vrijdag 24 juli 2009
Malalai Joya bezoekt Groot-Brittannië en brengt boodschap aan wereld
Ze heeft 5 aanslagen op haar leven overleefd. Ze werd uit het Afghaanse parlement gezet omdat ze het een zwijnenstal noemde.
Over de aanwezigheid van de NAVO zegt ze: “Zoals de luchtbombardementen geen veiligheid in Afghanistan brachten, zo bracht de bezetting geen veiligheid voor Afghaanse vrouwen. De realiteit is het tegenovergestelde.”
Het zijn woorden van Malalai Joya, die wel de dapperste vrouw van Afghanistan wordt genoemd.
http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2009/07/23/afghanistan-s-bravest-woman-brings-her-message-to-uk.html
In de Britse krant The Independent wordt aandacht aan haar bezoek aan Groot-Brittannië besteed.
In de Independent staat hetzelfde als op de site van RAWA:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/fighting-afghan-oppression-the-six-lives-of-malalai-joya-1757490.html
De site van RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
http://www.rawa.org/index.php
Mensenrechtenchef van VN zegt steun aan Nepal voort te zetten
The top United Nations human rights official today voiced her continued support for Nepal as it rebuilds after a decade-long civil war, with the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCR) in the South Asian nation being extended until next year.
In her letter to the Nepalese Government confirming her acceptance of that agreement, High Commissioner Navi Pillay wrote that OHCHR “remains strongly committed to further strengthen the national human rights protection system, in particular the National Human Rights Commission, through continued cooperation and capacity building,” according to a press release issued in Kathmandu.
The Office’s mandate is now set to expire on 9 June 2010.
Last weekend, a new UN-backed project was launched to help heal the scars left by Nepal’s civil war, using transitional justice mechanisms to spur reconciliation.
The "Peace through Justice" initiative, financed through a $2 million grant from the UN Peace Fund for Nepal (UNPFN) seeks to aid in setting up effective transitional justice systems provided for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the 2006 pact ended the conflict between forces loyal to the former King of Nepal and Maoists.
OHCHR said that “a systematic approach to dealing with the past can help societies heal and work their way back to normality. Establishing the facts of the conflict, acknowledging the losses suffered by the victims and providing a platform for justice helps end impunity and aids reconciliation.”
The project, which will run initially for 12 months, will support the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction (MoPR) to set up bodies, such as the Commission on Inquiry on Disappearances, and will focus on documenting human rights and international humanitarian law violations committed during the conflict, which claimed some 13,000 lives.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his latest report on Nepal’s request for UN assistance in support of the peace process, wrote that progress on key elements in Nepal’s peace process has slowed down or stalled altogether owing to the country’s recent political crisis.
“The two major tasks at the current stage of the peace process are the integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist army personnel and the drafting of the new constitution,” he said, noting that efforts to advance on both these fronts slowed with the onset of the crisis sparked by the resignation of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (“Prachanda”) in early May, which occurred one day after the Chief of Army Staff – who he had fired – was reinstated.
A senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML), Madhav Kumar Nepal, was elected Prime Minister on 23 May and subsequently formed a new coalition Government with the support of 21 other political parties but without the participation of the Maoists.
“The modest progress witnessed in some aspects of the peace process during the first quarter of 2009 has stalled against a backdrop of mistrust and a further deterioration of relations among key stakeholders, notably between UCPN-M [Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist] and the other major parties and between UCPN-M and the Nepal Army,” says the Secretary-General, proposing a six-month extension of the United Nations mission to continue assisting with remaining tasks.
(UN: July 23, 2009)
woensdag 22 juli 2009
Mensenrechtenchef VN benadrukt collectieve verantwoordelijkheid om burgers te beschermen
Individual countries, regional organizations and partners of the United Nations must all do more to ensure the international community has “a credible capacity for rapid responses” to any future situations similar to previous episodes of genocide or ethnic cleansing, the top UN human rights official said today.
Navi Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the principle of “responsibility to protect” – which holds States responsible for shielding their own populations from genocide and other major human rights abuses and requires the international community to step in if this obligation is not met – must now be translated into concrete steps.
“We should all undertake an honest assessment of our ability to save lives in extraordinary situations,” she said in a statement issued a day ahead of the General Assembly’s interactive dialogue on the issue.
Ms. Pillay warned that her own experience growing up in South Africa under apartheid demonstrated that “it is not easy for the international community to respond in a situation where genocide, war crimes or other serious human rights violations are occurring.”
