World Human Rights News

Welcome to the Castan Centre's summary of human rights news from around the world.  As the new day hits Australia before the rest of the world, our reviews are posted one day in arrears, Australian time, to ensure that we bring you news and views from the widest possible range of sources each day. 

Please note, some sites may require free registration and links may be temporary.

3 November 2009: Damning Report on Indonesia Detention Conditions Released

A scathing Independent report, Behind Australian Doors: Examining the Conditions of Detention of Asylum Seekers in Indonesia, was released today.  The report is highly topical in light of the recent standoff between the Australian and Indonesian governments and a boat of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka, and the Rudd Government’s decision to expand the Christmas Island Detention Centre.  The Australian Government will need to think twice about sending asylum seekers to Indonesia, given the appalling conditions unearthed in the report.

Jessie Taylor, former Castan Centre Global Intern and Monash graduate, travelled to Indonesia with documentary film maker David Schmidt to examine the “warehousing” of asylum seekers in Indonesia that has until recently been a little-discussed topic.  She met with over 250 asylum seekers, including families and unaccompanied children, housed in prisons, detention centres and other compounds across Indonesia.

The report highlighted the poor conditions experienced by many of the asylum seekers, noting cramped conditions, grossly inadequate hygiene and sanitation, inappropriate and inadequate food, lack of medical care and education and unclean water.  The report brings to the forefront the harsh realities of immigration detention, particularly for the many children and unaccompanied minors in limbo in Indonesia.

The report recommends a two step solution to the problem. First, it recommends a fair and controlled assessment and resettlement process directly from Indonesia to Australia for the asylum seekers who are deemed by UNHCR to be refugees.  Second it recommends Australia slightly increase its resettlement intake (last year Australia resettled 35 people from Indonesia) to accommodate this plan.

A copy of Behind Australian Doors: Examining the Conditions of Detention of Asylum Seekers in Indonesia can be downloaded here [pdf].

A copy of the accompanying press release can be downloaded here [pdf].

30 October 2009: The International Outcry over Guinea's Massacre is Gathering Pace

Three weeks ago, Guinea’s military government announced that it was setting up an “independent inquiry” to look into September’s massacre of anti-government protesters, and three ministers have since resigned, but the international community continues to move against the regime.  Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for an independent body to ensure free and fair elections, the UN Security Council has announced an international commission of inquiry, and the International Criminal Court has launched preliminary investigations into the massacre.  The US and the African Union have imposed travel bans on some of the junta’s senior members, and the EU has gone further, imposing arms sanctions on top of a travel ban.  The EU’s ban is perhaps the most prescient, given that military vehicles supplied by a UK company were used in the massacre.

A 10-day Human Rights Watch research mission to Guinea has revealed fresh details of the September 28 massacre at a stadium in the country’s capital, Conackry, where the government’s elite “red berets” broke up a huge protest rally by indiscriminately firing into the large crowd, raping women and forcing a mass stampede.  When the troops ran out of bullets, they started killing with their bayonets.  By the time the massacre was over, “at least” 150 people had been killed. 

Further arrests occurred on 28 October as protesters conducted a hunger strike to commemorate the one month anniversary of the massacre.  A number of victims have also banded together to take legal action against the junta and are being assisted by French lawyers as they look for an appropriate forum. They are worried that the Guinean courts would not be able to handle the case.

The Guardian warns that things could turn worse in Guinea, pointing out that most of the victims were from a predominantly Muslim ethnic group, while most of the soldiers were from predominantly Christian and animist ethnic groups.

Liberian journalist Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh upbraided Liberia’s President for her failure to condemn the massacre and called on the perpetrators to be prosecuted by the ICC.  Sierra Leonian journalist Ibrahim Mansaray welcomed the ICC investigation and criticised ECOWAS for its soft approach in appointing the undemocratic President of Burkina Faso to mediate the crisis in Guinea.  In contrast, the New York Times congratulated President Obama for criticising the junta and sending an envoy to push the point home in a country where Obama appears to have strong public support. 

Special Report: Human Rights Consultation Committee Recommends a Human Rights Act for Australia

Late last week, human rights in Australia turned a new page with the release of the National Human Rights Consultation Committee's report.  Following the overwhelming public support for human rights legislation (including 35 014 written responses, 87.4% of which  were in favour of a human rights act), and the most extensive human rights consultation of its kind in this country, the report called for the enactment of a comprehensive human rights act within Australia.  

However, the report has faced mixed receptions throughout Australia, with both criticism, and praise reflected in the Australian print media.  For example, the Law Council of Australia and the former liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser have publicly supported the call for a national human rights charter while the Australian Christian lobby and former Prime Minister John Howard argued to the contrary.

On October 9^th The Age reported that under the new charter,  ‘politicians would have the final say on whether individual human rights could be overridden', with the charter allowing individuals to take the Federal Government and other ‘federal public authorities' to court if their human rights were violated.   

The report recommends that most of the rights protected by the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights be similarly protected by the proposed act.  It also recommends that six of the rights, including the right to life and freedom from torture be ‘non-derogable', meaning that the government cannot limit them for any reason at any time.

While the recommendations have received support from a broad range of social groups, organisations and individuals, criticism of the proposed human rights act have been the highlight of most of the print media coverage with reporters/editorialists from the The Australian leading the charge.  

On October 10^th, Paul Kelly of The Australian claimed that there was no public demand for a human rights act, and that the report merely ‘testifies to the blind utopianism of the human rights cause'.  Mr Kelly further noted that should the report be implemented, decisions made by public servants affecting individuals will be governed by ‘a new set of human rights guarantees', and an error of law will pave the way for damages,  ‘changing the basis of Australian Governance'. Mr Kelly also highlighted criticisms that ‘the charter will erode government service delivery, engulf public servants in a wave of damages claims and contribute to a blowout in government spending on legal services'. The opposition spokesman on legal affairs, George Brandis was quoted by Mr Kelly as saying that the report was "the ultimate triumph of the elites".  Mr Brandis argued that the proposed model would give the courts the ultimate say for all practical political purposes.  

The managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Jim Wallace, has further questioned whether the Consultation findings reflected the mood within Australia and has called for the government to dismiss the recommendations for the charter, arguing they ‘have almost unanimously been used to promote minority agendas'. 

Criticising the likelihood that such a recommendation would ever be implemented, Andrew Potts from the Star Observer argues that the report provides the Rudd Government with the perfect excuse not to implement anything concrete.  Mr Potts quoted the inquiry chair Frank Brennan in saying "enormous practical problems" would prevent the High Court from taking on their expanded role and that this provides the Rudd Government with the impetus to place the human rights act in the ‘too hard basket'.

Yet in light of such criticisms, Amnesty International has continued its support for a human rights act stating it is necessary to guarantee national, uniform legal protection of the human in Australia and to uphold our international obligations.  Gay rights groups have also welcomed calls to establish a human rights act, applauding recommendations made in the report.  Australian Coalition for Equality spokesman Corey Irlam hailed the report, containing 31 recommendations, as a "strong" starting point for discussion with the Federal Government on ways to strengthen the rights of GLBTI Australians.

Frank Brennan has also generally continued to promote the findings of the recommendation in the hope that the report provides a real stimulus to enhanced human rights protection in Australia and ensure Australia continues to move forward in the protection and promotion of human rights.  While The Australian reports that Mr Brennan has in the past few days retreated from some of the recommendations of the report, Mr Brennan is still encouraging the next stage of the debate to begin within parliament and stated that "The Australian community's fabulous response to this Consultation suggests that the time is right for our elected leaders to take new steps to protect and promote human rights." 

15 October 2009

UN Human Rights Council to decide on Goldstone Report

The United Nations Human Rights Council will meet this week to discuss whether to implement the recommendations of a report regarding the December 2008 Gaza war which left 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead. The controversial report headed by former war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone concluded that both Israeli and Palestinian officials should be referred to the International Criminal Court if they failed to carry out comprehensive investigations regarding the three week war within the next 6 months.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay has endorsed the report and agrees with its calls for "urgent action to counter impunity."

