Posts Tagged ‘war on drugs’
July 16, 2019
ABS-CBN News of 16 July 2019 carries an interview with Ellecer Carlos, spokesperson of iDefend or “In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement” under the title: UN rights probe meant to stop ‘would-be tyrants’
Carlos urged the government to exert all means to prevent extrajudicial killings. He said the United Nations Human Rights Council decision to adopt the resolution calling for a report on Manila’s human rights situation, including extrajudicial killings under President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, is “to stop the mini-Dutertes that are here, the mini mayors that are doing the very same thing, and the Duterte likenesses elsewhere in the world–Sri Lanka, Bangladesh–who have praised Duterte, who have praised the war on drugs here in the Philippines and that is put a stop to would be tyrants employing this violent approach for populist means,“. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2019/07/11/un-council-agrees-action-on-philippines-in-spite-of-vehement-objection/]
Carlos, meanwhile, welcomed Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr’s statement that the Philippines will stay in the United Nations Human Rights Council despite the vote. “This is a good development that they were able to rethink their slip-ups,” Carlos said.
“But I find the statement very funny to teach Europeans and other countries manners. After the unbecoming statements, after the derogatory statements, after the behavior of the Philippine delegation led by Undersecretary [Severo] Catura…. Carlos said the Philippine delegation, led by Undersecretary Catura, walked out during the informal session on June 25 to discuss the Iceland resolution on the Philippines at the 41st session of the UNHRC in Geneva, Switzerland. (Duterte hits Iceland after UNHRC Resolution: ‘You have too much ice’). But the Times of Oman reports that President Rodrigo Duterte is “seriously considering” cutting ties with Iceland (https://timesofoman.com/article/1615850)
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/16/19/un-rights-probe-meant-to-stop-would-be-tyrants-rights-group
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: 41st Human Rights Council, Ellecer Carlos, extra judicial killings, Iceland, monitoring, Philippines, Times of Oman, UN Human Rights Council, war on drugs
March 2, 2019
Gillan Ropero, ABS-CBN News, reported on 28 February 2019 that the Malacañang Palace on Thursday slammed as a “rehash of old issues” the latest report of The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders alleging that President Rodrigo Duterte was waging war against human rights defenders: “While it is true that the President’s words may be hurtful to some quarters, including human rights defenders, they are actually zeroed in on those who mock and derail the President’s efforts towards creating a society free from drugs, crime and corruption,” ,,,,”We reiterate that there is no such thing as a war against human rights defenders. There is only one against criminals, including drug pushers, and their protectors.”
In its 40-page report, the Observatory said at least 76 land and environmental rights defenders, 12 journalists, and 8 labor rights activists were murdered from July 2016, when Duterte ascended to power, to November 2018. The title is: “Philippines: I’ll kill you along with drug addicts – President Duterte’s war on human rights defenders in the Philippines”. [see also https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2018/03/10/there-seems-to-be-no-limit-to-what-duterte-is-willing-to-say-and-may-get-away-with/]
The report also cited government’s alleged harassment of the Commission on Human Rights and the justice department’s pursuit of criminal charges against a number of Duterte’s political opponents who have taken strong pro-human rights views, such as Sen. Leila de Lima, currently detained on drug charges.
Spokesperson Panelo urged the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) to file their cases against the Philippine government to “settle this matter once and for all.” “File all cases and let’s be done with it. In the absence of this, the allegations will remain unfounded and politically motivated untruths aimed at shaming the Philippine government before the international community,” he said. “Sans this, the report is but recycled rubbish based on information peddled by the usual critiques of government, such as Karapatan, who must do so to remain relevant and to generate funds to exist from gullible sources abroad.”
The President is facing complaints at the International Criminal Court over the drug war killings. He has ordered the country’s withdrawal from the tribunal.
http://www.omct.org/human-rights-defenders/reports-and-publications/philippines/2019/02/d25257/
:https://thedailyguardian.net/opinion/red-tagging-a-vicious-form-of-fake-news/
Posted in books, FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, OMCT | 1 Comment »
Tags: ABS-CBN New, Duterte, Human Rights Defenders, Karapatan, Land issues, Leila de Lima, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Philippines, report, war on drugs
June 21, 2017
Posted in Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: disappearances, impunity, in memoriam, killing, Mexico, Miriam Rodriguez Martinez, profile, The Economist, war on drugs, woman human rights defender
December 15, 2016
publishes a series of 10 profiles human rights defenders to commemorate International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2016. Here two women HRDs from Mexico: Olga Guzmán and Stephanie Brewer: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, OMCT | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Centro Prodh, Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos, Human Rights Defenders, impunity, international human rights day, Mexico, Olga Guzmán Vergara, OMCT, profiles, Stephanie Brewer, torture, war on drugs, women human rights defenders
November 2, 2016
The Philippines seems to get most of its attention nowadays because of the ranting of its President rather than the human rights situation on the ground. That is why John Nery wrote a reply in the Philippine Daily Inquirer of 1 November 2016 under the title “Human rights defenders are beautiful“.
