CHAD DUNDAS: After Games, China still has a lot to prove Aug 28, 2008
The Games of the XXIX Olympiad played out amid concerns over alleged human rights violations, religious persecution, air pollution, governmental control of the press and unfulfilled murmurs of boycott. That the athletic heroics of Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, the Redeem Team or the U.S. volleyball squad could distract us from those larger issues was handy in the moment, but the fact remains China has done little to address its many ills. (Missoulian, MT)
U.S. military sending foreign fighters to home nations Aug 28, 2008
American military officials said the transfers required assurances that the prisoners would be well taken care of, but they would not specify those assurances, and human rights advocates questioned whether compliance could be monitored. While the militants are in American custody, Pentagon rules allow them to be held at the Special Operations sites in Balad, Iraq, and Bagram, Afghanistan, for up to two weeks, with extensions permitted with the approval of Defense Secretary Robert Gates or his... (International Herald Tribune)
U.S. officials describe Afghan airstrike Aug 28, 2008
On Tuesday, a United Nations human rights team said it had found "convincing evidence" to support the higher death toll, corroborating figures given earlier by a government commission sent from Kabul to investigate the bombing, which put the total dead at up to 95. But American officials, venting frustration over what they said were cursory reviews, said Wednesday that neither investigation had found any physical evidence to support the higher death tolls, and instead relied on the word of... (International Herald Tribune)
Experts slam SA Aug 28, 2008
Mamphela Ramphele, a former co-chair of the Global Commission on International Migration, said South Africa was not "conducting itself in a proper human rights manner," adding that it needed to learn from other countries such as Canada and Australia on migration management. She said a government policy should also include the education of citizens on immigration in all its ramifications: who immigrants are, their situation and what has driven them out of their country. (iAfrica.com)
Top Mexico court shows support for abortion law Aug 28, 2008
The federal Attorney General's Office and National Human Rights Commission appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that city assemblies can't make health laws. Elsewhere in Mexico, abortion is allowed only in cases of rape, when the mother's life is in danger or if the fetus has severe deformities. (AZCentral -- News)
Chinese dissidents push for new political climate Aug 28, 2008
By Calum MacLeod, USA TODAY BEIJING Zeng Jinyan, a blogger and wife of jailed human rights activist Hu Jia, missed out on the big Olympics bash ... The Olympics "could have been a great opportunity to show improvements in human rights and make a better international image for China," says writer and dissident Liu Xiaobo. (USA Today)
The ultimate Japanese Shakespeare spaghetti western! Aug 28, 2008
In fact there are more reasons than you can count why a person of conscience might not want to be involved with these Olympics, hosted by a nation with the worst human rights record of all recent major powers. (And no, the fact that our own government has engaged in torture recently, along with other horrifying and immoral conduct, does nothing to change that. (Salon)
U.N. Eyes U.S. In Afghan Civilian Deaths Aug 27, 2008
The draft, obtained by The Associated Press, recognizes the need to combat terrorism, but notes "that killing and maiming of civilians is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law." ... The head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, Ahmad Nader Nadery, has confirmed reports that a memorial ceremony was being held for a militia commander allied with the Afghan police and several relatives and friends from outside the area were staying overnight in... (CBS News)
Afghan inquiry into freed rapists Aug 27, 2008
Human rights groups say women in Afghanistan suffer abuse with impunity. The Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, has announced a full investigation into the case of two rapists who have been freed on a presidential pardon. (BBC News)
2008 Democratic National Convention: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Eleanor Holmes Norton, Non-Voting Member of the US House of Representatives, District of Columbia Aug 27, 2008
The new Democratic Congress already has swiftly led the change to resolve the nation's oldest unresolved human rights issue. We thank the Democratic House of Representatives for passing the D.C. Voting Rights Act. (PR Newswire)
Indian curfew in Kashmir continues Aug 27, 2008
Authorities say an Islamic insurgency in the region has claimed up to 43,000 lives since 1989, but human rights groups say the number could be twice that. Violence had dropped off since and began a peace process in 2004, but surged again after the state government announced plans in June to donate land in heavily-Muslim Kashmir for a Hindu shrine. (CNN -- International)
Film contest to highlight climate change Aug 27, 2008
