katamaneni: March 2010

LONDON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

MBA – Public Administration

Human Rights and Amnesty International

Ajay Kumar Katamaneni

Group – D, MBA

University student Number: 0911867093071

Introduction:

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

-Article 1, United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

International Human Rights Law –

It is said that human rights law has been formed after World War II and the foundation of United Nations. This is formed in order to achieve the cooperation among the International problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian characters and in developing the respect for human rights which leads to the fundamental freedoms for all without related to race, gender, religion or language.

The rights that are given by the United Nations are used in the International Bill of Human Rights which are involving Universal Declaration Human Rights, the International covenant on civil and Political rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has involved thirty articles for the benefit and dignity for all the human beings. They are not supposed to ignore. These articles are given below.

Human Right Violations around the World:

1. Forced out for ‘development’ (Combodia):

This is happened in Combodia, Phnom Penh’s Boeung Kak area. Government has planned a development program which involves in filling up the lake. This has affected the people who are living there. They were displaced and have no place to move on. A person from this place has brought this to Amnesty International. He said that there were about 20,000 people affected due to this. He also said that there is no information given to the people about this development. Six months passed and this lead to the protesting amidst intimidation and lack of information.

Most of the people affected are poor, living on the lake shore. Communities affected are having a fear t they will be moved out from Phnom Penh to an area which war already occupied by other who are resettled already and also lacks in all the basic amenities. Because of which new slums are formed outside the city.

Published by -Amnesty International USA, 2008

2. Lives in ruins forced eviction of people living in poverty:(Angola)

From the past seven years almost ten thousand families are forced to vacate their lands in Luanda, Angola without proper notification, re habitation and proper information. People are forced to leave their lands in order to build new duplex buildings in the municipal area. Their houses are collapsed

A recent interview of Amnesty International with a local family was shocked in hearing this statement. The family complained that, while they were sleeping in the house along with their two children, the house was collapsed with heavy missionary at the midnight without any notice. Their two children were died in this incident. This all made under the private security and police force. Two journalists went to complaint on this incident to the local police, instead of taking any action on the incident, the police harassed, abused the two persons mentally and physically and released them without charge.

Published by -Amnesty International USA, 2008

3. Slavery in the modern world:

The violation of human rights in the modern world is slavery which is continuing from the history and still located in Niger, Western Africa (south east of Algeria). According to Human Rights organization of Timidria still there is 870,000 people who are treating as slaves in Niger. These people are harassed and tortured mentally, physically. They are abused and forced sexually because their children should also grow in the slavery. These people led life under their masters.

The people under their masters say that – we maintain a relationship of man and animal.

-BBC WORLD SERVICE, SLAVERY TODAY, 2004

4. Sri Lanka :Raises fears of torture and disappearances:

The LTTE suspects in Sri Lanka are brutally harassed for disappearance of the group members. Due to this reason the family members are held captive by the military forced and interrogated for months which was against the Human Rights. It is immoral to imprison someone else for others responsibility. Almost eleven thousand family members and relatives of defeated LTTE group are held in the prison camp.

The Sri Lankan government has even denied the people about their accuse and the arrest. Small children are also arrested and held in these camps. These camps are named as rehabilitation centers. These members are not allowed to access a lawyer or court. The government has violated the right to protect the public and this is against the Human Right law.

-Human Rights watch-news, New York, 2010

5. Godhra Incident:

This was happened in India 27^th November 2002. Godhra, a city in Gujarat, Muslim crowed struck a train which was occupied by some of the Hindu activists, fired two cars and also involved in killing 27 people. This rose to a great controversy. Later after 4 days, this lead to a revenge activity in which 2000 Muslims were killed, also their mosques and houses are destroyed.

Investigation reports has stated or reveled that these attacks were preplanned with the help and mutual understanding of political and local authorities.

