The Lights of Liberty

Since yesterday was International Human Rights Day, I found it appropriate to do my last blog on it. Cuban exiles organized in Miami and decided that they wanted to shoot off fireworks off the border of Cuba on the eve of International Human Rights Day. The group of exiles was organized by Ramon Saul Sanchez who is a part of the Democracy Movement group. The Cuban government claims that the exiles had malicious motives with their firework display. The exiles said that the purpose of the fireworks was not malicious but was to bring attention to Cuba’s human rights violations. The firework show has been named, “The Lights of Liberty” show.

(Ramon Saul Sanchez)

The exiles hoped to be supported by dissidents in Cuba. The dissidents in Cuba associated with the firework show are the Ladies in White. The group is made up of wives and other females that have jailed dissident husbands and/or loved ones. The group met before the fireworks at their former leader’s house, Laura Pollan, who died in October. Pro-government protesters surrounded the house disabling the woman to participate in protesting during the fireworks. Only a handful of dissidents made it out to the Malecon promenade in Cuba. When Associated Press members tried to interview people that had come out they were attacked by pro-governmental protesters.

(The Ladies in White)

This firework display does not sit well with Cuba. The Cuban government is dissatisfied that the United States did not enable the exiles from shooting them off by the Cuban border. The exiles are protected here under the freedom of expression. Legally the United States could not have stopped them unless they did not stay in proper range of Cuba’s boundaries. However, in Cuba, dissidents were not allowed their freedom of expression. Some members of the Ladies in White group were not permitted to attend the meeting at Laura Pollan’s house. Other dissidents claim that they were held by the government so that they could not participate in protests. We are seeing in many countries where old regimes are trying to stay in power that the freedom of expression is being taken away from many citizens. Like in Cuba, governments are trying to censor citizens in order to prevent uprisings and discontent. However, it seems the more governments try to censor the voices of dissidents the stronger the dissidents become.

Do you see the dissidents in the near future being able to oust the Castro regime?

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/exile-fireworks-show-off-cuba-irks-castro-govt-15127325?page=2

Violence in Yemen

With the Arab Spring have come numerous human rights violations against civilians. In Yemen, this violence is no different. This violence is still continuing even though the country signed an agreement to “restore peace and stability.” The government forces are blamed for killing peaceful protesters, as well as children. UNICEF has reported that 138 children have been killed since the start of the violence in March and 568 have been injured. Recently, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that there have been 20 people killed in the city of Taiz. Due to this violence many people do not feel safe in their own homes and are forced to flee when their neighborhoods have been damaged. The High Commissioner, Navi Pillay, asked permission from the government to allow her and her staff access into the country to further investigate the human rights violations.

This story is nothing that we haven’t heard of in regards to the Arab Spring. However, the unfortunate part of the Arab Spring is these injustices against children. Children are granted special protections under International Law. They also have the right to life. A one month old baby was killed December 1st due to the violence in Yemen. The military is trying to prevent further uprising against the government but they are killing civilians in the process. The military is also not allowing the freedom of expression because people are being killed and detained because they are not happy with their government. If the military is going to continue to support the government, it needs to differentiate between threats and innocent people. The government also needs to go through due process and not just kill people who no longer support it.

What should the Yemen government do to ensure that children are protected from this violence?

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40634&Cr=&Cr1=

Elections in the Congo

The Congo has conducted its second free election in 51 years and is the first that has been organized by the government. However, the election is suspected to be corrupt and 3 out of the 11 candidates have asked that the ballot be voided. This election has led to widespread violence around the country. There have been 14 deaths and about 100 have been injured. Most of those who were killed were murdered by troops that are in favor of President Joseph Kabila. The deaths were a cause of thousands of people crowding Kinshasa’s airport to welcome the opposition nominee Etienne Tshisekedi. There were soldiers (supposedly part Kabila’s Republican Guard) firing into the crowd who killed the 14 people. There has been other reported violence between groups at voting locations. Other violence has been blamed on the Lord’s Resistance Army. They are responsible for killing 13 people, raping a pregnant woman, and abducted 3 boys.

This election has gotten out of hand and it is hard to tell if the election can really be categorized as “free,” especially is the voting has been rigged. The freedom of expression is a right that is being violated here. People are not allowed to have a preference for who they want to vote for because they will be targeted by members of opposing parties. The right to life is also being violated here because people are being murdered over political beliefs. Special protections for children are not being represented because young boys are being abducted. The President is up for re-election so the army supporting him is trying to squash all other opposition. However, there are groups who do not want the President in power and are acting out against those who are fighting for him.