Call to discuss human rights abuses in Iran

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss the oppression of religious rights in Iran. The call comes after the Iranian government took steps to pass a revised penal call which entrenches extremely severe penalties for conversion from Islam. In addition, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize recipient Shirin Ebadi has called on President Obama ‘to consider human rights as much as nuclear weapons when he negotiates with the Iranian regime'. Referring specifically to the hundreds of arrests made by the regime following recent post election protests, Ms Ebadi has stated that she ‘merely wants the system to represent the people', stressing that ‘economic sanctions won't change the behaviour of the Iranian regime...and would only make life harder for Iranians'.

Tamil asylum seekers begin hunger strike

253 Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers have begun a hunger strike in protest to the Australian government's refusal to resettle them either in Australia or a third country. The asylum seekers, who refuse to leave their boat, do not want to be processed in Indonesia where detention centres are at capacity, and where they are likely to be stranded for months before their claims are processed.

Other News

Whilst homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda, MP David Bahati has introduced a new ‘Anti-homosexuality Bill' calling for harsher penalties for ‘aggravated homosexuality'. The Bill creates a new offence of homosexual sex with disabled, under 18 or HIV positive people warranting the death penalty. 

The Human Rights Ministry of Iraq has released figures stating that over 85,000 Iraqis have been killed, and 147,000 injured in war-related violence between 2004-08. However, a ‘cluster study' published in the Lancet which has attracted controversy puts figures much higher stating that 601,027 Iraqis had died due to violence.

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, has called on the Indian Government to ‘recognise ‘caste' as a form of discrimination'. The call comes after the UN Human Rights Council expressed the proposal.

9 October 2009

Human Rights Consultation Committee Recommends a Human Rights Act for Australia

The Federal Government is currently considering it's response to a 500 page report regarding the introduction of a Human Rights Act in Australia. 87 percent of the 35,000 submissions to a five person committee headed by Father Frank Brennan were in favour of a Human Rights Act, however, there has been a mixed response from the public. The report itself revealed that only ‘10 percent of the public felt their rights had been infringed and most felt that their rights had not been threatened'. The committee ultimately recommended the introduction of the Act. The main features would include standing for individuals regarding claims on the violation of economic, cultural and social rights, greater powers to courts to interpret legislation in line with human rights obligations, national human rights education plans for schools, universities and the wider community, amongst other things.

Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize for 2009

US President Barack Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples". Amidst mixed reactions around the world, many have called on him and his administration to act on and deliver the promises of his campaign. Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch stated that "[a]s a Nobel laureate, President Obama has a special responsibility to speak up for activists jailed and persecuted for promoting human rights".

High rates of Indian women dying in childbirth

Despite available technology, know how, and resources, effective programs are not in place to counter the extremely high rates of maternal mortality in India. Though authorities encourage women to use programs with cash incentives, often the programs do not have the facilities needed to save women. Human Rights Watch argues that as a human rights violation, the Indian government must be held responsible - they are signatories to various international covenants establishing obligations to provide women highest available care to women. In addition they have pledged to improve maternal health care on a national level.

Human rights abuses still occurring at high rates in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has stated that human rights abuses in his country have fallen dramatically since last year and that ‘now people can live in peace'. However, human rights group ‘Zimbabwe Peace Project' have reported that human rights conditions have not improved. Specifically they pointed to "harassment, discrimination and violence which continue haunt the distribution of humanitarian and food assistance, as well as support of small farmers".

Other News

36 members of Iranian dissident group ‘People's Mojahedeen Organisation of Iran' have been released by the Iraqi Government after having been detained since July. A spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has stated that ‘the world body was grateful that the Government had responded to a request from High Commissioner Navi Pillay to release the detainees'.

President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia has been quoted on state television saying ‘that he would kill human rights defenders and all people cooperating with them'. Independent experts from the United Nations have expressed deep concern regarding his statements and have ‘described Mr. Jammeh's remarks as unacceptable and in contradiction of all human rights instruments ratified by the Gambia'.

27 September 2009: Victoria's Revamped Equal Opportunity Laws continue to allow Religious organisations to discriminate

Victorian Attorney -General Robert Hulls has announced proposed changes to the Equal Opportunity Laws that will affect religious organisations.  The proposed changes will make it illegal for religious organisations to discriminate on the basis of disability, age, race, physical features, political beliefs or breastfeeding, but allows such organisations to continue to refuse to provide services or employ people on the grounds of their sex, sexuality, marital status, parental status and gender identity.  The proposed changes have angered human rights activists but have been applauded by religious organisations.  While the Age notes that if such discrimination occurs, the organisation must demonstrate how the decision has conformed with its religious doctrine, it highlighted the fact that the victim would need to first make a complaint before the religious organisation would be required to justify its actions. The Herald Sun highlighted comments by Dr Helen Szoke, CEO of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, noting that it was positive that religious bodies would need to demonstrate how employing someone of a particular religion was an inherent component of the job.  The proposed changes in Victoria should assuage some of the concerns of critics of a national Charter such as the Australian Christian Lobby which was worried about the impact a national charter could have on the exemptions religious organisations have already been granted in different States.

17 September 2009

Spain called to end harsh laws relating to criminal suspects

Amnesty International has called on Spain to end what it calls one of ‘the strictest detention regimes in Europe'. Spanish criminal law provides that a suspect may be held ‘incommunicado for five days' with no access to lawyers of their own choice or family members.  Though ‘prolonged incommunicado detention may facilitate the perpetration of torture and could in itself amount to a form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment' according to UN special rapporteur on torture Theo van Boven, the Spanish government defended its regime as a useful ‘antiterrorism measure'.

Answers sought on Christian detainee death in Pakistan

Human rights groups in Pakistan claim that the recent death of a Christian man, Robert Fanish, held in custody on blasphemy charges was caused by murder possibly ‘in collusion with the authorities'. The death is preceded by the murder of six Christians in Gojra, Pakistan who were burnt to death by a mob in July. Whilst local police claim that Mr Fanish committed suicide, this has been rejected by rights groups and his family.

East Timor still to prosecute human rights violations

A new report released by the United Nations has called on East Timorese officials to conduct prosecutions relating to human rights abuses which occurred under Indonesian rule as the county was becoming independent. 301 suspects are yet to face formal proceedings and 18 who have faced trial were acquitted.

Canadian anti-gay pastor challenges the ‘authority of Alberta Human Rights Commission'

Reverend Stephen Boissoin who was fined two years ago for writing a letter ‘declaring "war" against the "homosexual machine"' is challenging his sanction. Boissoin's argument is based on an earlier ruling where the commission stated that ‘section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act violates the charter right to free expression because it carries the threat of punitive fines'. The commission which is strongly criticised by conservative groups may have hampered its efforts to deal with hate speech on the internet.

Discrimination causing the denial of human rights

Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights, has pointed to discrimination against women, indigenous groups and ethnic minorities as a major hurdle in these groups' attainment of human rights. She has also expressed serious concern for human rights abuses committed against activists and critics and has called on governments ‘to do more to protect human rights defenders'.

14 September 2009

Somali al-Qaeda suspect ‘likely to have been killed'

US special forces are said to have killed Somalian Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, following  a US military raid in Somalia today. Kenyan-born Nabhan has been an FBI top suspect for several years, and is alleged to have close links with al-Qaeda. He is suspected of bombing an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya and attempting to shoot down an Israeli airliner in Mombassa, Kenya, both in 2002.

US concerned over Venezuelan weapons deal

A day after Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez announced a major weapons deal with Russia, the US has expressed its concern. US state department spokesman Ian Kelly has expressed his concern at the potential of Venezuela to destabilise the American region, following a loan of over $2bn from Russia to purchase weapons.

Yemen crisis escalates

A senior UN humanitarian official is visiting  Yemen over the next four days, attempting to assess the needs of the nation's 150,000 internally displaced peoples. As armed conflict in the north escalates, tens of thousands of civilians remain displaced from their homes.

China deploys Communist Party members to ‘ease tensions' in Urumqi

State media in China has announced that approximately 7,000 Communist Party members will be deployed to Urumqi, to conduct face-to-face meetings with civilians and explain government policies. The placement is an attempt to ease ethnic tensions in the city, following July riots in Xinjiang, where more than 200 people were killed.

