CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Quiz Nation! Universal Declaration of Human Rights Turns 60

LibertySugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:30:55 -0800

Sixty years ago the United Nations General Assembly passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an international guarantee of civic and political rights born out of the hardships and atrocities of World War II and the Great Depression. Since then, the document has been added to, ignored, or invoked in the name of freedoms. Take this quiz to find out what you know about the UDHR!

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Eye For An Eye: Iranian Court Orders Man Blinded

LibertySugar — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:00:55 -0800

In 2004 Ameneh Bahrami, an Iranian woman, rejected a man's multiple marriage proposals, only to have him throw a jar of acid in her face and blind her. Four years later, an Iranian court has sentenced the 27-year-old attacker to be blinded, calling on the Islamic law of "qias" or equivalence.

BBC reports that Ameneh, who lost one eye and was otherwise significantly disfigured, received reconstructive face surgery in Europe; but doctors could not bring back her sight. She told the court that since the attack, she has lived in fear, and she pleaded that the man who blinded her face the same fate. The court followed her wishes.

Iranian officials hope the retributive sentence will prevent future acid attacks. Does this punishment bring the victim and society down to the criminal's level, or is it only fair that he feel the pain she does?

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New Administration Must Confront Dilemma at Guantanamo

LibertySugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:30:00 -0800

At the top of the next president's to-do list surely sits confronting the challenges presented by the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. While the secretive detention center has been a poster child for the curtailment of basic rights by the US since the War on Terror began, many Guantanamo detainees present severe threats to global security.

A review of military tribunal files reveals that a good amount of the 255 detainees have significant terrorism credentials, such as connections to al Qaeda leaders, assassination experience, and training in the use of poison and disguises.

Both John McCain and Barack Obama say they will close Guantanamo Bay. Whether it stays open or closed, the new leader must find a way to avoid atrocities, such as holding journalist Sami al-Hajj for six years without a single charge at Guantanamo, while also taking seriously the concerns of intelligence agencies. Hopefully, the next administration will use all the tools of an upright criminal justice system to prosecute terrorists.

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Somalia: Is the Chaos There a US Problem?

LibertySugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

An exaggerated fear of "Islamofascism" ignores a complex reality, causing the US to overreact and damage its own interests. So says columnist Nicholas D. Krsitof, who argues that the situation in Somalia is one of the least-known Bush administration failures. Kristof explains that in 2006, a movement made up of moderate and extremist Islamic groups was close to uniting the country. Fearful of an uncooperative government in Somalia, the US supported Ethiopia's invasion of its rival, crushing the best hope for peace.

Events this week bolster the argument that paranoia of Islamic extremists has led to disaster. Today in Somalia, five suicide bombs hit government security posts, UN offices, and an Ethiopian consular unit, killing dozens.

On Monday, the human rights chaos came to a head as well. A rape victim was stoned to death for adultery in an Islamist-controlled region. Buried up to her neck, thousands gathered at a soccer field to help execute her.

Perhaps extremists win when international powers stubbornly refuse to reach out to moderates. Would you rather see the US abandon a strictly ideological viewpoint, instead opening its eyes to nuanced reality, or does security require zero tolerance?

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Niger Found Guilty of Allowing Slavery By West African Court

LibertySugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:50 -0700

An ex-slave in Niger, who was sold at the age of 12, made to worked for 10 years, and forced to bear the children of her master, has won a case against her country, which now must pay her $19,750 in damages. A West African Court found the Niger government guilty of failing to protect Hadijatou Mani from slavery, sending a message loud and clear that Niger must do more than nominally outlaw slavery. Activists hope the case will improve the lives of thousands kept in slavery throughout the region.

According to BBC, after her master freed her in 2005, Hadijatou tried to marry. To find out how that got her in jail,

Human Rights Online: Tech Companies Adopt Conduct Code

LibertySugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:15 -0700

Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft are set to adopt voluntary and uniform guidelines to govern their international business practices, this week. These Internet companies have struggled to find acceptable means to deal with countries like China, which silence the voice of dissidents on the Internet, and block certain websites. China has used emails sent by dissidents as evidence to put them behind bars.

Part of the code of conduct will require the companies to carefully scrutinize a government's demand for information about users, or government requests for nationwide censorship. The rules, generated by teams from the tech companies, public interest groups, academics, and socially conscious investment funds, weren't just created in the name of human rights — they're also designed to counter bad publicity surrounding tech company compliance with repressive governments.

