Zimbabwe has applied to rejoin the Commonwealth, the group said Monday, marking a major step in the country's international re-engagement after Robert Mugabe was ousted last year.

Mugabe angrily pulled Zimbabwe out of the bloc of former British colonies in 2003 after its membership was suspended over violent and graft-ridden elections the previous year.

The Commonwealth said it had received a letter dated May 15 from Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa applying to re-join.

Member countries "very much look forward to Zimbabwe’s return when the conditions are right," said Secretary-General Patricia Scotland in a statement from London.

"Zimbabwe's eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion."

Scotland confirmed that the Commonwealth would send observers to elections due in July or August, the first polls since Mugabe was ousted in November after a brief military takeover.

Mugabe was replaced by his former deputy Mnangagwa, a veteran ruling ZANU-PF party loyalist who was backed by senior military officers.

Mnangagwa has vowed to hold fair and free elections, and has pledged to revive the moribund economy by repairing international ties and attracting foreign investment.

Scotland called for "a credible, peaceful and inclusive (election) that restores citizens' confidence, trust and hope in the development and democratic trajectory of their country."

Britain said last month that it would strongly support Zimbabwe returning to the Commonwealth.

Zimbabwe had fractured relations with the West under Mugabe, who had held power since independence from Britain in 1980.

The government in Harare was not immediately available to comment.

The Commonwealth brings together 53 countries representing 2.4 billion people, under a charter pledging commitment to democracy, human rights and rule of law.

The last country to join was Rwanda, in 2009.

The organisation also holds an Olympics-style multi-sport event every four years, most recently in Australia's Gold Coast in April. 
&nbsp

Mugabe angrily pulled Zimbabwe out of the bloc of former British colonies in 2003 after its membership was suspended over violent and graft-ridden elections the previous year

Zimbabwe has applied to rejoin the Commonwealth, the group said Monday, marking a major step in the country's international re-engagement after Robert Mugabe was ousted last year. Mugabe angrily pulled Zimbabwe out of the bloc of former British colonies in 2003 after its membership was suspended over violent and graft-ridden elections the previous year. The Commonwealth said it had received a letter dated May 15 from Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa applying to re-join. Member countries "very much look forward to Zimbabwe’s return when the conditions are right," said Secretary-General Patricia Scotland in a statement from London. "Zimbabwe's eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion." Scotland confirmed that the Commonwealth would send observers to elections due in July or August, the first polls since Mugabe was ousted in November after a brief military takeover. Mugabe was replaced by his former deputy Mnangagwa, a veteran ruling ZANU-PF party loyalist who was backed by senior military officers. Mnangagwa has vowed to hold fair and free elections, and has pledged to revive the moribund economy by repairing international ties and attracting foreign investment. Scotland called for "a credible, peaceful and inclusive (election) that restores citizens' confidence, trust and hope in the development and democratic trajectory of their country." Britain said last month that it would strongly support Zimbabwe returning to the Commonwealth. Zimbabwe had fractured relations with the West under Mugabe, who had held power since independence from Britain in 1980. The government in Harare was not immediately available to comment. The Commonwealth brings together 53 countries representing 2.4 billion people, under a charter pledging commitment to democracy, human rights and rule of law. The last country to join was Rwanda, in 2009. The organisation also holds an Olympics-style multi-sport event every four years, most recently in Australia's Gold Coast in April.

Zimbabwe applies to rejoin Commonwealth

Syria's army said Monday it was in full control of the capital Damascus and its outskirts after ousting the Islamic State group, marking a major milestone in the seven-year war.

"The Syrian army announces today that Damascus, its outskirts and surrounding towns are completely secure," it said in a statement carried on official media.

The development came after troops had captured a key southern portion of Damascus from IS, the statement said, including the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk and the adjacent district of Hajar al-Aswad.

"The wheel of our progress on the battlefield will not stop until all Syrian land is purified," it added.

Syria's war erupted in 2011 with protests against President Bashar al-Assad, including in the capital.

The following year, the government began losing control of parts of Damascus and placed a crippling siege around Yarmuk, which lies in the capital's south.

The army's announcement came hours after a tenuous evacuation deal saw hundreds of IS fighters and their relatives quit Yarmuk, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The government has denied reaching a deal with IS. It said a brief ceasefire had allowed one convoy of women and children to leave the pocket in southern Damascus.