11 September 2009

Iran allegedly ready for nuclear bomb

In response to increasing international pressure, Iran has today proposed a counter strategy to end of the stalemate over its nuclear program. The proposal remains confidential, but initial reactions from the West have been of disappointment. At an inaugural speech to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, US ambassador Glyn Davies has warned that Iran "is now either very near or in possession" of sufficient uranium resources to produce a nuclear weapon.

Deaths, hundreds of arrests and many more injured, in Kampala, Uganda

Reports that around twenty people have died and scores more have been injured have followed riots whereby protesters clashed with armed police in downtown Kampala, Uganda. Human Rights Watch today has called for an immediate investigation into the incident and called for police restraint during civilian protests. Police fired live ammunition and used tear gas to dispel crowds protesting over the visit of a traditional Ugandan king. More than 550 people were arrested for offences including rioting, holding unlawful assembly and incitement.

Suicide bomber kills sleeping Kurds

A suicide truck bomber has killed at least 20 people in a Kurdish village in northern Iraq. The bomb exploded just after midnight in Wardak, south-east of Mosul, flattening houses and injuring scores of civilians. An alleged second suicide-bomber was killed by local security forces before he could detonate explosives in his truck. Many more people are missing in the rubble and the death toll is expected to rise. Al-Qaeda and other Sunni insurgents remain active in Mosul, and their targeting of small towns and villages highlights the civil conflict that continues between Iraq's Arab majority and its Kurdish minority.

Sunday 13 September 2009

Australians Blamed for Child Sex Tourism in Thailand   

According to a study at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Australians make up the largest portion of foreign sex offenders against children in Thailand. According to a recent report by a global network of groups against child sex tourism, this is a "massive human rights violation that is currently going unnoticed around the world". Bernadette McMenamin, CEO of Child Wise, has expressed that "child sex tourism remains a hidden problem" within the Australian community. A global campaign called "Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People," will be launched on Monday to help raise awareness of sex trafficking and lobby governments across 45 countries.

Militant Group Claims Rocket Attacks  on Israel 

A militant group with alleged links to al Qaeda has claimed to have fired two Katyusha rockets from south Lebanon into the settlement of Naharia in northern Palestine.  The statement, which was published on a website on Monday, was signed by the Ziad al-Jarrah division of Abdullah Azzam Brigades, a group with links to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. However, Reuters maintains it is not possible to verify this claim. Israel retaliated, but fortunately no one was injured in the shell fire.    

Other News

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, a blogger recently arrested in Vietnam on charges of breaching national security, was released from prison on Saturday. After publishing writings on the sensitive topic of relations between Vietnam and China and the controversial bauxite mining project, Quynh was arrested and ordered to abandon her blog. Human Rights Watch said the arrests were "yet another effort by the Vietnamese government to silence government critics."

Saturday 12 September 2009

Concerns over whether the UN will sideline Iranian human rights problems

An Iranian American human rights activist and head of the Iranian American Council, Trita Parsi has condemned the UN's chief human rights monitor, Navanethem Pillay, for giving inadequate attention to the ubiquitous human rights violations that are occurring in Iran, in a speech she is intended to give next week. Upon reading an advanced copy of the UN High Commissioner's speech on global human rights issues, Parsi contends that Pillay fails to dedicate more than a few lines to the abuses occurring in Iran. By contrast, he argues Pillay mentions specific violations and names of numerous human rights victims from other countries. Parsi maintains that increasing arrests (that may not conform with the law), excessive use of force, increased violence by militia groups and arrests without charge are at an all time high following the recent riots surrounding the presidential elections. He believes by paying scarce attention to the abuses and the limited human rights protections present within the country, the UN High Commissioner may as well be providing "a stamp of approval of Iran's grave human rights record".

Human rights situation in Zimbabwe remains dire

Amnesty International, in their latest assessment have expressed concerns over Zimbabwe's unchanging human rights situation. Amnesty International Secretary General, Iran Khan, after a six day mission in the region stated that persistent serious human rights violations are still occurring. Furthermore, failure to reform fundamental law enforcement mechanisms like the police force, army and security forces, as well as the lack of commitment on some parts of the government means that concrete changes are unlikely to be seen in the immediate future. Conversely, Khan did acknowledge the open access and welcomed dialogue given by senior members of the government as well as human rights activists and victims.

10 September 2009

Report from the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has released a report following its second session held on the 10-14 August 2009 in Geneva. The Mechanism, created by the UN Human Rights Council was established to assist the Council in ‘providing thematic expertise on the rights of indigenous peoples'. The report, released on the 8^th of September, outlines five key proposals to the Human Rights Council:

• That the Council authorise the Mechanism to prepare a study on indigenous peoples' right to participate in decision-making;
• That the Council encourage States to have strong national human rights institutions with specific roles and activities to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples;
• That the Council organize regular panel events devoted to the rights of indigenous peoples during its sessions, including the follow-up of thematic studies prepared by the Expert Mechanism to ensure consideration of indigenous peoples' rights during the Human Rights Council sessions
• That the Council expand the mandate of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations to cover sessions of the Human Rights Council and human rights treaty bodies.
• Follow-up to the Durban Review Conferencesuch that the Council request the Mechanism make proposals for the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in line with the recommendation contained in the Durban Outcome Document.

First cause of action arising from the ACT Human Rights Act

The first cause of action arising from the ACT Human Rights Act has led to a successful outcome for three men suing the ACT government for wrongful imprisonment. A total amount of $190,000 in compensation will be paid out to the men who claimed they were wrongfully held in prisons in the state.

Possibility of war crimes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, has state that the actions of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) in eastern DRC could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The CNDP are accused of ‘arbitrary executions' and ‘reprisal killings' following fighting with the Mayi Mayi militia.

Monday & Tuesday, 7-8 September 

Historic Bill to end detention debt for refugees passes in Senate

With Liberal Senator Judith Troeth crossing the floor and Family First Senator Steve Fielding also voting with the Government, a Bill to cancel debts owed by refugees housed in mandatory detention has passed in the Senate. The Bill will cancel over $8 Million in debts owed to the Federal Government by over 330 refugees. Senator Troeth, in justifying her decision to defy the Liberal party, has said that ‘no advanced society should have on its books laws like this'.

With another Bill introduced into the Lower House, aiming to broaden the definition of ‘refugee', more controversy is expected in the future. The ‘Complimentary Protection' Bill will extend the term ‘refugee' to include people seeking asylum based on reasons outside those provided by the Refugee Convention. This could include women at risk of genital mutilation and honour killings.

Amnesty International report released on systematic human rights abuses in Fiji

Amnesty International has released a new report titled ‘Fiji: Paradise Lost' which outlines what it claims to be regular oppression by the ruling military government against anyone opposing the regime. According to Amnesty, government interference has extended to the media, the judiciary and opposition activists. The regime has responded to the report, denying any wrongdoing with Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni stating that most of the report is ‘based on lies'.

More than half those killed in Israeli offensive civilians

Israeli human rights group ‘B'tselem' has released a report claiming that up to half of those killed in the Israeli attack against Hamas earlier this year in Gaza were civilians. The Israeli government has rejected the claims stating that the figures are ‘not based on facts'.

Friday & Saturday, 5-6 September

Calls to end western sanctions against Zimbabwe

African leaders have called for an end to western sanctions against Zimbabwe. Congolese Foreign Minister, Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, strongly believes that if sanctions are lifted, Zimbabwe will have the possibility to progress and move forward. The US sanctions against Zimbabwe come as a result of US President, Barrack Obama, maintaining that Zimbabwe's unity government undermines the rule of law and principles of democracy. It has been reported that Obama feels the Zimbabwe administration has not dealt with the deteriorating human rights violations and that political crisis' of the country have remained unsolved. Consequently, food shortages, high rates of unemployment and economic stagnation remain prevalent in the country.

Controversy surrounding Islamic dress breaching women's rights

Hammas rejects accusations that imposing religious uniform violates human rights. Human Rights Watch (HRW) claim to have received reports from Gaza students about reports that some secondary schools are requiring students to wear full Islamic clothing to school.  The Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement has denied accusations from the organization that requiring female secondary school students to wear Islamic style clothing when attending school is a violation of their personal freedom. This position is maintained, despite students being unable to enter school premises without wearing the Islamic gown.