What can the Congo do to ensure more peaceful elections?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/12/02/international/i023655S98.DTL

Grandmother Strip Searched

Lenore Zimmerman was planning on traveling from JFK airport to Fort Lauderdale. The 85-year-old woman is only 100 ponds and walks with a walker. After Zimmerman checked her bags she made her way t the security line. She asked permission to be exempt from the image screening technology because she has a defibrillator. She expected to be pat down like she normally is. Instead she was the subject of a strip search. Two female TSA agents took her into a private room where she was forced to remove her clothing. In the process, her walker banged against her leg and blood began to run from a gash. Zimmerman claims that the TSA agents had no sympathy and continue to remove her clothing. Zimmerman is planning on suing the TSA for her whole ordeal.

Now it could be argued that Zimmerman’s right to privacy was abused here. All people have the right to their bodies but to what extent? Zimmerman is not the only person that has had a strip search. It could be argued that she was targeted because she is a women but that is a far reach and is more than likely not the reason. All citizens are subject to strip searches and they should not be skipped just because they do not look like a “terrorist.” Zimmerman sarcastically said, “I walk with a walker — I really look like a terrorist.” The TSA cannot just search people who they deem as looking as a terrorist. I believe that they may have decided to do the strip search because she opted out of the image screening.


Do you believe that any of Zimmerman’s rights were infringed upon? Should she not have been strip searched because she is an 85-year-old woman?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lenore-zimmerman-85-hurt-strip-search-tsa-agents-jfk-airport-article-1.986198

Yemen

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) came to an agreement that they would grant the President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, immunity from being prosecuted. President Saleh has been in office for 33 years and has announced that he was going to resign many times only to change his mind. Amnesty International is not impressed with this decision because the President would not be held accountable for human rights violations. However, Yemen is responsible for investigating these human rights abuses and persecuting those involved due to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The GCC decided to allow Saleh to stay in office for 90 days until the elections stay place. The President and vice-President, Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, will share presidential powers.

Yemen is another country in the Arab World that is experiencing the Arab Spring. The situation happening in Yemen is similar to Syria. The population wants another ruler that has been power for decades out of office. However, the ruler does not want to leave. Violence is rampant in Yemen. Protesters are being murdered for speaking out against the Saleh regime. Yemen is also experiencing a pro-Shia Muslim movement. This has led to the deaths of many Sunni Muslims. Just recently, 24 people were murdered in a Sunni section of Yemen. Many human rights violations occurring in Yemen include: the right to life, religion, and expression. Many people in Yemen are losing their lives because of their values. They have a differing religion so they are murdered. They want a new government so they are murdered.

DO you think that President Saleh should be granted immunity from prosecution?

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=19825

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/27/world/meast/yemen-clashes/?hpt=hp_t2

Violence Continues in Syria

This week Syria refused to agree to having people place in the country to try and stop the eight months of violence with a peace treaty. Syria was told if it did not cooperate it would be subject to economic sanctions. Since Syria's President Bashar al-Assad did not agree to start the peace agreements, the Arab League has to meet to decide why sanctions it will set on Syria. Possibilities will be stopping transactions with Syria's banks and stopping flights to Syria. These sanctions could lead to more violence in Syria. Syria has had the deadliest attack on protests in the Arab Spring. There have been 3,500 deaths in eight months and Assad continues with the killing. The violence started mostly against peaceful protesters but then civilians became to be armed and fought back against Assad's forces.


The United Nations Commission against Torture Is investigating the many human rights abuses occurring in Syria. Human rights groups have reported that the police forces in Syria have been torturing children. This is an obvious violation of special protections for children. The military was also using force against peaceful protesters. These are violating rights to life and freedom of expression. Assad is justifying his actions against civilians saying that terrorists are plotting to get him out of power. Many of the same abuses are happening in countries experiencing the Arab Spring. For example, Egypt's military regime is arresting anyone who speaks out in opposition of the government.

What do you think it will take to get Assad out of power?