Should international companies stay true to their hometown freedoms, or should they expect to play by the rules of all the countries where they do business?

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Human Rights Prize Could Spoil Chinese-EU Relationship

LibertySugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:13 -0700

China has thrown its weight around in Europe, declaring that its relations with the 27-members of the European Union will be seriously damaged if a dissident, currently jailed by China, receives the EU's top human rights award. Hu Jia is one of three finalists for the Sakharov Prize, and has campaigned on behalf of Chinese democracy, environmental, and HIV/AIDS movements. He has been imprisoned since last December, and was sentenced to "inciting subversion of state power" this past April.

Writing a letter to the president of the EU assembly, China's ambassador said:

If the European Parliament should award this prize to Hu Jia, that would inevitably hurt the Chinese people once again and bring serious damage to China-EU relations. . . Not recognizing China's progress in human rights and insisting on confrontation will only deepen the misunderstanding between the two sides.

In addition to this letter, China may have an opportunity to exert some pressure during the EU-Asia summit in Beijing. Starting Friday, Nicolas Sarkozy, current EU president, will ask China to become a partner in saving the world's financial system. Can one country's criminal be another 27 countries' hero? Or is Hu Jia undeniably a hero for all humans?

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Georgia Conflict Causes Diplomatic & Humanitarian Confusion

LibertySugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:30:22 -0700

The conflict between Georgia and Russia presents a complex set of questions for the international community. While Western officials try to figure out how exactly Russia's two-headed government shares power, human rights workers are searching for the truth about atrocities that may or may not have been committed.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin undoubtedly holds the power in Russia, but diplomatic protocol obliges European and American officials to negotiate with President Dmitri Medvedev, who appears much more accommodating than Putin. The good-cop-bad-cop routine makes it unclear if Russia will follow the cease fire agreement, signed by President Medvedev, leaving the rest of the world unsure of how to react to Russia.

Meanwhile Russia and Georgia have spread the confrontation and confusion to courts. To find out how the neighbors trade accusations of human rights violations,

AIDS Group Says Zimbabwe Using Rape As a Tool of Terror

LibertySugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:15:57 -0700

The Zimbabwe government's youth militia use the most horrific tactic — rape — as a tool to terrorize those suspected of sympathizing with the opposition. President Robert Mugabe's ruling party has been carrying out a campaign of political terror since opposition supporters contested his election.

Today's New York Times paints a graphic picture of how many of Zimbabwe's women have been abused, humiliated, and raped, often in front of their families. State hospitals have turned away rape victims, who are often in pain and bleeding, and looking to prevent pregnancy, HIV, or other STDs.

To find out how an upcoming power-sharing deal might mean the perpetrators never see justice,

Front Page: US Cracks Largest ID Theft, Rwanda Accuses French of Genocide, Bush to Urge Human Rights

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:00:26 -0700

US Cracks Largest ID Theft:
US authorities have charged 11 people in what they're calling the largest-ever identity theft case. Hacking into the computer systems of major retailers like TJ Maxx and Barnes & Noble, the group is accused of stealing 40 million credit card numbers before selling them. The DOJ says the scam caused "widespread" losses, and US AG Mukasey says, "this case highlights our increasing vulnerability to the theft of personal information."

Rwanda Accuses French of Genocide:
Rwanda's government issued a report accusing French officials of involvement in the 1994 genocide that left 800,000 dead. The officials are accused of giving political and logistical support to Rwanda's extremist government and Hutu forces. The report says, “French soldiers themselves directly were involved in assassinations of Tutsis and Hutus accused of hiding Tutsis."
Bush to Urge Human Rights:
In Thailand today, President Bush is delivering an address communicating his "deep concerns" about human rights in China, and urging the communist nation to broaden political freedom. Bush says, ''America stands in firm opposition to China's detention of political dissidents, human rights advocates and religious activists. We speak out for a free press, freedom of assembly and labor rights — not to antagonize China's leaders, but because trusting its people with greater freedom is the only way for China to develop its full potential.'' Bush arrives in Beijing for the Olympics later today.

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Liars of the Free World? Britain Can't Trust America

LibertySugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:00:25 -0700

Trust, a crucial component of most healthy relationships, has become an elusive ingredient in the transatlantic alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. England's House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee just issued its annual human rights report, which states that America's word can no longer be trusted when it comes to torture and human rights abuses.

