Pax Gaea Human Rights World Post

Of coups, struggling dependencies and national tragedies

Whether you support or suspect the Obama Administration, there is no doubt that America's relationship with the rest of the world is undergoing fundamental changes that veer drastically from the course set by previous ships of state. Our less bellicose view towards the deployment of nuclear weapons and its impact on our relationship with Russia along with our recent rethinking of rubber stamping the actions of our traditional allies Israel and the United Kingdom, has been at the forefront of international relations these last few weeks.

As the UK prepares for parliamentary elections, British and American conservative noses were thrust quite far out of joint by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's assertion that the United States is happy to play a role in moderating talks between England and Argentina concerning renewed disputes over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. This is a sharp divergence from America's usual unflinching support of the United Kingdom's claim to the Falklands, a claim they believe, was settled permanently with their victory in the Falklands War. Though Argentina has never acknowledged Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands, which they still refer to as Islas Malvinas, relations have generally been normalized between the two nations. Tensions renewed, however, when England opted to grant oil drilling rights off the coast of the Falklands. In an effort to improve relations with South America, the U.S. has been seeking opportunities to moderate traditionally absolute viewpoints. The United Nations is yet to weight in on the point particularly as the overwhelmingly British residents of the Falklands have opted to not pursue independence from Britain but, rather, embrace their dependence. Most recently the U.N. Human Rights Council positively cited the prohibition status of corporal punishment in state schools of the Falkland Islands (though it is still apparently permitted in private schools.)It has been a number of years since Amnesty International has weighed in on the Falklands. Similarly, Human Rights Watch most recent mention of the islands was in conjunction to an overall condemnation of the UK's refusal to ban the usage of cluster bombs. Freedom House has not broached the subject of the dependency status of the Falkland Islands for years, despite the recent adoption of a new constitution, the first every officially available via election form. I should know. I made numerous requests to the Falkland Islands' government over the previous four years and never received a response. I was happily astounded when they published the new constitution. On April 2, the Falkland Islands government commemorated the 28th Anniversary of the war. While, on one hand, reaching out to Argentina to maintain a friendly and peaceful coexistence it is clear that they stake their claim to British identity. Perhaps realizing the need to look inwardly at the status of human rights on the islands, the Commonwealth Foundation conducted human rights capacity building seminars with members of media, government, community organizations and faith based groups on the same day as the 28th commemoration. As the Falklands lack formal human rights institutions, it appears that they are realizing the essential need of such efforts, as highlighted in the annual report of the Falkland Islands Association. As they attempt to grow from a mere colonial economic enterprise to a vital sovereign member of the United Kingdom, the Falklands seem to be growing aware of the need to look beyond their isolated South Atlantic rocky shores and plug into the broader world as a means of retaining their native born best and brightest. Regardless, it is also obvious that they, above all, will struggle to maintain an identity that is distinctly British first.

Since the 1993 break up of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Macedonia has been in a continuous identity struggle. Neighbor Greece officially refuses to acknowledge the name of the state which emerged from southern Yugoslavia citing that "Macedonia" is a traditionally Hellenic name. Despite it all, Macedonia is evolving into an effective parliamentary democracy with ever solidifying ties to the west including a bid of admission into the EU and NATO. The U.S. State Department gives Macedonia generally high marks though it cites concerns with police violence, prison conditions and conflicts with minority populations as areas needing significant progress. The United Nations Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur drew additional attention to the state of religious tolerance in a report from a recent visit. Amnesty International focused on concerns of the right of political opposition to peacefully assemble in protest, while Human Rights Watch called on the Macedonian legislature to expand language in a current anti-discrimination bill to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Freedom House cited a downward trend in its recent annual report due to governmental harassment and violence leveled against political opponents. In a recent address to the United Nations General Assembly President Ivanov cited the progress Macedonia has made in promoting democracy and improving the lives of all its citizens, conditions necessary in its quest to seek admission into EU and NATO though he cites the continuous resistance by Greece as out of step with agreements made 15 years ago to seek normalization and formal recognition. Likewise, the Ombudsman of Macedonia echoes the government's viewpoint of progress in reaching accords with the minority population while the Macedonian Human rights Movement strikes out at Albania for not allowing the privately funded teaching of the Macedonian language in Albanian schools along Macedonia's border. In an effort to carve out a distinct identity, Macedonia is in a long-term cultural and linguistic conflict with the its neighbors. Having recently agreed to borders with Kosovo, a fellow former member of the Yugoslavian Federation, Macedonia has a long way to go to achieve the type of long standing peace that will make it an attractive candidate and vital member of the EU and NATO communities. Continued progress internally, particularly setting an example of accommodation to its minority members, will go far in helping them make their case for admission into their desired continental and inter-continental communes.