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=1770118

Freedom of Expression in US

Every year college students in California gather and protest against rising college tuition rates. This year the campuses have been inspired by the occupy movement. Specifically at the University of California, tuition has almost doubled in recent years. Just this month, the California State Board of Trustees decided to increase tuition for next year by 9%. These protests that are typically peaceful took a different turn this year when police officers sprayed pepper spray into the protesting students. This video has gone viral and is causing uproar across the country. Many who have watched the video are pressuring the Chancellor, Linda Katehi to resign. The Chancellor apologized to the student body and is working to earn the schools trust back.

Most of my blogs have focused on human rights issue abroad and I thought it would be nice to focus on an issue that is close to home. The freedom to assemble for these students was taken away from them. They were performing a peaceful protest and the school police officers pepper sprayed them. There right to freedom of expression was also violated. I feel that in the United States we pride ourselves on all the freedoms that this country has to offer. However, there are still times when we do not provide these rights. It would have been a different situation if the crowd had turned violent and the police needed to use pepper spray to pacify the crowd. The police officers that were involved in the pepper spraying were put on administrative leave.

Do you believe that the University of California should take a stronger action against the police officers? Or do you believe that the pepper spraying can be justified?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/us/police-officers-involved-in-pepper-spraying-placed-on-leave.html

Rights for Human Rights Activists

This article is about a nun, Valsa John, who was an activist for her local community in India. She was brutality murdered as a result of her human rights work. This makes her the fourth activist to be killed in India this year. In 2007, Valsa was imprisoned for protesting at a coal mine. She was fighting against the coerced obtainment of adivasi lands. She was released in the same year and made a deal with the company trying to obtain the land. The company was allowed to acquire the land in exchange for, "alternate land, employment, a health centre and free education for the children of the displaced families." It is believe that the 40 people that beat Valsa to death were a part of a gang that was involved with illegal coal mining. Valsa received death threats just hours before she was killed. The article also mentions the three other activists that were killed this year. One activist was fighting for environmental issues and was exposing violations with mining. Another was a social activist who was killed after exposing contractors who had stolen money. Lastly was an activist who was murdered after testifying For 95 victims who were killed in a massacre.


There are many human rights violations that are taking place here. A main one that is leading to the deaths of these activists is the freedom of speech. These activists are being murdered because they are standing up against corruption in their societies. Obviously if the freedom of expression was respected these people would not have been murdered. Another obvious right violation is the right to life. These individuals are again being murdered because of their opinions and expressions. While India has the second largest population in the world, much of its population is still in poverty and there is a high crime rate. There is also a lot of corruption in the country. This corruption is leading to these human rights violations.

Should the Indian government provide special protections for activists?

http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/news-item/india-nun-murdered-in-fourth-activist-killing-in-2011

Mexican Violence

A few weeks back I posted a blog about Mexican citizens wanting to press charges against the Mexican President because of the violence he has allowed during the war on drugs. The Mexican government has been accused of using torture techniques like, water-boarding and cattle prods. President Caldron has sent 50,000 troops to the streets and it has caused an outstanding number of deaths. The numbers are rising with 46,000 killed in sake of this drug war. A 214-page report was submitted to President Caldron that was backed by, “200 interviews with officials, witnesses and alleged victims and on documents obtained through public information requests.” Caldron’s response was that the criminals are responsible for human rights violations and the criminals are responsible for the continued violence.

Obviously there are human rights being violated here whether it is by the troops or the criminals. There are numerous reports of inhumane treatments while detained or imprisoned which is breaking a human right. For example, a man had his faced wrapped in cloth with his nose exposed. His interrogators would continually submerge him into water with the hopes that he would confess information. (Which he later did)One woman who was detained was forcefully stripped from the waist down and her interrogator told her she would have many friends in prison. This is a violation also because women have special protections and the interrogator was insinuating sexual abuses.

Do you believe that the criminals are the only ones responsible for violating human rights and inciting violence?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/torture-surges-in-mexicos-drug-war-rights-group-says/2011/11/09/gIQAphSI6M_story.html

Pardons in Myanmar

As we have seen in recent months, many people have been arbitrarily detained due to political views. For example, Egypt is being run by the military and those not in favor of the new military government are being unjustly detained. Myanmar was also a country that was arresting people who did not agree with its political views. The country announced that it will start to release some of these prisoners. Myanmar has undergone reforms recently and is starting to come out of its international isolation. Western countries have urged Myanmar to release political prisoners and journalists. The government has released 6,300 political prisoners since October.

