TresSugar

Something New? Saudi Cleric Condones Child Brides

CitizenSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:00:38 -0800

A ceremonial wedding between a girl and a frog sounds like child's play compared to a real wedding between a girl and a middle-aged man. Yet the practice continues to cross our screens and affect real lives around the world. And it's not stopping anytime soon - at least not in Saudi Arabia.

Top Saudi cleric, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, said it is not fair to tell a 10- or 12-year-old girl that she can't marry. This comes after a Saudi judge refused to annul a marriage between an 8-year-old girl and a 58-year-old man.

The girl's mother petitioned for the annulment, saying the marriage was arranged by the girl's father to settle a debt. The judge's only consolation? He required the newlywed husband to sign a pledge promising to abstain from sex until the girl reached puberty, bringing new meaning to abstinence pledge.

Though Saudi law may intend to protect children, it's difficult to separate the secular from the sacred in a country so steeped in Islam - a religion that imposes no age limits on marriage. A Saudi Arabia researcher for Human Rights Watch said, "It is still the religious establishment that holds sway in the courts, and in many realms beyond."

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Myanmar Releases 9,002 Prisoners, Plus Democracy Activist

CitizenSugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:00:49 -0700

Still reeling from the effects of the cyclone this Spring, rats and all, Myanmar's junta has released 9,002 prisoners in a gesture they say is full of "loving kindness and goodwill," despite the fact that many doubt political prisoners will be in those numbers. One exception, Myanmar's longest serving political prisoner, Win Tin, who has been held since 1989. The 78-year-old spoke following his release from a friend's house saying, "I have to continue with my unfinished task of trying to achieve democracy in Myanmar."

Oddly, that very "democracy" seems to have sparked the release of the 9,002 prisoners as the junta, who have ruled uncontested since 1962, say they released them in order to take part in elections set for 2010 as part of their seven-step "roadmap to democracy." Skepticism on that roadmap, abounds, and that it's nothing but a charade set to cement the military's power.

That military power just earned the country a dubious honor, and a big donation from Brad Pitt. To see what they won, read more.

Myanmar has just claimed the penultimate spot on the new list of most corrupt countries, barely edging out Somalia (the bottom) and tying with Iraq. Transparency International released the new Global Corruption Report, showing that Myanmar has become even more corrupt than it was last year. The spokesperson for TI says it's not just bad behavior, corruption can be fatal, “In the poorest countries, corruption levels can mean the difference between life and death, when money for hospitals or clean water is in play.”

Understanding that need, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have donated $1 million to the charity Human Rights Watch, earmarked for work in Myanmar and Zimbabwe. The executive director of HRW said, "Burma and Zimbabwe are two of the most repressive countries in the world and we need to increase international pressure on them to change. Brad and Angelina's investment in our work at this critical moment will allow intensified efforts by our researchers to expose the repression that these governments try to keep hidden and by our advocates to generate the global pressure needed to improve people's lives." Earlier this month, the couple gave $2 million to fund a children's home in Ethiopia.

Do you believe the release of the 9,002 prisoners is a step toward democracy?

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New Study Finds Brothels Are All Over London and Spreading

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:05:17 -0700

Lots of sexy times in the UK? It appears that way, according to a new study compiled by the Poppy Project. The group, which educates about prostitution and assists victims of sex trafficking, found that brothels have spread to "every corner" of London - some charging as little as $30, or an extra $20 for unprotected sex. With 85 percent of the brothels in residential areas, all 33 of London's boroughs have them.

The project called 921 of the sex houses advertising in the paper and found 77 different ethnicities represented with the average age of the workers being 21. Details like these could point to trafficking. The co-author of the study says, "Multi-media misrepresentations of commercial sex as a glamorous, easy and fun career choice for girls and women further contribute to the ubiquity of London's brothel industry. However, for most women involved in prostitution, the reality is a cycle of violence and coercion, perpetuated by poverty and inequality."

But is it legal? To find out, read more.

Prostitution in the UK isn't illegal, though some activities associated with it, like soliciting from a car or living on the wages of prostitutes, are illegal. Given the connection between prostitution and trafficking, groups like Prostitution Reform are trying to end the practice and make it illegal.

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Is an Election All That's Required to Create Democracy?

LibertySugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 03:00:36 -0800

In its World Report 2008, Human Rights Watch criticizes Europe and the US for tolerating "sham democracies" for pure self-interest. Such "sham democracies" include Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria, and Russia, where autocratic leaders pose as Democrats while stifling basic human rights such as free press, peaceful assembly, and a civil society capable of challenging power.

HRW director, Kenneth Roth, writes:

"Determined not to let mere facts stand in the way, these rulers have mastered the art of democratic rhetoric that bears little relationship to their practice of governing. [...]

Divorcing of democracy from the international standards that give it meaning helps to convince autocrats that mere elections, regardless of the circumstances, are sufficient to warrant the democrat label."

The extensive report goes on to separately evaluate human rights concerns in more than 75 countries. It reviews actions taken in response by key international actors, including the European Union, Japan, the United Nations, and the United States.

