Human Rights Violations in South Asian Countries

8/14/2019 Human Rights Violations in South Asian Countries

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HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN

SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES.

Om Prakash Yadav

The south Asia has suddenly turned into war zones and condition of human

rights has been gradually deteriorating. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka,

Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tibet etc are passing through tough weather

with respect to human rights violations. The developments in these countries are

posing and exerting enormous social stress on political fabric. The deteriorating

situations in the neighbouring countries are bound to affect India from so many

angles and in so many dimensions.

T

PAKISTAN- Taliban and Pakistan Armys clash in Swat, Buner, Mingora,

shagala and Dir has worsened the conditions. The UNHCR, the

international aid agency, has reported that about 7 lakh population have

so far taken shelter in the relief camps. Hundreds of thousands refugees

are on exodus from the strife torn areas. The fighting has intensified after

Zardaris return from America. He has been rebuffed in Washington for his

governments lackesaidial attitude towards the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The

Pakistani President had to give assurance to the US administration that his

government would leave no stone unturned to see that Taliban is repulsed

and areas are cleared of Taliban. With the Gilanis unambiguous order to

the army that Taliban be killed and areas be cleared, the fighting has

intensified. The regular shelling by Air force helicopters on civilian areas

has increased the causalities to large numbers. The Taliban on the other

hand has also enhanced its offensive. The common citizens are grinding

amidst these fighting. The exodus from the strife torn area is increasing

alarmingly and the authorities are not able to cope up with this huge

problem. Reports suggest that this is perhaps the biggest ever exodus and

the number of internal displaced persons (IDP) is higher than that of the

1947 and 1971 partition.

The scenes of exodus by trucks, cars, horse cart, bullock cart, donkey andfoot reminds the horrifying memories of infamous Indo-Pak partition of

1947. Swat, the epicentre of fighting, has turned into a ghost town where

dead bodies are decaying and rotten corpses are being dinned by

scavengers making the humanity to weep. The relief camps lack basic

amenities and even proper medical and sanitation facilities are not

available. People are dying for want of food and proper medical attention.

The conditions of old, children and women are much more pitiable.

The aerial bombing by the Pakistani army without prior evacuation has

inflicted untold miseries on the poor civilians. They are angrier against the

army than the Taliban itself. The imposition of indefinite curfew in Mingora,Swat, Dir and many areas of Malakhand division has been preventing


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people from fleeing from such areas. They are thus made to die and suffer.

There is huge shortage and scarcity of ration and people would start dying

within a couple of weeks from now if the situation is not improved and

supply line is not restored in the war and strife torn areas.

The conditions in the relief camps are pathetic and horrifying. Even the

officials of UNHCR are very much concerned about the human tide and

massive influx of the refugees coming to the camps. High commissioner of

UNHCR Antonio Guterres after visiting one Yar Hussain Camp, said the

refugees in Pakistan need massive international humanitarian aid,

otherwise, he said, there shall be huge loss of life. The unprecedented

humanitarian tragedy is looming large over these areas.

The Talban has destroyed everything in the affected areas, school,

hospital, bridges, houses, roads, drinking water pipes etc leading to untoldsufferings of masses. The common people are suffering both at the hands

of terrorists and army. There are large scale human rights violations. The

condition of women and girls are particularly bad. Public flogging, stoning

to death, whipping in public, shooting down by firing squads, beheading

etc are the common place in many areas in Pakistan which reminds the

horrible scenes of medieval times. The war ravaged country is moving

towards a catastrophe where the public are large are subjected to all sorts

of humiliation and torture.

AFGHANISTAN-The human right condition in this war ravaged country is

far from satisfaction. 9/11 terrorists attack on USA was a land mark in thehistory of terrorism in the world. The USA attacked Afghanistan and threw

Taliban. Hamid Karzai, a western educated Pashtu was be-seated at Kabul

to run the government. America led NATO forces in Afghanistan is still

fighting a seemingly unending war. The killing of hundreds of NATO forces

and hundreds of thousands of civilians in this country has also not led to

improvement in the situation. The number of causalities, both military and

civilian is increasing by leaps and bounds. Pentagon reports that death of

staff Sgt. Matthew D. Blaskowski was the 500th death of American troops

since Operation Enduring Freedom began on 7th October, 2001. According

to New York Times, 510 have occurred in Afghanistan or are directly linkedto the war there. The number of deaths of civilians both in Military

operations and suicidal attacks including those by the Talban is unknown

and unconfirmed.