I chose this article because you can tell that the country is trying to make changes and is reforming. Rights that are being violated are the right against arbitrary detainment. Many countries are trying to establish new governments, especially those involved in the Arab Spring, and they are imprisoning all those who oppose in order to not leave room for revolutions. Another right that has been violated in countries that are arbitrarily detaining prisoners is due process. Egypt is experiencing the highest number of people convicted through military courts.

Do you think that it is necessary for countries to detain citizens who are in opposition to their newly formed government?

http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/International/14-Nov-2011/Myanmar-to-free-more-prisoners

Iran and LGBTs rights.

It is no secret that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not accept same sex relationships, but Iran’s LGBT rights abuses is being brought to light. Iran has signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) along with 166 other countries. Countries have to go under review every 5 years; however, Iran has not been reviewed in the past 18 years. The rights of “sexual orientation and gender identity” are protected under the ICCPR. Iran torments and discriminates against LGBTs and even sentences those to death who have homosexual sex. The United Nations Human Rights Committee is urging Iran to document on how LGBTs are being treated better in its report due in 2014. Iran is supposed to be a country that prides itself on morality and culture and yet it is not living up to its words. A coordinator for The Middle East and North Africa for the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Committee (IGLHRC) said that Iran has broken international laws that it has promised to abide by.

Iran is not only breaking international covenants that it has signed; it is also breaking international human rights. The right against discrimination is clearly being broken by the Iranian government. LGBTs do not even feel safe in their own country. This also infringes on their freedom of assembly. Since LGBTs are not tolerated in general in Iran they are also not tolerated in groups. LGBTs obviously are not seen before a jury of their peers because the jury is more than likely not gay. Therefore, many LGBTs are being sentenced to death because of their sexual orientation. This strong hatred towards gays reminds me of readings I have read on gays and how they were treated in the Holocaust. Gays were not only murdered in the Holocaust but they were also forced to have sterilization procedures and underwent “remedies” to make them “straight.” Since then the rights of LGBTs have been respected and many more countries are more accepting. Iran is a very religious Islamic country and their views on LGBT rights are embedded in their culture.

What are ways for Iran to be more accepting of LGBT and thus respecting their rights as humans (besides not killing them)? Do you think that Islam plays a role in the disapproving nature of Iran towards LGBTs?


http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/04/UN_Report_Spotlights_LGBT_Rights_Abuses_in_Iran/

Justice in Kenya

Human Rights Watch is urging Kenyan authorities to look into disappearances of hundreds of people during a conflict over land starting in 2006. While hundreds have disappeared, thousands of people were killed and tortured in the western Kenyan region of Mount Elgon. The violence began when the Sabaot Land Defense Force, “resisted efforts by the Kenyan government to evict squatters in the Chepyuk area of Mt. Elgon district”. Human Rights Watch is accusing the Defense Force of starting to attack civilians who supported the government. The forces are also accused of murdering hundreds of people and thousands of unrightfully detaining civilians. Human Rights Watch wants the bodies of those buried in mass graves to be exhumed in order to assess the position the Kenyan forces played in the violent attacks. The Kenyan government claims that it has investigated the accusation of torture and did not find any evidence.

("Phylis Tamnai Kipteyo, 49, whose husband Patrick Kipteyo Sewui was taken from his home in front of her and their six children by soldiers during a crackdown in 2008, appears at a news conference held by Human Rights Watch in Nairobi, Kenya, October 27, 2011.")

The article itself mentions the violation of arbitrary arrest. Many other violations have been committed by these Kenyan forces: the right to life, security, and liberty. The families of these murdered and disappeared people are suffering emotionally, as well as economically because without having proper death certificates they are not granted rights to their family members’ belongings and land. Murdering people because of their political views is an infringement on their right of speech and yet we still see it to continue today. Egypt would be one example where the military is murdering thousands of people and arbitrarily detaining them because they do not support the military regime. This type of violence needs to be stopped, but like we have recently discussed in class one of the fastest ways to bring about change is through violence.

Do you believe that these Kenyan forces should now be held accountable for these violent attacks?

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Human-Rights-Watch-Urge-Kenya-to-Investigation-Missing-Kenyans-132713148.html

Peaceful Protest?