Like Hong Kong, Macau is a Special Administrative Region of China which operates under the policy of "two systems, one nation." Formerly controlled by and still culturally linked to Portugal, Macau was ceded to China in 1979 but guaranteed 50 years of autonomy by China. Though its internal and economic polices are administered by local governance, its international relations are under the auspices of China. As such, the U.S. State Department issues its annual rights assessment as a subsection of the Chinese report. While considered a generally free society, Macau is criticized for the limitation to democratically change its government, trafficking in persons and corruption, side effects of an economy centered on gambling and tourism for such a vast percentage of its annual GDP. The UN Human Rights Council cited concern with respect to the usage of the term "public official" in defining levels of impunity in allegations of torture. Amnesty International most recently took issue with "national security" legislation which compromises the rights of Macau residents while Human Rights Watch criticized Chinese legislation that threatening s the blacklisting of journalists from Hong Kong and Macau. This issue was likewise echoed by rights organization "Status of Chinese People" which condemned the return to pre-Olympic levels of censorship of journalists. A Freedom House survey of Internet Freedom was published in the Macau Times which highlights the fact that China, with nearly 300 million users, also has the most sophisticated, multi-layer censorship and monitoring apparatus. Though the only candidate standing for office, the election of Fernando Chui to succeed Edmund Ho as Chief Executive was generally considered to be free and fair. In his inaugural address, Chui seemed to suggest that maintaining a sense of status quo was his overriding agenda. Because of the unique aspect of their economy, the Commission Against Corruption is the primary Ombudsman body which, naturally, views corruption as the principle concern to civil society and endorsed the steps cited by Chui during a recent conference. Generally speaking, the residents of Macau enjoy more freedom than their fellow Chinese citizens on the mainland. Over the next few decades it will be interesting to note which of the two systems inevitably asserts the greater influence over the other. Will China evolve into a more democratic society or will Macau inevitably succumb to the overwhelmingly oppressive government control of Beijing?. And, in the end, will we ever really notice?

Despite a peaceful return to democracy, the new president of ">Honduras finds himself in a quest to seek regional legitimacy for his post coup government. While the United States was generally supportive of the election of Pepe Lobo, the U.S. State Department annual report cites numerous criticisms of the actions of the police and leadership of the coup that deposed President Zelaya. Zelaya threatened to lead a popular uprising to have the constitution revised to allow him to run for a third term despite the ruling of the national Supreme Court against him doing so. His attempts to incite a populist referendum inspired a coup that deposed him in the middle of the night, dumping him on a Costa Rican runway in his pajamas. The most recent report of the United Nations Human Rights Council preceded the coup and was 10 years late in delivery and critical of the Honduran Criminal Codes limited definition and potential broad allowance for the application of torture. Amnesty International details a human rights plan following President Lobo's inauguration and Human Rights Watch specifically calls on the new government to investigate the murders of three journalists killed in post-inaugural violence. Freedom House's most recent report was issued prior to the coup and, ironically, speaks favorably of steps made by both the government and civil society to work together to eliminate corruption and impunity. President Lobo presented a "National Vision Plan" for the country which was 12 years in the making and shepherded through three prior presidential administration and only now possible with the shift of power from the president to the people. This presentation arrives on the heels of a report presented by the Honduran Ombudsman which calls on a "Continental" strategy to defend democracy and condemn the "brutal face" of dictatorship. By comparison, Comite de Familiares de Detenidos
Desaparecidos en Honduras, a human rights organization which came into being during the days of the "Dirty Wars" condemned the violent assault by the government on International Women's Day protesters who had been in opposition throughout the coup and questions the legitimacy of the Lobo Administration. Honduras has a long and unfortunate history of oppression but has made positive strides throughout the years. These, however, have been in fits and starts. The brutal dictatorships of the past has created a political culture which tends to respond negatively to institutional opposition. If President Lobo hopes to achieve broader regional support for his administration, he needs to start by addressing the violent tendencies of his military and police force who tend to violently respond to criticism. It is these institutional impulses that make Honduras its own worst enemy.

