Ryan Smith Blog No.13 - Ethnic Hatred Tears Apart a Region of Myanmar

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/world/asia/muslims-face-expulsion-from-western-myanmar.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=world

Sectarian violence has erupted yet again in recent weeks between Muslims and Buddhists in the seaside town of Sittwe, Myanmar.  Lying on the West coast, the Rakhine state is home to a large population of Muslims that the Buddhist majority in Burma believe to be violent and illegal immigrants.  Over 167 are dead and 100,000 left homeless in what many are calling an ethnic cleansing of the region.  Organizations like the UN and Human Rights Watch call the Rohingya, a subgroup of native Muslims, the most discriminated and denigrated group in the world.  They were blamed for the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman in October and have undergone a mass exodus from the region ever since.  Many are forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh where they experience similar persecution.

Even Shwe Maung, a Muslim member of Parliament, is forced to travel in a convoy of armed vehicles for his protection from the violent hatred aimed at any and all Muslims in the region.  Myanmar officials have tried to implement a "three generations" rule that allows for the uninterrupted stay of Muslims who have a three generations old history of residency in the region, but ethnic hatred of Muslims is so strong and pervasive that it doesn't stop the violence and discrimination from other Burmese.  Even Buddhist monks, traditionally pacifistic, are weighing in on the conflict calling the minority Muslims a "threat to the nation" and affirming "the hatred we have for each other is growing every day."

The 30+ year junta's militant rule is crumbling in Myanmar and you're seeing long-held  and suppressed tensions between the two groups starting to surface.  As I mentioned in an earlier blog on the rape and murder that initially set off the violent outbreak, Myanmar is attempting to portray themselves as a nation in political transition, but as recent events have shown internal unrest need to be quelled before that can effectively continue.  Barack Obama became the first US President to ever visit the region this past week and spoke at universities in the area to emphasize the necessity of diversity and empathy in all societies.  Effective diplomacy looks bleak if even the monks are encouraging attacks and hatred towards the Rohingya and other Muslim groups.  The necessity for intervention may be drawing near for human rights  organizations and Islamic advocacy groups.

Blog 13

Discrimination has been evident for a long time. It has appeared around the earth several times. Believe it or not racism between Blacks and Whites in America was not the first appearance of discrimination.   Long ago during Christ's life on earth the Jews felt only they could be close to God and not the Gentiles ( anyone who was not a Jew). Paul the missionary had to write,any letters and minister to many different churches to make sure that people understood that God was for everyone. Later in history we got to see how Hitler spread discrimination so that it was between the Jews and the Nazis. Again a few years down the road we see in America and still see it. Some places you will see discrimination between Whites and other minorities. For example it states in the Declaration of Independence that all people are equal. However in America, Caucasians are paid more in their salaries than other minorities for working the same job, completing the same tasks.  Is this not discrimination to a degree? In article " Removal of Palestinians from buses in Israel sparks Human Rights Concerns", in the location of Jerusalem, Jewish settlers have made complaints about Palestinian laborers boarding their buses. Israel's transportation ministry is currently considering operating separate buses for Jews and Palestinians in the West Bank. Several Human Rights groups have reacted angrily to this because they are very much aware that Israel's transportation ministry is currently considering operating two different buses based off of discriminatory reasons. We have to ask ourselves, is this fair? I see the issue being fairly deeper than just trying to prevent overcrowding on the buses. It is good that in the end the government made the decision not to separate the two races, but to work on a different solution and less discriminatory solution. Equality should apply to all no matter the race, gender, religion, etc. rather it be transportation, salary, housing, or schooling, no one should be discriminated against and kept away from good opportunities. In article one of Human Rights it states that " all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should ac towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood". If this is true, then there should be no discrimination against any human, at anytime, in any place. No matter the country or nation we all affect one another in some way. Patterns of discrimination is not something we want taught to our growing kids of our future around the world. 

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2012/1130/1224327302822.html

Final Blog: Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill

I decided to do my blog this week on a situation starting to arise in Uganda concerning their Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The bill was recently placed on the Ugandan parliament’s agenda for discussion and has the support of the speaker, as well as other parliamentarians. They declared that its passage in December would be a “Christmas gift” to the people of Uganda. Human Rights First has opposition to this bill because it will have adverse consequences for the human rights of gay, bisexual, gay, transgender, and intersex people. Currently in Uganda, same-sex relations are already illegal, but this bill proposed tougher penalties not only for the LGBTI community but those who assist them. It can have affect with their health care practitioners, and it establishes a dangerous precedent for the persecution of other minority groups in the country.

