From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 07:54:51 EST To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [pttp] Human Rights Watch World Report 2001 blasts the United States >http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/usa/index.html >Human Rights Watch >World Report 2001 >Washington D.C., December 7, 2000 > >The Human Rights Watch World Report 2001 blasts the United States for >its trampling down of all human rights in all possible categories, >essentially saying that the U.S. is the worst human rights offender >on the planet. > >Right in the opening lines, the report ominously states that for the >United States government at the end of the year 2000, "evidence of >its domestic human rights legacy was scant." > >Also, as ever in world history, the United States continued to be >highly reluctant to see itself as part of the human family, and, >putting himself above others as something special to whom do not >apply normal standards of behaviour, elementary ethical norms and >international human rights treaties, it "made little progress in >embracing international human rights standards." > >So, in the year 2000, most U.S. leaders "remained either unaware of >their human rights obligations or content to ignore them." > >The World Report 2001 highlights fascistic practices in the American >police and prison system that included both legalized and clandestine >murder and torture. "As in previous years, serious human rights >violations were most apparent in the criminal justice >system-including police brutality, discriminatory racial disparities >in incarceration, abusive conditions of confinement, and >state-sponsored executions, even of juvenile offenders and the >mentally handicapped." > >The Human Rights World Report also unmasks the virtual non-existence >of free labor unions in the United States where "extensively >documented human rights violations also included violations of >workers' rights, discrimination against gay men and lesbians in the >military, and the abuse of migrant child farmworkers." > >The Human Rights World Report says that the United States does not >even think of reforming itself and adapting to international norms >but seeks rewriting those norms according to its own taste. Thus, to >sign two United Nations Conventions, "The United States in 2000 >submitted reports on its compliance with...the Convention against >Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or >Punishment," but then, "It failed to acknowledge crucial weaknesses >in laws and mechanisms to protect the right to be free of torture and >cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as well as the >serious obstacles abuse victims face in securing legal redress. It >failed also to confront forthrightly the prevalence of abuses against >detained and incarcerated men, women and children throughout the >United States." In addition, "The report (submitted by the U.S. to >the U.N.) also glossed over the impact of the reservations, >understandings, and declarations the United States made when it >ratified the convention. The United States redefined torture, as >prohibited by the convention, to include only conduct already >prohibited under the U.S. Constitution and to exclude, with few >exceptions, mental torture that is not accompanied by physical > torture. It also declared the treaty to be non-self-executing, and >then failed to enact implementing legislation, with the result that >U.S. residents cannot turn to the courts to seek protection of the >rights affirmed under the treaty. The U.S., in effect, declined to >change its laws to bring them up to international standards." _______________________________________________ In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. ______________________________________ Knowledge is Power! Elimination of the exploitation of man by man http://www.egroups.com/group/pttp/ POWER TO THE PEOPLE! Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change Delivery Options: http://www.egroups.com/mygroups _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
