Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Country Director in Viet Nam. Human Rights Watch in January released its World Report 2019 which says Vietnam’s human rights record worsened in 2018 as it continued to violate fundamental civil and political rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of press and access to information, freedom of association and assembly, and freedom of religion. Distorted accusation about Vietnam’s human rights record HRW’s World Report 2019 does not serve human rights development in Vietnam. World organizations, including the United Nations, have acknowledged human rights progress in Vietnam. The UNDP reported in October, 2018 that “Vietnam has been making good progress in human development and multidimensional poverty reduction but challenges remain in reducing disparities at sub-national levels, and among population groups, in closing gender gaps, as well as addressing environmental problems related to carbon dioxide emission and … [Read more...] about HRW distorts human rights in Vietnam
Rohingya human rights watch
FIFA urged to consider human rights for 2022 World Cup expansion
FIFA must put human rights at the heart of any decision to increase the number of Middle East countries hosting the 2022 World Cup, leading global pressure groups urged Tuesday. In an open letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the groups say he should state publicly that human rights would be a consideration if the sport's governing body increases the number of teams from 32 to 48. "Given the possibility that an enlarged 2022 World Cup could potentially require additional countries to host the tournament, we remind FIFA of the commitment it has made to enshrine human rights, transparency and sustainability... in its bidding process," reads the letter. "As such we call on you (Infantino) to publicly confirm that any assessments of potential co-hosts for 2022 would follow a process that includes these criteria." The letter is signed by Amnesty International, Football Supporters Europe, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, ITUC, Transparency International, the … [Read more...] about FIFA urged to consider human rights for 2022 World Cup expansion
Indonesia ‘anti-LGBT abuses’ fuel HIV cases: Human Rights Watch
A crackdown on Indonesia's LGBT community is fuelling a spike in HIV cases as at-risk people avoid prevention services or seeking treatment, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Monday. Conservative politicians and hardline Islamist groups have been increasingly vocal against the vulnerable community in recent years, while lawmakers eyed outlawing gay sex in the world's biggest Muslim majority country. Police conducted "arbitrary and unlawful" raids on places frequented by LGBT people including saunas, night clubs, hotel rooms, hair salons, and even private homes, HRW said. That has discouraged some at-risk groups from accessing prevention and treatment services, according to the report entitled "'Scared in Public and Now No Privacy': Human Rights and Public Health Impacts of Indonesia's Anti-LGBT Moral Panic." As a result, HIV rates among men who have sex with other men have soared five-fold since 2007 from 5.0 percent to 25 percent, HRW said, adding that the group accounted for one-third of … [Read more...] about Indonesia ‘anti-LGBT abuses’ fuel HIV cases: Human Rights Watch
U.S. quits U.N. human rights body, citing bias vs Israel, alarming critics
U.S. quits U.N. human rights body, citing bias vs Israel, alarming criticsThe Saigon Times Daily U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley delivers remarks to the press together with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, announcing the U.S.'s withdrawal from the U.N's Human Rights Council at the Department of State in Washington, U.S., June 19, 2018 – PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS (REUTERS) - The United States withdrew from a “hypocritical and self-serving” United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday over what it called chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform, a move activists warned would make advancing human rights globally even more difficult. Standing with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley slammed Russia, China, Cuba and Egypt for thwarting U.S. efforts to reform the council. She also criticized countries which shared U.S. values and encouraged … [Read more...] about U.S. quits U.N. human rights body, citing bias vs Israel, alarming critics
US withdraws from UN Human Rights Council
File photo of US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley speaking during the UN Security Council meeting in New York. (Don EMMERT/AFP) The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, came to Washington to announce the decision alongside President Donald Trump's top diplomat, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Both insisted the United States would remain a leading champion of human rights, but for many, the decision will reflect Trump's general hostility to the world body and to multilateral diplomacy in general. The announcement came after the top UN human rights official criticised Washington for separating migrant children from their parents who are seeking asylum after crossing into the country from Mexico. But Haley and Pompeo stressed the decision had been made after a long year of efforts to shame the council into reform and to remove member states that themselves commit abuses. "These reforms were needed in order to make the council a serious advocate for human rights," Haley … [Read more...] about US withdraws from UN Human Rights Council