This bill was first introduced in 2009, and currently the Anti-Homosexuality Bill is scheduled to be discussed before the parliament as a high priority bill. This means that the lawmakers could pass the legislation before December 15^th, when they will have recess.  

With the bill’s discussion growing very closely, supporters of the LGBTI community have called onto President Obama to stop the passing of the legislation, in hope of killing the piece of legislation. Human Rights First’s Paul LeGendre was quoted by saying, “We call on President Obama and Secretary Clinton to work toward preventing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill from coming to a vote in the Ugandan Parliament,” and continued by adding, “They should also reiterate their serious concerns to Ugandan President Museveni, whose signature would be required for the bill to take effect.”  This group commends Obama and his Administration for their opposition to this bill, since it was introduced in 2009. They have been also very appreciative of President Obama’s efforts to counter laws that criminalize same-sex relations. They believe that this is a key part of Obama’s memorandum on international advances towards the rights of the LGBTI community. They called upon Secretary Clinton for her efforts to speak out against human rights abusers, and those based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  

Human Right First are supporting the efforts made by human rights group and fellow Ugandans who oppose the bill, and are hoping to get assistance from the Obama Administration to help their efforts. A Ugandan civil society leader, Julius Kaggwa was quoted by saying, “Now is the time for the international community to express solidarity with LGBTI Ugandans.”

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/human-rights-group-asks-obama-to-help-stop-ugandas-kill-the-gays-bill/politics/2012/11/27/54714

Ryan Smith Blog No.12 - Tibetan Woman, the Latest to Self-Immolate, Dies

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/tibetan-women-latest-immolate-dies-17750406#.UKksx4XDzOc

A Tibetan woman set herself on fire in protest of the long standing Chinese occupation of Tibet this past week.  She is roughly the 75th person to self-immolate since February 2009 and marks a recent spike in public demonstrations while China has been undergoing their once-a-decade obligation of handing power down to the new cast of Standing Committee heirs and a new Communist Leader, Xi Jinping.  Chinese Foreign Minister and other officials have stated that the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, is responsible for inciting the wave of self-immolations, however he's been a consistent advocate for non-violence and denies all accusations.

The majority of suicidal protests have been occurring near Tibetan monasteries and in Chinese provinces with large populations of Tibetan nationals. Tibetans doing so are protesting the illegal Chinese occupation and oppressive control of their home country since 1949, and are advocating their returned independence and autonomy.  As of now, Tibet is legally independent but operating under strict Chinese control.  It is still a sovereign state but in title only as their is overwhelming evidence of severe human rights abuses.  The list of grievances include the prohibited exercising of their rights to assembly, free speech, self-determination, and religious and cultural expression.  Tibetan prisoners endure harsh conditions, torture, food and sleep deprivation, as well as unreasonable imprisonment for peaceful dissension.  Since almost all of the newly "elected" members of the PRC's Standing Committee are descendants of old members and other Communist Party elites, the chances for progressivism and open-mindedness any time soon looks bleak.

The Chinese claim that the two nations were united under Mongolian rule centuries ago, and that there's a certain commonality in culture and ethnicity.  However the relations between Genghis Khan's Mongols and Tibet were peaceful, and the two nations mutually considered each other equals.  The PRC marched into Tibet in 1949 and imposed their 17-Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet.  This agreement effectively made Tibet a Chinese province with almost no chance at self-governance, but because the document was signed under duress it is rendered illegitimate and illegal by international standards.

The Bush administration facilitated a hopeful reemergence of talks between Chinese leaders and the Dalai Lama after a ten year political stalemate, but tensions between the US and China over their own respective elections have brought another period of inactivity between the three nations.  The US has supported the sovereign wishes of the exiled Tibetan government, but the nature of their support has been ambiguous and flimsy at times.  The US maintains their "one-China policy" which is at odds with Hong Kong's off-shore administrative role in the "two-China" identity the PRC upholds, but so far this has yet to amount to anything other than a declaration of foreign policy.  US humanitarian aid has been provided for Tibetans, and the US State Department has created an office solely dedicated to the Tibet issue, but so far no stern sanctions have been issued towards China through the US or any other international force.  The US needs to maintain their strict stance and support of Tibet, but actively engage more of the international community in the conflict.  This would be a further reversal of the US' reputation as a lone and indignant actor in the global arena, while also garnishing the support Tibet needs to oppose the over-protective decisions of a powerful regime like China.