On the topic of coups, Kyrgyzstan's capital of Bishkek was the scene of a violent overthrow this week which force President Bakiyev to flee the capital for the remote south, the base of his support. Ironically, Bakiyev came to power through a similar coup five years earlier which has been dubbed the Tulip Revolution. Bakiyev has yet to acknowledge the legitimacy of the coup however Roza Otunbayeva, a former foreign minister and a leader in the Tulip Revolution has been named the Interim President. Events are still unfolding and a more detailed report will follow in the ensuing days and weeks.

Though an absolute monarchy, Morocco is one of the most stable countries in the Middle East. This and the fact that it is a Constitutionally mandated Islamic state, leads the lists of criticisms in the current annual human rights report of the U.S. State Department. Forced disappearances, some 742 documented cases, was the current focus of the United Nations Human Rights Council's most recent report while Amnesty International focuses criticism on the recent conviction of 12 students whose trial was marred with allegations of torture. Human Rights Watch documents the case of a 72- year old retired colonel serving a 12 year conviction for sharing a "national secret" which, as it so turns out, was no secret at all after being shot down and held prisoner by a Western Sahara rebel group. while commending steps taken by the government to institute human rights, Freedom House criticizes the Kingdom's inability to tolerate criticisms for current abuses including violent crackdowns of public protests. Morocco's OSCE Ambassador recently highlighted the steps being made by the government to increase human rights and development highlighting advances in democratic development instituted by King Mohamed, points echoed by the nation's Ombudsman. The Moroccan Human Rights Association calls on a detained human rights activist to call off a life-threatening hunger strike while, at the same time, calling on the Moroccan government to release him the activist from prison. It is commendable that Morocco is taking steps in the right direction to institute human rights within the kingdom. At the same time, as an absolute, theocracy centered monarchy, it limits the ability of its people to decide for themselves the government they prefer.

Finally, Poland suffered an indescribable blow with the tragic loss of its president, Lech Kazcynski, his wife and 95 others in a plane crash. The flight contained a number of high ranking government officials en route to commemorate the World War II execution of 20,000 polish officers. While tragic, Poland's Constitution provided for immediate succession with the Speaker of the National Assembly, Bronislaw Komorowski, immediately sworn in as Interim President. Under the Polish Constitution, the speaker of the Assembly assumed the presidency upon the incapacitation of the president and must announce early elections within 14 days. The vote must be held within another 60 days. While a national tragedy the wise construction of the Polish constitution belayed this from becoming an issue of utter devastation and assuring democratic continuity. A more detailed report of Poland will be issued on Wednesday.

Also next week--- Australia, Ecuador, Singapore and Aruba.

Labels: Argentina, coup, EU, Falkland Islands, Honduras, human rights, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Macau, Macedonia, Morocco, NATO, Poland, Russia

posted by Dave Carroll @ 4/11/2010 12:37:00 PM 0 comments

Islands of tranquilty roil with political chaos

It wasn't until I undertook a global survey of countries that I came to realize how many could be classified as island nations. In fact 85, nearly 1/3 of all recognized national sovereignties could be classified as either archipelagic (The Marshall Islands, for example) or island centric (e.g., Greece) as the majority of its landmass or population is based on an island. Three of the previous five reports were of island nations. At one time, most island nations were in essence, islands unto themselves as both geography and limited communications made their processes much slower, deliberative and independent of the broader world beyond their watery border. But with the global saturation of media and instant communication even the most isolated locales found themselves able to not only access, but carve out niches in a highly globalized society.