The committee recommended the following:

The UK can no longer rely on US assurances that it does not use torture, and we recommend that the government does not rely on such assurances in the future. We also recommend that the government should immediately carry out an exhaustive analysis of current US interrogation techniques on the basis of such information as is publicly available or which can be supplied by the US.

This past February, the UK's Foreign Secretary apologized to parliament after records revealed that US planes, carrying terror suspects, twice landed in the UK dependent territory of Diego Garcia to refuel, apparently without UK permission. This rendition scandal, as well as the CIA's admission that it used waterboarding, most likely encouraged this decision that could impact whether the UK extradites certain suspects to the US. Does this call to verify US statements signal a significant blight on America's record, or is Britain's double checking no big deal?

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When in Dubai . . . Don't Have Sex on the Beach

LibertySugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:00:25 -0700

A British woman working in Dubai faces six years in jail, after Dubai officials caught her allegedly having sex on beach. Dubai may be the Las Vegas of the Middle East, but it's no sin city. The thirty-year-old businesswoman has been charged with sex outside marriage, indecent behavior in public, being drunk in public, and assaulting a police officer. Her male counterpart also faces a maximum of six years.

The woman involved, who apparently made the mistake of traveling to the Middle East to have sex in public, fears that Dubai will make an example of her by issuing the toughest sentence. The minimum is three months.

While this woman should have known that having sex on a beach, in Dubai nonetheless, would be against the law, I think a six-year sentence offends a universal understanding of fairness and human rights. Do you feel sorry for the woman, or should she rightly suffer the local consequences for her misbehavior? Would this make you reconsider a trip to Dubai?

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Got a Stop Watch? It Only Takes 10 Hours to Buy a Child Slave

LibertySugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:00:13 -0700

It takes just 10 hours for someone in New York City to travel to Haiti and buy a child. ABC News reporter Dan Harris found that out when he set out to test the ease of securing a child slave. For as little as $150 one trafficker guaranteed Harris a "trained" 11-year-old. Another child salesman asked $10,000 for a pretty 11-year-old, for which Harris could do whatever he wanted with the girl.

Still hidden in a cloak of charity, this modern travesty began less tragically. Traditionally, poor rural families gave their children to wealthy city dwellers. The child did domestic work for an education. But now, these young innocents face a nightmare of hard labor, beatings, and sexual abuse without even a glimmer of hope for an education. Harris explains that a happy ending for Haitian children of poverty seems to be leaving their families to live in an orphanage where they are safe and educated, a much better fate than that of Haiti's 300,000 child slaves.

Sadly Haiti, a country founded on an 1804 slave revolt, has little means to stop this abuse. Check out these suggestions of how you can help put an end to modern slavery.

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Celeb "Burma" Campaign: Condescending or Commendable?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:45:25 -0700

Though this Spring's cyclone brought Myanmar crashing into our consciousness, the front page ink is drying — and along with it awareness for what is an extended situation for the Burmese to bear. Ah but first, is it Burma or Myanmar? The military regime changed the name from Burma to Myanmar (a short version of the name of the country in the local language) in 1989. The change is recognized by the UN and France and Japan, among others, though officially the US and UK don't. It's a question of does one let the country dictate the name, or does accepting the title bestowed by an undemocratically elected junta become a tacit approval of the regime? Even newspapers vacillate on what to call the country — the AP Stylebook uses the M-word, though it seems locals when writing use the formal Myanmar, but when speaking say Burma. That said, there are still movements out there trying to call attention to the human rights abuses in Myanmar. Chief among them, this: a celeb-filled ad on behalf of the USCampaignForBurma. I don't know quite what to make of this campaign, but I will admit, initially it got under my skin. Sarah Silverman pointing at a map telling me what the cue card says she should say I should know about, and Tila Tequila teaching geography amid her own mountain range? At least Sylvester Stallone cops to his previous ignorance about the problem and seems sincere. But watching it again, the ad does highlight vital info about the jailed prodemocracy leader, and the need to care long after the the initial glut of info following the cyclone. But something about it seems so unnervingly casual and flip. Honestly, what do you think? Is this a great ad?

Celeb "Burma" Campaign: Condescending or Commendable?

Condescending. It's a music-video look at a serious topic treating the viewers like idiots.

Commendable. The stars and humor grab you; it's the best way to spread the message.

I don't think it bothers me either way. What's the big deal?