Additional sources:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/tibet/9168885/Dalai-Lama-behind-Tibet-protest-self-immolation-says-China.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/18/teenage-tibetan-monk-dies-china?intcmp=239
http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/tibets-horrifying-persistent-fire/
http://www.savetibet.org/resource-center/all-about-tibet/history-tibet-before-chinese-invasion-1949
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/27/tibet-self-immolation-china

Blog 12: Human Rights Now

Analysis

           

            On Thursday, China had brought in a new chairman named Xi Jinping who took power and started making changes.  The citizens of China have been left out of the process and they have no idea how their leaders are being put into office.  “Xi's predecessors Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin pursued reformist agendas designed to give people modest amounts of freedom so long as they did not challenge the Communist Party's monopoly on power.”  They stopped the process after the 2008 Olympics.  “He stepped up abuses of human rights defenders and lawyers, reined in vocal civil society organizations, broadened controls on Uighurs and Tibetans, and employed legally baseless tactics such as house arrest to silence critics.”  They had made a key decision on amending the 2004 to acknowledge human rights for their citizens.  Since that though there has been no sudden rise in protection policies for their citizens human rights.  “In a system that denies ordinary citizens participation in political decisions, those facing abuses have few places to vent their anger or seek redress.”  The only solution is for the Communist party to gives up power to the legal system of the country, this includes the Supreme Court, and even the lower courts.  Without the help of the courts there will likely be protesting on the streets which will in turn show the government the matter needs to be addressed.

Summary

            In China, the Communist Party has given aspirations for basic human rights to their citizens.  Every year China has a process to elect the officials in office but the citizens do not get a say in who will be elected.  This is basically saying that they have no say and that the government will do, as they want without any opposition.  The most recent case of this is when Xi Jinping was elected to become a leader.  The government says that they are keeping to the amendment, which gives their citizens human rights, but it seems that they have taken over the legal system and its Supreme Court. That is why so many people have started to protest and riot in China and it is not likely to stop until the  government addresses the problem.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/11/15/human_rights_now

Mexico Changes Labor Laws First in 40 Years

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/11/14/mexico-labor/1704479/

For decades Mexico has suffered from unjust labor laws or from lack of labor laws. The use of freelance workers is common in Mexico meaning workers have multiple jobs because they do not receive fair wages so they have to have multiple jobs. People in Mexico also struggle to find steady jobs. "It's really hard to get yourself established," says León, who was fortunate enough recently to find a formal job with full benefits. An overhaul of the country's labor laws passed Tuesday by the Mexican congress may be the first step toward strengthening the formal economy. Mexico's outgoing president, Felipe Calderón, says the measure will promote job creation and improve working conditions in a country where approximately 30% of the population works in the informal economy. Changes to labor laws in Mexico haven’t occurred for over 40 years. These changes include: legal constraints on a company's ability to hire and fire, lift a ban on part-time employment, allow probationary periods for new hires and cap the amount of money a company must pay to laid-off workers. They also limit a company's ability to hire freelance workers as a way to get around the strict labor laws. Left-wing lawmakers opposed the changes, arguing they would weaken worker rights and protect powerful union bosses who often lead lavish lifestyles. These left-wing lawmakers also tried to add an article to the law so that workers would have to get approval from their bosses before going on strike and or forming a union. "Many young people and women cannot find work because of a ban on part-time employment," says César Velázquez Guadarrama, professor of public policy at the Iberoamerican University.

Opinion:

Changes to labor laws for Mexico is a great advancement for their economy because the people will be more willing to work in their country if they have more rights verse fleeting to America for work and opportunity. For more than forty years the people of Mexico have been suffering from unfair wages, lack of opportunity for a steady job, and lack of their rights. This shows that Mexico is a developing country and is behind the United States labor wise. I am happy to hear that Mexico is making change and working towards justice for their people. The main reason so many Mexicans migrate to the United States is because they do not have labor rights or very much choice of opportunity. The people of Mexico and all over the world deserve the right to labor laws that consist of fair and consistent wages, ability to move up in position within a company, and the right to voice the issues they are dealing with from mistreatment at work. I believe that labor lays for Mexico will spark a growth in their economy because it will allow workers access to more opportunities. When workers have a sense of security with their carrier they live more comfortable and spend more money which will benefit their economy. Also more workers will remain in Mexico because of it which would also be great news for the United States. Change is much needed for Mexico and laws that give people their human rights is the first step to growth within a country. 