Similar controversy relating to Islamic women's dress is being considered in Sudan this week as Mrs Hussein, a journalist and former public information assistant for the United Nations is awaiting her trial for indecent dress for being caught wearing trousers at a Café in Sudan's capital, Khartoum. Such crime attracts the penalty of $100 fine and 40 lashings. Hussein has pleaded not guilty and has sought to publicise her trial through the circulation of invitations to her trial and email messages asking people to witness her whipping and even daring the Sudanese authorities to punish her as it is her intention for the world to see how Sudanese women are treated. The trial is expected to cause significant protest in the country's capital and has already been postponed twice. Sudan Watch reports that Mrs Hussein has become an overnight heroine to women in Africa and the Middle East, with floods of emails being sent to support her protest against the authorities. Indeed, Hussein could have easily claimed immunity as a UN worker which she is entitled to do under Sudanese law but has chosen to face trial in order to "draw attention to the plight of women in Sudan".

Chief Justice refutes claims that ‘unelected judges' handed control of human rights

Chief Justice French has contested John Howard's criticism that ‘unelected judges' stand to control human rights under a bill of rights if parliamentarians continue to pass the buck onto judges to make hard decisions in the area. However, French argues that, indeed, judges are well equipped to handle such decisions as the High Court has always dealt with issues of common law which has acted as a repository for human rights. The question posed by The Australian is whether a human rights Act would take the judges too far beyond their current function into the area of social policy.

Wednesday & Thursday, 2-3 September

Post election violence in Gabon leads to night time curfew

Recent presidential elections in the west-central African country Gabon have led to violent protests in the capital Libreville. The violence was also present in the country's second largest city Port Gentil where opposition supporters broke into a prison and freed inmates. As a result, Port Gentil is currently subject to a night time curfew with the former colonial ruler France calling on its 10,000 citizens currently in Gabon to stay indoors. Opposition activists and critics have called the elections rigged after former Foreign Affairs and Defence Minister Ali Ben Bongo was declared president.

China hands down 13 year jail sentence to dissident

After being detained in June 2008, Xie Changfa has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for trying to organise a national meeting of the banned China Democracy Party.  Changsha Municipal Intermediate Court also convicted the 57 year old dissident for "soliciting and inciting others to attack, denigrate, and overturn state power and the socialist system."

European Union to increase refugee intake

The European Union has introduced a new scheme aimed at asylum seekers from conflict zones and poor nations. The plans which will see an increase in the official number of refugees admitted into European countries will hopefully lead to fewer illegal immigrants risking their lives to enter Europe.

Other news

Tasmania, as the only Australian state which does not have separate facilities for youth requiring stays in psychiatric wards, has been accused of breaching the UN convention on the rights of children. The state's Children's Commissioner Paul Mason has said that ‘placing children in adult wards should be illegal'. The UN's Regional Representative for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Matilda Bogner, has also stated that "If a child is detained in a psychiatric institution involuntarily, then under the convention on the rights of the child, they should be detained separately from adults."

Minority Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia are experiencing systematic discrimination by reason of their religious beliefs says a recent report by Human Rights Watch. Shia Muslims, who make up 10-15% of the Saudi population, are subjected to discrimination in terms of education and employment, and often thought of as ‘non-believers' by the majority Wahhabi.

Sunday & Monday, 30-31 August

East Timor remembers ten years on

Hundreds of East Timorese gathered yesterday at a memorial ceremony, to remember those who died during the fight for independence from Indonesia. Meanwhile, the government has succumbed to pressure to release former militia leader, Martenus Bere, who has been accused of leading one of the worst massacres in East Timor. Ten years on from its vote of independence that ended a 24 year long occupation by Indonesia, most of the population remain among the world's poorest. The country continues to develop amid political instability and intermittent violence.

UNICEF Executive Director meets with victims of Congo violence

UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman travelled this week to the remote Congolese village of Dungu, to meet with displaced civilians and former child soldiers. Dungu lies near the border of Sudan and Uganda, a region terrorized by rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Over 300,000 people have been displaced and at least 200,000 cases of sexual violence have been recorded during the conflict in eastern DR Congo since 1996. The LRA, based in Uganda, is believed to be responsible for approximately 1,200 civilian deaths in July, 2009 alone.

Other News

Over 500 families have been left homeless in Sao Paulo, following hundreds of forced evictions by military police last week. Unarmed residents were forced from the Olga Benário encampment in Capão Redondo in the south of São Paulo, by riot police wielding rubber bullets and tear gas.

Yet another journalist working in north-western Pakistan has been murdered. 37-year-old Janullah Hashimzada shot in an ambush which left his colleague seriously wounded. Just one week prior, an Afghan television reporter known for his criticism of the Taliban was killed in the same area.

Friday & Saturday, 28-29 August

Massacre of Colombia's Awá Indigenous Peoples

The third mass killing of Colombia's Awá Indigenous peoples this year has come after death threats went unheeded by local authorities in the south of the country. A number of children were among the 12 dead who died at the hands of unidentified gunmen, who stormed the Indigenous reservation of Gran Rosario on Wednesday. At least 38 Awá have been killed this year in Colombia, despite demands for the government authorities to increase protection of indigenous communities and the rights of Colombia's indigenous populations.

Special Rapporteur slams NT Intervention

Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, James Anaya, has expressed concern over the Northern Territory Intervention following his recently concluded visit to Australia. In his preliminary observations, Anaya referred to the ‘entrenched racism' that indigenous Australians have endured, and the ‘serious disparities' that still exist between indigenous and non-indigenous populations of Australian society. While affirming the need for government involvement and action, Anaya criticised the Intervention for its overt discrimination against indigenous communities.

Other News

In Nepal, a senior United Nations official in Nepal has emphasised the need to hold perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable. He has urged the government to continue to investigate alleged human rights violations committed by members of the national army during Nepal's decade-long civil war.

Human Rights Watch has denounced the conviction of Western Sahara human rights activist Naâma Asfari.  Asfari was convicted and imprisoned in Morocco for the third time on August 27, for "showing contempt towards a public agent", as Morocco continues to repress peaceful supporters for independence of the Western Sahara region.

Wednesday & Thursday, 26-27 August

James Anaya, Special Rapportuer on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, speaks on the situation of indigenous Australians

Whilst commending the Australian government for taking ‘significant steps to improve the human rights and socio-economic conditions of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia', Mr James Anaya has made many calls for improvement in the government's stance on these disadvantaged communities.

Above all, Mr Anaya invited the Australian government to develop new, and reform existing, initiatives with the aim of conforming with ‘international standards requiring genuine respect for cultural integrity and self determination'. Specifically, he identified the importance of taking such steps ‘in consultation and in real partnership' with indigenous peoples. Mr Anaya stressed that the partnership should ensure full respect of the rights of indigenous peoples ‘to maintain their distinct cultural identities, languages, and connections with traditional lands, and to be in control of their own destinies under conditions of equality'.

Mr Anaya pointed to the government's initiatives to ‘close the gap' of indigenous disadvantage. Speaking specifically on the Northern Territory Emergency Response, he stated that it was ‘incompatible with Australia's treaty obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to which Australia has affirmed its support'.

Furthermore, Mr Anaya made an appeal for a more holistic approach relating to government programs addressing indigenous disadvantage across the country - such an approach should be based on a ‘meaningful, direct participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' and include continued funding to indigenous programs that have demonstrated achievements. 

Finally, Mr Anaya urged the Australian government to take steps to recognise the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a charter of rights to be included in the Constitution. He also called for a comprehensive review of all legislation, policies and programmes that effect indigenous communities, including possible amendment to the Native Title Act which would give indigenous peoples more control over their land. Such measures ‘would provide a measure of long-term security for these rights, and provide an important building block for reconciliation and a future of harmonious relations between indigenous and non-indigenous parts of Australian society'.