Since last year, Syria's government has cleared swathes of territory around Damascus from its armed opponents through a blend of military pressure and evacuation deals.

Syria's army said Monday it was in full control of the capital Damascus and its outskirts after ousting the Islamic State group, marking a major milestone in the seven-year war

Syria's army said Monday it was in full control of the capital Damascus and its outskirts after ousting the Islamic State group, marking a major milestone in the seven-year war. "The Syrian army announces today that Damascus, its outskirts and surrounding towns are completely secure," it said in a statement carried on official media. The development came after troops had captured a key southern portion of Damascus from IS, the statement said, including the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk and the adjacent district of Hajar al-Aswad. "The wheel of our progress on the battlefield will not stop until all Syrian land is purified," it added. Syria's war erupted in 2011 with protests against President Bashar al-Assad, including in the capital. The following year, the government began losing control of parts of Damascus and placed a crippling siege around Yarmuk, which lies in the capital's south. The army's announcement came hours after a tenuous evacuation deal saw hundreds of IS fighters and their relatives quit Yarmuk, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The government has denied reaching a deal with IS. It said a brief ceasefire had allowed one convoy of women and children to leave the pocket in southern Damascus. Since last year, Syria's government has cleared swathes of territory around Damascus from its armed opponents through a blend of military pressure and evacuation deals.

Syria says capital 'completely secure', IS ousted

A second batch of fighters from the Islamic State jihadist group left their final Damascus stronghold overnight, a monitor said Monday, bringing the Syrian regime closer to a major milestone.

The government has so far not confirmed any deal with IS, but a military source quoted by state media said civilians had been evacuated on Sunday night during a brief ceasefire.

"A second batch of elements from the Islamic State organisation left after midnight," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"They are heading to a pocket in the desert still under the control of the extremist organisation," the Britain-based monitoring group said.

The first group of IS fighters was transferred by bus out of southern Damascus on Sunday, the monitor said.

Government and allied forces started an operation last month to flush out jihadists and other groups from a cluster of neighbourhoods in southern Damascus.

They include Yarmuk, which was the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and has been a besieged IS stronghold since 2015, as well as the adjacent neighbourhoods of Tadamun and Hajar al-Aswad.

The evacuation of those areas would bring the entire capital and its surroundings under regime control for the first time since 2012.

State media has thus far fiercely denied reaching a deal with IS, but state news agency SANA reported for the first time Monday that some evacuations had taken place.

Citing a military source, it said women and children had been bussed out during a ceasefire that would remain in place until noon (0900 GMT) on Monday, but that the government would subsequently resume operations.

President Bashar al-Assad has used a combination of military pressure and evacuation deals in recent months to recapture territory around the capital from his armed opponents.

The assault against the jihadist force in southern Damascus has left more than 250 pro-regime forces, 233 jihadists and more than 60 civilians dead, according to the Britain-based Observatory.

The monitor's head Rami Abdel Rahman said the evacuation operation took place "at night and in secret".

"The Syrian government does not admit to negotiating with IS and wants to make sure the convoy is not targeted by the coalition led by Washington," he added.&nbsp

Last year, IS fighters and relatives were evacuated from an area on the Lebanese-Syrian border under a deal between IS on one side and the regime and the powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah on the other.&nbsp

The US-led coalition bombing IS in Syria since 2014 sent planes to monitor the convoy, picking off dozens of jihadists along the way.&nbsp

The government has so far not confirmed any deal with IS, but a military source quoted by state media said civilians had been evacuated on Sunday night during a brief ceasefire