She said that while her office would continue to support States to fulfil their responsibilities to protect civilians, including through institution building, technical cooperation and the overall promotion of human rights, a collective effort was needed.
“A concerted effort by States, UN partners and regional organizations will be required to develop and maintain a credible capacity for rapid responses to exceptional situations similar to those of Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.
“Concerted efforts by the international community at critical moments in time could prevent the escalation of violence into genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity or ethnic cleansing.”
Ms. Pillay’s statement echoes the remarks made yesterday by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, when he delivered a report to the General Assembly that outlines a series of measures designed to stop genocide and related crimes.
The proposals contained in the report rest on three pillars: State responsibility; international assistance and capacity-building; and timely and decisive response.
(VN, Juli 22, 2009)
Saudi-Arabië schendt op gruwelijke wijze mensenrechten
Volgens Amnesty International worden mensen gevangen gehouden 'in bijna complete geheimhouding', anderen zijn omgebracht in onduidelijke omstandigheden.
De internationale gemeenschap kiest ervoor de praktijken te negeren omdat het Riad nodig heeft in de strijd tegen het terrorisme en om de olie.
In Het Parool: Saudi-Arabië schendt op gruwelijke wijze mensenrechten
De rapportage van Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/saudi-arabia-human-rights-abuses-name-fighting-terrorism-20090722
Zie ook:
Mensenrechten en verantwoordelijkheid
Mensenrechtenchef VN benadrukt collectieve verantwoordelijkheid om burgers te beschermen
Nieuwe VN-mensenrechtenorgaan voor Zuidoost-Azië ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights
NEW REGIONAL BODY WILL HELP PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA – UN OFFICIAL
The United Nations human rights chief today welcomed the latest move to set up a regional body to protect the rights of people living in South-East Asia, highlighting the need to appoint “independent and impartial” experts to serve on it when it is launched in October.
The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have endorsed the terms of reference for the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, which will be the first regional body of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called the endorsement “an important step forward” in the establishment of the new mechanism, noting that similar bodies are already functioning in other regions, including Africa, the Americas and Europe.
She strongly encouraged ASEAN States to appoint Commission members who are “independent and impartial, and have proven expertise in human rights.”
In addition, the national selection processes should include wide consultation and participation by various actors in society, said Ms. Pillay, noting the regional leaders’ stated commitment to create a “people-oriented ASEAN.”
At the same time, the High Commissioner voiced her disappointment at the Commission’s “lack of a clear protection mandate,” but said she hoped its role would expand after its launch in October at the 15th ASEAN Summit, to be held in Phuket, Thailand.
She also stressed that close cooperation and partnership with independent and effective national human rights institutions, which are already established in some ASEAN nations, will help to reinforce the new Commission’s role.
According to the High Commissioner’s office, regional arrangements – such as the one being created by ASEAN – can play an important role in protecting and promoting international human rights standards, including by helping to address shortcomings in national frameworks.
(VN: Juli 22, 2009)
Zie ook:
Mensenrechten en verantwoordelijkheid
Mensenrechtenchef VN benadrukt collectieve verantwoordelijkheid om burgers te beschermen
dinsdag 30 juni 2009
Universele Verklaring van de Rechten van de Mens
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/Language.aspx?LangID=dut
maandag 8 juni 2009
Shell schikt rechtszaak over executie Nigeriaanse mensenrechenactivist Ken Saro-Wiwa
De nabestaanden beschuldigden Shell van medeplichtigheid aan de dood van de Saro-Wiwa. Daarnaast zou het bedrijf medeplichtig zijn aan de gevangenneming, marteling, verbanning en dood van een viertal andere activisten.
BNR Radio: Shell schikt rechtszaak over executie Nigeriaanse mensenrechtenactivist Saro-Wiwa
Verslag in de Britse krant The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/08/nigeria-usa)
Oliewinning Shell in Nigeria foto’s
Deze fotoreportage toont onder meer de verschrikkelijke vervuiling die er door Shell wordt veroorzaakt bij de winning van olie in de delta van de rivier de Niger in het zuidoosten van Nigeria.
