Why Taliban Abuses Must Not Be Left Unchecked: Daily Brief
The United Nations should set up an inquiry into Afghanistan's human rights crisis; a lawsuit to silence an independent rights group in Belarus; China's forced vaccination campaign; children kidnapped to become soldiers in Mozambique; US senators can act to protect millions of immigrants; and an opportunity to advance mental health globally.
As the Taliban consolidate their hold on Afghanistan, it is crucial that the United Nations set up an inquiry to document and collect evidence of rights abuses in the country. The current Human Rights Council session is the opportunity to do so. As previously when the Taliban were in power, the human rights crisis has disproportionately affected women and girls, from restricting access to education and freedom of movement, to curtailing the right to employment. Human Rights Watch started a list to keep a record of the rollback on women's rights in the country.
The latests attempt by authorities in Belarus to silence independent or critical voices in the country includes the filing of an arbitrary lawsuit against one of the country’s oldest independent human rights groups, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee. Five international human rights organizations, among them Human Rights Watch, wrote a letter to the Justice Ministry, asking it to withdraw the lawsuit. Aside from taking measures to close over 200 independent groups, authorities have also jailed members of the country's top human rights group, Viasna.
To meet its target of vaccinating 80 percent of its population, the Chinese government has resorted to coercive vaccination tactics, including the use of physical force, harassment, as well as making access to social benefits conditional to being vaccinated. But coercion is counterproductive to promoting vaccination. Censorship, harassment, and arbitrary detention throughout the pandemic are, on the contrary, deepening the Chinese public’s distrust in the vaccines.
The "latest horrifying chapter" in the violence in Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique involves the use of children as fighters by Al-Shabab. The ISIS-linked armed group has kidnapped hundreds of boys, trained them to become child soldiers, and forced them to fight alongside adults against government forces. Besides being cruel, this violates the international prohibition of recruiting children in armed conflict. The authorities should act immediately to protect Cabo Delgado's children.
With just one vote, US senators have the power to bring safety to millions of immigrants, including those who came to the United States as children, those who have temporary status and those who have kept the economy going during the Covid-19 pandemic by serving as essential workers. Join forces with Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union – tell Congress to vote for a pathway to citizenship.
Next week, the Global Mental Health Summit will take place in France's capital Paris, where participants will discuss how to enhance mental health services during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. With the pandemic having critically affected many people’s mental health, governments should make mental health a priority, and take a holistic approach to community-based mental health services that would help prevent shackling and other abuses, as well as support people with psychosocial disabilities to live independent lives.