A second batch of fighters from the Islamic State jihadist group left their final Damascus stronghold overnight, a monitor said Monday, bringing the Syrian regime closer to a major milestone. The government has so far not confirmed any deal with IS, but a military source quoted by state media said civilians had been evacuated on Sunday night during a brief ceasefire. "A second batch of elements from the Islamic State organisation left after midnight," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "They are heading to a pocket in the desert still under the control of the extremist organisation," the Britain-based monitoring group said. The first group of IS fighters was transferred by bus out of southern Damascus on Sunday, the monitor said. Government and allied forces started an operation last month to flush out jihadists and other groups from a cluster of neighbourhoods in southern Damascus. They include Yarmuk, which was the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and has been a besieged IS stronghold since 2015, as well as the adjacent neighbourhoods of Tadamun and Hajar al-Aswad. The evacuation of those areas would bring the entire capital and its surroundings under regime control for the first time since 2012. State media has thus far fiercely denied reaching a deal with IS, but state news agency SANA reported for the first time Monday that some evacuations had taken place. Citing a military source, it said women and children had been bussed out during a ceasefire that would remain in place until noon (0900 GMT) on Monday, but that the government would subsequently resume operations. President Bashar al-Assad has used a combination of military pressure and evacuation deals in recent months to recapture territory around the capital from his armed opponents. The assault against the jihadist force in southern Damascus has left more than 250 pro-regime forces, 233 jihadists and more than 60 civilians dead, according to the Britain-based Observatory. The monitor's head Rami Abdel Rahman said the evacuation operation took place "at night and in secret". "The Syrian government does not admit to negotiating with IS and wants to make sure the convoy is not targeted by the coalition led by Washington," he added. Last year, IS fighters and relatives were evacuated from an area on the Lebanese-Syrian border under a deal between IS on one side and the regime and the powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah on the other. The US-led coalition bombing IS in Syria since 2014 sent planes to monitor the convoy, picking off dozens of jihadists along the way.

More Islamic State fighters leave Damascus district: Monitor

At least 28 pro-government fighters have been killed in a string of blasts at a regime airbase in central Syria earlier this week, a monitor said Sunday giving a new toll.

The deadly explosions tore through weapons and fuel depots on Friday at a military airport in Syria's Hama province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.&nbsp

"The toll has gone up to at least 28 regime forces and loyalist fighters, all Syrian," said the Britain-based monitor, after initially reporting 11 killed.

It said the death toll could rise as "dozens" are wounded "some in of them in critical condition," it said.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said there may also be casualties from other nationalities, as fighters from regime backer Iran and allied Lebanese militia Hezbollah were deployed there.

But a joint operations room of Syria's regional allies denied any of their forces had been killed in the explosions.

"We have no military advisers in the Hama airbase. We have no depots and have not positioned forces from Iran or elsewhere at this airport," it said in a statement carried on Hezbollah's War Media Channel.&nbsp

Syrian state media reported the blasts at the time but did not provide any details, while the Observatory had said they were likely due to a technical malfunction.&nbsp

Tensions are high in Syria after several Israeli strikes in recent weeks on regime positions, as well as military installations reportedly used by Iran.&nbsp

The latest wave came in the early hours of May 10, when Israel carried out dozens of raids against what it said were "Iranian" targets in Syria.&nbsp

Israel has repeatedly threatened to act if Iran developed an entrenched military presence in southern Syria, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.&nbsp

More than 350,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests that spiralled into a brutal war.

At least 28 pro-government fighters have been killed in a string of blasts at a regime airbase in central Syria earlier this week, a monitor said Sunday giving a new toll

At least 28 pro-government fighters have been killed in a string of blasts at a regime airbase in central Syria earlier this week, a monitor said Sunday giving a new toll. The deadly explosions tore through weapons and fuel depots on Friday at a military airport in Syria's Hama province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "The toll has gone up to at least 28 regime forces and loyalist fighters, all Syrian," said the Britain-based monitor, after initially reporting 11 killed. It said the death toll could rise as "dozens" are wounded "some in of them in critical condition," it said. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said there may also be casualties from other nationalities, as fighters from regime backer Iran and allied Lebanese militia Hezbollah were deployed there. But a joint operations room of Syria's regional allies denied any of their forces had been killed in the explosions. "We have no military advisers in the Hama airbase. We have no depots and have not positioned forces from Iran or elsewhere at this airport," it said in a statement carried on Hezbollah's War Media Channel. Syrian state media reported the blasts at the time but did not provide any details, while the Observatory had said they were likely due to a technical malfunction. Tensions are high in Syria after several Israeli strikes in recent weeks on regime positions, as well as military installations reportedly used by Iran. The latest wave came in the early hours of May 10, when Israel carried out dozens of raids against what it said were "Iranian" targets in Syria. Israel has repeatedly threatened to act if Iran developed an entrenched military presence in southern Syria, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. More than 350,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests that spiralled into a brutal war.

Toll from blasts at Syria airbase climbs to 28: Monitor

Israeli soldiers fired bullets and tear gas at thousands of Palestinian protesters at the Gaza-Israel border on Friday, wounding nearly 200 people, hours after the United Nations human rights chief criticised Israel for using "excessive force".