The submitted films should innovatively illustrate the consequences of climate change through one of the following theme categories: conflict, migration, the urban space, rural institutions, dry lands, social policy, indigenous peoples, gender, governance, forests, and human rights. Award winners will be chosen through a combination of public voting and a judging panel. (India Times)
Kashmir will be back in global fora Aug 27, 2008
Internal preoccupations, however, did not prevent Pakistan from hitting at India for "excessive use of force" and "human rights violations" in Jammu and Kashmir state after a separatist leader was killed in a mass protest two weeks ago. New Delhi was prompt to react and warned Islamabad not to meddle in its internal affairs. (India Times)
Editorial: China needs reform, not razzle dazzle Aug 27, 2008
Ironically, the world's general lack of shock over these incidents might actually be a bad sign for China, because it shows that people still expect China to act like a suppressive dictatorship rather than a free country that respects human rights and freedom of the press ... While these incidents are not as serious as the alleged human rights abuses, they still paint a portrait of a country that is not being completely up front and open. (Daily Collegian, PA)
Clooney Promotes Darfur Charity at Venice Film... Aug 27, 2008
The charity, which was launched last year by Clooney, Brad Pitt and some of their "Ocean's Thirteen" colleagues, uses their celebrity appeal to bring attention to human rights abuses, but it isn't so easy to get even two of the founders together because of filming and family demands, Wagner conceded. Related. (Fox News)
Major Actors Appear Before Liberia's Truth Commission Aug 27, 2008
It was established to "promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation," and at the same time makes it possible to hold perpetrators accountable for gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law that occurred in Liberia between January 1979 and October 2003. Relevant Links. (allAfrica.com)
Liberia: UN Body Condemns Dealth Penalty Aug 27, 2008
com: Liberia: Death Penalty Violates International Law, Says UN Human Rights Body (Page 1 of 1) ... Liberia: Death Penalty Violates International Law, Says UN Human Rights Body ... The United Nations Human Rights Committee expressed deep concern today at new death penalty legislation authorized by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, contravening an international treaty on civil and political rights. (allAfrica.com)
Guatemala rights scientist honoured Aug 27, 2008
At this year's meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Mr Peccerelli and his colleagues at the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (FAFG) are being honoured for their commitment to using science to promote human rights. Since 1992, the Foundation has been investigating human rights abuses committed during Guatemala's 36-year civil war, particularly the 18-month period in the early 1980s when General Efrain Rios Montt pursued what has been described as a... (Yahoo News -- Guatemala)
1,000 dogs are rescued from W.Va. kennel... Aug 27, 2008
Posted by: bill on Aug 26, 2008 at 02:00 PM it seems a lot of people in wv have a problem with animal rights, but its prob because they dont even understand human rights. and you can forget about civil rights. (The Drudge Report)
President Yudhoyono receives UN special envoy for Myanmar Aug 27, 2008
The Secretary-General looks forward to the continued cooperation of the Government of Myanmar and all relevant parties to the national reconciliation process, with a view to making tangible progress towards the restoration of democracy and the protection of human rights in Myanmar. (*). (Antara)
Ivory Coast First Lady Leads Death Squad, Report Alleges Aug 27, 2008
Ivory Coast's U.N. ambassador, Philippe D. Djangone-Bi, denied the accusation against Simone Gbagbo, saying she has struggled for 30 years to promote democracy and human rights ... The U.N. Security Council established a commission of inquiry last summer to investigate human rights abuses by both sides during the country's civil war ... It charges both sides in the conflict with committing serious violations of human rights, including rape, torture and murder. (Yahoo News -- Ivory Coast)
Ivorian abuse 'rife', says report Aug 27, 2008
Liberation says the unpublished report accuses both sides in the Ivorian civil war of violations of human rights ... Liberation says the UN report documents a catalogue of human rights abuses and violence over more than two years of civil war. (Yahoo News -- Ivory Coast)
UN cites evidence that US attack in Afghanistan killed 90 civilians Aug 27, 2008
The head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, Ahmad Nader Nadery, has confirmed reports that a memorial ceremony was being held for a militia commander allied with the police at the time of the attack, and relatives and friends from outside the area were staying overnight in the village. The U.N.'s allegation of such a large number of civilian deaths could set the U.S., U.N. and the Afghan government on a collision course over the use of military force in Afghan villages, where... (Los Angeles Times)
Death Toll at South Darfur Refugee Camp May Reach 64, UN Says Aug 27, 2008
Unamid strongly condemns the excessive, disproportionate use of lethal force by the GOS security forces against civilians, which violated their human rights and resulted in unacceptable casualties,'' Unamid said. A separate, confidential UN report said UN personnel saw 31 bodies, including seven children between 11 and 16 years of age, 11 women and 13 men. (Bloomberg)