Bijzonder schrijnend is verder de enorme armoede in deze olierijke regio. Het beeldverslag begint met een foto van de geëxecuteerde mensenrechtenactivist Saro-Wiwa.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2009/may/27/royal-dutch-shell-nigeria?picture=347644792
donderdag 28 mei 2009
Foto’s die Obama niet wil geven tonen verkrachting van gevangenen
Op ten minste een foto staat een Amerikaanse militair die een vrouwelijke gevangene verkracht. Op een andere is te zien hoe een Amerikaans-Egyptische vertaler een mannelijke gevangene verkracht.
De in 2007 gepensioneerde Amerikaanse generaal-majoor Antonio Taguba verrichtte onderzoek naar wantoestanden in het Amerikaanse detentiecentrum Abu Ghraib bij Bagdad.
In zijn rapport uit 2004 waren beschuldigingen van verkrachting en misbruik opgenomen. Dat daar ook foto's van bestonden, was nooit bekendgemaakt, aldus de krant.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/5395830/Abu-Ghraib-abuse-photos-show-rape.html
Rechten van de Mens in wereldwijde crisis
De economische teruggang duwt honderden miljoenen mensen meer richting armoede en werkloosheid, wat autoritaire regeringen en regimes gelegenheid geeft de rechten van hun burgers in te perken.
Amnesty roept landen waar mensenrechten beter nageleefd worden op om tegenwicht te bieden aan groeiende repressie.
„We zitten op een sociale, politieke en economische tijdbom die op het punt staat om te exploderen," zo citeert de NRC de mensenrechtenorganisatie.
Zie verder:
http://www.nrc.nl/buitenland/article2254671.ece/Amnesty_mondiale_mensenrechtencrisis
Rapport Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.nl/bibliotheek/jaarboek2009
vrijdag 24 april 2009
Regering VS maakt foto's mishandelingen leger in Irak en Afghanistan openbaar
Dat meldt dagblad De Pers die zich baseert op een bekendmaking van de Amerikaanse burgerrechtenorganisatie ACLU
In dagblad De Pers: Foto's mishandelingen leger VS in Afghanistan en Irak openbaar
ACLU
Defense Department To Release Prisoner Abuse Photos By May 28 In Response To ACLU Lawsuit: Photos Depict Abuse Of Prisoners By U.S. Personnel In Iraq And Afghanistan (4/23/2009)
In a letter addressed to a federal court today, the Department of Defense announced that it will make public by May 28 a "substantial number" of photos depicting the abuse of prisoners by U.S. personnel.
The photos, which are being released in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in 2004, include images from prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan at locations other than Abu Ghraib.
De site met de verklaring van ACLU: http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/39455prs20090423.html)
Bagram
Het is de vraag of dit volle openheid betreft. Obama heeft een goede beurt gemaakt omdat hij Guantanamo Bay wil sluiten. Maar dat zou nog wel een jaar duren. Er zitten nog steeds mensen vast.
Bij Bagram in de buurt van Kabul is een gevangenkamp dat door de Amerikanen wordt geleid. Deze gevangenis is vrijwel onbekend maar volgens mensenrechtenorganisaties minstens zo gruwelijk als Guantanamo Bay. The New York Times heeft een dossier over Bagram: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timesto...
maandag 20 april 2009
Landen boycotten antiracisme bijeenkomst in Zwitserland
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay “shocked” at US withdrawal from anti-racism conference
dinsdag 17 februari 2009
Bin Laden groep bouwt gevangenissen Saudi-Arabie voor Guantanamo Bay
Bin Laden bouwt gevangenissen voor Al Qaeda
De Pakistan Daily rapporteert dat de Saudische Bin Laden groep de hoofdaannemer is van een project, ter waarde van ca. 2 miljard dollar, om in Saudi-Arabie een aantal gevangenissen te bouwen voor terrorisme-verdachten zoals de leden van Al-Qaeda.
De op handen zijnde sluiting van Guantanamo Bay betekent kennelijk niet dat de verdachten die nu nog in Guantanamo zijn opgeborgen voor de civiele Amerikaanse rechter ter verantwoording geroepen zullen worden.
Saudi Arabia prisons to replace Guantanamo bay http://www.daily.pk/world/worldnews/84-worldnews/6169-saudi-arabia-prisons-to-replace-guantanamo-bay.html
Obama martelt vrolijk door http://www.zapruder.nl/portal/artikel/obama_martelt_vrolijk_door
Hoe staalbaron Thyssen en grootvader Bush Hitler groot maakten. http://thebiggestsecret.online.fr/secret_societies/bushnazis1.htm
http://www.geenflauwekul.nl/content/view/790/48/