Israeli troops have killed 38 Palestinians and wounded more than 5,000 others since Gaza residents began staging protests along the border fence on March 30 to demand the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

On Friday, Israeli ground troops, holed up behind fortifications on their side of the 40km (25-mile) border fence, fired live ammunition and tear gas at protesters at five locations on the Gazan side.&nbsp;

The Gaza health ministry said 60 were wounded by gun fire, including a Palestinian journalist who was hit with a bullet in his foot.

Dozens more, including four medics, were treated for gas inhalation, as Israeli forces showered the area with tear gas canisters from behind their fortifications.&nbsp;

Protesters hurled stones and rolled burning tyres toward the fence, and some attached cans of burning petrol to kites and flew them into Israeli territory.

Others cleared away barbed wire coils which Israeli troops had placed in Gazan territory overnight in a bid to create a buffer zone between protesters and the fence.

The protests come at a time of growing frustration for Palestinians as prospects for an independent Palestinian state look poor. Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled for several years and Israeli settlements in the occupied territories have expanded.&nbsp;

In a statement released earlier on Friday, UN&nbsp;High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein called the loss of life was "deplorable" and that a "staggering number of injuries" had been caused by live ammunition.

Israel`s foreign ministry had no immediate comment but the government has consistently said that it is protecting its borders and that its troops are following rules of engagement.

Named the 'Great March of Return', the protest action revives a longstanding demand for the right of return of Palestinian refugees to towns and villages which their families fled from, or were driven out of, when the state of Israel was created in 1948.

More than 2 million Palestinians are packed into the narrow coastal enclave. Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but maintains tight control of its land and sea borders. Egypt also restricts movement in and out of Gaza on its border.

Israeli troops have killed 38 Palestinians and wounded more than 5,000 others since Gaza residents began staging protests along the border fence on March 30 to demand the right of return for Palestinian refugees

Israeli soldiers fired bullets and tear gas at thousands of Palestinian protesters at the Gaza-Israel border on Friday, wounding nearly 200 people, hours after the United Nations human rights chief criticised Israel for using "excessive force". Israeli troops have killed 38 Palestinians and wounded more than 5,000 others since Gaza residents began staging protests along the border fence on March 30 to demand the right of return for Palestinian refugees. On Friday, Israeli ground troops, holed up behind fortifications on their side of the 40km (25-mile) border fence, fired live ammunition and tear gas at protesters at five locations on the Gazan side. The Gaza health ministry said 60 were wounded by gun fire, including a Palestinian journalist who was hit with a bullet in his foot. Dozens more, including four medics, were treated for gas inhalation, as Israeli forces showered the area with tear gas canisters from behind their fortifications. Protesters hurled stones and rolled burning tyres toward the fence, and some attached cans of burning petrol to kites and flew them into Israeli territory. Others cleared away barbed wire coils which Israeli troops had placed in Gazan territory overnight in a bid to create a buffer zone between protesters and the fence. The protests come at a time of growing frustration for Palestinians as prospects for an independent Palestinian state look poor. Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled for several years and Israeli settlements in the occupied territories have expanded. In a statement released earlier on Friday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein called the loss of life was "deplorable" and that a "staggering number of injuries" had been caused by live ammunition. Israel`s foreign ministry had no immediate comment but the government has consistently said that it is protecting its borders and that its troops are following rules of engagement. Named the 'Great March of Return', the protest action revives a longstanding demand for the right of return of Palestinian refugees to towns and villages which their families fled from, or were driven out of, when the state of Israel was created in 1948. More than 2 million Palestinians are packed into the narrow coastal enclave. Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but maintains tight control of its land and sea borders. Egypt also restricts movement in and out of Gaza on its border.

Gaza protest continues; Israeli forces fire bullets, tear gas at border protesters, 200 wounded

The United States on Thursday urged China to respect the human rights and religious freedom of the people of Tibet.&nbsp

A resolution in this regard was passed by the US Senate, which among other issues, addresses the right of the Tibetan Buddhists to determine their own leadership, including the future 15th Dalai Lama, without any interference from the Chinese government.

The resolution was introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy, Dianne Feinstein, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.&nbsp

"We stand by the Tibetan people, who have long been our unwavering friends," Senator Leahy said.&nbsp

"We also stand by the rights of Tibetan Buddhists, not just in Tibet but around the world, who should be able to determine their own religious leadership in accordance with their inalienable right to religious freedom," he said.