Other. I'll tell you my opinion in the comments.

Punishment vs. Human Rights — Are Prisons Going Soft?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:00:08 -0700

Though I don't know of many prisons guarded by the likes of the two pictured below, with the changes happening to crime and punishment in the US, it might not be long. With one out of every 100 Americans behind bars, and prisons turning criminals out to meet their budgets, the debate between what's a human right, and what liberties need be taken away as punishment is a tricky one. Several states have just come to some conclusions — on the side of rights.

In New York's juvenile detention centers, transgender youth are now allowed to wear whatever gendered-uniform they associate with and be called by whatever name they request, as well as receive access to special housing under a new anti-discrimination policy. The enhanced rights are drawing praise from advocacy groups. A spokesman for Governor Paterson said the policy reflects the state's intent to be "tolerant, responsive and respectful" of gender identity and gender expression issues.

Hawaii and California join New York among the small list of states that have taken steps to afford specific civil rights protection to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth in juvenile detention. This comes after a 2001 report found that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth routinely experienced discrimination, harassment and violence in New York's juvenile justice system.

Got Milk? To find out what happens if you're a vegan behind bars,

Supreme Court Rules Against Bush, For Gitmo Detainees

LibertySugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:00:00 -0700

In a historic ruling, the US Supreme Court ruled that terror suspects being held at Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba have a right to contest their detention in United States court, using the constitutionally enshrined principle of habeas corpus — which allows courts to determine whether a prisoner is being held illegally.

In the 5-4 ruling, the majority held that "the laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times."

The four "conservative" justices dissented. Justice Scalia wrote: "The nation is "at war with radical Islamists" and that the court's decision "will make the war harder on us. It will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed."

To find out what the Bush Administration argued,

HIV Positive Outsiders Banned From America

LibertySugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:00:40 -0700

People living with HIV are banned from traveling to twelve countries, including Armenia, Colombia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sudan, the United States and Yemen.

China just lifted its ban, as a result of pre-Olympic human rights pressure. Yesterday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon urged these nations to change their immigration laws — which "uphold stigma and discrimination" — during a major summit on HIV/AIDS.

Andrew Sullivan forcefully advocated for a removal of the discriminatory ban, in a recent Washington Post op-ed. He pointed out that not even leprosy or tuberculosis is considered grounds for inadmissibility to the US. Sullivan wrote about 1993, when Congress wrote the ban into law:

It was when I, a legal immigrant, became infected. With great lawyers, a rare O visa (granted to individuals in the arts and sciences), a government-granted HIV waiver and thousands of dollars in legal fees, I have managed to stay in the United States. Nonetheless, because I am HIV-positive, I am not eligible to become a permanent resident.

Sullivan, a conservative political commentator, explained that every year he must leave the country to reapply for the waiver. Even though he has lived in and paid taxes to the US for almost 25 years, he and his family must face the insecurity that he may not be allowed back. For further discussion,

DC Institutes Police Checkpoints to Combat Bad 'Hoods

CitizenSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:00:18 -0700

Where's the line between keeping people safe and a police state? In Washington DC the line just got a lot finer. They're implementing a new plan to seal off entire troubled neighborhoods and establish security checkpoints to monitor who comes and goes and why.

They're calling them "Neighborhood Safety Zones" and will require those entering the area to prove that they work there or have “legitimate reason” to be there — or they'll be sent away or face arrest. The zones are a last ditch effort to quarantine areas thought responsible for the spiraling crime rate plaguing the city.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier has been implementing out of the ordinary programs hoping to reverse the mayhem, but has had to scale back some — like plans for warrantless door-to-door searches for guns and drugs, and "All Hands on Deck" weekends aimed to bump up police presence. To see who's against the move,

Should the US Listen to Criticism of Its Human Rights Record?

LibertySugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:45:00 -0700

Amnesty International's latest report assails the US for its human rights record, and calls for the immediate closure of Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba.The report says: As the world's most powerful state, the USA sets the standard for government behaviour globally. With breathtaking legal obfuscation, the US administration has continued its efforts to weaken the absolute prohibition against torture and other ill-treatment. [. . .] These actions have done nothing to further the fight against terrorism and a great deal to damage the USA's prestige and influence abroad.