Coptic Christian protesters were demonstrating peacefully on October 9^th when some were plowed down by Egyptian army vehicles that headed for the crowd. The protests started as a reaction to the government not investigating the burning of a church in Marinab. As the protesters moved threw the town toward the television station, civilians began to throw stones at the protesters and the protesters threw stones back. Once at the television station armed vehicles entered the crowd running over protestors. News channels were reporting these events until they were stopped by military personnel. General Adel Emara claimed that the military was not intentionally running over protesters but in actuality were trying to avoid protesters because they were throwing stones at them. Many testimonies and the actual video footage of the incident do not go along with the military’s story. The testimonies and footage do not illustrate a violent crowd.

The use of police force would have been a different story if the crowd was armed and violent, but the crowd was in peaceful protest and was not a physical threat to the military. The military has the authority to arrest those who are committing violent acts or who assault a police officer. However, neither of these instances describes the event of October 9^th. This is just another instance of how Egypt is trying to stop any type of resistance against its military run government whether it is peaceful or not. The military is infringing on its citizens (and the Coptic Christian’s in this article) right to life, security and freedom of assembly and association. It is an international human right that people are permitted to the freedom of assembly and association. Now this right may be taken away if the group displays violence but should not be infringed upon when it is a peaceful gathering.

If there is actual footage showing that the military used unnecessary violence against a peaceful protest, how can the military's story be the exact opposite?

http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsContentP/1/25077/Egypt/Human-Rights-Watch-Report-Egypt-Don%E2%80%99t-Cover-Up-Mil.aspx

Violence in Dominican Prisons

The Dominican Republic is under the scrutiny due to murders police officers have carried out against prisoners. According to Amnesty International, Dominican officers have been mistreating detainees in their prisons. The spokesperson for the Police Department said that officers accused of murders will be prosecuted. However, he also focused on the deaths and injuries of guards and soldiers and wanted their deaths recognized before he spoke about the deaths of prisoners. A total of 260 prisoners were killed in 2010 due to officer violence. Officers have been accused of withholding food and water from prisoners and suffocating or hanging them by handcuffs off the wall.The police claim that the prisoners deaths were caused by an "exchange of gunfire." However, the evidence does not show this statement.

This type of violence should not be occurring in the prison system. A result of this is corruption. It is estimated that 12,000 officers have been let go between 2007 and 2010 due to corruption. The fact that the prison officers are depriving the prisoners of food and water is violating the human right of food. Also they are violating many human rights when they are killing them in prison, such as, life, liberty and security of a person, and humane treatment when detained or imprisoned. It is hard to shed more importance on one human right over another because there are so many that have been violated. Clearly forcing someone’s head into a plastic bag is considered inhumane treatment. A justification may be that some prisoners display violence against the officers and the officers retaliate but officers should not be responsible for so many deaths. Low salaries are a factor as to why police officers are displaying such violence. They only bring in about $140 a month.

Do you think that police officers should be able to continually talk life into there own hands by killing inmates in jail?

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2011/10/26/dominican-police-tortured-and-killed-hundreds-says-amnesty-report/

Sexual Abuses in Indian Country

I have decided to keep with the theme of sexual abuse against women in America for this week. A growing concern that has been making news coverage in recent weeks is the sexual abuses happening against Native American women in the United States. Before reading the entire story I assumed that these women were being abused by Native American men, however, statistics have shown that the majority of the perpetrators are non-Indian men. You may be asking why focus on just Native American women? Well, Native American women are "2.5 times more likely" of experiencing violence against them when compared to other women in the United States. Statistics also show that 1 out of 3 Native American women will be raped at some point in her life and "3 out of 4 will be physically assaulted." The reason that these assaults are able to happen at such dramatic rates is because holes in the system. Indian nations are legally not allowed to persecute non-Indians in their courts. So how are these perpetrators going to be found guilty? It is very uncommon for these men to be held accountable for these actions.

Again this article deals with the issue of liberty and security of a person. These women do not feel safe and have high odds against them that they will fall victim to sexual assault. The article explains that mothers have to teach their daughters what to do when they are raped because the crime is so common. Native American women should not have to feel that they have to prepare their daughters to be raped. In my opinion these women are still citizens of the United States and should be able to take their abuser to court in a fair system. Clearly there are problems with this system and Native American women need to be guaranteed more protection and education against sexual abuse.