This is the Violation of Human Rights article 18 that states

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

Amnesty International-

Amnesty international is an organization who is working for the Human rights of the people. They work for the people to stop the abuse on human rights. They are having the organizations worldwide according to the country and the territories with more than 2.2 million of members and participants. It was started first in London, United Kingdom with a small office and small library with some volunteers. The first research trip was undertaken in 1962 by traveling to Ghana, Portugal and their journey to East Germany. They are working for many several years and held many conferences for the protection and relief of human rights. It announces the work which was done by their network every year. It provides the information of human rights importance and usage of rights in related concept.

It functions for the people who are in trouble and undertake research on the abuse of human rights worldwide. It campaigns globally and locally to make a difference on a situation or a problem which was raised anywhere in the world.

1. This works on the problems like preventing the harassments on women.

2. Fight for the rights of the people who struck in poverty.

3. Elimination of death sentence.

4. Protects the rights of migrants and refugees

5. Opposing of terrorist activities and prevention of damages

6. Working on the complaints made by the people and helping them through the organization.

Free from external control and constraint-

Amnesty International won’t support any government or political, religious groups in any country or place.

It is having supporters and followers worldwide and receives the funds and donations for its financial support.

Success stories about release of prisoners- examples-

1. Political prisoner –

6,313 prisoners across Burma ruling Junta were released after international pressure. It is said that United Nations for Human Rights visited six days in order to bring this pressure.

However Assistant Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) Thailand argued that only six thousand prisoners were released among which twenty three political prisoners and a few monks of the organization exist. Burma first said it is false statement, later international pressure accepted and confirmed the release of prisoners based on their conduct as a second chance for their life.

-Solomon, “Junta released prisoners to ease off mounting pressure: critics”, www.mizzima.com, 2009 press release.

2. Phunstog Nydiron –

On October 14, 1989 a Buddhist nun was arrested due to her protests in Tibet. She was arrested and beaten and harassed severely at the time of arrest and her age was twenty years. On 26^th of February 2004 she was freed before the completion of 16 years imprisonment. Her release marked as a major victory while the time of fourteen nuns was released at a time. After two years of her release she arrived in USA and released to the international campaign for Tibet.

This happened due to the international pressure for political prisoners. This is one of the successful stories of the prisoners who were released and many of the persons worldwide are facing problems like this.

- International campaign for Tibet press release, 2009

3. Lori Berenson-

An American activist was arrested in Peru. She was taken in to the custody of military forces and submitted in the court. She was arrested on the case that she was a member of a terrorist group which was named as Movimiento Revolucionorio Tupco Amaru (MRTA). She was sentenced to her life in this issue. She faced severe health problems due to freezing temperatures, insufficient food and many other problems.

Due to the international pressure she was re-submitted in the civilian court and was released because of no evidence in the case, but the activists she was done previously lead to the terrorist activities and tensed to jail for 20 years. Later she was produced again in front of the American Human Rights and again proceeds to the civil court of human rights and provided the judgment for better facilities in the jail. Now she was in better position compared to previous term in the jail.

-Humanrightsblog.org, political prisoners Archives, 2006

Human Rights violation in developing countries-

Yes, I feel that there is more violation of human rights in developing countries, because there is a lack of education, poverty, high religious deference’s among the people, improper implementation of rules and regulations related to the human rights. In developing countries we can observe that a rich person is becoming rich and poor becomes poorer. Due to this reason poverty is growing rapidly in these countries. People often fight for their religion and cast feelings, they won’t step back for killing the other human beings. We can observe many incidents like this happening regularly in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Afghanistan and India. People over believe the religion and problems which they are facing problems like unemployment, they are converting as suicide bombers by joining the terrorist groups. We can explain many reasons as we can for these cases below.

Reasons –

1 – In the developing countries they are having many religions, casts and races, but in the developed countries there are hardly some religions which are having reorganization up to their standards and using their right to change their religion at their own interest. Where as in the developing countries people can’t change as their own because they afraid about the problems in the life after taking the decision of changing. There is some political parties also which maintain their political power in the belief of god and particular religion.

2- Another deference we can say that poverty and child labor which is growing rapidly due to lack of process of rules and regulations strictly by the government. Many social welfare organizations are working on this but still we can find such problems. In the case of developed countries the process of implementation for children is done in a strict and perfect manner by providing the freedom in every part of their life. We can’t find people living below poverty line, because government provides all the required needs like home and money for basic needs.

