CHRI Human Rights Update
Your round up from CHRI on 03/02/2016
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Today’s top News
· This one graph shows the biggest threat to LGBT rights in Malawi
· Seychelles’ parliament to consider decriminalising homosexuality in 2016
· Maldives hails India, Pakistan for saving from Commonwealth body agenda
· Gender equality and women’s empowerment come to the fore in Guyana
· UK government revises draft Internet spy law after criticism
Commonwealth Countries
Africa
Cameroon
Terrorism: FG To Relocate Nigerian Refugees In Cameroon Back Home
Leadership
After areas have been taken back by Nigerian forces from terrorist groups, Cameroon’s federal government has promised to relocate the displaced peoples that fled to Cameroon back to Nigeria.
Ghana
West African bishops urge Catholics to defend traditional marriage, family
Catholic Register
The bishops of the region of West Africa called for the defence of the ‘traditional marriage and the family’ after meeting in Ghana’s capital Accra. They spoke to how all human life is sacred, but that marriage was a gift ‘created for man and woman’.
Kenya
Kenyan Muslims, Christians honor Zero Discrimination Day
World Bulletin
Hundreds of people from different religions, met in Nairobi to celebrate Zero Discrimination Day. This is to tackle, among other thing, religious discrimination against Muslims in the country.
(Kenyan Muslims celebrate Zero Discrimination Day with people of other religions)
Lesotho
Southern Africa: Basotho March for Media Freedom
allAfrica
People were marching in Lesotho calling for the media to be kept free under the hashtag “#HANDSOFFMEDIA”. A petition was given to the government, giving it a 14 day deadline to follow up on the requests.
Malawi
This one graph shows the biggest threat to LGBT rights in Malawi
Washington Post
A same sex couple was arrested in Malawi, but were released after international outcry. However, this instance has sparked a big debate in Malawi, and although some argue that this may lead to the decriminalization of homosexual acts, this article argues otherwise.
Malawi: Government Decries Discrimination Among People Living With HIV and Aids
allAfrica
Speaking during Zero Discrimination Day, the Malawian Chief of Health Service at the Ministry if Health stated that discrimination and stigma against people with HIV/AIDS was unfortunate. The UNAIDS country director Ama Sande said that this needed to be tackled to be able to treat the disease itself.
Nigeria
Alleged human right violation: Lawmaker, NHRC, others sensitize constituents on knowing their rights
Daily Post
A rally has been organized to inform people and help them know about their rights so that will report human rights violations. This comes after alleged human rights violations by the Nigerian military.
Seychelles
Seychelles’ parliament to consider decriminalising homosexuality in 2016
Seychelles News Agency
The president of Seychelles claimed in his state of the nation address that he wanted to decriminalize homosexuality. The National Assembly of Seychelles will have to consider the bill.
Uganda
Watch These Fearless Ugandan Journalists Broadcast Their Own Arrests
Huffington Post
During the media coverage of the oppositions appeal to the election result, several journalists were arrested. One of them filmed her arrest and reported on poor treatment and the attempt to crush freedom of the press.
(Uganda: Journalists Targeted for Covering Political Campaigns in Uganda)
Tanzania
Tanzania: Shaping Human Rights Agenda for Youth
allAfrica
Tanzania needs to focus on the youth in the country with its human rights and other legislation and framework as it will affect them for decades to come and because they will be the future decision makers.
Asia
Bangladesh
Murders and Violence: Minorities and Dissent Under Attack in Bangladesh
The Citizen
Dissent and minorities are being continuously attacked in Bangladesh and people fail to rise up against and have become desensitized to it. The people in Bangladesh have also become increasingly uninterested politics and fail to see how these things are political.
India
INDIA: A country afraid to prevent custodial torture
Asian Human Rights Commission
The prevention of torture is not something which is pursued in India, there have been some calls for revisions and agreements that the current legislation is flawed, however, nothing is done about it.