Do you think a democracy requires more than an election? And if so, what should international actors do to encourage other meaningful freedoms in these countries?

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Front Page: Iran Releases Female French Protester

TresSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:00:34 -0700

Iran releases a French woman who demonstrated during the elections. - CNN
The "public option" portion of the health plan could be dropped. - New York Times
A wedding fire in Kuwait that killed 45 women and children was started by the groom's ex-wife. - UK Telegraph
Human Rights Watch: hundreds of gay men tortured and executed in Iraq. - CNN
Milwaukee's mayor, protecting an elderly woman, is hospitalized after her assailant attacks him with pipe. - ABC News
11-year-old reporter asks Obama to be his homeboy; Obama accepts. - lilsugar

UK Debates Holding Terror Suspects For 42 Days: Too Long?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:15:55 -0700

The US isn't the only country with a firm eye on terrorism - and they're certainly not alone walking the tricky line between government abilities to crack down in meaningful ways and civil liberties. The British House of Commons is set to vote on a measure allowing police to detain people for up to 42 days without charge if they're suspected of terrorism-related activities.

Human rights organizations are outraged by the provision. Amnesty International, has launched an online petition called, "Say 'No' to 42 Days" saying of the measure, "Allowing police to lock people up for a month and a half without charge will undermine basic human rights to which everyone in the UK is entitled." Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying that, "giving British authorities the power to detain terrorism suspects for up to six weeks without charge violates the fundamental right to liberty and risks undermining counterterrorism efforts."

Those closer to the government are speaking out as well. To see what they had to say, read more.

The former British spy chief says holding suspects for six weeks is excessive. Though the bill might be defeated in the House of Lords, it faces a round of political back and forth if the government insists on the plan. The House of Lords own blog says it's probably a portion of the bill that will ultimately be decided by the courts.

With the government in Britain already able to access scads of personal information, where is the line between safety and rights? Is 42 days too long to be held without charge?

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The National Mall Becomes a Sea of Humans and Hope

CitizenSugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:30:09 -0800

While only ex-presidents, first daughters, and powerful lawmakers got the front-row view of Barack Obama's inauguration today, I watched the events on the jumbotron in the shadow of the Washington Monument. In the minutes leading up to noon, the millions of people gathered, citizens of the country and the world, stood on the freezing lawn anxious to witness history.

There were resounding cheers for Bill and Hillary Clinton, and even more for Sasha and Malia. Around me the bright mood dimmed a bit during Rick Warren introduction and more during George W. Bush's. But soon my neighbors' faces filled with expressions of suspense right before Obama was sworn in, hope during the speech, and relief once the transfer of power was complete.

On the way out, the human gridlock tested everyone's goodwill, but luckily I managed to get out safely, walking on eerily car-free highways and past countless Obamabilia vendors. Now it's time to sit back and enjoy the parade!

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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?

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Gold Medal in Censorship? China Reblocks Websites

LibertySugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:00:36 -0800

Now that the Olympics are long gone, and the world has its eyes off of China, the country's government has returned to keeping an eye on what its 250 million Internet users can access. It appears China, which has the most web users in the world, only made superficial advances in freedom of the press during the games. In other words: censorship is back!

So which sites can you no longer visit in China? Chinese language versions of international sites like BBC, Voice of America, and Human Rights Watch have been rebanned, along with some Hong Kong-based sites, because they refer to Taiwan as an independent country and not part of China.

A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said China had the right to censor material deemed illegal, just like other governments do. For example, the US criminalizes online technology that can be used to violate copyright protections.

Are you surprised the legacy of the Beijing Olympics probably won't include expanded freedom?

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Front Page: Huge Hole Forces Plane Landing, Nepal Police Detain 125 Tibetans, HIV Drugs Add 13 Years

CitizenSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:00:43 -0700

Huge Hole Forces Plane Landing:
A Qantas passenger plane from London to Melbourne made an emergency landing in Manila after a giant hole was ripped in its underside. The emergency landing left all 346 passengers safe, but the nine-foot wide hole led to a loss of cabin pressure and a rough landing amid emergency preparations. Once safe on the ground, reactions of the passengers ranged from vomit to tears.

Nepal Police Detain 125 Tibetans:
Nepali police have detained 125 Tibetan refugees for attempting to storm a Chinese consular office in Kathmandu. Over 20,000 Tibetans live in Nepal and many regularly protest for the freedom of Tibet. Human Rights Watch said yesterday that Nepal was responding to pressure from China without regard for human rights with unexplained arrests and abuse in detention.
HIV Drugs Add 13 Years:
A study of 43,000 patients shows that life expectancy for people with HIV has increased by about 13 years since the last decade because of HIV treatments. Researchers liken HIV now to a chronic condition like diabetes instead of a fatal disease. The study found that a person diagnosed at 20 could expect to live for another 49 years. Meanwhile, the US House passed a bill tripling the money spent on fighting AIDS worldwide.

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