Trump’s Zero Tolerance Policy Taking Toll: Daily Brief
Liu Xia is free; Hong Kong hides LGBT books; Liberia to make a statement on civil war crimes; new policy against 'virginity tests' in Afghanistan; Kabila snubs meeting with Guterres, Fakih; new UK foreign secretary should focus on human rights; UN report demands justice for civilians in South Sudan; Poland power grab continues; prisoners released from Jail Ogaden in Ethiopia.
Trump administration’s separation of immigrant families at the border has provoked justifiable public outrage. But, by making all undocumented immigrants potential targets for deportation - instead of just those committing serious crimes under the Obama administration - the impact is being felt across the country, with thousands of immigrants with no criminal record being caught up in the crackdown.
“It is a tremendous relief that Liu Xia has been able to leave China for freedom abroad,” said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. “Ever since her late husband received the Nobel Peace Prize while in a Chinese prison, Liu Xia was also unjustly detained. The German government deserves credit for its sustained pressure and hard work to gain Liu Xia’s release.
Why is Hong Kong hiding books from free public access which feature lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) characters? This sends a stigmatizing message that LGBT content is inherently inappropriate. The government’s actions also deprive children of information that could be important to their development, health, and safety.
The Liberian delegation pledged at the UN Human Rights Committee – for the first time – to issue a public statement on accountability for grave crimes committed during the country’s two civil wars. Liberians, of late have been marching in the streets demanding a war crimes court, will eagerly await their government’s public statement.
A new policy in Afghanistan will bar authorities from carrying out invasive and scientifically invalid “virginity tests” on women and girls accused of “moral crimes”. The government should decriminalize consensual sex between adults and ensure that the justice system distinguishes between consensual sex and rape.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Joseph Kabila abruptly cancelled a meeting planned for this week with the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the African Union Chair Moussa Faki. Kabila sent a message this weekend that he was “no longer available” for the meeting, doing little to allay concerns that he does not intend to step down from office.
If the new Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants to advance Britain’s diplomatic reputation and voice in the world, he should make sure that human rights return to the center of UK foreign policy.
Tens of thousands have been killed in the conflict in South Sudan. A UN human rights report demands for justice for civilians and states that these atrocities may constitute crimes against humanity.
“Step by step, institution by institution.” That’s how Poland’s ombudsman, Adam Bodnar, described the government’s move to take over independent institutions in Poland since President Duda came to power in 2015.
The release of prisoners from Jail Ogaden in Ethiopia’s Somali region is a positive step, but the leadership of the Somali region must be held accountable for the torture and suffering that prisoners went through at this jail.