The international human rights group also calls out China and Russia, as well as the European Union's complicity in the rendition of terror suspects. Recent attacks against Roma encampments in Italy, were also condemned by the group. In the past, the US State Department has deflected responsibility by accusing Amnesty International of using the United States as “a convenient ideological punching bag." We're still waiting on an official statement regarding the latest report.Is it a worse when the world's superpower abuses human rights? Is America's moral authority weakened when it is called out by international watch groups? What human rights advancements been made in the 60 years since the adoption Universal Declaration of Human Rights?Source

Should the US Listen to Criticism of Its Human Rights Record?

Yay! Americans owe respect for human rights to themselves and the world.

Nay. These groups will always have something to complain about.

The US should change because it's the right thing to do, not because a group says.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Court Rejects HIV Claim — Should Illness Earn Asylum?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:45:35 -0700

The European Court of Human Rights has rejected an HIV-positive Ugandan woman's claim to stay in the UK citing her medical condition. The woman's lawyers argued the level of medical care in Uganda would lead to her early death — in essence, cruel and degrading treatment. The government didn't agree. They say that all National Health Service HIV drugs are available in Uganda, and if the woman was indeed sent back to Uganda, it would constitute no violation of the bar on inhuman or degrading treatment.The woman initially entered the UK in March 1998 — seriously ill and soon admitted to a hospital. Lawyers filed an asylum application for her, claiming she had been raped by government soldiers in Uganda because of her association with the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group in the north of the country. The claim says her life would be in danger if she returned.While rejecting her claim, the government said they had no evidence that Ugandan authorities were a threat to her and that the treatment of AIDS in Uganda was comparable to any other African country. Is comparable enough? If indeed the woman contracted AIDS through rape, should the government accept that as reason enough for asylum? Is sending her back a violation of human rights? Was the government right?Source

Court Rejects HIV Claim — Should Illness Earn Asylum?

An illness is reason enough to earn asylum. Going back could be a death sentence.

It's not a reason for asylum. She'll continue treatment — lines have to be drawn.

There are two issues here: rape and HIV. One isn't enough, and one is hard to prove.

Other. I'll tell you my opinion in the comments.

Drawers For All! Humans Have the Right to Wear Underwear

LibertySugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:30:04 -0700

Wearing underwear to work is a human right! An Indian human-rights commission just lifted a dress-code ban which prevented staff at the Hindu temple Sabarimala from wearing undergarments. I wonder how that was enforced!

So, why was there a ban in the first place? In order to prevent staff from using their underwear to smuggle cash and jewelry donated to the temple, they were only allowed to wear a sarong. The 50 million people who visit the temple each year should be donating huge amounts of gold, silver, and diamonds. Last year the temple received $18.7 million in gifts.

The human-rights commission said the government must use appropriate and modern methods for preventing theft, instead of forcing workers to go commando.

Was this ban a creative and cheap way to prevent theft, or an invasive and crude technique? If you were a worker would you rather go through X-ray machines and pat downs, or refrain from wearing underwear? Do even modern security measures seem like they sometimes violate human rights?

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Are Human Rights For Non-Humans Too?

LibertySugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:30:01 -0700

Paula Stibbe, an Englishwoman living in Austria, wants to adopt Matthew — a 26-year-old chimpanzee — when his habitat sanctuary closes. The problem? Austrian law says only humans are allowed guardians.

Not satisfied with Austria's Supreme Court's rejection of their request to give the chimp legal standing, Matthew's advocates are appealing to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. Stibbe explained that they are not trying to get him declared a human, just a person. (I guess that must be a legal distinction.) She has argued:

Everybody who knows him personally will see him as a person. In his home in the African jungle, he would have been well able to look after himself without a guardian. But since he was abducted into an alien environment, traumatized and locked up in an enclosure, it did become necessary for me to act on his behalf to secure the donation money for him and to avoid his deportation. Since he has no close relatives, I am doing this as the person closest to him.

Matthew was captured as a baby and smuggled into Austria to be used for pharmaceutical research. If he is not recognized as a person, he could be sold or killed for economic profit.