Even the Presidential Palace in fortified Kabul is not safe. Present Obama

has also candidly accepted that US is not going to win the war. The human

rights violation by Taliban in Afghanistan is not News because it is so

frequent and rabid that it horrifies human psyche. The public flogging and

beheading by long bearded Taliban local commanders sometimes make us

feel as if we are watching some films of horror. But unfortunately there are

reports of serious human rights violation by the NATO and American


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forces. The Bagramair base, some 60 Kilometres away north of Kabul has

been converted into a detention centre where large number of prisoners

and suspect Taliban and Al-Qaeda terrorists are kept. Reports coming to

the public domain suggest that alleged suspects are kept here as dtentes

from as far as South-East Asia and Central Africa. Although it has not

gained as notoriety as Guantanamo, it has been converted into torturecentre. Event one of the Federal Judges has castigated this centre.

The weak and fragile government running on the money and material

support of international community lacks zeal, courage, infrastructure and

logistics to come up to the expectations of the common people. The un

institutionalised bureaucracy is corrupt to the core and even CIA candidly

accepts that about half of the supply to Afghanistan is either plundered by

the Talban or Afghan machinery. Surprisingly the Karzai government too

promulgated a new Personal Status Law which applies only to Shia

women. Under the provisions no women is allowed to work, leave herhouse or receive education without permission from her husband, no wife

can refuse sex with her husband. In nut shell women would be subjected

to domestic servitude. The provisions were so harsh that in a country like

Afghanistan, women staged demonstration against it. The outcry was such

that even Obama criticised it as abhorrent. Taliban has vowed to finish off,

what they call western civilisation and western mode of life in Islamic

countries including Afghanistan. The country is on the verge of extinction;

everything seems to have finished except the zeal of common Afghans.

The human rights condition in this tattered, pulverised and obliterated

country is not now making headlines of western media unfortunately. The

geographic and strategic location of Afghanistan is such that these

developments are bound to have repercussion on India. The socio-cultural,

historical and civilisation knot of Afghanistan with India is so intertwined

that we feel sorry for what is happening and what is about to happen here.

Moreover, the human rights violations in our neighbours do have impact of

ours.

SRILANKA- 26 years of fighting for a separate Tamil homeland in Sri

Lanka is hopefully coming to an end. Prabhakaran is dead now which

probably means end of armed struggle of Tamils for a separate home land.

Mahinda Rajapaksha is in jubilant mood and seen kissing the land after hisreturn from Jordan. This may be end of fighting of war but not the end of

Tamil problems. The guerrilla war may begin after few years of calm if the

situation is not handled carefully.

The Tamil Tigers, the L.T.T.E. (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) has been

fighting with the Sri Lankan government and army one of the fiercest war

of the world. The exact number of deaths in this longest war is not known.

The recent government forces offensive against the Tigers made the

human conditions in this strife torn island from bad to worse. Hundreds of

thousands of civilians had to flee from the war zones. The United Nations

say 7000 civilians were killed and 16,700 were wounded in the fighting


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from January, 20 to May, 7 2009 only. According to one source about

70000 people have died in the last 26 years of fighting. The shelling by Sri

Lankan air force in the areas like North-East Mulliativu, Kilnochi,

Chavkachacheri, and areas in Jaffna has taken heavy tolls of both civilians

and Tamil Tigers. According to an estimate, about 3700 army and 1500

LTTE men have died here in this phase of war itself.

Mullaitivuwas under the control of LTTE since 1996 itself and had been

developed as fortress by the Tigers. This was a strategic town because it

was vital for supply lines. It was also captured by the army on 25 January

this year. Kilinochchi was also captured by the army and the civilians fled

this area for an apprehended fighting. The whole town was converted into

a ghost town. The Tigers, in a last desperate attempt to thwart

government forces onslaught erected Human shield in which many lives

were lost. In a blatant violation of human rights the government forces

reportedly bombarded hospitals also killing hundreds of patients. The scenes appearing on TV channels, internet and other media are

pathetic. The satellite pictures showing hundreds of thousands of civilians

fleeing the war zones, some of them trapped in trenches. It is an

unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Well it is true that Terrorism,

insurgency, war and fighting cannot go side by side with human rights. But

at the same time no civil society can afford to ignore and shut eyes from

such dastardly acts of Human rights violations. The UN aid agencies and

Red Cross Society have also condemned the blatant violations. The

hundreds of thousands of Tamil refugees are on exodus into Indian

territories especially in Tamil Nadu exerting tremendous pressure on socialand political fabric. UNICEF officials say that initially the number of IDPs

were 65,000 but gradually it has swelled up to 2, 50,000 which may

increase more. The relief camps are flooded with displaced persons and

there is huge shortage of food, drinking water, medicine, and other

medical facilities. If massive international help and aid do not reach to this

country, the death of large number of people may take place. The

humanitarian tragedies do not recognise geographical boundaries and

pains of human sufferings cannot remain confine to an ethnic group only.