Globalization and the world wide economic crisis delivered a devastating blow to the politics and economy of Iceland. Relatively isolated for nearly a 1,000 years except to commercial fisherman and extended families in Scandinavia, Iceland first came to the global stage as host nation for the 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev Summit in the capital city of Reykjavik. In an effort to expand beyond it traditional aquacultural income, Iceland has evolved into a banking center which became heavily overcapitalized in comparison to its annual Gross Domestic Product. Its failure to safeguard against national bank failures led to the resignation of Prime Minister Geir Harde and the election of Johanna Sigurdardottir, Iceland's first female Prime Minister and the world's only openly gay and same-sex married world leader. While an example of Iceland's progressive social nature, the U.S. State Department's annual Human Rights Report cites racial discrimination and violence against women as the primary rights concerns of the nation. The United Nations Committee on Torture cites concerns in Iceland's lack of clear definition with respect to torture as its biggest rights issue. While Amnesty International echoes concern for Iceland's refugee and immigration policies, Human Rights Watch hasn't issued a report on Iceland since 2001, and that was in conjunction with the Global Child Soldier and Land Mine Reports. Freedom House's annual survey gives Iceland its highest marks. Iceland acknowledges the scourge of periodic violence against women is a recent UN statement and the steps they are making to eliminate it from society. Unfortunately, both Iceland's Ombudsman and Human Rights Centre seem to take a low key, inactive role in society as few current reports have been published.

On the opposite end of the freedom and democracy scale is Turkmenistan. Much of its oppressive nature is was institutionalized during the ironclad rule of President Niyazov, a hold over from the Soviet days who retained absolute power over the nation for over 20 years. His sudden death in December 2006 left a power vacuum as the Turkmenistan constitution made no provision of succession for Turkmenbashi, the "Father of Turkmenistan", the title assumed by Niyazov who declared hiimself "President For Life." Its status as a world supplier of natural gas led to a rapid reorganization of executive authority being vested in a deputy minister, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who has promised to institute democratic steps. Though detailed, the U.S. State Department Human Rights Report takes a soft approach in its criticism of Turkmenistan as it is expanding its support of developing the nation's natural gas sector. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir, likewise highlighted the growth in religious tolerance in this post-Soviet, Muslim-dominant society. Amnesty International stresses the need of Turkmenistan to free environmental activists, one of many pressure groups which suffer oppression under Turkmenistan's omnipresent leadership while Human Rights Watch broached a more detailed list of rights abuses in questioning the wisdom of economic assistance from Europe. Freedom House continues to list Turkmenistan as one of the most oppressive regimes. The government, however, sees itself as positively expanding freedom, particularly, the press with the creation of a Democracy and Rights Journal. Likewise, the National Institution of Human Rights and Democracy, a quasi-governmental body, cites its efforts to institute UN recommendations to expand the rights of women. The Helsinki Foundation, however, gives a slighter dimmer view of rights progress in publishing an analysis by the British Commonwealth detailing the status of rights in Turkmenistan. It is commendable that Turkmenistan is attempting to expand rights in the nation. At the same time, while it is laudable that the United States, Europe and the United Nations are incentivizing the process through aid and trade expansion, those expansions in capital should be synced to demonstrable growth in liberty and democracy so that yet another nation does not benefit from a tyranny dividend.

With a little over 40,000 citizens Saint Kitts and Nevis heralds one of the most stable democracies in the Caribbean. Independent since 1983 it is a member of the Commonwealth and heavily dependent on tourism. It boasts one of the best human rights records in the region with the U.S. State Department reporting excessive force, poor prisons and violence against women as its biggest issues. It has been nearly a decade since Saint Kitts and Nevis has undergone review by the U.N. Human Rights Council which likewise cited issues pertaining to women, particularly their minimal political participation. Amnesty International cites their unique status as one of the few nations in the Americas that still carries out capital punishment, most recently in 2008. Human Rights Watch hasn't reviewed their status since 2004 when they noted their hosting a Caribbean Forum on homophobia and AIDS. Freedom Watch gives Saint Kitts and Nevis the highest marks for democracy as Prime Minster Douglas has recently began restructuring the government to strengthen anticorruption, antiterrorism, and antitrafficking
laws. These were among a number of sweeping changes instituted by Douglas, one receiving condemnation by the High Court which was critical of the government's efforts to reapportion and potentially gerrymander constituent districts. Another, the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry, is being challenged in court by the opposition party. Lacking a comprehensive human rights body, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative fills much of that breach, particularly regarding transparency and government accountability with a campaign for Caribbean nations to enact a "Know Your Rights Day". Perhaps it is easy to understand how small nations with stable societies feel little need to provide internal human rights oversight. Likewise, as international groups have to channel their limited dollars to provide analysis in less stable countries means that places like Saint Kitts and Nevis undergo less frequent scrutiny. However, as the repeal of capital punishment is the cornerstone of so many rights organizations, it seems that more frequent review would shine a brighter light more frequently on a place that is easily overlooked. And, perhaps, with more frequent review, more societal ills would be revealed.

