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Thursday, May 28, 1998 The Latest News From Human Rights Watch HRW Urges Indonesian Government To Dismantle Barriers To Academic Freedom (New York, May 28)--In an open letter today to new Indonesian Education Minister Juwono Sudarsono, the Human Rights Watch Academic Freedom Committee urges the government to dismantle immediately the mechanisms of control over academic life implemented during President Soeharto's thirty-two year New Order rule. Human Rights Watch Fears for Deported Angolan Human Rights Activist (New York, May 28, 1998) _ Human Rights Watch today condemned the Government of Namibia's forcible return of an Angolan refugee and human rights activist - Dr. Manuel Neto to Angola on May 19. Islamic Extremism" Masks Human Rights Crackdown in Uzbekistan (New York May 26, 1998)-- In a report released today, Human Rights Watch charged that the Uzbekistan government is committing serious abuses in its drive to quell alleged Islamic extremism. Those abuses include mass arbitrary arrests, violation of freedom of religion, and "disappearing" Islamic leaders. U.S. Move To Sign Mine Ban Treaty: A Step In The Right Direction Reacting to the U.S. decision to sign the treaty banning antipersonnel landmines in 2006, Human Rights Watch today called the decision a "step in the right direction," but urged that the signing date be moved forward. Human Rights Watch noted that landmines claim an estimated 26,000 victims a year -- the majority of them innocent men, women and children -- so if every country waited eight years to sign, that could mean another 200,000 victims. Indonesia: Reforms Needed After Soeharto's Resignation (May 21, 1998)--Human Rights Watch today said the resignation of Indonesia's long-serving President Soeharto was an important first step toward reform, but it was still unclear whether his successor, President Habibie, would have the will or capacity to transform Indonesia's authoritarian political system. Speaker of Iranian Parliament Asked to Condemn Comments Endangering Woman Lawyers (New York, May 19) -- Three international human rights organizations today expressed concern to the speaker of the Iranian parliament over comments made by one parliamentarian about women lawyers in Iran. The three organizations -- Human Rights Watch, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, and the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) -- warned that two prominent women lawyers, Shirin Ebadi and Mehrangiz Kar, could now be at risk of attack by religious vigilantes. Statement by Sidney Jones before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Asia Pacific Subcommittee on Crisis in Indonesia (May 18, 1998) --It is clear that we are witnessing the final stages of President Soeharto's rule in Indonesia, but the end is not likely to come either easily or peacefully. The horrendous violence in Jakarta on May 14 and 15 left an estimated 500 dead, and there were other deaths as rioting swept through the cities of Solo, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Medan, Bandar Lampung, Palembang, and Ujung Pandang. [Document Size = 22 Kbytes] [Download compressed version of the above Document: HTML format (File Size= 9 Kbytes), Word Perfect 6.0 format (File Size=9.5 Kbytes)] Human Rights Watch and the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues Condemn Assassination of Seth Sendashonga (May 18, 1998)--Human Rights Watch and the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH) deplore the assassination on May 16 in Nairobi of the outstanding Rwandan political leader Seth Sendashonga. A man of principle and courage, Sendashonga was widely hailed as a leader of moderation. A second person, an unidentified driver, was slain at the same time. Rights Group Urges Clinton To Back Strong International Criminal Court (New York, May 16)-- In a letter to President Bill Clinton today, Human Rights Watch urges the president to support an effective and more independent international criminal court (ICC). Human Rights Watch Endorses the G-8's Focus on Arms_With Important Caveats (Birmingham , May 16, 1998)--In field investigations in Africa and elsewhere, Human Rights Watch has discovered that abusive forces are often supplied by private arms traffickers who elude official controls_if such controls exist at all. Consequently, the illegal arms trade constitutes a serious human rights concern. Human Rights Watch Condemns Mexico's Arbitrary Expulsion Of Foreigners ( May 15, 1998)-- In a letter sent to President Ernest Zedillo today, Human Rights Watch strongly criticized Mexico's arbitrary expulsion of foreigners. The letter noted that Mexico uses the term "involvement in internal political affairs" to define unacceptable behavior for foreigners -- a definition that goes well beyond the limits of international law. G-8 Must Take Action On Indonesian Crisis Chinese Dissident Wang Dan's Statement (Chinese Bahasa Indonesia) (May 15, 1998)--Human Rights Watch today called on the world's seven major industrialized countries and Russia meeting in England this weekend to make a public call for political reform in Indonesia. HRW Memorandum to United Nations Committee Against Torture Israel's Second