The human rights situation in the world is in a critical state. But the dangers that threaten them go far beyond the “atrocities” committed in Gaza, Sudan or Myanmar during 2023: the constant violation of international law, the rise of populist and autocratic leaders in consolidated democracies and the double standards of many countries. Western concerns regarding abuses contribute to degrading international respect for human rights, concludes Human Rights Watch (HRW)in a report made public this Thursdayin which he analyzes country by country the state of individual and collective freedoms.
“One of the reasons why we are seeing a regression is because governments turn a blind eye to the abuses of other countries to advance their own national policy agendas,” denounces Tirana Hassan, director of the NGO, during a telephone interview. with this diary. This is what HRW calls “transactional diplomacy”, that is, reaching agreements with other countries regardless of whether or not they respect human rights. An “excellent example”, claims Hassan, is the migration agreement between the European Union and Tunisia, which means that Brussels, in order to protect the community borders, gives “funds to the Tunisian security forces, despite the fact that they are involved in abuses” against migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean.
Another is that of India. “Governments such as those of Japan, the United Kingdom, EU countries or the United States are ignoring abuses, including the systematic discrimination of religious minorities, the suffocation of political dissent and the widespread repression against civil society and independent media,” he says. the director of HRW. And at the same time that they close their eyes, “they deepen ties with the Government of [Narendra] Modi.”
Transnational repression
The silence of democracies in the face of the violation of human rights increases the “sense of impunity” and leads “abusive governments” to practice repression beyond their borders, Hassan warns. In the case of Modi, as detailed by HRW in its report, “he has intimidated activists and academics in the diaspora or restricted their entry into the country.” “In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau considered it 'credible allegations' that Indian government agents had been involved in the murder of a Sikh separatist activist in Canada,” the NGO recalls.
India's “transnational repression” is not “an isolated example.” He Human Rights Collective Nicaragua Never Again has just reported that, this Wednesday, two Nicaraguan exiles in Costa Rica (Joao Ismael Maldonado Bermúdez and Nadia Robleto, who fled Daniel Ortega's regime) were attacked in broad daylight on a street in San José. It is the second time that there has been an assassination attempt against Maldonado, according to the organization. Costa Rica, a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the American Convention on Human Rights, has not yet clarified any of the attacks.
The UN and Rwanda's international partners have consistently failed to recognize the scope and severity of its human rights violations.
HRW
HRW makes special mention of Rwanda: “Three decades of impunity for the Rwandan government's repression of civil and political rights in its country have emboldened it to suppress dissent beyond its borders.” According to the NGO, “the Government of Rwanda has carried out more than a dozen kidnappings or attempted kidnappings, forced disappearances, attacks, threats and murders, as well as harassment against Rwandan citizens” living in countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom or United States. But as Kigali “has become more prominent on the international stage,” as a leader of multilateral institutions or becoming one of Africa's largest contributors of peacekeeping troops, “the UN and Rwanda's international partners have failed systematically in recognizing the scope and severity of its human rights violations.”
Closely related to the silence that democracies maintain in the face of abuses committed by their partners is what Hassan calls “selective indignation.” “We saw countries like the United States, but also members of the EU, strongly condemn the attacks of [la milicia islamista palestina] October 7 Hamas [en el sur de Israel]but they were much quieter when the Israeli authorities responded with incessant bombing and collective punishment against the population of Palestine, cutting off and restricting humanitarian aid, water and fuel,” laments Hassan.
“This type of selective outrage is very dangerous because it sends the message that some lives matter more than others,” he continues. But, furthermore, the West's double standards have repercussions that go beyond this war in the Middle East. “Countries like China and Russia are using it to tell governments in the global South that the human rights system” will not protect them, warns the director of HRW. However, this is not a “moral position” of Beijing and Moscow, but rather “a broader agenda to try to dismantle” this system, she adds.
The importance of asking for responsibility
Therefore, one of the great hopes for the defense of freedoms lies in the demand for “accountability.” Measures such as the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children “make the cost of repression higher.” And the consequences are tangible. For example, South Africa hosted a BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit last August. Despite the country's authorities sending conflicting messages about his obligations as a member of the court, Putin ultimately did not travel to South Africa: the Gauteng High Court ruled that South Africa did have an obligation to arrest the Russian president if he set foot in the court. country.
Attacks against women's rights, against refugees or the LGTBI community are the first signs that human rights are in danger
Tirana Hassan, director of HRW
Another milestone that HRW highlights as a light of 2023 is the political declaration of 83 countries – five of the largest arms exporters, among them – on the protection of civilians against the use of explosive weapons in populated areas during conflicts. Although it has not stopped Israel from bombing densely populated areas of Gaza, Hassan believes it is necessary to create standards under which aggressors can be held accountable. These standards, however, “are not implemented alone” and require the involvement of the international community, he highlights.
Because the alternative to not demanding accountability is to repeat tragedies like that of Sudan, which has suffered a conflict since April 15 that has forced more than seven million people to leave their homes, according to UNHCR data. (the UN refugee agency). According to HRW, the massive abuse against civilians resulting from th
e power struggle between the head of the army, Abdel Fattá al Burhan, and the leader of the so-called Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo Hemedti, They are a “reflection of the abuses committed in the last two decades by forces loyal to both generals,” for which neither party had to assume responsibility. The NGO recalls that the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for past crimes in Darfur. However, “the Sudanese authorities have obstructed them” and “the United Nations Security Council has done almost nothing to address the government's intransigence.” Furthermore, the organization adds, “in 2023, when the African countries on the Security Council included the Africans Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique, the UN closed its political mission in Sudan at the insistence of the Sudanese Government, putting an end to the little What was left of the UN's ability in the country to protect civilians?
This year, according to HRW, is precisely ideal to demand accountability from governments to the extent that half the planet is called to the polls —3.7 billion people will be able to vote in 70 countries. The NGO draws special attention to those democracies in which populist and autocratic leaders are emerging, such as Javier Milei in Argentina. “They are trying to consolidate their power by eroding not only human rights but also the checks and balances that guarantee the freedom of a society, for example, through attacks against journalists or against justice,” Hassan emphasizes. For this reason, in this election year, the director of HRW asks to be alert: “When you start to see attacks against women's rights, against refugees or against the LGTBI community, what you are seeing are the first signs that human rights Humans are in danger.”
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