation in East Timor has been terrible for many
decades, where the occupying Indonesian army has brutally
killed many many East Timorese.
Other areas of Indonesia also Facing Abuses
With East Timorese having gone through so much to gain
independence from Indonesia, some of the other regions
within Indonesia have been ignored. In some areas, brutal
repression has been going on for years. Take the following
for example
In Aceh (also Acheh or Atjeh):
There have been many human rights abuses (supported by the
Indonesian military) that are being ignored in various
parts of Aceh.
Some of the comparisons in this Human Rights Watch
backgrounder suggests that the problems in Aceh could be
larger than those seen in East Timor.
Amnesty International reports a similarity to East Timor
where "anyone who reports on the human rights situation is
being targetted and driven away to ensure that there are no
witnesses to the excesses of the security forces", or, as
per another report from them, others are being imprisoned
as political prisoners.
Oil and natural gas is another major factor, with
ExxonMobil being mentioned by some human rights groups as
needing to be accountable for some of the problems there.
ExxonMobil is facing a lawsuit from the International Labor
Rights Fund on charges of complicity with Indonesian
security forces in committing serious human rights abuses
in Aceh. For more about Exxon-Mobil related reports see the
following:
This new article discussing the human rights abuses and the
above-mentioned charges, as well as mention of other energy
companies that have faced legal proceedings.
The Conflict in Aceh, and U.S. Interests in Promoting A
Free Market, Stability and Human Rights in South East Asia,
a report by Robert Jereski examines the context and impacts
of ExxonMobil's security arrangements with the Indonesian
Armed Forces
Abundant oil, natural gas and other resources in Aceh
explains the large interest there and the exploitation of
local people.
For more on Aceh, you can also visit:
Aceh Links web site.
Atjeh Times web site
There have also been killings and other human rights
violations from demonstrations and fights for independence
in Irian Jaya (West Paupua).
The Molucca islands:
The Spice Islands, as they are also known, and its capital
Ambon, has seen riots since 1997 that are still occurring
today.
Hundreds have been killed due to tensions between
Christians and Muslims.
Indonesia is isolating the island to "prevent rumors and
press reports from fanning sectarian violence." This could
also be seen as a move to prevent journalists reporting on
any atrocities that may occur after the isolation. There
are about two million people in the region where only a
slight majority are Muslim and the others are mainly
Christian.
There have been massacres of Ulemas in East and Middle Java
from 1995-1997.
In the island of Borneo, there has been violence by Dayaks
natives against Madurese settlers.
These issues had largely gone unreported by the western
mainstream media, before the East Timor crisis broke out,
although groups such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty
International, as well as others have continued to mention
it. As political and economic problems are affecting
Indonesia (and therefore western business interests there),
more reporting on the region is very slowly coming out
although these conflicts are still less mentioned.
AFGAHANISTAN
Taliban War on Women Continues
Beware Taliban revisionism. You're going to hear much more of it in the coming months as policy makers from Kabul to Washington seeking to reintegrate Taliban fighters try to explain why the enemy isn't so bad after all. Bombs that slaughter civilians, acid attacks that disfigure school girls, assassinations of women in public life—all of this will be swept under the carpet.
Afghanistan: Talks Shouldn't Ignore Taliban Abuse of Women
Jul 13, 2010
Ongoing Taliban attacks on women in Afghanistan show why women's rights should be a priority in any political agreement with insurgent forces.
UN: Rights Council Condemns Violations in Kyrgyzstan
Jun 21, 2010
The United Nations Human Rights Council took positive steps to respond to human rights emergencies in Kyrgyzstan and Somalia in its session that ended on June 18, 2010. But the council's failure to act on Iran and its weak response to the situation in Afghanistan indicate that the body is still taking a piecemeal approach to fulfilling its mandate.
Orphans of war deserve our support
When I interview Afghan children who make their journey alone to Europe I'm almost always drawn into a family history that intersects with the myriad conflicts that have made life in Afghanistan so difficult and dangerous. Ten days ago, two sisters, ages 16 and 17, burst into tears and told me they didn't know where to begin when I asked them why they left their country. They were reacting to the ruthlessness of the person who helped smuggle them across borders, their separation from their mother on the way to Europe, and being dumped in the middle of the night in an unknown city.