Migrants die off Spanish coast Aug 27, 2008
A total of 921 migrants died in 2007 from exposure or accidents as they made the journey by sea to Spain, according to a Spanish NGO, the Organisation for Human Rights in Andalusia. The wave of would-be migrants has prompted the government to toughen its stance on migration. (BBC News -- Europe)
The other Olympic story Aug 27, 2008
IOC President Jacques Rogge has pronounced himself disappointed that China didn't live up better to its pledge to improve its human rights demeanor for the games. The Olympics are a huge money hustle, with corporate and national recognition and the bidding in billions of dollars. (Albany Times Union)
Police evict Tamils from Colombo Aug 27, 2008
Human rights groups have condemned the evictions ... " Human rights campaigners and other observers say they are shocked at what they say is a serious violation of human rights. "This is almost like a variation of ethnic cleansing," Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu of the independent Centre for Policy Alternatives think-tank told Reuters. "It is quite appalling. (Yahoo News -- Sri Lanka)
* The right to keep legal private acts private Aug 27, 2008
The right to privacy is enshrined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and guaranteed by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. But Article 8 is balanced by Article 10, which guarantees free expression of opinion. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
33 Activist Women Arrested in Tehran Aug 27, 2008
On the eve of the U.S. State Department's release of its annual human rights report and only days ahead of celebrations marking International Women's Day, best-known female activists were arrested early Sunday after they gathered with placards outside Tehran's Revolutionary Court ... "Practically the entire top layer of the women's movement in Iran, except for Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, who happens to be in Italy, is in jail," said Hadi Ghaemi of Human Rights Watch in New York. (Yahoo News -- Women's Issues)
Clooney raises money for Dafur in Venice Aug 27, 2008
The charity, which was started last year by Clooney, Brad Pitt and some of their Oceans Thirteen colleagues, uses their celebrity appeal to bring attention to human rights abuses, but it isnt so easy to get even two of the founders together because of filming and family demands, Wagner conceded. Pitt, who arrived in Venice earlier with sons Maddox and Pax, was expected at the event, but hadnt arrived by the time cocktail hour was over. (MSNBC -- News)
PHILIPPINES FIGHTING Aug 27, 2008
MANILA, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Civilian casualties are mounting in the southern Philippines, where fighting between Muslim guerrillas and the army has killed up to 187 people in the past 10 days, the military and a human rights official said on Wednesday ... Leila de Lima, head of the Commission on Human Rights, told reporters at least 20 civilians were killed in one town on Sunday as the military pursued guerrillas responsible for the attacks ... "There must be awareness on the part of government... (AlertNet)
Colombia landmines blamed on Farc Aug 27, 2008
Human Rights Watch says more than 1,000 people were killed by anti-personnel mines in Colombia last year, up from less than 300 in 2001 ... Human Rights Watch has detailed the damage inflicted by these weapons, not just on the security forces but on civilians, especially children who play in the woods and jungles near their home and trigger the explosives. (Yahoo News -- Colombia)
Decatur reverend to open DNC session Aug 27, 2008
He is a founder of Evangelicals for Human Rights. Related Subjects. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
World's mega cities expand as millions quit the countryside Aug 27, 2008
human rights watch-1. to play a key role in implementing a research and. (Yahoo News -- Population Issues)
Clinton publisher axes China deal Aug 27, 2008
Alterations included Mrs Clinton's comments about human rights activist Harry Wu. Mr Wu is a campaigner against abuses in Chinese labour camps where he spent 19 years. (Yahoo News -- Hillary Rodham Clinton)
Health Journalists Face Translation Challenge, Researchers Find Aug 27, 2008
26, 2005) Media reports of drug trials can lack accuracy and reliability, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC International Health and Human Rights. Researchers say that in. (Science Daily)
Lebanon maid deaths cause alarm Aug 27, 2008
At least one immigrant domestic worker dies each week in Lebanon, by suicide or by accident during a bid to escape, a human rights group reports. Human Rights Watch is calling for an investigation into the reasons behind the deaths of at least 95 migrant maids since January 2007. (BBC News -- Africa)
Mixed legacy likely as China's Olympics conclude Aug 27, 2008
Rogge and the IOC were criticized by human rights groups for their reluctance to publicly challenge the Chinese as various controversies arose over press freedom and detention of dissidents ... Human rights groups disagreed ... "The reality is that the Chinese government's hosting of the games has been a catalyst for abuses, leading to massive forced evictions, a surge in the arrest, detention and harassment of critics, repeated violations of media freedom, and increased political repression,"... (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
