No Compensation for Sterilization Victims

Source: Gaston Gazette    

A plan to compensate victims who were forcibly sterilized as part of a discriminatory state “eugenics” program in North Carolina crumbled in the state Senate after passing in the House of Representatives, leaving victims angry and distraught. The House sought to give $50,000 in compensation to each living victim of the sterilization program.

Solitary Confinement Reviewed in Senate
Source: The New York Times

United States Senators are reviewing the common practice of solitary confinement in prisons. Opponents of solitary confinement have argued that the practice constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment and is therefore unconstitutional. The United States uses solitary confinement more than any other democratic country in the world.

Burmese Refugees Seek Protection
Source: The Irrawaddy

Human Rights Watch is pressing China to protect and give assistance to Kachin refugees who have fled Burma in the face of violence between government forces and Kachin militia. The 10,000 refugees are now facing food and water shortages as well as lacking access to medicine and sanitary conditions.

Aboriginal Communities Oppose Australian Legislation
Source: The West Australian

Legislation to extend the Northern Territory Intervention in Australia is expected to pass this week. Northern Territory Aboriginal communities oppose the legislation and believe it is racist. Amnesty International has criticized the government for failing to have the laws scrutinized by the parliamentary human rights committee.

Guaranteeing Food Sovereignty in Ecuador
Source: Latinamerica Press

Ecuadorian indigenous and grassroots organizations are advocating for laws that promote local and communal farming practices and oversee water flows and land redistribution. Ecuador’s Constitution includes measures that guarantee the right to food and food sovereignty, but bills in the National Assembly that would implement and regulate these principles have been delayed.
 

Brazilian President Recounts Torture
Source: MercoPress

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff released accounts of torture, such as beatings and electric shocks, she was subjected to while imprisoned for three years for supporting guerrilla forces as a young woman. President Rousseff established a truth commission to investigate the crimes that Brazil’s government committed during the military regime from 1964-1985.

Sudan Cracks Down on Demonstrators
Source: Amnesty International

Sudanese police violently dispersed demonstrators protesting austerity measures proposed by the government. The police also detained bloggers and journalists to stymie reporting on the protests. The protestors were responding to rising food prices and the reduction in fuel subsidies. Amnesty International encouraged the Sudanese government to end the violent onslaught against protesters.

 

Uganda Bans LGBT-Friendly NGOs
Source: NewsfromAfrica.com

The Ugandan government has continued its assault on gay rights by announcing plans to ban any NGOs that support gay rights. Simon Lokodo, the Minister for Ethics and Integrity, submitted a list of NGOs that he wanted banned to the internal affairs ministry. Human Rights First is encouraging the Ugandan government to recognize LGBT rights as fundamental human rights.

UK Strengthens Labor Trafficking Laws
Source: The Guardian

The United Kingdom introduced legislation to make forced labor trafficking that occurs in Britain a criminal offense. The new legislation makes sentences for forced labor trafficking comparable to sentences imposed in sex trafficking cases. In England and Wales, the average sentence in sex trafficking cases is 62 months; non-sex trafficking cases elicit only a 24 month sentence.
 
 

Migrants Criminalized in Cyprus
Source: Amnesty International

A new report by Amnesty International claims the Cypriot government is unlawfully detaining asylum-seekers for months or years. Asylum-seekers are often subjected to poor living conditions and lack access to legal representation to challenge their detention. The group also claims the government has refused to release migrants even when ordered by the Cypriot Supreme Court.

Saudi Beheaded for Sorcery, Adultery
Source:  BBC News

A Saudi man was beheaded in the southern province of Najran after his conviction for witchcraft and sorcery, neither formally classified as capital offenses, was upheld by the country’s highest court. The man also admitted to committing adultery with two women. Last year, at least two people were reportedly executed for sorcery in Saudi Arabia.

World Cup Advances Qatari Labor Laws
Source: Gulf News

In preparation for hosting the 2022 World Cup, Qatar’s Cabinet has approved a draft law that will allow migrant workers in the country the right to form committees. The law will presumably give greater bargaining rights to migrant workers, which make up 94% of the country’s labor force.

Bangladesh Rejects Refugees Fleeing Violence
Source: The Asahi Shimbun

Human Rights Watch is urging Bangladesh to keep its borders open to Muslim Rohingya refugees fleeing targeted violence in western Myanmar. The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Buddhist Myanmar and are seen as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Bangladesh restricts the Rohingyas entry because they have lived in Myanmar for centuries.
 

India Allows Mine Self-Regulation 
Source: RT.com

India’s minimal enforcement of mining industry regulations is causing major human rights violations in mining villages. Mining companies threaten violence against anti-mining activists that complain of destroyed crops, and air and water pollution. Further, mining companies, rather than central regulators, produce their own reports on adherence to regulations, leading to inaccurate information about the mines.