The intruiging title is linked to a recent episode in which President Duterte complimented the Filipino beauty queen, Kylie Verzosa, on her international recognition by saying “You see, Filipinas are beautiful”, and then added gratuitously “Pero kayong lahat diyan sa human rights commission, mga pangit (But all of you there at the Commission on Human Rights, you are all ugly)”. It would be a mistake to think that this was just another jest. Since the CHR, under then chair Leila de Lima, investigated him in 2009 for possible human rights violations in relation to the killings attributed to the so-called Davao Death Squad, he has harbored a sense of resentment against the constitutional agency which has dared question the rising casualty toll in his so-called war on drugs..
The writer then says: But we should all ask: What have human rights advocates done to deserve such hostility, such cavalier treatment, from the President? Human rights advocates, including those identified with the National Democratic Front, including those who have served and are serving in the CHR, were among those who tried to hold the Marcos regime accountable during the dictatorship itself, and are among those leading the fight to bring the Marcos family to justice. Mr. Duterte’s own mother, who was a leader of the anti-Marcos movement in Davao City, would have recognized them as kindred spirits……….A devout and disciplined Catholic, she would have understood the sacrifice these advocates made, in choosing the less lucrative, much more dangerous career of human rights work. I daresay she would have recognized in them the dignity, the beauty, of the saints: They are doing not only the right, but the beautiful, thing.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 2 Comments »
Tags: Barry Naylor, death squads, Duterte, extra judicial killings, Human Rights Defenders, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), John Nery, Kylie Verzosa, land rights, Philippine Commission on Human Rights, Philippines, war on drugs
February 19, 2014
In an Open Letter to the 3 leaders of North America, the Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights urges that human rights are moved to the center of the debate. The North American Leaders Summit, held in the city of Toluca, Mexico, today should not center only on economic growth through increased free trade. Since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, illegal drug trafficking has increased in the region and arms easily flow from the U.S. to the other countries. Human rights defenders are among the casualties.
…….
“Although the security discourse has changed since President Peña Nieto took office in December 2012, the statistics continue to demonstrate that the violence has not stopped, neither human rights violations. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Canada, drug policy, Harper, human rights, human rights violations, Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights, Mexico, North America, North American Free Trade Agreement, North American Leaders Summit 2014, Obama, Pena, Toluca, USA, war on drugs
May 13, 2013
The Heads of State from Mexico, Central America and the United States met for the Summit of the Central American Integration System (SICA) in Costa Rica on May 4 and 5. The Fellowship of Reconciliation, collaborating with Just Associates, the Americas Program, the Guatemala Human Rights Commission-USA and the Latin America Working Group, presented a letter to the meeting signed by more than 145 international, regional and local organizations from ten countries in the Americas. The letter addresses inter alia civil society concerns about security issues, human rights violations, violence against men and women human rights defenders. It is time to refocus regional dialogue and resource investment to address the root causes of violence, understanding that for many citizens and communities, drug trafficking is not the principal cause of insecurity. Harmful “development” policies have similarly caused increased conflict and abuses, while forced migration and criminalization of migrants and human rights activists continues to divide families. Most importantly, the region’s challenges must be addressed without violating fundamental rights and human dignity. The groups said that “the lack of effective gun control in the U.S. has led to the massive and nearly unrestricted transfer of arms to criminal networks throughout the region” and called on the presidents to “take executive action in the United States to stop the flow of assault weapons and other firearms across the U.S.-Mexico border.” The letter also provides analysis and recommendations related to: Militarization in the name of addressing the drug war which has caused unprecedented levels of violence while failing to provide citizen security. The imposition of large-scale extractive projects on marginalized communities do not constitute “development. ”Violations of migrants’ rights and the lack of consideration of root cause of migration in policies. Read the full text of the letter in pdf. on John Lindsay-Polands blog
via 145 Organizations Urge Obama and Mesoamerican Presidents to Change Course | Fellowship of Reconciliation.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Advocacy Organizations, Central America, Central American Integration System, Costa Rica, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Foreign Policy, gun control, human rights, Human Rights and Liberties, Human Rights Defenders, John Lindsay-Polands, Latin America Working Group, Mexico, politics, SICA, United States, war on drugs
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 