Human rights activist Irom Sharmila re-arrested, to be charged with attempt to suicide by fasting
Zee News
The human rights activist Irom Sharmila has been arrested once more due to her ‘fast-unto-death’ prostest against the ‘Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)’. This has been going on for years and she has been continuously arrested.
Hatred of dissent visible in all ideologies in India
Quartz
The crack down of the students at JNU in India has led to heated debate and shown crackdown on dissent and brutality. However, this is not one sided, and can be found on both sides of the conflict.
Malaysia
Republica
Nepali migrants are treated horribly as they come to Malaysia looking for work. There are several hundred thousand of these people in Malaysia, both legally and illegally, and many of them testify about horrible conditions, poor treatment by law enforcement and exploitation by companies.
Maldives
Maldives hails India, Pakistan for saving from Commonwealth body agenda
Haveeru
The Maldives praised the effort of India and Pakistan from keeping the Maldives from the Commonwealth’s agenda for CMAG. The Maldives have been facing criticism after jailing political opposition.
Pakistan
Pakistanis Throng Funeral of Man Hanged for Killing Critic of Blasphemy Laws
Wall Street Journal
Thousands of Pakistanis gathered to mourn the policeman that shot the ex-Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer accusing him of Blasphemy. The policeman was hanged for his action, and there has been a lot of anger concerning the decision.
Americas
Canada
Truro human rights advocates thrilled to see torture bill tabled in Ottawa
CBC News
Two human rights activists from Truro, N.S., are thrilled an Ontario Liberal MP is pushing to have torture recognized as a crime in Canada.
Kahnawake membership law accused of violating human rights
CBC News
Several residents on the Kahnawake reserve have filed complaints with the Canadian Human Rights Commission over the community’s membership law.
We must be front and centre on climate change — Ontario Regional Chief
Net News Ledger
Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day says that any long term initiative on Human Rights and Climate Change must not only include Indigenous participation but include active Indigenous leadership for any strategy to remain relevant and successful.
Guyana
Gender equality and women’s empowerment come to the fore in Guyana
The World Folio
President David Granger has made it clear that one of the fundamental pillars of his government is equal opportunities for the whole population, with the empowerment and protection of women, and eradication of poverty, at the forefront of its efforts.
Gay rights group lobbies govt to outlaw workplace discrimination
Demerara Waves
The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) wants government to amend the 1997 Prevention of Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination at the workplace and elsewhere
Caribbean
CIM Reports on the Rights of Women living with HIV in the Americas
The Bahamas Weekly
On Zero Discrimination Day, the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) of the OAS is pleased to launch a new report entitled “Human rights of women living with HIV in the Americas” developed by the CIM and UNAIDS, with the collaboration of the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS.
Jamaica
OPINION: IMF claims another victim
Jamaica Observer
“Despite living in a free society with well-developed institutions, many Jamaicans from humble socio-economic backgrounds have yet to experience the full expression of their individual freedom and human rights”.
Europe
United Kingdom
UK government revises draft Internet spy law after criticism
NZ Herald
The British government says it has amended a proposed Internet surveillance law to strengthen privacy protections after criticism from lawmakers. But critics say the legislation gives police unprecedented power to look at the Internet browsing history of everyone in Britain.
Human Right’s Campaigners Press for Assange’s Freedom
Morning Star
HUNDREDS of human rights groups, law professors and campaigners have urged the governments of Sweden and Britain to respect a United Nations panel’s call to let WikilLeaks founder Julian Assage leave the Ecuadorean embassy in London.
OPINION: UK’s spying rules would force tech companies to break encryption — and you’ll pay for it
TNW News
The UK government is spelling out plans to build a great big spying system that it can dip into with as little effort as possible and burying it in hundreds of pages of barely readable bureaucratic documents.
15,000 sign pro-Ashers petition as same-sex cake case back in court
Belfast Telegraph
The McArthur family — the owners of Ashers Baking Company — are appealing a court ruling that they discriminated against a gay customer, and have been heartened by the support, the Christian Institute said.