Russians draw the line Aug 27, 2008
human_race wrote on Aug 20, 2008 12:49 PM:" Gregory King of the Human Rights Campaign later said that "NAMBLA is not a gay organization. They are not part of our community and we thoroughly reject their efforts to insinuate that pedophilia is an issue related to gay and lesbian civil rights. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
Harris Salleh among speakers a Sabah convention Aug 27, 2008
Other speakers at the convention include Malaysian Human Rights Commission deputy chairman Tan Sri Simon Sipaun and economist Dr Pang Teck Wai. More News lect> Go. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
North Korea suspends nuclear disablement Aug 27, 2008
Last week, the state news agency KCNA also lashed out at Bush, accusing him of blocking progress at the nuclear talks by raising the issue of human rights in the North. During a trip to Seoul earlier this month, Bush publicly criticized the North s human rights record. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
CHAD DUNDAS: After Games, China still has a lot to prove Aug 27, 2008
The Games of the XXIX Olympiad played out amid concerns over alleged human rights violations, religious persecution, air pollution, governmental control of the press and unfulfilled murmurs of boycott. That the athletic heroics of Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, the Redeem Team or the U.S. volleyball squad could distract us from those larger issues was handy in the moment, but the fact remains China has done little to address its many ills. (Missoulian, MT)
60 children among Afghan dead, UN finds Aug 27, 2008
A United Nations human rights team has found "convincing evidence" that some 90 civilians among them 60 children were killed in air strikes on a village in western Afghanistan on Thursday night, a statement issued by the United Nations mission in Kabul said, making it almost certainly the deadliest case of civilian casualties caused by any United States military operation in Afghanistan since 2001. The United Nations the team visited the scene and interviewed survivors and local officials and... (International Herald Tribune)
Mugabe heckled in Zimbabwean Parliament Aug 27, 2008
More than 100 opposition supporters have been killed since the disputed March elections, according to human rights groups. The government said in the state newspaper Tuesday that the legislators were being sought on charges ranging from rape to kidnapping to incitement of political violence, but the opposition charged that their real motive is to try to regain control of Parliament. (International Herald Tribune)
U.S. officials detain hundreds in immigration raid Aug 27, 2008
Bill Chandler, executive director of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance, called the Laurel raid a violation of human rights. "We're very disturbed at what's happened," Chandler said. (International Herald Tribune)
India weighs troop reduction in quieter Kashmir Aug 27, 2008
opposition: Indian police detained activists at a protest against Indian human rights violations in Srinagar Friday ... "It is unjustified having so many troops here," says Khurram Pervez, a Kashmiri human rights activist from the Coalition of Civil Society in Srinagar, the region's summer capital ... Calls for demilitarization received fresh impetus after several recent, high-profile alleged human rights abuses on the part of Indian soldiers in the region. (Yahoo News -- Kashmir Dispute)
ON TRACK: Thoughts on a stirring meet at the Bird's Nest Aug 27, 2008
IOC president Jacques Rogge took a clueless rip at Bolt (after letting China off the hook on human rights and Joey Cheek). And then Bob Costas, whom I don't think takes stands frivolously, piled on. (SportsIllustrated.CNN)
Bin Laden's driver denies charges Aug 27, 2008
Human rights campaigners have accused the court of operating in a legal black hole and they and the other accused will be watching the proceedings closely, our correspondent notes. Jury of officers. (Yahoo News -- Terrorism & 9/11)
UN expert in Bangladesh custody Aug 27, 2008
A UN human rights expert charged with corruption in Bangladesh has been remanded in custody while she is tried ... Mrs Huda had been due to address the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. (Yahoo News -- Bangladesh)
Egyptian Brethren appear in court Aug 27, 2008
Reporters, human rights workers and members of the defendants' families were also excluded. Defendants pleaded not guilty to charges including terrorism and money laundering and the trial was adjourned. (Yahoo News -- Egypt)
Mass arrests of Egyptian Brothers Aug 27, 2008
The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights said on Wednesday that the authorities were harassing opposition candidates by stopping them from campaigning and detaining their supporters, the Reuters news agency has reported ... Reporters, human rights workers and members of the defendants' families were also excluded. (Yahoo News -- Egypt)
Nigeria probes HIV graduate test Aug 27, 2008
The National Agency for the Control of Aids (Naca) calls the university's action "a breach of the fundamental human rights of the students". Covenant University is owned by the Pentecostal Living Faith Church of Nigeria. (Yahoo News -- Nigeria)