Blog 12 : Morocco: Abuse of Child Domestic Workers

In Morocco there are girls as young as 8 years old that are being used as domestic workers. These young girls work for long hours with very little pay, and it is not uncommon for them to endure physical abuse from their employees or their employees family members. In a 73-page report done on the issue it was found that some domestic workers, who are typically girls, work for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for as little as 11 US dollars a month. It was said that some girls even frequently beat and verbally abused while working, are often denied education and sometimes were even refused adequate food. Even though the Moroccan government has worked to reduce the child labor issues and to increase school enrollment over the last decade there are still loop-holes and ways for people to get around it that should be better paid attention to. Jo Becker, who is the children's rights advocacy director at Human Rights Watch said, “Girls are being exploited, abused, and forced to work long hours for extremely low wages. Morocco has taken important steps to reduce child labor, but it needs to take targeted actions to protect these child domestic workers and enforce the law.” One report done on the issue showed that fifteen out of the 20 girls interviewed had all began working before the age of 12 and all but four of the girls were still under 18 at the time.

These girls work for horrible pay under even more horrible conditions. And the majority of the time the money they work for they do not even get to keep, it goes straight to their parents or guardians. Even though Morocco's Labor code says that 44 hours a week is the most a worker can work, these girls often work over 100 hours a week, and many don't even receive one day a week to rest. The way these girls are treated is most certainly unfair to them, especially being that some are as young as 8 years old. Here we aren't allowed to work until the age of 15 and sometimes older, but there it starts much younger and has little to no regulation of the way they are treated.

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/15/morocco-abuse-child-domestic-workers

Blog 12: Human Rights on Capital Punishment in Pakistan

My blog this week deals with controversy and uproar with human right groups concerning an execution in Islamabad, Pakistan. Some human rights groups have denounced the country decision made this week that involved carrying out its first execution in four years. They claimed that it was a worrying step backward in this country. Until then, the country had been adhering to an informal moratorium concerning capital punishment.

The execution took place on Thursday at a jail located in the central Punjab city of Mianwali. Muhammad Hussain, a former solider, was executed by hanging. He was sentenced to death in 2009 for fatally stabbing one of superiors over a personal dispute. He pleaded both to the country’s military and the civilian leadership, but both claims were denied, and therefore the sentence was carried out.

While human rights groups are in an uproar, the Pakistani claimed that the country’s moratorium on executions applies only to civilian justice, and not military court. Since Hussain was a former solider and military court for the venue for his conviction, they believe that the moratorium was upheld.  However, Zohra Yusuf, chairwomen of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan was quoted by saying, “The government had vowed its commitment to the right to life and desisted from executing anyone….Despite this setback, HRCP still retains hope that the government will not abandon its pledge to work towards the abolition of the death penalty in Pakistan.” Another human rights activist, Polly Truscott, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific program was quoted by saying, “The death penalty is no less offensive to human dignity and the right to life, just because the person to be killed happens to be a soldier.”

With this information presented the question of human rights vs. legal issues come into play. While on one hand the Pakistani government did claim that they would no longer execute, there was no hold or law on military based executions. I’m not claiming which side is right or wrong, because in a debate over capital punishment, can either side really be right; or for that matter, wrong? I do believe that both sides had solid reasons, and opinions to back up their point of view.

 What shocked me was that later in the article it claimed that more than 8,300 people were currently on death row in Pakistan, but they claimed a moratorium on capital punishment. I did find it interesting that there last execution, which was carried out in November 2008, was the result of a military court verdict.  

http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-human-rights-groups-decry-pakistans-first-execution-in-four-years-20121116,0,481035.story

Ryan Smith Blog No.11 - Uruguay: New Abortion Law Breaks Ground for Women's Rights

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/10/26/uruguay-new-abortion-law-breaks-ground-women-s-rights

Last month Uruguay passed a landmark bill that waived criminal punishment for first trimester abortions.  The new law entails certain procedural requirements for abortions done within this time frame but also allows for abortions to be performed into the fourteenth week of gestation in cases of rape.  In a region that has widespread archaic laws against abortions and overall women's health, this will undoubtedly lead to decreased clandestine abortions that result in over 13% of all maternal deaths in Uruguay, according to a World Health Organization report. Latin America has several countries that have absolute bans on abortions even in cases of rape, incest, and pregnancy complications which can threaten the mother's life.  Uruguay's passing of the law may be the first in a long line of reform initiatives that occur in the region.