Cyprus
Europe rights committee criticizes Greece prison conditions
Jurist
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) released a report [text, PDF] Tuesday condemning Greece for police abuse, poor prison conditions and mistreatment of detained juveniles
Geneva meeting focuses on destruction of cultural heritage
FG News
A high level meeting was held on Monday in Geneva, on the destruction of cultural heritage during armed conflict, in the framework of the 31st regular session of the Human Rights Council. The meeting was held upon the initiative of the Foreign Minister of Cyprus.
Malta
OPINION: Why deporting criminals will not work
Malta Today
The latest right-wing trend in Europe is to call for the mass deportations of foreigners and once again Professor Carmel Vassallo’s latest contributino to MaltaToday, ‘Why foreign criminals must be deported’, is littered with logical fallacies and selectively targets a particular category of foreigners; namely Muslims.
Pacific
Australia
Australia should separate religious and civil weddings, report finds
The Guardian
Study examining how laws infringe on people’s rights recommends reforms to fortify protections for religious objectors to marriage.
Baby Asha campaign continues in Qld
Nine News
Asylum-seeker advocates have picketed the office of federal Immigration Minister Peter Dutton as part of an ongoing campaign against offshore detention fuelled by the baby Asha case.
How Climate Change Affects Public Health
Australia Network
Experts warn that climate change will overburden public health. The review published in the Annals of Global Health specifies that cases of vector-borne, foodborne and waterborne diseases, malnutrition, respiratory conditions, heat-related disorders and mental health problems will increase, prompting the need for immediate action.
Patrick Dodson, ‘Father Of Reconciliation’, Announced As Labor Replacement For Departing Senator
Patrick Dodson — the Aboriginal man dubbed ‘The Father of Reconciliation’ by Australian media — is heading to federal parliament. Dodson is pro Aboriginal rights and treaty, and has long campaigned on human rights issues.
OPINION: ‘Health’ tax bodes ill for societal freedoms
Business Day Live
WHERE were the human rights activists when Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announced discrimination against disadvantaged civilians? Where were the civil society organisations and constitutional lawyers? Where were the student activists when Wits Professor Karen Hofman called the measure she promoted “wonderful news”? And where were the journalists who had been apoplectic about the secrecy bill?
Fiji
Central bank: National network is vital in country’s financial system
The Fiji Times Online
THE central bank sees the implementation of a national or Fiji Interchange Network, sometimes referred to as a National Switch, as an important development in the country’s financial system. The Reserve Bank of Fiji made a submission to the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights on the Fiji Interchange Network (Payments) Bill 2016.
Nauru
Green Left
Refugee Action Coalition hosted a forum about what women endure on Nauru and Manus.
New Zealand
Human and labour rights: what do they mean for your company?
The Fifth State
Over the past few years we have seen an increasing interest in how businesses are approaching human and labour rights issues in their operations. This is occurring at the national and international levels and extends to concerns about companies’ supply chains.
Papua New Guinea
Medics ‘patching up’ violence victims in PNG
RNZ
Doctors fear that women and children victims of domestic violence in Papua New Guinea will only be “patched up” between abuse incidents without an urgent ramp-up of protection measures.
Other
2.5 Billion People At Risk of Hunger and Poverty If Land Rights Are Not Protected
allAfrica
A report created by a multitude of NGOs around the world has called for land rights, especially for indigenous peoples. Without these rights being upheld, several billions may suffer from poverty and hunger as a result.
People with learning disabilities are still not recognised as fully human
The Guardian
My son, Connor Sparrowhawk’s death in a Winterbourne View-type unit was preventable. We don’t need a commissioner to enforce pledges on better treatment. Just treat everyone as a human being
U.S. turns to Broadway to promote gay rights at United Nations
Reuters
The United States turned to cultural diplomacy on Tuesday to push gay rights at the United Nations by taking 15 U.N. ambassadors, including those from Russia, Gabon and Namibia, to see an award-winning lesbian musical on Broadway.
