Rights Group Says Burma Has Intensified Political Arrests

VOA News - Rights Group Says Burma Has Intensified Political Arrests

Voice of America again is on top of human rights and politics in Burma. According to VOA:
"Human Rights Watch says Burma's military government has doubled the number of political prisoners over the past two years.

The New York-based advocacy group Wednesday said Burma is holding more than 2,200 political prisoners, with 100 people jailed in recent months.

Burma has dismissed criticism of its human rights record and says it is implementing a so-called "road-map to democracy." The plan includes holding national elections next year for the first time in 20 years.

Human Rights Watch says Burma should immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners in Burma if the elections are to have any credibility.

The United States is reviewing its policy toward Burma to determine how best to encourage the government to reform. The top U.S. diplomat for Southeast Asia, Scot Marciel, said Wednesday that review will be concluded soon.

He said even if the policy changes, the ultimate goal will be for Burma to release political prisoners and have a more inclusive political process.

Human Rights Watch of course is not the only reporting agency to have a watchful eye on Burmese Human Rights matters. According to official CIA Factbook
records Burma has had problems with trafficking in persons:

"current situation: Burma is a source country for women, children, and men trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; Burmese women and children are trafficked to East and Southeast Asia for commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and forced labor; Burmese children are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Thailand as hawkers, beggars, and for work in shops, agriculture, fish processing, and small-scale industries; women are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to Malaysia and China; some trafficking victims transit Burma from Bangladesh to Malaysia and from China to Thailand; internal trafficking occurs primarily from villages to urban centers and economic hubs for labor in industrial zones, agricultural estates, and commercial sexual exploitation; military and civilian officials continue to use a significant amount of forced labor; ethnic insurgent groups also used compulsory labor of adults and unlawful recruitment of children; the military junta's gross economic mismanagement, human rights abuses, and its policy of using forced labor are the top causal factors for Burma's significant trafficking problem tier rating: Tier 3 - Burma does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; military and civilian officials remain directly involved in significant acts of forced labor and unlawful conscription of child soldiers (2008)."

There have been recent talks between high level US officials and Burma. But, otherwise there has not been significant relations and human rights is now going to be a top priority especially with the US re-joining the United Nation's on the Council in the most recent developments. This is a good opportunity for Burma to show they are willing to comply with international human rights standards.

William

Egypt:New Human Rights Report Enroute To Geneva, Will it Matter?

Egypt: Overcoming torture, human rights abuses « Bikya Masr

Bikya Masr runs an outstanding human rights blog among other involvement with politics in Egypt and I have followed his work closely. His latest report concerning new human rights development in Egypt is worth a share. According to his blog:
"The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) believes that the recent report sent to Geneva by the National Council for Human Rights is an opportunity for the country to establish new laws to help combat torture and human rights abuses in the country."
Of course for Egypt this is incredible news as this is a country with a poor human rights record which we can discuss with more detail. Furthermore Bikya continues:

"Despite the hope, ANHRI “is quite cautious regarding these efforts and declarations especially that the Egyptian government did not admit the existence of any problem to start with,” highlighting one of the growing tenuous issues facing rights in the country.

According to the watchdog, the Egyptian government “mentioned nothing to be the reason behind the deteriorating human rights condition in Egypt in the last four years.”

If you ask the government of Egypt there is no problem with human rights. Why then did the ANHRI have to send a report to Geneva Switzerland to begin with? Why then did a convicted convict for torture be returned to work in Egypt as a police officer?

Furthermore, CIA Factbook

indicates that Egypt's human rights record has not been one of great respect"

"current situation: Egypt is a transit country for women trafficked from Eastern European countries to Israel for sexual exploitation, and is a source for children trafficked within the country for commercial sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, although the extent to which children are trafficked internally is unknown; children were also recruited for domestic and agricultural work; some of these children face conditions of involuntary servitude, such as restrictions on movement, non-payment of wages, threats, and physical or sexual abuse tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Egypt is on the Tier 2 Watch List for the third year in a row because it did not provide evidence of increasing efforts to investigate and prosecute traffickers; however, in July 2007, the government established the "National Coordinating Committee to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Persons," which improved inter-governmental coordination on anti-trafficking initiatives; Egypt made no discernible efforts to punish trafficking crimes in 2007 and the Egyptian penal code does not prohibit all forms of trafficking; Egypt did not increase its services to trafficking victims during the reporting period (2008)
Illicit drugs:
transit point for cannabis, heroin, and opium moving to Europe, Israel, and North Africa; transit stop for Nigerian drug couriers; concern as money laundering site due to lax enforcement of financial regulations" This does not go well for the international communities outlook of Egypt overall from a human rights perspective whatsoever. Global Human Rights Are For Everyone! William

20 yr old Christian Man Tortured in Pakistan Jail?

Rights Group in Pakistan Seeks Answers on Christian’s Death - NYTimes.com
Prominent Human Rights group sources allege that a 20 yr old young Christian man was found dead in his cell with evidence of torture found on his body. Christians are a minority in Pakistan being a Muslin dominated state. The man's death is under investigation. According to the report from NY Times.com:
"Mr. Fanish was arrested on Saturday in the village of Jathikai and charged with blasphemy, a controversial statute often used against minorities in Pakistan, human rights groups say. A Muslim family accused him of "desecrating a Koran", but his local supporters said the family claimed he had been "admiring their daughter."

Furthermore according to the Times:

"The police said Mr. Fanish had hanged himself in his cell, using a strip of material ripped from his clothing. The Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights, an alliance of more than 30 human rights groups, said in a statement it had talked to witnesses who saw marks of torture on his body.

The group said evidence in the case “raises strong suspicion of the involvement of the jail officials” in Mr. Fanish’s death.

Ms. Jahangir said local politicians often collude with attackers, covering up their crimes, partly out of a deep-seated prejudice against minorities — Christians and Ahmadis, a minority sect in Islam — and out of a reflexive sympathy with other Muslims."

Apparently, we will quite possibly not get to the bottom of this, but maybe there is a chance. There is a strong coalition of Human Rights groups "The Joint Action Committee For Peoples Rights "on it" so we will see how they manage. Let us just hope that this young man's family receives some sort of justice for whatever happened to there son in that Pakistani jail cell for "blasphemy against a Koran". Please, is this really a trumped up way of getting rid of non-believers of anything other than the Muslim faith?

William