EU: Defer Hasty Returns of Migrant Children
The European Union Justice and Home Affairs Council conclusions on unaccompanied migrant children focus too much on how to send them back to their countries of origin and too little on how to guarantee their safety. The conclusions were adopted on June 3, 2010.
The Bagram Detainee Review Boards: Better, But Still Falling Short
While the new system of Detainee Review Boards at Bagram is a significant improvement over past US practice, the US and its coalition partners need to do much more to get a functioning Afghan judicial system up and running.
US: Court Ruling Revokes Protection for Bagram Detainees
A US federal appeals court ruling today that bars the courts from hearing the claims of detainees arrested outside of Afghanistan and brought to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan leaves them without legal recourse against unlawful detention and other abuses, Human Rights Watch said today.
Afghanistan: Don’t Sell Out Women’s Rights in DC Talks
President Hamid Karzai and President Barack Obama should pledge at their meeting in Washington on May 11, 2010, not to sacrifice women’s rights in any deals with the Taliban and other insurgent groups.
Transfers to Afghan Custody Violate Canada's International Legal Obligations
The path for Canada is clear: because of compelling evidence that persons transferred to Afghan custody face a real risk of torture, Canada should immediately cease transferring detainees to Afghan custody.
Afghan Torture Is No Secret
When the corpse of Abdul Basir was found in an Afghan detention facility in December 2009, the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS), which had been holding Basir for the previous month, claimed he committed suicide by throwing himself out a window. Unexplained were the small, dark circles on his forehead, blackened cuts on his body, bruising in several places and a large cut to his chin. Unexplained, that is, if you don’t know anything about detention practices in Afghanistan.
BURMA
India: Press Burmese Leader on Human Rights
Jul 26, 2010
India should emphasize respect for human rights during the state visit by Burma’s Senior General Than Shwe.
Burma: Military Party Guaranteed to Dominate Elections
Jul 19, 2010
The merging of Burma’s largest government-controlled social welfare organization into the army’s recently formed political party is clear evidence that the planned 2010 elections will not be legitimate.
US: Step Up Pressure on Allies Using Child Soldiers
Jun 14, 2010
The State Department's 2010 annual report on Trafficking in Persons, issued today, identifies six governments involved in the recruitment and use of child soldiers. A US law enacted in 2008 prohibits several categories of US military assistance to such governments, effective October 1, 2010 unless the president invokes a national interest waiver.
“Free Burma’s Political Prisoners” Art and Photo Installation
Jun 14, 2010
Human Rights Watch and creative agency JWT are pleased to invite you to a special one-day only interactive art installation and series of presentations to shine a spotlight on political prisoners in Burma, on June 22 in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall.
Burma’s authoritarian upgrade: 1990-2010
Jun 10, 2010
The twentieth anniversary of Burma’s last elections on 27 May 1990 was recalled by many Burmese inside and outside the country as a defining date in the country’s political history. It is also an opportunity to measure the prospects for the elections scheduled by the country’s military rulers to take place sometime (perhaps 10 October) in 2010.
Burma: Chinese Premier’s Visit Should Spotlight Rights
May 31, 2010
During his June 2 visit, China’s premier Wen Jiabao should take up human rights concerns in Burma.
Letter to Chinese Premier Wen Ahead of Trip to Burma
May 28, 2010
In anticipation of your trip to Burma on June 2, we write to you about the human rights and political situation there. We believe that the People’s Republic of China has one of the most important bilateral relations with Burma, as a significant trading, investment and diplomatic partner, and Burma’s largest neighbor.
Burma: 20 Years After 1990 Elections, Democracy Still Denied
May 26, 2010
On the twentieth anniversary of Burma’s historic 1990 elections, the Burmese military government shows no signs of relaxing its stranglehold on power.
Hope and Humanitarian Space in Burma
May 10, 2010
Two years ago, in early May 2008, Cyclone Nargis destroyed much of Burma's Irrawaddy Delta and parts of its former capital city Rangoon with 160 kilometer winds and a massive storm surge, killing more than 140,000 people. The ruling military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) then failed to help, prioritizing their iron-clad grip on the country over the well-being of the Burmese people.
IRAQ
IraqIraqi Kurdistan: FGM Fatwa Positive, but not Definitive
Jul 17, 2010
A religious edict by the Kurdistan Islamic Scholars Union on female genital mutilation (FGM) sends a clear signal that the practice is not prescribed by Islam, Human Rights Watch said today. The edict, however, does not call for an outright ban on this harmful traditional practice.