The pains emanating from one part of the world do reach out to other

parts and create emotional ripples and political stress. The situation mustchange and every nation, big or small, powerful or weak, democratic or

authoritarian alike must strive to make the world a better place to live.

MYANMAR- Myanmar is also passing through a period of intense

humanitarian crisis. The democratically elected leader, Auang San Suu Kyi,

of National League For Democracy (NLFD) is still languishing in Jail. The

land slide victory of Suu Kyi in 1990 general election in which her party

secured more than 82% of the Parliament seats was thwarted by the

military Junta. She was denied the power and was put to house arrest. She

had already elapsed 13 out of 19 years either in Jails or under house

detention.


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In an utter disrespect to international community, the Military Junta has

not yet started democratic political process. The civilians in this secluded

country are denied even the basic political and democratic rights. The

world leaders like Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Margret Thatcher, Leach

Walesa, Ban ki-moon etc have demanded unconditional release of Ms Suu

Kyi but it too went unheeded.

The most terrible storm which struck southern Myanmar in May 2008 took

toll of more than 1 Lakh people. It was perhaps the worst humanitarian

crisis this country ever faced. The world community tried to extend

helping hand to the Burmese people but the Military Junta denied the

access to the International Aid agencies. Millions of people died due to

utter negligence of the men in power. The pathetic scenes which came

through internet and other media clandestinely, stirred the human

emotions across the world. The iron curtained Nation is virtually secluded

from the world and virtually no news come from here withoutgovernments censor.

Recent episode in which Suu Kyi has been put to trial is also deploring and

ridiculous. Reportedly one American swimmer John Yettaw secretly swam

across a lake to meet Suu Kyi few days back. The authority terming it as

an offence, as what they call was a violation of the conditions of house

arrest, arrests Suu Kyi and had put her to trial. In fact the term of Ms Kyis

house arrest was to expire in the next month and undoubtedly the Junta

does not want to release Suu Kyi; therefore they sought a frivolous ground

to keep Ms Kyi under arrest for another indefinite period of time. If this

charge is proved, she may be awarded 3-5 years imprisonment.

TIBET- The kind of pro-democratic movement erupted spontaneously

and abruptly in Tibet just before Beijing Olympic is testimony of the fact

that Tibet is sitting over stockpiles of explosives which may detonate

anytime and any moment. The Chinese authorities subsequently

unleashed a reign to terror against the movement in which hundreds of

precious lives were lost. The international appeal to China went unheeded

and the authorities went on violating human rights on a massive scale.

Tibets religious leader Dalai Lama is in exile and has been living in India

since 1959. On 19th April, 1959 Dalai Lama established the Tibetan exile

administration in the north India hill station of Mussoorie and named it

Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) it was moved to Dharamsala in 1960.

The fight to make Tibet independent still goes on with hundreds of

thousands of Tibetan refugees living and struggling for their democratic

cause. Their presence in Indian soil makes China hostile to India and

normalisation of the Indo-Chinese relation is still a distant dream. The

human rights condition in Tibet is far from satisfaction and the

international community including India is losing all hopes in this regard.

NEPAL- The tiny nascent democratic Nepal is all set to witness another

upheaval in near future as the newly formed government under PushapaKamal Dahal Prachanda fell over integration of PLA into Nepal Army issue.


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The Constitution has not yet been written and ratified by the Constituent

Assembly. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the CPA is running into

rough weather and the possibility of Maoists starting again a Jan Andolan,

the guerrilla war warfare, cannot be ruled out. That period had witnessed

massive bloodshed and human rights violations by both government and

Maoists on massive scale therefore any derailment of peace process maylead to arise of similar situations. This would terribly affect our security

environment across borders. A new government is set to take over in

Nepal under Madhav Nepal without the support of Maoists; therefore the

fragile peace in this Himalayan country is likely to run into bad weather

conditions. If it happens, another period of hostilities and human rights

violation would begin. The social fabric of Nepal is such that many of its

threads are spread into Indian society, therefore development of such

situation would mar the peace in Indian Territory also, a situation India

cannot afford to have at this juncture.

To sum up the whole issue, the socio-political and human rights

milieu in our neighbouring countries are dismal and far from

normal. In the globalised economy and liberalised society, no

country big or small, weak or strong, developed or

underdeveloped can remain isolated from what is going on or

likely or happen around and across its borders. There is urgent

need on the part of the new government to address to these

problems and play its vital role of a vibrant and resilient

democracy as well as emerging global economic power. We cannot

afford to adopt recalcitrant attitude towards such situation in the

name of non interference into others domestic affairs.

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Human Rights Violations in South Asian Countries