The US Senate unanimously affirmed its support for the Tibetan people's fundamental human rights and freedoms, including their right to self-determination and protection of their distinct identity.&nbsp

It said the Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders should be determined solely within the Tibetan Buddhist community.

The Senate also commemorated the 59th anniversary of Tibet's 1959 uprising against the Chinese rule as "Tibetan Rights Day", and called on the US Secretary of State to implement fully the provisions of the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002.

Congressmen Jim McGovern and Randy Hultgren have introduced a companion resolution in the House of Representatives.&nbsp

'We also stand by the rights of Tibetan Buddhists, not just in Tibet but around the world, who should be able to determine their own religious leadership in accordance with their inalienable right to religious freedom' Senator Patrick Leahy said

The United States on Thursday urged China to respect the human rights and religious freedom of the people of Tibet. A resolution in this regard was passed by the US Senate, which among other issues, addresses the right of the Tibetan Buddhists to determine their own leadership, including the future 15th Dalai Lama, without any interference from the Chinese government. The resolution was introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy, Dianne Feinstein, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. "We stand by the Tibetan people, who have long been our unwavering friends," Senator Leahy said. "We also stand by the rights of Tibetan Buddhists, not just in Tibet but around the world, who should be able to determine their own religious leadership in accordance with their inalienable right to religious freedom," he said. The US Senate unanimously affirmed its support for the Tibetan people's fundamental human rights and freedoms, including their right to self-determination and protection of their distinct identity. It said the Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders should be determined solely within the Tibetan Buddhist community. The Senate also commemorated the 59th anniversary of Tibet's 1959 uprising against the Chinese rule as "Tibetan Rights Day", and called on the US Secretary of State to implement fully the provisions of the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002. Congressmen Jim McGovern and Randy Hultgren have introduced a companion resolution in the House of Representatives.

US asks China to respect human rights, religious freedom of Tibetan people

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) today claimed that a "burglary-style raid" was conducted at the residence of the editor of its annual report, which was highly critical of the country's state of human rights in 2017.

Editor Maryam Hasan's house in Lahore was "raided" last night as two armed men broke into her residence, said a statement issued by the rights watchdog.

"It was a burglary-style raid on the house of Maryam Hasan, who edited the HRCP 2017 report...The two 'burglars' took away her laptop, phones, two hard drives, jewellery and some cash," the HRCP said in the statement.

Hasan was also questioned about her professional engagements and intimidated in a "roundabout manner" by the "assailants", it added.

The HRCP warned that the provincial authorities will be held responsible for any further attempts by state or non-state actors to harass any persons associated with the commission.

The report - State of Human Rights in 2017 - was released last week highlighting increase in enforced disappearances and targeted violence against soft targets and raised the issue of curbs on freedoms of expression and association.&nbsp

Over 300 cases of missing persons reported last year, according to the report.&nbsp

"Journalists and bloggers continue to sustain threats, attacks and abductions and blasphemy law serves to coerce people into silence,? the report said.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) today claimed that a "burglary-style raid" was conducted at the residence of the editor of its annual report, which was highly critical of the country's state of human rights in 2017

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) today claimed that a "burglary-style raid" was conducted at the residence of the editor of its annual report, which was highly critical of the country's state of human rights in 2017. Editor Maryam Hasan's house in Lahore was "raided" last night as two armed men broke into her residence, said a statement issued by the rights watchdog. "It was a burglary-style raid on the house of Maryam Hasan, who edited the HRCP 2017 report...The two 'burglars' took away her laptop, phones, two hard drives, jewellery and some cash," the HRCP said in the statement. Hasan was also questioned about her professional engagements and intimidated in a "roundabout manner" by the "assailants", it added. The HRCP warned that the provincial authorities will be held responsible for any further attempts by state or non-state actors to harass any persons associated with the commission. The report - State of Human Rights in 2017 - was released last week highlighting increase in enforced disappearances and targeted violence against soft targets and raised the issue of curbs on freedoms of expression and association. Over 300 cases of missing persons reported last year, according to the report. "Journalists and bloggers continue to sustain threats, attacks and abductions and blasphemy law serves to coerce people into silence,? the report said.

Pakistan human rights body condemns 'burglary-style raid' at its editor's house

The United States labeled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea on Friday as "morally reprehensible" governments that it said violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them "forces of instability".