When Uruguay Presiden Jose Mujica was inaugurated in 2010, he promised to pass the bill which would waive criminally punitive measures for abortions by December 2011, but after a long year of legislative wrangling over procedural requirements, the bill did not pass until this past September.  The Senate finally ratified the bill and was signed into law by Mujica in October.  The law requires extensive consultations with physicians including an initial explanation of conditions that prevent the mother from carrying on the pregnancy, a three day convening of an interdisciplinary team consisting of the physician, a social worker, and medical and mental health professionals with the mother, and a mandatory five-day reflection period before the final consent can be given.  In cases of rape, only a criminal report is required to conduct the abortion.

Officials argue that there is still an opportunity and possible likelihood for these provisions to end up being overly restrictive and create a barrier for many women to get the care they need.  This does not negate the monumental achievement this is to women and society-at-large in Uruguay and possibly the region in years to come, it just means Uruguay's Ministry of Public Health, charged with the task of further developing regulations to the newly implemented law, will be carefully monitored.  Regardless of your own position on abortions, just the fact that this incredibly private and dangerous procedure will no longer be left in the furtive hands of illicit black market "doctors" is a victory for the public health and women of Uruguay.

Blog #12

This week in class we discussed the inequalities of the educational school system.  In American society we are down to the point of separating our schools from Ivy Elite schools versus the poorer lower class schools. In other Countries such as Pakistan, it is a more complex system. It does not matter so much about the Ivy League schools versus the Poor lower class schools. Their schooling system has more to do with gender and power than anything relevant to money. In Pakistan they do not believe in women having a better education then men. Starting to notice the pattern yet? A lot of problems that occur globally in other countries have to deal with the abasing of women.  Men feel that if women do not have certain rights, then they cannot overrule them. Men also know the truth that knowledge is power. If women are educated to a certain degree, they will truly understand how much they are or have the potential to be equal to men in society and also can rebel against the men, proving to be sufficient in society for themselves. Education is a BIG deal in any nation. It gives one the power to destroy or the power to build up.  It gives one the power to rise or to fall back in fear. It has the power to give someone courage or the revelation to make one flee.  In the article “Students Speak out against Taliban Attack”, a young fifteen year old female by the name of Malala Yousufzai, was shot in the head for promoting girl’s rights to education while studying a book.  Apparently it is obvious that there is power in knowing things. There is power in a female having an education if it was enough for someone to have been shot over. The Taliban attempted to murder this young woman because they knew there was power in her having knowledge In being able to study, read, and comprehend her past , present, and future  as well as her rights. A group of students in grades six and seven created a video continuing the efforts of standing up for women’s rights to education that Malala was not able to finish. This goes to show how important education really is to our society as well as many others. It has the power to do many things.  It can build or destroy, it can kill or make alive.

http://www.cottagecountrynow.ca/news/article/1536089--students-speak-out-against-taliban-attack

Blog 11:China refuses to allow human rights observers into Tibet as self-immolations escalate

Analysis

            In Tibet, China many citizens are putting themselves on fire in protest of their governments policies.  Approximately “68 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since March 2011 in protest against Chinese rule over Tibetan regions.”  They have all died trying to receive better human rights from their country.  “The United Nations' most senior human rights official, Navi Pillay, urged China last week to allow independent human rights monitors to visit Tibet and address deep-rooted frustrations.”  Many UN officials want to go into China and to investigate the apparent violation of human rights to their citizens.  Qiangba Puncog told reporters “(I'm) afraid we feel it's inappropriate,” for the UN to want to go into China and investigate.  Their country is continuing to have Tibetan citizens go out on the street and burn themselves to show the government how serious they are.  This problem has gotten to the point where “Tibetan students took to the streets on Friday in Rebkong county in eastern Qinghai province after a Tibetan youth burned himself to death on Thursday.”  “Qiangba Puncog, however, told a room packed with reporters that "(we) welcome all of you to go to Tibet to see Tibet's real situation.”  So it is hard for the United Nations to do anything when two different officials from China have two different views on the problem.

Summary

            Chinese citizens have been killing themselves by putting themselves on fire due to the violations of human rights they feel they are not receiving.  Over 68 Tibetans have killed themselves since March of 2011 for government awareness toward human rights.  The United Nations is trying to get involved to try and resolve this issue.  Currently the United Nations has been talking to Chinese officials trying to get access into the country in order to investigate the violation of human rights.  It has gotten so bad that school children have seen some of their classmates kill themselves in protest.  Hopefully the United Nations can get into the country and figure out exactly what is happening in Tibet.

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_china-says-no-to-human-rights-monitors-for-tibet_1762560