Turkey's Detente With Kurds Wavers Aug 27, 2008
No money, no land, no luck, said Reyhan Yalcindag, an official with the local Human Rights Assn. People are reliving the trauma of the 90s and wondering now if it will be the same ... A moderate Muslim nation, U.S. ally and member of NATO, Turkey has pledged greater democracy and respect for human rights to meet EU standards ... In April, a veteran researcher for the New York-based Human Rights Watch, in southeast Turkey to investigate claims of police abuse against Kurds, was detained by police... (Yahoo News -- Kurdish Issues)
Police on trial for Kurd attack Aug 27, 2008
No senior military figure in Turkey has ever been prosecuted for human rights abuses against the Kurds. Dozens of lawyers and human rights activists have descended on Van, in eastern Turkey, for this trial, already hugely controversial before it has even begun. (Yahoo News -- Kurdish Issues)
Letters to the editor (Aug. 26) Aug 27, 2008
Bush lets the world know that we disapprove of China s human rights abuses. According to Philadelphia Inquirer published in the Aug. 18 Gazette-Times, President Bush said and did all the right things about the Russian invasion of Georgia. (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)
Sharia bylaws Aug 27, 2008
By enacting these bylaws, regional administrations violate human rights. Moreover, they do not respect existing laws or honor the Pancasila. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Editorial)
Kill the bastards? Aug 27, 2008
Following her April remarks, the main opposition Democratic Alliance called for Shabangu to be fired, while the chairperson of the Human Rights Commission said he was "taken aback" by them. South Africa has 9000 murders and nearly 7000 robberies a year, according to official figures. (iAfrica.com)
European Court Finds Two Chechens Were Tortured Aug 27, 2008
MOSCOW, Jan. 18 -- The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that two Chechen brothers were tortured in their strife-torn Russian republic and that authorities there failed to investigate their allegations of abuse ... Human rights groups have long contended that torture is widespread in Chechnya, where Russian troops have fought separatists off and on since 1994 ... Of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, the body responsible for the human rights convention that the court... (Yahoo News -- Chechnya Conflict)
New Chechen president takes oath Aug 27, 2008
But human rights groups say he rules by fear, using a private militia to kidnap, torture and kill Chechens ... Russian and international human rights groups, as well as the Council of Europe, allege that the militia continues to commit serious crimes and human rights abuses - including extortion, kidnappings, torture and summary executions. (Yahoo News -- Chechnya Conflict)
Kenya poll violence 'was planned' Aug 27, 2008
The ethnic violence in Kenya following the disputed presidential elections last December was meticulously planned, says New York-based Human Rights Watch ... Former opposition leader Raila Odinga has signed a power-sharing deal with President Kibaki - a move applauded by Human Rights Watch ... "For the new government to function well and earn the people's trust, it needs to first heal the wounds by prosecuting those behind the violence," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights... (Yahoo News -- Kenya)
Macedonian police in tense stand-off Aug 27, 2008
Human rights groups and foreign observers have blamed them for increasing inter-ethnic tensions in spite of a relatively successful peace process following the hostilities. Investigation. (Yahoo News -- Macedonia)
26 comments Aug 27, 2008
For four days in June this year, the OSCE s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) sent a Needs Assessment Team to the U.S. to prepare for their November assignment. They met with representatives from the Departments of State, Justice and Defense, as well as the Federal Election Commission, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Republican and Democratic parties, among others. (Human Events Online)
The China Delusion Aug 27, 2008
This is confirmed by the U.S. Department of State s annual reports on human rights practices -- in no year since 1989 has the State Department noted any improvement in China s human rights, and in several years it has documented serious declines ... Yet, despite China s signal disinterest in human rights (either for its own people or anywhere else), its equanimity toward nuclear proliferation, its insouciance with environmental degradation, and its border harassment of neighbors from Japan to... (Human Events Online)
Disbelief at LRA war crime denial Aug 27, 2008
International rights group Human Rights Watch expressed surprise at Mr Kony's claim but said he must defend himself at the International Criminal Court. Thousands have died in a conflict in which the LRA targetted children. (Yahoo News -- Uganda)
African rights court's slow start Aug 27, 2008
Human rights violations abound in Africa. An African human rights court is due to come into force on Sunday following its ratification by the required number of African Union countries ... In a continent where violations of human rights abound, the new court is seen as a step in the right direction. (Yahoo News -- Pan-Africa)