In releasing the State Department's global human rights report for 2017, acting Secretary of State John Sullivan also singled out Syria, Myanmar, Turkey and Venezuela as nations with a poor human rights record. Improved human rights in Uzbekistan, Liberia and Mexico were global "bright spots," Sullivan added.

Michael Kozak, a senior State Department official who helped oversee the report, said he did not think policies by President Donald Trump's administration on freedom of the press, refugees, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights and other issues undermined the report or left the United States open to accusations of hypocrisy.

The governments of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea "violate the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis and are forces of instability as a result," Sullivan said in a preface to the congressionally mandated report that documents human rights in nearly 200 countries and territories.

Countries like these that restrict freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, allow and commit violence against religious, ethnic and other minority groups or undermine the people's fundamental dignity "are morally reprehensible and undermine our interests," Sullivan added.

Sullivan said Russia's government "continues to quash dissent and civil society, even while it invades its neighbors and undermines the sovereignty of Western nations."

"We once again urge Russia to end its brutal occupation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, to halt the abuses perpetrated by Russian-led forces in Ukraine's Donbas region, and to address impunity for the human rights violations and abuses in the Republic of Chechnya," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the United States seeks to lead other nations by example in promoting just and effective governance based on the rule of law and respect for human rights.

He said the right of peaceful assembly and freedoms of association and expression are "under attack almost daily" in Iran, drawing criticism from Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi.

The Iranian state news agency IRNA quoted Qasemi as saying the report was "completely biased and politically motivated, and presented a distorted and unrealistic image of the conditions in Iran".

'Quite a distinction'

Critics in the United States and globally have accused Trump of giving short shrift to human rights as a foreign policy issue, and of cozying up to authoritarian leaders in Russia, the Philippines and the Middle East. Trump also frequently attacks the US&nbspnews media.

"I think we make quite a distinction between political leaders being able to speak out and say, 'That story was not accurate,' or using even stronger words sometimes, and using state power to prevent the journalists from continuing to do their work," Kozak told reporters.

Kozak said the standards used in the report, which is among the most widely read US&nbspgovernment documents, tended to be derived from international treaties or American law.

"I think the report is very clear about the kinds of things that we consider to be inappropriate restrictions on freedom of the media ... using the legal system to go after members of the press, using physical force and so on. It doesn't go to the nature of discourse in a country," Kozak said.

The report's release comes at a time of increased tensions with China over trade and other matters.

It also coincides with deteriorating relations with Moscow over its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom Washington accuses of using chemical weapons on his own people, and US&nbspaccusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 US&nbsppresidential election.

Sullivan accused China of spreading "the worst features of its authoritarian system" by restricting activists, civil society and freedom of expression.

"We are particularly concerned about the efforts of Chinese authorities to eliminate the religious, linguistic and cultural identities of Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists, as well as restrictions on the worship of Christians," Sullivan added.

Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming months even as Washington increases pressure on Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.

Sullivan said Kim oversees one of the most "repressive and abusive regimes in the world" and accused Pyongyang of "systematically" neglecting its own people to "underwrite and fund its illicit weapons program and child labor."

He also condemned what he called "ethnic cleaning" of Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar, and said those responsible for attacks against the Rohingya should be held accountable.

Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan also singled out Syria, Myanmar, Turkey and Venezuela as nations with a poor human rights record