Report on a new national representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples released

Late last week the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma, delivered the final report of the Steering Committee for the creation of a new national representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  Designed and developed from 12 months of intensive consultations with Indigenous peoples, the Report outlines a proposed model for a new national representative body which includes Indigenous elected representatives.  The recommendations were delivered in a turbulent week for parliamentary-Indigenous relations, with the UN accusing Australia of 'entrenched racism' towards Aborigines in response to the recent government intervention.  Professor James Anaya is the UN's Special Rapporteur on the rights and freedoms of Indigenous peoples and has been travelling Australia on  a special fact finding mission in response to recent developments in Australian law.  Mr Anaya's finding come a day after a group of Australian Aborigines asked the United Nations on Wednesday for refugee status, claiming special emergency laws have turned them into outcasts in their own homes. 

Former PM labels Australian Rights Charter as a ‘comprehensively bad plan'

Despite Victoria and the ACT already adopting their own state rights charters, former Prime Minister John Howard, speaking at a lecture at the University of Western Australia, has said that a similar move on a federal level ‘would deprive Parliament of its role of making decisions on behalf of Australians'. Notwithstanding the fact that Australia is the only liberal democracy left to not have formal human rights protection, Mr Howard said that a charter would hand decision making powers to ‘unelected judges accountable to no one'. Amnesty International has strongly criticized Mr Howard's ‘fear mongering' and pointed to the fact that ‘it was under the Howard government that so many of the human rights of this country and our reputation internationally for respecting human rights were eroded'.

Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure has refused to sign women's rights bill despite being a stronger backer of the new law

A controversial new Bill in Mali affording the country's women greater rights has been blocked and returned to parliament for review. With 90% of the country's population following Islam, Muslim groups have been protesting against the new law since its inception, with leaders calling it the ‘work of the devil and against Islam'. The provisions of the new law include greater inheritance rights for women, raising the minimum age of marriage to 18, and abolishing the requirement that women ‘obey their husbands' instead requiring that ‘husbands and wives owe each other loyalty and protection'. Malian women's groups had been campaigning for the changes for ten years.

Canadian Hate Speech Law Violates Charter of Rights

A federal law governing hate speech violates Canadians' charter rights to freedom of expression, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ruled.  The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled a controversial law, Section 13, banning Internet hate messages is unconstitutional because it violates free speech protections.  However some have argued that this may be a positive step forward as repealing Section 13 would ensure that online hate speech is a purely criminal matter.

Saturday & Sunday, 22-23 August

Women's Rights Weakened Following Afghan Presidential Election

The Age reports that following the recent presidential election in Afghanastan, President Karzai, in an attempt to win the fundamentalist religious followers vote, promulgated the Shia Personal Status Law. The law which only applies to Shiite Muslims sees women's rights weakened as custody rights are granted to fathers and grandfathers exclusively, and does not allow women to leave the house without their husband's permission without a ‘reasonable legal reason'. Alaiwah reports that the new law sells Afghan women out in return for fundamentalist support. It reports that the law allows husbands to withdraw maintenance (including food) if she refuses to obey his sexual demands and even allows for rapists to avoid prosecution by paying blood money to the victim after he has raped her. Such laws are clearly in breach of the rights provided under the Afghan Constitution which prohibits any form of discrimination between its citizens. The Act further contravenes the Convention on All Forms of Discrimination Against Women to which Afghanistan is a party.

Other News

Reuters reports that China is likely to begin trials this week over ethnic riots in Xinjiang last month where more than two hundred people face charges relating to murder, arson and other chargers. It is feared that the trials may again raise tension in the region.

Wednesday & Thursday, 19-20 August

Human rights law experts from the Australian National University give tick of approval to ACT Human Rights Act

Five years after being enacted, amidst much controversy and worry relating to potential floods of litigation, the ACT Human Rights Act has been given the tick of approval by experts at the Australian National University. A team headed by Professor Hilary Charlesworth, Professor Andrew Byrnes and Gabrielle McKinnon have released a report praising the potential of the act, despite citing a few reservations. They noted that whilst the state's bureaucrats and judges still required training relating to their obligations under the Act, the legislation which guarantees a range of fundamental human rights was an important step forward. 

Peaceful Afghan elections amidst government requests for reporting ban

Elections on 20^th August in Afghanistan have been completed in relative peace  with results expected to be released within two weeks. Prior to voting, President Hamid Karzai, who faces challenges from approximately 30 contenders, made calls for the media not to report on violence whilst polls were open, hoping to ensure high voter turnout. Despite Mr Karzai and Western allies praising the elections as a success, Human Rights Watch has criticised the calls for a reporting ban as an attempt to censor the process.

New internet technology to protect human rights activists world wide

With many human rights activists in countries such as China and Iran discovered and jailed for blogging about human rights violations in their countries, new technologies are emerging to keep them hidden from authorities. Programs such as ‘Tor' scramble information before sending it into the world wide web, thereby obscuring the location of sources. Tor receives major funding from the US government which contributed $250,000 of the $343,000 in income for Tor in 2007.

Other news

Amidst continued fighting in Sudan, officials from the north and south have signed a new peace deal aimed at strengthening goals set out in a 2005 peace accord. According to the US envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, the new deal prompted a ‘sense of cooperation' coming up to the countries elections next year.

After being sworn in for his second term after disputed elections earlier this year, Iran's President Ahmadinejad has released his list of cabinet ministers. Three women are included in the list - the first time women have been chosen since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Monday & Tuesday, 17-18 August

Afghanistan Refuses to Cover Election Violence

In order to control the media's negative impact, the Afghan government has requested that news organisations do not report on any election day violence. The New York Times reported that this request was made in order to ensure widespread participation in the upcoming presidential and council elections. Human Rights activists have criticized the decision, reporting that censoring such violence is an "unreasonable violation of press freedoms" and the US Embassy in Kabul is insisting that press freedoms are necessary to ensure credible elections.  

UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Rights Mission to Australia 

During his 10 day mission, UN Special Rapporteur Professor James Anaya is investigating and reporting on the major challenges faced by Indigenous peoples of Australia. His visit coincides with Government efforts to convince Aboriginal communities that special measures to restrict their human rights are acceptable.

Several thousand Aboriginal people from across Australia, indigenous organisations, community and church social justice groups as well as many ordinary citizens have signed a letter to the Special Rapporteur which notes that the existing "special measures" are overtly discriminatory and would have been illegal had the Racial Discrimination Act not been suspended.

According  to  the ABC,  Professor Anaya has heard both positive and negative reports as to Australia's treatment of Aboriginal people. 

Other News                                                                                                                                                               

The UN has undertaken a workshop with civil society organisations in Iraq to assist in preparing the country for a review of its human rights record by the world body's Human Rights Council. Under the new Universal Periodic Review (UPR) system, which started last year, all 192 Member States' rights records will be reviewed by experts every four years.

Amnesty International‘s Secretary General has said that allegations that protesters were tortured and raped in detention must be investigated by Iranian authorities.  However, a recent investigation reported to have been conducted by the Iranian parliament found no evidence of rape or other torture of detainees.

Friday, 14 August

The International Criminal Court has today decided to grant the request of Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo for a conditional release until the beginning of his war crimes and crimes against humanity trials. The former vice-president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, "faces charges for alleged crimes committed in the Central African Republic including rape, murder and pillaging".  Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo will appeal a decision to grant the accused conditional release.

In Gaza, the top United Nations human rights official has called for a "credible, independent and transparent investigation of all alleged rights violations during Israel's military operations in Gaza eight months ago."  "There is significant evidence of serious violations of international humanitarian law having been committed by the Israeli forces and Palestinian militants," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay says in a new report, cautioning that her office is not yet in a position to assess each and every individual instance.

A former general during Argentina's military dictatorship has been sentenced to life in prison for human rights violations. "Santiago Omar Riveros was commander of the notorious Campo de Mayo prison near Buenos Aires where an estimated 5,000 prisoners were held during the 1976-83 dictatorship".He was found guilty on Thursday of torturing and beating to death a 15 year old boy and of abducting his mother.

In Lebanon, a UN envoy for Lebanon said "he hopes that the country's new Government, when formed, will renew its commitment to Security Council resolution 1701", which called for "renewed respect for the Blue Line separating the Lebanese forces and Israeli Defense Forces, the disarming of militias and an end to arms smuggling, among other elements". In an opinion piece published today in the Beirut daily An-Nahar, Mr. Williams noted that resolution 1701 not only "ended 33 days of warfare between Israel and Lebanon, but ushered in the longest period of stability along their shared border in a quarter of a century".