Does Matthew's predicament require a less extreme solution? If he is considered a person, is he entitled all human rights? Should there by a separate framework for animal and human rights, or should we all be treated with the same level of dignity?
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Should Parenting Require Education, Licensing Like Driving?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:04:06 -0700

The news is filled with stories of parenting gone awry — this is just the most recent story that grabbed my attention. A school in Oregon has just had to send a letter home to parents asking them not to allow their children to drink energy drinks (Red Bull, Rock Star and the like) at school!The teachers say they've seen kids drink as many as five cans of the potent elixer per day resulting in, as you can imagine, unruly behavior, caffeine crashes, and addled attention-spans. If we're to the point where a school has to dictate to parents how to provide proper food and drink to their children, should we be offering and requiring education before people become parents? Before someone is charged with caring for a life — which is arguable akin in responsibility to driving a car — should we require similar levels of education and testing? Would a government-issued license to dad (or mom) help give kids a better start?Source

Should Parenting Require Education, Licensing Like Driving?

No, no, no! Reproducing is the most basic human right! No government here!

Well, it sounds a little crazy and could never happen, but it's actually not a bad idea.

Absolutely. I can't think of another activity that requires more education than raising a kid.

Other. Hoo boy. This is a doozy. I'll tell you what I think in the comments.

Top Ten Places Where Repression Runs Wild

CitizenSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:00:10 -0700

Wanna know who's winning in the ratio between political freedom and basic human rights and countries who don't observe standards of liberal democracy? According to a brand new survey, here's the score: Freedom, 90 countries; Repression, 103 countries.

How did the survey define repression? They looked for countries where "state control over daily life is pervasive and wide-ranging, independent organizations and political opposition are banned or suppressed and fear of retribution for independent thought and action is part of daily life."

The director of the research done by Freedom House said this of global trends, "even while global freedom has stagnated in the past decade we had seen a decline in the 'worst of the worst' countries. [But] that process seems to have come to at least a temporary halt as the 'worst of the worst' countries seem to be pushing back."

To see which countries and territories made the bottom ten,

Afghan Women Fleeing Abuse Often Wind up in Jail

CitizenSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 06:00:24 -0700

When the Taliban fell six years ago, it was thought that a new government would offer women in Afghanistan a greater freedom since their rights are now guaranteed in the new Afghani constitution. The women of Afghanistan can now go to school and find employment, yet except for a small number of wealthy, urbanites, a woman who escapes a setting of domestic horror can end up in jail.

The reality for most women parts of Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan is less than free: a woman who runs away from home is usually assumed to have taken a lover and can be prosecuted for adultery. Simply leaving her house without her family's permission may be deemed a jailable offense. To see what's happening,

Radical Raul? Cuba Commutes Death Sentences

LibertySugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:00:48 -0700

Raul Castro has commuted all but three death sentences handed down in Cuba. Every death-row inmate, besides three convicted terrorists, will now face 30 years in prison, instead of death by firing squad.

Raul, who officially took over for his brother Fidel Castro this past February, said that humanitarian concerns, not international pressure, motivated his decision. He quickly maintained that the death penalty still remains on the books.

Raul, who also announced the first Communist Congress in over a decade, has been showing signs of pragmatism and reform since taking power. He lifted a ban on electronics sales, and Cubans can now stay in hotels designated for tourists. Many other freedoms, such as the right to own property, are still forbidden.

The US has found itself in a curious position with its North American neighbors when it comes to the death penalty. To see how,

In the Name of Islam Children in Senegal Are Sold into Slavery

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 03:00:56 -0700

In a shocking and sad modern day Oliver Twist scenario, today in Senegal roughly 1.2 million impoverished children are trafficked to work for the benefit of others. They are pressed into servitude, begging on the streets to earn about $15 billion to pad the pockets of those who enslave them. What is perhaps most shocking is that in countries like Dakar, at least 7,600 of these children are sent to beg in the streets under the cover of Islam.

Sadly these children are usually not stolen, but given away by their families when they are as young as two years old. Since the 11th century, families have traditionally sent their sons to study at the Quranic schools that dot Africa's western seaboard since the rise of Islam. Because it is forbidden in the Quran to charge a student for religious instruction, traditionally a student would work for their tuition by farming. To see how this has devolved into human trafficking,

Are the Rights of the Polygamy Mothers Being Violated?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:45:52 -0700

In an interesting twist on the polygamy story out of Texas, the mothers are speaking out against being separated from their children by Child Protective Services. CPS made the decision to separate at least 57 women from more than a fourth of the 416 children taken into custody. Of the 416 children, nearly 300 are four years of age and younger.