9��T��’�Today’s top News
· This one graph shows the biggest threat to LGBT rights in Malawi
· Seychelles’ parliament to consider decriminalising homosexuality in 2016
· Maldives hails India, Pakistan for saving from Commonwealth body agenda
· Gender equality and women’s empowerment come to the fore in Guyana
· UK government revises draft Internet spy law after criticism
Commonwealth Countries
Africa
Cameroon
Terrorism: FG To Relocate Nigerian Refugees In Cameroon Back Home
Leadership
After areas have been taken back by Nigerian forces from terrorist groups, Cameroon’s federal government has promised to relocate the displaced peoples that fled to Cameroon back to Nigeria.
Ghana
West African bishops urge Catholics to defend traditional marriage, family
Catholic Register
The bishops of the region of West Africa called for the defence of the ‘traditional marriage and the family’ after meeting in Ghana’s capital Accra. They spoke to how all human life is sacred, but that marriage was a gift ‘created for man and woman’.
Kenya
Kenyan Muslims, Christians honor Zero Discrimination Day
World Bulletin
Hundreds of people from different religions, met in Nairobi to celebrate Zero Discrimination Day. This is to tackle, among other thing, religious discrimination against Muslims in the country.
(Kenyan Muslims celebrate Zero Discrimination Day with people of other religions)
Lesotho
Southern Africa: Basotho March for Media Freedom
allAfrica
People were marching in Lesotho calling for the media to be kept free under the hashtag “#HANDSOFFMEDIA”. A petition was given to the government, giving it a 14 day deadline to follow up on the requests.
Malawi
This one graph shows the biggest threat to LGBT rights in Malawi
Washington Post
A same sex couple was arrested in Malawi, but were released after international outcry. However, this instance has sparked a big debate in Malawi, and although some argue that this may lead to the decriminalization of homosexual acts, this article argues otherwise.
Malawi: Government Decries Discrimination Among People Living With HIV and Aids
allAfrica
Speaking during Zero Discrimination Day, the Malawian Chief of Health Service at the Ministry if Health stated that discrimination and stigma against people with HIV/AIDS was unfortunate. The UNAIDS country director Ama Sande said that this needed to be tackled to be able to treat the disease itself.
Nigeria
Alleged human right violation: Lawmaker, NHRC, others sensitize constituents on knowing their rights
Daily Post
A rally has been organized to inform people and help them know about their rights so that will report human rights violations. This comes after alleged human rights violations by the Nigerian military.
Seychelles
Seychelles’ parliament to consider decriminalising homosexuality in 2016
Seychelles News Agency
The president of Seychelles claimed in his state of the nation address that he wanted to decriminalize homosexuality. The National Assembly of Seychelles will have to consider the bill.
Uganda
Watch These Fearless Ugandan Journalists Broadcast Their Own Arrests
Huffington Post
During the media coverage of the oppositions appeal to the election result, several journalists were arrested. One of them filmed her arrest and reported on poor treatment and the attempt to crush freedom of the press.
(Uganda: Journalists Targeted for Covering Political Campaigns in Uganda)
Tanzania
Tanzania: Shaping Human Rights Agenda for Youth
allAfrica
Tanzania needs to focus on the youth in the country with its human rights and other legislation and framework as it will affect them for decades to come and because they will be the future decision makers.
Asia
Bangladesh
Murders and Violence: Minorities and Dissent Under Attack in Bangladesh
The Citizen
Dissent and minorities are being continuously attacked in Bangladesh and people fail to rise up against and have become desensitized to it. The people in Bangladesh have also become increasingly uninterested politics and fail to see how these things are political.
India
INDIA: A country afraid to prevent custodial torture
Asian Human Rights Commission
The prevention of torture is not something which is pursued in India, there have been some calls for revisions and agreements that the current legislation is flawed, however, nothing is done about it.