In Somalia, the United Nations World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund have launched a second round of Child Health Days. This hopes to improve child survival rates and deliver a suite of health services, to children under five and to women of child-bearing age.

Thursday, 13 August

In Nigeria, mass evictions have been planned by the River State Government which could leave hundreds of thousands of people homeless. "Forced evictions can only be justified in the most exceptional cases and in full compliance with international human rights law," Raquel Rolnik, the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, said in a news release. Ms. Rolnik emphasized that "evictions should not result in individuals being rendered homeless or vulnerable to the violation of other human rights".

The members of the UN Security Council expressed "serious concern" at the conviction and sentencing of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and its "political impact," Ambassador John Sawers of the United Kingdom said in a statement read out to the press. Ms. Suu Kyi was convicted of violating state security laws after an uninvited US citizen gained access to her home. The Nobel Peace Prize winner was sentenced to a further 18 months of the same punishment. She has already spent over 12 years under house arrest.

In Cambodia, a further 160 families are to be forcibly evicted from their homes without being provided with alternative housing or compensation. "Two lakeside villages in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh received an official notice on Monday, giving them seven days to dismantle their houses. A private company is due to redevelop the site for tourism and commercial use". Approximately, 4,200 families are affected by this re-development.

There have been accusations of torture and rough interrogation tactics made in connection with trials of protesters of Iran's controversial presidential elections. The victims of these accusations include lawyers, journalists and other human rights defenders. "No judicial system can consider as valid a confession obtained as a result of harsh interrogations or under torture," stressed Manfred Nowak, the Special Rapporteur on Torture. "These confessions for alleged crimes such as threats against national security and treason must not, under any circumstances, be admitted as evidence by the Revolutionary Court," added the Vice-Chairperson of the Working Group on arbitrary detention.

A Tunisian national who had been forcibly returned to his home country from Italy, was released on bail after having spent eight days in detention. Ali Ben Sassi Toumi, 44, has been accused of "membership of a terrorist organization", "providing expertise and logistical support to a terrorist organization" and fraud. "He was forcibly returned despite the European Court of Human Rights calling three times on the Italian authorities to stay the deportation, on the grounds that he was at risk of torture and other ill-treatment in Tunisia".

Wednesday 13 August

In Nigeria, mass evictions have been planned by the River State Government which could leave hundreds of thousands of people homeless. “Forced evictions can only be justified in the most exceptional cases and in full compliance with international human rights law,” Raquel Rolnik, the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, said in a news release. Ms. Rolnik emphasized that “evictions should not result in individuals being rendered homeless or vulnerable to the violation of other human rights”.

The members of the Security Council express “serious concern” at the conviction and sentencing of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and its “political impact,” Ambassador John Sawers of the United Kingdom said in a statement read out to the press. Ms. Suu Kyi was convicted of violating state security laws after an uninvited US citizen gained access to her home. The Nobel Peace Prize winner was sentenced to a further 18 months of the same punishment. He has already spent over 12 years under house arrest.

In Cambodia, a further 160 families are to be forcibly evicted from their homes without being provided with alternative housing or compensation. “Two lakeside villages in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh received an official notice on Monday, giving them seven days to dismantle their houses. A private company is due to redevelop the site for tourism and commercial use”. Approximately, 4,200 families are affected by this re-development.

There have been accusations of torture and rough interrogation tactics made in connection with trials of protesters of Iran’s controversial presidential elections. The victims of these accusations include lawyers, journalists and other human rights defenders. “No judicial system can consider as valid a confession obtained as a result of harsh interrogations or under torture,” stressed Manfred Nowak, the Special Rapporteur on Torture. “These confessions for alleged crimes such as threats against national security and treason must not, under any circumstances, be admitted as evidence by the Revolutionary Court,” added the Vice-Chairperson of the Working Group on arbitrary detention.

A Tunisian national who had been forcibly returned to his home country from Italy, was released on bail after having spent eight days in detention. Ali Ben Sassi Toumi, 44, has been accused of "membership of a terrorist organization", "providing expertise and logistical support to a terrorist organization" and fraud. “He was forcibly returned despite the European Court of Human Rights calling three times on the Italian authorities to stay the deportation, on the grounds that he was at risk of torture and other ill-treatment in Tunisia”.

Monday & Tuesday 11-12 August

Guilty verdict yet again renews Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest

Today Burma's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was found guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest. The charges relate to the actions of American man John William Yeattaw, who swam across to Suu Kyi's isolated lakeside residential compound in May. He spent two nights at her home and is facing charges. Suu Kyi's house arrest has been extended for a further eighteen months, meaning she will be unable to stand as a candidate in Burma's upcoming elections. One of more than 2,100 political prisoners in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi has spent the past 13 of 19 years under house arrest. Amnesty International has condemned her sentence as "shameful", amid growing international denunciation of Suu Kyi's detention.

US Secretary of State demands action against sexual violence in DR Congo

US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton today drew world attention to the sexual atrocities in eastern DRC  that have been ongoing for more than a decade. She called for those responsible to be arrested and punished, and for a campaign to be mounted against the perpetrators of such abuse. Clinton delivered her strong message to a press conference, and to the Congolese president, Joseph Kabila. She also toured the Magunga camp, in Goma, where persistent sexual violence continues to damage the civilian population. As conflict between army and rebel groups continues in the region, women and children are caught in the crossfire, at least 200,000 cases of sexual violence having been recorded in eastern DRC since 1996.

Khmer Rouge jail chief admits committing torture

Cambodia's UN backed war crimes tribunal today heard from the Khmer Rouge's mail jail chief, who admitted to having tortured inmates. He confessed to having tortured a prisoner personally, as well as being responsible for indoctrinating his soldiers with hatred towards the inmates of the prison. Over 10,000 lives were lost at the infamous  Tuol Sleng prison, known as S-11, where Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, is accused as having overseen the torture and execution of about 15,000 people.

Typhoons destroy homes, villages across Asia

Mudslides have wreaked havoc across Taiwan and China as the rains of violent typhoon Morakot refuse to let up. An entire Taiwanese village was buried, and buildings fell in Taiwan and China, as the death toll continues to rise. The floods, mudslides and incessant rain of the typhoon have already killed more than 20 people in the Phillipines, and prior to the mudslide 23 had been killed in Taiwan, with many more missing. The death toll will rise to the hundreds today as rescue workers struggle to find victims and move survivors of the mudslide to safer ground.

Monday 10 August

Police Powers in Victoria to Expand

There has been extensive discussion of new "stop-and-search" powers for the Victoria Police in Victorian papers. The precise extent of those powers is not yet clear as legislation has not been drafted, but appear to allow police to act when they believe an individual or group may be carrying firearms, knives or other weapons.  Police have sought the new powers because they say that the existing understanding of reasonable suspicion is too restrictive. These discussions arise out of alarming figures showing an increase in the number of homicides in Victoria.

Civil liberties groups and the Greens yesterday condemned the plan as a dangerous intrusion on individual rights, but Mr Brumby and Victoria's police chief commissioner Simon Overland said it was necessary to prevent a knife culture taking hold in Melbourne. "We've seen the trend in other countries, such as the UK, where knife crime has increased, and become one of the most significant public order issues ". Liberty Victoria president Michael Pearce, SC, warned that police could abuse the powers to victimise, harass and intimidate individuals or groups. ''There is already a bit of evidence that police engage in those sort of tactics with their current powers, and now it's proposed that they'll have more scope to do that,'' he said.  The Herald Sun welcomes the new powers writing that new crime "figures justify the unwavering position the [paper] has taken against the thugs and drunks that blight our cities and suburbs". The Herald Sun says that officers will have greater scope to search people for weapons and act on potential ‘troublemakers'.  In contrast, The Age reports that there is a strong correlation between crime rates and living in disadvantaged conditions: the perpetrators of violent crime come overwhelmingly from Melbourne's poorer suburbs. To acknowledge this is not to stigmatise residents of those suburbs, but to recognise that reducing disadvantage is the best way of tackling crime.