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The mothers who were removed from their children were given a choice: They could return home or seek refuge in a safe house. Only six of the women opted for the safe house and 51 returned to the ranch. One of the mothers said, “the world has been so prejudiced against us. They have a false image.” A CPS spokeswoman says, "We believe that children who are victims of abuse or neglect, and particularly victims at the hands of their own parents, certainly are going to feel safer to tell their story when they don't have a parent there that's coaching them with how to respond."

The women's reaction to the CPS decision crystalizes a conundrum. Saying, "I never thought this would happen in America" and "They [the children] haven't seen abuse until this experience" calls into question the righteousness of the state's action. If all but six of the women returned to the compound and the girl who made the initial call identifying abuse hasn't been identified yet, are we imposing prejudiced ideas of how children should be raised? A hearing for the children begins tomorrow. Is this an act of justice on behalf of the children, or a gross violation of the notion that it "takes a village"? Are we too prejudiced about alternate lifestyles? Are the women within their rights as mothers to choose the environment in which to raise their children as long as they're not suffering abuse? Does compound living in itself constitute abuse?

Are the Rights of the Polygamy Mothers Being Violated?

Yes. Parents choose how to raise kids. If the mothers say there's no abuse, this is unfair.

It's almost impossible to say given what we know, but I think the mothers have a point.

Not a chance. Polygamy is illegal, and CPS took the kids because that in itself is abuse.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Olympics Causing Further Human Rights Abuse

LibertySugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:00:26 -0700

Ironically, human rights abuses in China are actually getting worse because of the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. Amnesty International warns that China's pre-Olympic clean up is not good for dissidents. With all eyes on China, it is certainly trying to appear more stable and harmonious, but the latest report says:

It is increasingly clear that much of the current wave of repression is occurring not in spite of the Olympics but actually because of the Olympics.

China has already announced that it plans to control a natural phenomenon — rain— with a technique that involves dropping chemicals on clouds. If this is the sort of approach the government takes toward unruly weather, I can't imagine how it will control an unruly population.

So, I'm not surprised by Amnesty International's assessment that a positive legacy for the Beijing Olympics looks unlikely. Apparently China wasn't surprised either, as the foreign ministry spokeswoman said: "The organization holds prejudice against China, so you can imagine what kind of report it will release."

Do you still have any hope that the Olympics, with all the attention, might inspire reform in China? Or could they be heading in the opposite direction?

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What Year Is It? Iranian Woman Spared Death by Stoning

LibertySugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:00:27 -0700

International pressure may have saved the life of an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning. After 11 years behind bars for committing adultery, Mokarrameh Ebrahimi has been freed. Her partner, Jafar Kiani, was stoned to death in July 2007, causing an international uproar. Though the official reason for her release is unclear, human and women rights campaigns surely had an impact.

Article 102 of the Iranian penal code details the stoning sentence. Men should be buried up to their waists and women up to their breasts while being stoned. Ms. Ebrahimi would have been the first official stoning since 2002.

International pressure doesn't just save the lives of criminals in Iran. Often, countries refuse to extradite suspects to the US, unless authorities agree not to seek the death penalty. Recently, Brazil agreed to extradite a Colombian drug lord to the US, only after receiving a guarantee that the US would not to impose execution.

I wonder if the American reaction to Iranian stoning, mirrors the way other Western countries react to the US executions. Do you think these actions, which raise international human rights concerns, are comparable?

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Dalai Lama: China's "Cultural Genocide," China Blocks YouTube

CitizenSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:00:49 -0700

Yesterday the Dalai Lama accused China of waging “cultural genocide” against his followers in Tibet and called for an international investigation into the increasingly violent suppression of protests. It was the Dalai Lama's strongest defense of Tibetan Buddhists staging an uprising against Chinese rule to date. He endorsed the right of his people to protest their grievances peacefully against Chinese authorities, adding that he would not ask Tibetans to surrender to Chinese military police by midnight on Monday, as Beijing has demanded.

Some Tibetans are hoping for outright independence from China and feel that they have the perfect political opportunity to call attention to change as China prepares for the Olympic Games, moving centerstage and sparking intense scrutiny of its human rights record.

In response to the protests, Internet users in China were blocked from accessing YouTube yesterday after dozens of videos about protests in Tibet appeared on the video website. The videos posted Saturday showed foreign news reports about the demonstrations, with photos and scenes from Tibet-related protests abroad. The Chinese government is silent on its move to prevent access to YouTube. Users trying to call up the YouTube were presented with a blank screen.

Do you think the move by China to block access to this information just serves to underscore the Dalai Lama's point?

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