Human rights activist Irom Sharmila re-arrested, to be charged with attempt to suicide by fasting
Zee News
The human rights activist Irom Sharmila has been arrested once more due to her ‘fast-unto-death’ prostest against the ‘Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)’. This has been going on for years and she has been continuously arrested.
Hatred of dissent visible in all ideologies in India
Quartz
The crack down of the students at JNU in India has led to heated debate and shown crackdown on dissent and brutality. However, this is not one sided, and can be found on both sides of the conflict.
Malaysia
Republica
Nepali migrants are treated horribly as they come to Malaysia looking for work. There are several hundred thousand of these people in Malaysia, both legally and illegally, and many of them testify about horrible conditions, poor treatment by law enforcement and exploitation by companies.
Maldives
Maldives hails India, Pakistan for saving from Commonwealth body agenda
Haveeru
The Maldives praised the effort of India and Pakistan from keeping the Maldives from the Commonwealth’s agenda for CMAG. The Maldives have been facing criticism after jailing political opposition.
Pakistan
Pakistanis Throng Funeral of Man Hanged for Killing Critic of Blasphemy Laws
Wall Street Journal
Thousands of Pakistanis gathered to mourn the policeman that shot the ex-Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer accusing him of Blasphemy. The policeman was hanged for his action, and there has been a lot of anger concerning the decision.
Americas
Canada
Truro human rights advocates thrilled to see torture bill tabled in Ottawa
CBC News
Two human rights activists from Truro, N.S., are thrilled an Ontario Liberal MP is pushing to have torture recognized as a crime in Canada.
Kahnawake membership law accused of violating human rights
CBC News
Several residents on the Kahnawake reserve have filed complaints with the Canadian Human Rights Commission over the community’s membership law.
We must be front and centre on climate change — Ontario Regional Chief
Net News Ledger
Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day says that any long term initiative on Human Rights and Climate Change must not only include Indigenous participation but include active Indigenous leadership for any strategy to remain relevant and successful.
Guyana
Gender equality and women’s empowerment come to the fore in Guyana
The World Folio
President David Granger has made it clear that one of the fundamental pillars of his government is equal opportunities for the whole population, with the empowerment and protection of women, and eradication of poverty, at the forefront of its efforts.
Gay rights group lobbies govt to outlaw workplace discrimination
Demerara Waves
The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) wants government to amend the 1997 Prevention of Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination at the workplace and elsewhere
Caribbean
CIM Reports on the Rights of Women living with HIV in the Americas
The Bahamas Weekly
On Zero Discrimination Day, the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) of the OAS is pleased to launch a new report entitled “Human rights of women living with HIV in the Americas” developed by the CIM and UNAIDS, with the collaboration of the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS.
Jamaica
OPINION: IMF claims another victim
Jamaica Observer
“Despite living in a free society with well-developed institutions, many Jamaicans from humble socio-economic backgrounds have yet to experience the full expression of their individual freedom and human rights”.
Europe
United Kingdom
UK government revises draft Internet spy law after criticism
NZ Herald
The British government says it has amended a proposed Internet surveillance law to strengthen privacy protections after criticism from lawmakers. But critics say the legislation gives police unprecedented power to look at the Internet browsing history of everyone in Britain.
Human Right’s Campaigners Press for Assange’s Freedom
Morning Star
HUNDREDS of human rights groups, law professors and campaigners have urged the governments of Sweden and Britain to respect a United Nations panel’s call to let WikilLeaks founder Julian Assage leave the Ecuadorean embassy in London.
OPINION: UK’s spying rules would force tech companies to break encryption — and you’ll pay for it
TNW News
The UK government is spelling out plans to build a great big spying system that it can dip into with as little effort as possible and burying it in hundreds of pages of barely readable bureaucratic documents.
15,000 sign pro-Ashers petition as same-sex cake case back in court
Belfast Telegraph
The McArthur family — the owners of Ashers Baking Company — are appealing a court ruling that they discriminated against a gay customer, and have been heartened by the support, the Christian Institute said.