Iran/Iraq: Iranian Attacks Should Not Target Iraqi Civilians
Jul 12, 2010
Iran needs to take all feasible precautions to spare civilians at risk of serious harm from artillery bombardment and other military operations in an area that includes dozens of Kurdish villages inside northern Iraq.
The Plight of Women in Northern Iraq
Jun 17, 2010
Violence in Iraq may have abated. But in the northern region of Kurdistan, women continue to suffer. A new report by Human Rights Watch, out this week, calls for a ban on the widespread practice of female circumcision in Kurdistan.
Q&A on Female Genital Mutilation
Jun 16, 2010
Questions and Answers on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Iraqi Kurdistan
Jun 16, 2010
Iraqi Kurdistan: Girls and Women Suffer the Consequences of Female Genital Mutilation
Jun 16, 2010
A significant number of girls and women in Iraqi Kurdistan suffer female genital mutilation (FGM) and its destructive after-effects, Human Rights Watch said today in a new report. The Kurdistan Regional Government should take immediate action to end FGM and develop a long term plan for its eradication, including passing a law to ban the practice.
Iraqis Torturing Iraqis
May 4, 2010
The man looked much older than his 24 years, in part because his front teeth had been smashed, he told us, during one of his interrogation sessions in the secret prison here. His emaciated body and trembling arms were those of a fragile hospital patient rather than the fearsome terrorist the security forces had accused him of being.
Iraq: Detainees Describe Torture in Secret Jail
Apr 27, 2010
Detainees in a secret Baghdad detention facility were hung upside-down, deprived of air, kicked, whipped, beaten, given electric shocks, and sodomized.
Iraq: Suspend Restrictive Broadcast Rules
Apr 12, 2010
The Iraqi government should suspend media regulations that impose tight restrictions on the country's broadcast media and revise them to comply with international standards, Human Rights Watch said in a letter today to the official Communication and Media Commission (CMC).
Letter to the Communication and Media Commission of Iraq
Apr 12, 2010
I am writing to express Human Rights Watch's concerns about the broadcast media regulations promulgated earlier this year by the Communication and Media Commission (CMC).
PAKISTAN
Pakistan: End Collective Punishment in Swat
Jul 22, 2010
The Pakistani government should immediately investigate reports that security forces are carrying out collective punishment against relatives of suspected Taliban militants during operations in the Swat valley.
Pakistan: Extrajudicial Executions by Army in Swat
Jul 16, 2010
The Pakistani government should immediately investigate reports of summary executions, torture, and mistreatment perpetrated during counterterrorism operations in the Swat valley.
Intelligence matters
Jul 16, 2010
ON July 6, in an effort to restore the tarnished reputation of MI5 and MI6, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced a judicial inquiry into Britain’s role in torture and rendition since September 2001. Cameron admitted in a speech to the House of Commons that “the reputation of our security services has been overshadowed” by allegations about complicity in torture.
Interview Q & A with Ali Dayan Hasan
Jun 4, 2010
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked the Pakistan’s government to introduce legislation in the parliament to repeal laws discriminating against religious minorities, including the penal statute that makes capital punishment mandatory for “blasphemy.”
Pakistan: Massacre of Minority Ahmadis
Jun 1, 2010
Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments should take immediate legal action against Islamist extremist groups responsible for threats and violence against the minority Ahmadiyya religious community.
Pakistan: Military Undermines Government on Human Rights
Jan 20, 2010
Pakistan’s military actively undermined the civilian government’s human rights agenda in 2009.
Pakistan: Expedite Domestic Violence Legislation
Jan 11, 2010
The Pakistani government should quickly reintroduce legislation to protect women and children from domestic violence.
UK Complicity in Torture in Pakistan
Nov 26, 2009
Eight years of global efforts to combat terrorism have taught us that the use of torture and ill-treatment is deeply counterproductive.
The Commonwealth is a Jamboree of Repression
Nov 24, 2009
The Commonwealth has developed a 21st-century role – as a haven for serial human rights abusers.
UK: Set Judicial Inquiry on Complicity in Torture
Nov 24, 2009
The UK government should immediately order an independent judicial inquiry into the role and complicity of British security services in the torture