News from abroad

In Russia, a civil society activist and her husband were taken from the office of a nongovernmental organization in Grozny, Chechnya by armed men, and their whereabouts are unknown, raising fears that that they may have been "disappeared" in retaliation for the activist's work.

In the US, students with disabilities face corporal punishment in public schools at disproportionately high rates, says a report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch. The physical discipline, which often includes beatings, can worsen these students' medical conditions and undermine their education, says the report, which calls for an immediate moratorium on corporal punishment in US public schools.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the power-sharing agreement reached in Madagascar and urged all sides to work together to ensure that a new government of national unity is quickly installed and a process leading to credible elections can be established.

Saudi Arabia has detained indefinitely more than 9,000 people under its counterterrorism program since 2003, offering many religious "re-education" instead of judicial review to attain their freedom Human Rights Watch said in a report issued today. The domestic intelligence agency, the mabahith, which runs its own prisons, has prevented effective judicial oversight.

Meanwhile, the Congo Advocacy Coalition, has reported that killings and brutal sexual violence against women, girls and also men have massively increased in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since the start of military operations in January 2009. The coalition urged Hillary Clinton, the United States secretary of state, who arrives in Congo today, to press the Congolese government and United Nations peacekeepers for more effective measures to protect civilians and to pursue justice for serious crimes. The UN estimates, the violence has forced more than 800,000 people from their homes, including some 56,000 who fled from Uvira territory, South Kivu, in July.

In the Central African Republic, Urgent action by the international community is needed to assist humanitarian efforts in the Central African Republic (CAR), where conflict has left one-quarter of the population in need of assistance, a senior United Nations relief official said today. "It's not like any other humanitarian situation I've run across," Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, told reporters in New York. She said that the number of people affected directly or indirectly by the effect of conflict in CAR is estimated by the humanitarian community to be more than 1 million people - out of a population of 4 million.

Four student leaders arrested and detained last week while addressing students at the University of Zimbabwe, Harare, have been released. Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) President Clever Bere and three other representatives of the students union were released on Friday. Amnesty International has welcomed the releases, but repeated its call for the charges against the student leaders to be dropped.  "We are dismayed at the continued harassment and intimidation by police of activists and human rights defenders, despite the inauguration of an inclusive government in February this year," said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty International's Africa Programme.

Proposed media laws in Venezuela could be used as a tool for political intimidation and would seriously curtail press freedom and potentially criminalize legitimate dissent, an independent United Nations human rights expert warned today. Frank La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, said the draft "Special Law against Media Crimes" - which has been presented to Venezuela's National Assembly - "would involve serious violations of the right to freedom of opinion and expression... if it is adopted in its current form."

Saturday & Sunday, 8-9 August

Chinese Protesters Target Kadeer Film Screening in Melbourne

Police were forced to intervene when conflict flared between protesters and supporters of exiled Uighur leader  Rebiya Kadeer at the Melbourne International Film Festival. The Chinese government has blamed Kadeer for inciting ethnic riots which killed almost 200 people in July, and the film festival organiser's refusal to abandon a documentary about Kadeer's life, has caused much protest and even prompted Chinese hackers to bring down the festival's website and ticketing system.

However, according to the China Daily, China acknowledges that Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, has clearly pointed out that Australia respects the "territorial integrity and sovereignty of China over the western provinces".

The Delai Lama has sent a message of support to Rebiya Kadeer and according to Greens leader, Bob Brown, described the exiled Uighur leader as a "paradigm of non-violence". Ms Kadeer explained through an interpreter that  she will continue to peacefully struggle for the "freedom and human rights of the Uighur people".

Other News

According to the United Nations, preparation for Afghanistan's August 20 election has been hindered by insurgent violence and this may deter large numbers from voting.  Senior U.S. officials intend to work in collaboration with Afghan officials to create a secure environment for the Poll.

Mehdi Karoubi, one of the two defeated presidential contenders in Iran's recent election, has posted on his website that some protesters, who had been arrested in the post election riots, had been raped while in detention in Kahrizak prison.  According to authorities, some 200 protesters remain in prison. Iran has begun two mass trials of moderates which include prominent figures that have disrupted national security by inciting voter unrest.

Friday 7 August

Women's Rights and a Commitment to Ending Violence Against Women of Growing Concern

Pacific leaders have pledged to end violence against women in an attempt to achieve the goals of the Pacific Plan and the Millennium Development Goals of the region. The Pacific Island Forum leaders felt that such goals could not be adequately achieved without first addressing the widespread sexual and gender-based violence in the region.

In New York too, Human Rights Watch has pushed for the UN Security Council to establish a high-level post to create a leadership position so that women in armed conflict may be more greatly represented. The role is thought to push for the protection of women suffering from sexual violence and to promote equal participation of women in peace talks. Such a role is felt to fulfil decade old promises, which to date have not been achieved due to the lack of leadership in the area.

Wednesday & Thursday, 5-6 August

Clinton condemns corruption and human rights abuses during Africa tour

Despite the two countries' close ties, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed strong disapproval against the Kenyan government in relation to human rights and corruption. Focusing on post election violence which took hold of the country in 2007, Ms Clinton criticized the government's handling of ethnic clashes which led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people and more than 1,300 deaths. Speaking from Nairobi, Ms Clinton also issued a stern warning to the Eritrean government, threatening to take action if support of Somali militants was not withdrawn. Eritrea denies supporting militants.

Possibility of US delay on antinarcotics funds due to continuing human rights abuses in Mexico

Five bodies, one of them headless, have been found in one of Mexico's most dangerous cities, Ciudad Juarez where more than 800 drug-related murders have been recorded in 2009 alone. Human rights group Amnesty International has called on the US government to withhold 15% of the funding of the antinarcotics Merida Initiative, claiming that the Mexican government has failed to meet its human rights obligations. These calls were echoed by Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy in a statement released this week which expressed concern in relation to Mexico's failure to meet the fund's required human rights standards. The Merida Initiative represents a US funded program aimed at long term security reform in Mexico, Central America, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

 Other News

Despite rapid modernisation in India, Human Rights Watch has released a 118 page report outlining human rights violations by local police forces including extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrest, and torture. Reform of police has been on the agenda in India for years with strong calls for increased accountability reduced political interference.

In Australia, the Melbourne Club, one of Victoria's oldest gentleman's clubs, has defended its male only policy, comparing itself to anti-depression initiatives in a submission to the Victorian government's review of the Equal Opportunity Act. Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has not accepted the claims and Dr Helen Szoke, CEO of the Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has said that the Club must prove that it promotes equality as women-only gyms and specific ethnic clubs have had to in tribunals.

Exiled leader of the World Uighur Congress, Rebiya Kadeer has been blamed by Chinese authorities for inciting riots in July which killed at least 197 people in Urumqi, Xinjiang province, China. Speaking at a rally at the Chinese consulate in Melbourne, Ms Kadeer denied the claims and has called on the Australian government to pressure Chinese authorities to reveal the truth. Ms Kadeer claims that it   was indeed the Chinese security forces that were responsible for the deaths.

Monday 3 August

Roadside bomb kills at least 12 in Herat, Afghanistan

Violence in Afghanistan continues with the explosion of a bomb on Monday in the country's west, killing at least 10 people and injuring over 30. Police officers were among the dead, as the remote-controlled device exploded in a crowded street near a fruit market and blood bank, in Herat. The escalation in violence comes amid mounting tension surrounding the impending presidential poll set for August 20.

Bloody clashes in Southern Sudan

More than 160 people have been killed over the weekend in yet another bloody clash between rival ethnic groups in the Akobo region of Jonglei state, in southern Sudan. Regional commissioner Goi Jooyul Yol has reported today that the death toll now stands at 185, with 31 wounded. The majority of the victims killed were women and children, attacked in their Lou Nuer camp by raiders from the rival Murle ethnic group. Eleven soldiers from the Sudan People's Liberation Army, part of a group guarding the settlement, were also killed in the attack. This is yet another spate of violent conflict in the troubled region, where close to 750 people were killed over the past months in the Pibor county which lies further to the south.

Other News

In Tehran, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has endorsed the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad amid controversy still surrounding his disputed win at the polls in June.