With respect to stability, few nations in Africa enjoyed more so than Gabon. Located on the Atlantic Gold Coast,
Gabon was led by Omar Bongo for over 40 years, first as a single party then, later as a multi-party democracy. Though opposition parties have frequently declared the votes invalid, both Gabonese citizens and African leaders looked to Bongo for leadership who was viewed as a mediating force in Africa. Upon his death, son Ali Bongo ran as the leader of his father's party and won a highly disputed presidential contest. The U.S. State Department cites their poor human rights record which includes, ritual killing, torture, police and government corruption, violence against women and human trafficking as the primary concerns. It has been five years since Gabon has stood for review at the U.N. Human Rights Council which criticized the status of women's rights. Amnesty International has not reviewed Gabon individually for some time however they were a signatory of a multi-organization rebuke of Gabon's incarceration of human rights and environmental activists. More recently Human Rights Watch included Gabon's Bongo in a report of foreign dictators of poor nations who live in luxury in the U.S. while their people go without. Freedom House's annual report downgraded the status of Gabon primarily due to the nation's crackdown of NGO's and civil society leaders. During a recent visit by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, President Ali Bongo vowed to make the spread of democracy and crack down on corruption in Gabon signature reforms of his administration. While Gabon has an Ombudsman institution in place, virtually no cases have been reported in years. Most internal human rights criticism comes from the opposition party's human rights NGO "Bongo Doit Partir Gabon Nouveau" who view the recent election of Ali Bongo as the perpetuation of a one-party dictatorship. It is still too early to determine whether Ali Bongo will institute real reform in Gabon that does indeed make the political process more democratic and transparent just as it is premature to determine if Ali will have the same mediating impact as his father.

Few places on earth conjure a more idyllic image as does French Polynesia. Spanning some 2 million square miles of the South Pacific (equal in size to continental Europe) and comprised of 130 islands in six groups, French Polynesia is an overseas territory of France. Dependent upon both tourism and development dollars from the motherland, commercial and political life in French Polynesia centers around the Marquesas Island Chain anchored by the capital city of Papeete on Tahiti Island. As it is a territory of France, the U.S. State Department includes them in the annual review of France thus making it difficult to specifically ascertain specific rights abuses in French Polynesia. This is further reiterated in the most recent U.N. Human Rights Council report on the Rights of the Child. Even more poignant is how Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Freedom House follow suit by providing absolutely no oversight of this distant and vast part of our world containing nearly 300,000 people. It is this isolation that gave France the incentive to make French Polynesia a focal point of post World War II era nuclear weapons testing. As one of the five nuclear states France tested 200 weapons in French Polynesia from 1966 until 1996 leading to confrontation with both anti-nuke protesters and indigenous populations uprooted from the islands selected for testing and likewise poisoned from contact with fallout. Bitterness over nuclear testing and victim compensation have served to create political divisions roughly formed along the question of independence.The three primary coalitions have been dominated by three men, Gaston Flosse, Oscar Temaru and Gaston Tong Sang. Over the last few decades each have contested and repeatedly won the Presidency of French Polynesia, presently held by Tong Sang. France has long fought against providing compensation for victims of nuclear testing in French Polynesia. This is most often fought in the courts which tends to side with France. The ability of the three political coalitions to craft legislation that challenges France and the courts leads to the instability of the ever shifting coalitions. As highlighted by Philip Schyle, President of the Territorial Assembly, getting the French government to admit fault dominates the nation's human rights battle. The Human Rights Ombudsman of France tends to weigh in support of compensation for the victims in French Polynesia. On the local level, however the Human Rights League of French Polynesia is focusing on Women's Rights and the on-going issue of domestic abuse, an on-going theme in French Polynesian society recently put to prose.

While globalization may offer economic opportunity to even the most remote of place, with it should come a commitment to human rights oversight. We can not, on one hand, exploit the resources of distant nations and, on the other hand, fail to take responsibility for assuring the rights and democratic development of those people who are now providers and consumers. If we are to upset the tranquility that comes with cultural isolation we are equally responsible that chaos is not all that is left in globalization's wake.

Labels: French Polynesia, Gabon, human rights, Iceland, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Turkmenistan

posted by Dave Carroll @ 4/04/2010 11:57:00 AM 0 comments