Periodic Report to the Committee against Torture (May 15, 1998)--Human Rights Watch has previously noted with appreciation the efforts of the Committee against Torture to ensure that Israel honor its obligations under the Convention against Torture, including the Committee's identification of a range of interrogation methods used by Israel which are both violations of article 16 and constitute torture as defined by article 1 of the Convention. World Bank Consultative Group Meeting on Zambia Maintains Human Rights Conditions (New York, May 14, 1998)--Human Rights Watch welcomes the fact that human rights issues featured prominently during the World Bank Consultative Group meeting discussions on Zambia in Paris (May 12-13). In it its final communiqué, the delegates at the meeting identified human rights issues as a top priority and "urged swift and decisive action on alleged human rights violations associated with police interrogations of some of the accused [with the October 97 coup attempt]." Rights Group Urges International Action On Indonesian Killings (May 13, 1998)--In the aftermath of the deaths of six student protesters in Jakarta, Human Rights Watch today called on donor countries to toughen their policies toward Indonesia. Shooting Of Turkish Human Rights Activist Condemned (New York, May 13) -- Human Rights Watch today condemned the May 12th shooting of Akin Birdal, the General Secretary of the Human Rights Association of Turkey (IHD), the largest human rights organization in the country. Human Rights Watch Condemns The Recent Arrest In Kinshasa Of Its Researcher On The Democratic Republic Of Congo (New York, May 13, 1998)--In a letter to President Laurent Desiré Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Human Rights Watch today denounced the arrest of Suliman Baldo, its DRC country researcher, on the evening of May 8, at the end of a recent official mission to the country. HRW Calls For Release Of Prominent Nigerian Human Rights Lawyer (New York, May 12, 1998) -- Following the arrest last week of a prominent Nigerian human rights lawyer, Human Rights Watch today called for the immediate release of all those detained in Nigeria for exercising their rights to free speech and association. Human Rights Watch Condemns Ongoing Human Rights Abuses In Zambia - Calls on Donor Countries to Make Rights Protection a Priority by Maintaining Conditionality of Aid (Paris, May 11, 1998)--Human Rights Watch today called for Zambia's bilateral and multilateral donors to continue suspending balance of payments support, in light of the Zambian government's continued human rights violations. Today in Paris, the donors, joined as the World Bank Consultative Group on Zambia, will discuss Zambia's human rights record. Statement to the House Committee on International Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights in Indonesia (May 7)--Indonesia is facing not just an economic crisis but also a growing human rights crisis. In a statement released today in Bonn, Germany, the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), composed of more than 100 Indonesian and non-Indonesian NGOs, issued a call for "urgent reform of the Indonesian political system," declaring that "Indonesia is facing a major turning point in its history." G8 Summit Press Conference (May 5, 1998) Statement By Joost Hiltermann Of Human Rights Watch ...we strongly support the decision by the G8 to place the issue of illicit arms trafficking on its agenda.
In our field research in Africa and elsewhere, we have discovered that
abusive forces are often supplied by private arms traffickers that
elude official controls_to the extent that such controls exist.
Sierra Leone Journalist Assistance Fund Announced To Mark World Press Freedom Day On May 3rd May 1, 1998 (Toronto/New York) - In recognition of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, two exiled Sierra Leonian journalists, Lansana Gberie and Mohamed Bangura, announce the creation of an unprecedented fund to help rebuild Sierra Leone's media in the wake of its prolonged civil war. Messrs. Gberie and Bangura, who are currently living in Canada, established the fund with the assistance of the Canadian Committee to Protect Journalists (CCPJ). The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York has joined the cause and will help with the distribution of the funds. Human Rights Watch Urges Non-Selective Approach On Proposed Cambodia Tribunal (May 1, 1998)--Human Rights Watch today welcomed the possibility of establishing an international tribunal to try the leaders of the Khmer Rouge. The organization urged, however, that any court have the power to try all those who committed crimes against humanity during Cambodia's tragedy. Northern Ireland Peace Impossible Without Human Rights Protections (May 1, 1998)--Human Rights Watch warned today that the success of the Northern Ireland peace agreement may lie in the way it addresses human rights. In an analysis released today, the New York-based group assesses the human rights provisions in the peace accord and urges the United Kingdom to immediately stop abuses by its security forces. Archive of the Latest News (April 1998) | |||
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