Sadly, there were a lot of articles
on the neglect of human rights mostly in Syria. Many of which I couldn’t use
because they were outdated. However, there was one article that incorporates how
modern technology can help protect or even preserve human rights. My article
for this week explains how drones like the ones used by the military could be used
by nongovernmental organizations to capture high definition photos and real time
broadcasts of riots and corrupt government violence in Syria.
This is an effective way to observe
violations of human rights from a distance. Also, the clarity and definition of
the images that the drones can pick up is so much better than the common blurred
civilian-shot photos and shaky mobile phone recordings. This will be helpful
for the UN and the International Criminals Court to make decisions on the best
course of action in certain situation. Unfortunately, it seems that the Syrian
government has been using indoor facilities to carry out their acts of beating,
torture and interrogation. Drones are smaller and more affordable than before.
They are also available for purchase from non-military buyers. However, there
are risks to flying the drones over Syria airspace.
The Syrian government could see the
drone as an act of conspiracy by an unknown foreign establishment. Or worse,
the drone could be identified as an American piece of technology and be mistaken
for property of the U.S. government. This could cause diplomatic tension
between the U.S. and Syria. Such risks
are the reason that human rights organizations decided not to use drones as a
way of surveillance. When it came down to it, the risk was just too high. At
least we now know that the drone surveillance of human rights violations is a viable option for the future if
we find a way to surpass the risks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/opinion/drones-for-human-rights.html?_r=1
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