Do you believe it is right for non-Indian men to be prohibited from being tried in Indian Nation courts?

http://www.firstperspective.ca/releases/3199-international-commission-hearing-on-violence-against-native-women-in-the-us.html

Sexual Abuses in US Immigrant Detention Facilities

With the recent discussions in lass about illegal immigrants, I found this article interesting because it shows how United States citizens violate international human rights when dealing with detained illegal immigrants. There have been cases across the United States of sexual violence against those held in immigrant detention facilities. Most cases are female detainees being sexually violated by male workers in the facilities.The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) found that the most disturbing part about these sexual assaults was that they were not committed in one or two facilities, but instead they are happening all over the country. (Clink this link to view the map. click) Cases have been found in 22 out of the 50 states, with Texas having the largest reported abuses with 56 allegations. Virginia has 7 allegations against it, specifically at the Rappahannock Regional Facility and the Hampton Roads Regional Jail. The fact that cases are happening at the Hampton Roads jail makes this story hit home more.There has been an increase in immigrants without documentations in the United States resulting in 250 facilities and about 30,000 detainees in each facility. Mexicans make up the largest population in the facilities with more than 60 percent.

You hear about sexual abuses against inmates in other countries but you may not think that it happens in almost half of the states in the US. This article does raise an important question. Are illegal immigrants guaranteed the same rights as citizens of the United States because the undocumented immigrants have entered the country in an illegal way? I believe that this is not an accuse for illegal immigrants to be abused. Illegal immigrants are still human and should not be sexually abused because they broke a law. However, there are other arguments that once someone breaks the law they may not be guaranteed the same rights as others who abide by the law. I believe that this article deals with the violation of liberty and security of a person. When women are in a jail there security should not be at risk, especially from officers that are taking advantage of them. I also believe that this violates humane treatment when detained or imprisoned. These women are being raped, inappropriately touched, and some even fear for their lives.

Do you believe that these women should still be guaranteed their human rights even though they entered into the United States illegally?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/19/sexual-abuse-immigration-detention-aclu?newsfeed=true

Mexico's Drug War

Another Head of State that is accused of violating human rights recently is Mexico’s President, Felipe Calderon. Mexicans are also seeking charges against gang lords such as, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Human rights activists hope to charge these men In International Court for their human rights abuses in the country’s drug war. They believe that Calderon has allowed violence against thousands of Mexicans. There have been over 40,000 people killed since 2006 when Calderon took office. In addition, there have been 230,000 people displaced because of this conflict. The activist have collected 20,000 signatures and have continued to collect them with hopes to charges Calderon, Guzman, and officials of human rights abuses.

The war on drugs in Mexico has been escalating in recent years. When Calderon took office in 2006, he deployed the armed forces which have led to thousands of deaths among Traffickers, drug lords, and civilians. This has infringed on the right to life and the right to hearing before an independent and impartial jury. If criminals are simply being murdered and tortured they are not being granted their right of being tried before a jury. Guzmen is accused of using children as lookouts and militants. This is a direct violation of special protections for children. Children are not supposed to be allowed to work in general, nor should they be forced to fight and kill for Mexican drug lords. There have been at least 1,300 children killed in this conflict.

Though the likeliness of charges sticking to Calderon is unlikely, do you believe that the Mexican president should be arrested?

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Mexicans-demand-international-human-rights-2217770.php
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2011/10/mexico-activists-criminal-court-claim-drug-war-calderon.html

Bush Violates Human RIghts

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are demanding that former President George W. Bush be arrested for crimes he committed during his presidency. He is accused of allowing the torture and “ill-treatment” of prisoners in the custody of the United States. Bush will be attending the economic summit In Canada on October 20th and these human rights organizations want the Canadian authorities to arrest Bush. However, the Canadian government does not desire to arrest Bush saying they will not be “engaging in cheap stunts.”

These accusations against George W. Bush imply that he has broken the right of protection against torture and cruel and inhuman punishment and humane treatment when detained or imprisoned. The use of tactics such as, water boarding should not be used against prisoners in any country. This type of torture infringes on human rights and breaks international law. This is a difficult situation because if Bush was arrested what would that mean for other heads of state that have committed similar crimes? Should these heads of state be held at a higher standard than normal citizens?

Even though Canada refused to arrest Bush, what would be the implications if they agreed?


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/13/amnesty-international-hum_n_1009403.html