Cyprus
Europe rights committee criticizes Greece prison conditions
Jurist
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) released a report [text, PDF] Tuesday condemning Greece for police abuse, poor prison conditions and mistreatment of detained juveniles
Geneva meeting focuses on destruction of cultural heritage
FG News
A high level meeting was held on Monday in Geneva, on the destruction of cultural heritage during armed conflict, in the framework of the 31st regular session of the Human Rights Council. The meeting was held upon the initiative of the Foreign Minister of Cyprus.
Malta
OPINION: Why deporting criminals will not work
Malta Today
The latest right-wing trend in Europe is to call for the mass deportations of foreigners and once again Professor Carmel Vassallo’s latest contributino to MaltaToday, ‘Why foreign criminals must be deported’, is littered with logical fallacies and selectively targets a particular category of foreigners; namely Muslims.
Pacific
Australia
Australia should separate religious and civil weddings, report finds
The Guardian
Study examining how laws infringe on people’s rights recommends reforms to fortify protections for religious objectors to marriage.
Baby Asha campaign continues in Qld
Nine News
Asylum-seeker advocates have picketed the office of federal Immigration Minister Peter Dutton as part of an ongoing campaign against offshore detention fuelled by the baby Asha case.
How Climate Change Affects Public Health
Australia Network
Experts warn that climate change will overburden public health. The review published in the Annals of Global Health specifies that cases of vector-borne, foodborne and waterborne diseases, malnutrition, respiratory conditions, heat-related disorders and mental health problems will increase, prompting the need for immediate action.
Patrick Dodson, ‘Father Of Reconciliation’, Announced As Labor Replacement For Departing Senator
Patrick Dodson — the Aboriginal man dubbed ‘The Father of Reconciliation’ by Australian media — is heading to federal parliament. Dodson is pro Aboriginal rights and treaty, and has long campaigned on human rights issues.
OPINION: ‘Health’ tax bodes ill for societal freedoms
Business Day Live
WHERE were the human rights activists when Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announced discrimination against disadvantaged civilians? Where were the civil society organisations and constitutional lawyers? Where were the student activists when Wits Professor Karen Hofman called the measure she promoted “wonderful news”? And where were the journalists who had been apoplectic about the secrecy bill?
Fiji
Central bank: National network is vital in country’s financial system
The Fiji Times Online
THE central bank sees the implementation of a national or Fiji Interchange Network, sometimes referred to as a National Switch, as an important development in the country’s financial system. The Reserve Bank of Fiji made a submission to the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights on the Fiji Interchange Network (Payments) Bill 2016.
Nauru
Green Left
Refugee Action Coalition hosted a forum about what women endure on Nauru and Manus.
New Zealand
Human and labour rights: what do they mean for your company?
The Fifth State
Over the past few years we have seen an increasing interest in how businesses are approaching human and labour rights issues in their operations. This is occurring at the national and international levels and extends to concerns about companies’ supply chains.
Papua New Guinea
Medics ‘patching up’ violence victims in PNG
RNZ
Doctors fear that women and children victims of domestic violence in Papua New Guinea will only be “patched up” between abuse incidents without an urgent ramp-up of protection measures.
Other
2.5 Billion People At Risk of Hunger and Poverty If Land Rights Are Not Protected
allAfrica
A report created by a multitude of NGOs around the world has called for land rights, especially for indigenous peoples. Without these rights being upheld, several billions may suffer from poverty and hunger as a result.
People with learning disabilities are still not recognised as fully human
The Guardian
My son, Connor Sparrowhawk’s death in a Winterbourne View-type unit was preventable. We don’t need a commissioner to enforce pledges on better treatment. Just treat everyone as a human being
U.S. turns to Broadway to promote gay rights at United Nations
Reuters
The United States turned to cultural diplomacy on Tuesday to push gay rights at the United Nations by taking 15 U.N. ambassadors, including those from Russia, Gabon and Namibia, to see an award-winning lesbian musical on Broadway.