3- The death rates and birth rates are high in developing countries, we can observe countries like India, China are the top in the world in population rate. This happens due to providing the medical facilities in time. There are so many cases in death of people with diseases like polio, typhoid. Majorly children are suffering in these cases and are facing death at the time of birth only. Prevention and cure are not providing for all the people in the country in these days also. Developed country like UK provides the medical facility to all the people by situating National Health Service (NHS) which provides treatment to all. Here we can see the right to live for all.

4-Africa is a continent which is facing a major problem that is slavery and racism. Many social welfare associations and organizations are working from the past several years in that country. There are several times below the poverty line while compared to the developed country like UK. They can’t use any human right because of this slavery, racism, education and medical facilities. It is also known as the “Dark Continent in the world”, this word can explain us the poverty of the country this day. People around the world helps the African people by providing their used clothes and by donating funds to feed their basic needs. We can say this continent is undeveloped continent and many steps are required to develop this continent.

5- Some people in India and Pakistan are forcibly dragging in to the terrorist groups. People who are against the government which is not providing the employment for their education are converting as anti social elements and creating big problems for the citizens in the country. This leads to death of many human beings and loss for the development in the country. This problem is increasing day by day and becoming a big problem to all the citizens and for their human rights. This cannot be seen in UK as the preventions and rules are strict.

5 aspects of poverty and Human Rights-

1- Insufficient food

2- Housing

3- Clothing

4- Medical care

5- Education

The above five aspects has seen in developing countries like India. People in rural India are facing the problems and are considered below the poverty line. They are not aware of the human rights and its benefits. According to the N C Saxena a government survey was held in 2006 by the Indian government. This committee states that 50% of the Indian population is still below the poverty line which has to be 28.5% according to the planning commission. India is a country still with large number of poor people in a single country. The large percent of poverty in the country leads to the unemployment and insufficient food.

-Azadindia publications, Ms Yuman Hussain, 2010

5 Terrorism and security Aspects of Human Rights-

1. Fear and Anxiety

2. Cultural Differences

3. Political

4. Economic

5. Religious

The terrorists believe they have no option in their life and start killing the other people in the society. They will start terror attacks and creates disturbances for the life of the humans. The above points are the reason for the strong belief of the personalities who is converting in to antisocial elements. The recent attack of terrorist’s in Bombay; Hyderabad created a big uncertainty throughout the country. Also the terrorist activity in airplane hijacking and collapsing the USA World trade center twin towers created a big shock throughout the world. Many people are died in this activity. This also created so much of property loss and very huge disturbances in the life of many human beings. This can be said as a cruel activity.

The only method I can imagine to eradicate terrorisms that the members of terrorist group should believe themselves there is no use of creating disturbance and increasing violence causes loss for themselves and their religion is well. They should believe, not violate the human rights and think as a human being. The security aspects can be under taken by the governments of the mostly effected countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and many other should maintain the aspects against the terrorism like human security, civil security; role of military, special forces should play a key role in the peace of a country.

Conclusion:

Organizations like Amnesty International are working for the protection of every human being globally. By the Amnesty international every one can appeal regarding their problems related to human rights. And their work is to protect people where ever fairness, justice, truth and freedom are denied. They are also concentrating their complaining in 13 world regions and the key countries concentrated are Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Israel and Turkey.

Hence the Human Rights are most important for the protection of a human being. They saved many lives by protecting themselves by their work worldwide.

References:

1. http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGNAU200810066096&lang=e

2. www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/01/29/sri-lanka-end-indefinite-detention-tamil-tiger-suspects

3. http://www.amnesty.org/en/who-we-are/about-amnesty-international

4. http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/1758-junta-released-prisoners-to-ease-off-mounting-pressure-critics.html

5. Solomon, “Junta released prisoners to ease off mounting pressure: critics”, www.mizzima.com, 2009 press release.

6. http://www.savetibet.org/action-center/political-prisoners-ict-successes

7. http://www.humanrightsblog.org/political_prisoners/

8. http://www.azadindia.org/social-issues/poverty-in-india.html