The British immigration Minister today announced that future migrants to Britain are to face elaborate new citizenship requirements. British values, social norms and customs will be introduced to migrants that may face compulsory "orientation days" under new expectations that migrants show their ‘commitment to Britain'.

Western intelligence sources have reported that Iran already has the adequate technology to create and detonate a nuclear warhead, and is in a position to be able to produce its first nuclear bomb.

Xu Zhiyong, a prominent Chinese lawyer, whose progressive work has angered parts of China's bureaucracy, was taken from his home in Beijing and detained by police last Thursday 30^th. He has not been heard from since and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Saturday & Sunday 1-2 August

Malaysian Protesters Call to End Detention Law

Malaysian police used teargas and water cannon to disperse up to 10,000 protesters, led by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, in Kuala Lumpur.  The crowd was protesting laws permitting imprisonment without trial.  The laws have been used regularly against the opposition, including on Ibrahim himself.

Five Foreign Troops Killed in Afghanistan

Five foreign troops were killed yesterday as Taliban forces continued their efforts to destabilise elections due to be held this month.  Similarly, 1013 civilians died in the first half of this year, up from 818 for the same time last year. At least 71 foreign troops were killed in July, which was the deadliest single month for foreign forces.

Other News

Two people were killed and 11 injured by unidentified gunmen at a Gay and Lesbian nightclub in Tel Aviv.  The attack comes at a time of rising incitement against homosexual the community.  In Pakistan, Muslim radicals killed eight members of a Christian family and destroyed and looted hundreds of houses after a copy of the Koran was allegedly damaged.

Friday 31 July

In its latest attack on freedom of expression, the Venezuelan Government has adopted “media crimes” legislation reducing the ability of government critics to voice their opinions. Under the legislation, anyone using media outlets to provide “false” information which “harms the interests of the state” can be jailed for up to four years.

On Thursday, the US signed the U.N Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities which the previous Bush Administration refused to endorse. The Convention aims to outlaw all forms of discrimination on the basis of disability. Australia was active in ratifying the same Convention on 17 July 2008.

Wednesday & Thursday 29-30 July

US$2.6 Billion Loan for Sri Lanka Approved by IMF

Despite continuing human rights abuses in Sri Lanka two months after the end the conflict between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the International Monetary Fund has approved a US$2.6 billion loan to the country. The 25 year civil war in Sri Lanka leaves over 280,000 of the country’s Tamil population displaced, and no solid plans released by the government for resettlement.

Calls for Strengthening Australian Age Discrimination Laws

Age discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick and the Human Rights Commission have called on the Federal Government to strengthen laws relating to age discrimination. A report commissioned by National Seniors Australia has revealed that Australia loses $11 billion per year due to the lack of hiring of older experienced people. According to Ms. Broderick, despite the Age Discrimination Act being in place since 2004, there have been no successful cases relating to age discrimination in the Federal Court, making obvious the need to toughen laws.

Pharmaceutical Company and Nigerian Kano State Agree on Legal Settlement

Long term legal proceedings relating to the distribution of the experimental drug Trovan during a meningitis, cholera and measles epidemic during 1996 in Nigeria’s Kano state have come to an end. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has settled on a US$75 million deal over the death and suffering of almost 200 children.  Pfizer was accused of illegally trialling the drug on children in Nigeria.  Although there is no admission of liability by Pfizer in relation to the death of 11 children and another 180 who suffered from serious illnesses, the drug company has also agreed to pay for Kano’s legal costs, totalling $10million, and has established a fund of $35million to be distributed amongst the participants of the study.

Mourners for Neda attacked

On the 40^th day after Neda Agha Soltan was killed in post-election protests in Iran, police have used teargas to disperse mourners at her grave. Though 140 protestors have been released from jail in the last week, there may be as many as 150 still detained.

Wednesday & Thursday 22-23 July 2009

Human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia under the guise of fighting terrorism

Saudi Arabia’s notoriously secretive justice system has detained thousands of people suspected of supporting Islamist groups in the aftermath since 9/11. In the period between 2001-07, more than 9000 security suspects were detained, with more than a third still in custody in 2007. Most prisoners are not given access to lawyers and are often held for years. As stated in a report released by Amnesty International, many detainees have been subject to torture, sentenced to long prison terms or the death penalty after unfair trials, or have simply disappeared. Many detainees, however, have nothing to do with terrorism and are either campaigners for civil rights or critics of the Saudi government.

Honduran Junta criticised on human rights abuses

Less than a month after seizing power, the Honduran Junta has been slammed on human rights abuses and fuelling xenophobia against the country’s Nicaraguan migrants. Furthermore, in its 2009 report, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has said that human rights activists are being systematically detained, and several have been found dead.  The interim government has also closed numerous media outlets, and arrested journalists. Any plans for a peaceful route to reinstating ousted President Manuel Zelaya have so far been strongly rejected by interim leader Roberto Micheleti.

Other News

The body of Russian human rights activist Andrei Kulagin who has been missing  for over two months has been found dumped near Petrozavodsk. No details are known in relation to how Kulagin may have died.  It is anticipated that the United Nations Human Rights Committee will convey strong disapproval  of Azerbaijan over its human rights record in recommendations due on the 31^st July. Khalaf Khalafov, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, claims that the Committee’s findings in relation to the negative treatment of media and human rights defenders is not based on correct information.

Tuesday 21 July 2009

 Sri Lanka under the rights microscope

 With Sri Lanka's long civil war having ended in May, the focus is turning to reconstruction with the IMF approving a USD2.5 billion loan to the Sri Lankan government and the UN discussing reconstruction and resettlement plans.  Nevertheless, the Sri Lankan authorities have been forced to defend themselves against allegations of human rights abuses during the final phase of the war and are promising to implement a plan to eradicate torture and forced disappearances.  The Guardian, however, labels such efforts a "farce" and points to continued civilian deaths in camps for the displaced and heavy-handed tactics aimed at NGOs and independent journalists.

 Pressure Continues to grow over Chechen human rights activist's death

In Russia, pressure is continuing to grow on the government to act in the death of Chechen human rights activist Natlia Estemirova.  A group of community and human rights leaders, including former Czech President Vaclav Havel, writers Naomi Klein, Ariel Dorfman and Noam Chomsky, and Nobel Peace Prize winners Shirin Ebadi, Mairead Maguire and Desmond Tutu have written an open letter demanding that Estemirova's killers be brought to justice.   Similarly, seven UN experts have demanded that the Russian Government act.  They include Australian Philip Alston, Yakin Erturk, Manfred Nowak, Frank La Rue, Margaret Sekaggya, Leandro Despouy, and Santiago Corcuera Cabezut.  Meanwhile, the offices of another Russian human rights group have been raided by police.

 Other News

In the wake of a number of free speech scandals involving tech companies operating in China, a Canadian group has launched a program to audit the commitment of companies such as Microsoft, Google and Yahoo to freedom of expression and privacy rights.  In Papua New Guinea, debate is growing over the non-use of the death penalty there.  The debate comes in the context of a woman who is alleged to have murdered her four children. 

Monday 20 Jul 2009

ASEAN approves new human rights body

ASEAN is to launch a new human rights body in October this year. Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Priomya announced that its tasks "would include enhancing public awareness on human rights and consulting with relevant national and regional institutions and entities".  The Straits Times quoted Minister Priomya saying that "the body would involve compromises" to accommodate countries such as Myanmar, and the Bangkok Post has reported that human rights activists are sceptical about the chances that the body will create real change.  In related news, it is being reported that US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is likely to accede to the ASEAN Treaty on Amity and Cooperation this week.  The treaty is one of ASEAN's key documents and signing it would signal greater US engagement in Southeast Asia.

Other news

In China, an environmental activist and his daughter have been jailed for leaking state secrets and endangering national security related to a uranium mine.

In Nigeria, a human rights group accused Nigerian police and soldiers on Monday of unlawfully killing dozens of Muslim men in the central city of Jos last year. A Nigerian expert with Human Rights Watch said "in responding to the inter-communal violence, the Nigerian police and military were implicated in more than 130 arbitrary killings, mostly of young Muslim men". 

In the US, the Department of Justice has been urged to open a criminal investigation into post-9/11 interrogation practices by Human Rights Watch.