The United States labeled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea on Friday as "morally reprehensible" governments that it said violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them "forces of instability". In releasing the State Department's global human rights report for 2017, acting Secretary of State John Sullivan also singled out Syria, Myanmar, Turkey and Venezuela as nations with a poor human rights record. Improved human rights in Uzbekistan, Liberia and Mexico were global "bright spots," Sullivan added. Michael Kozak, a senior State Department official who helped oversee the report, said he did not think policies by President Donald Trump's administration on freedom of the press, refugees, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights and other issues undermined the report or left the United States open to accusations of hypocrisy. The governments of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea "violate the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis and are forces of instability as a result," Sullivan said in a preface to the congressionally mandated report that documents human rights in nearly 200 countries and territories. Countries like these that restrict freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, allow and commit violence against religious, ethnic and other minority groups or undermine the people's fundamental dignity "are morally reprehensible and undermine our interests," Sullivan added. Sullivan said Russia's government "continues to quash dissent and civil society, even while it invades its neighbors and undermines the sovereignty of Western nations." "We once again urge Russia to end its brutal occupation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, to halt the abuses perpetrated by Russian-led forces in Ukraine's Donbas region, and to address impunity for the human rights violations and abuses in the Republic of Chechnya," Sullivan said. Sullivan said the United States seeks to lead other nations by example in promoting just and effective governance based on the rule of law and respect for human rights. He said the right of peaceful assembly and freedoms of association and expression are "under attack almost daily" in Iran, drawing criticism from Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi. The Iranian state news agency IRNA quoted Qasemi as saying the report was "completely biased and politically motivated, and presented a distorted and unrealistic image of the conditions in Iran". 'Quite a distinction' Critics in the United States and globally have accused Trump of giving short shrift to human rights as a foreign policy issue, and of cozying up to authoritarian leaders in Russia, the Philippines and the Middle East. Trump also frequently attacks the US&nbspnews media. "I think we make quite a distinction between political leaders being able to speak out and say, 'That story was not accurate,' or using even stronger words sometimes, and using state power to prevent the journalists from continuing to do their work," Kozak told reporters. Kozak said the standards used in the report, which is among the most widely read US&nbspgovernment documents, tended to be derived from international treaties or American law. "I think the report is very clear about the kinds of things that we consider to be inappropriate restrictions on freedom of the media ... using the legal system to go after members of the press, using physical force and so on. It doesn't go to the nature of discourse in a country," Kozak said. The report's release comes at a time of increased tensions with China over trade and other matters. It also coincides with deteriorating relations with Moscow over its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom Washington accuses of using chemical weapons on his own people, and US&nbspaccusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 US&nbsppresidential election. Sullivan accused China of spreading "the worst features of its authoritarian system" by restricting activists, civil society and freedom of expression. "We are particularly concerned about the efforts of Chinese authorities to eliminate the religious, linguistic and cultural identities of Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists, as well as restrictions on the worship of Christians," Sullivan added. Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming months even as Washington increases pressure on Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. Sullivan said Kim oversees one of the most "repressive and abusive regimes in the world" and accused Pyongyang of "systematically" neglecting its own people to "underwrite and fund its illicit weapons program and child labor." He also condemned what he called "ethnic cleaning" of Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar, and said those responsible for attacks against the Rohingya should be held accountable.

US calls China, Russia, Iran, North Korea 'morally reprehensible' on rights

The US&nbspState Department on Friday labelled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as "morally reprehensible" governments it said violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them "forces of instability as a result."

In releasing the department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017, acting Secretary of State John Sullivan said the latest US&nbspNational Security Strategy recognised that corrupt and weak governance threatened global stability and US&nbspinterests.

"Some governments are unable to maintain security and meet the basic needs of their people, while others are simply unwilling," Sullivan said.

"States that restrict freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly that allow and commit violence against members of religious, ethnic, and other minority groups or that undermine the fundamental dignity of persons are morally reprehensible and undermine our interests," he said.

"The governments of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, for example, violate the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis and are forces of instability as a result." 
Sullivan said the United States sought to lead other nations by example in promoting just and effective governance based on the rule of law and respect for human rights.

"The United States will continue to support those around the world struggling for human dignity and liberty," he said.

The US State Department on Friday labelled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as 'morally reprehensible' governments it said violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them 'forces of instability as a result.'

The US&nbspState Department on Friday labelled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as "morally reprehensible" governments it said violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them "forces of instability as a result." In releasing the department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017, acting Secretary of State John Sullivan said the latest US&nbspNational Security Strategy recognised that corrupt and weak governance threatened global stability and US&nbspinterests. "Some governments are unable to maintain security and meet the basic needs of their people, while others are simply unwilling," Sullivan said. "States that restrict freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly that allow and commit violence against members of religious, ethnic, and other minority groups or that undermine the fundamental dignity of persons are morally reprehensible and undermine our interests," he said. "The governments of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, for example, violate the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis and are forces of instability as a result." Sullivan said the United States sought to lead other nations by example in promoting just and effective governance based on the rule of law and respect for human rights. "The United States will continue to support those around the world struggling for human dignity and liberty," he said.

US labels China, Russia, Iran and North Korea 'morally reprehensible' over rights

In war-torn Afghanistan, honey is regarded as a traditional cure-all but for one schoolgirl, the sticky commodity has also created sweet opportunities to work and own a business in a country where few women do so.

Three years ago, Frozan, now 19-years-old, obtained a small loan, bought two beehives and learned about apiculture from Hand in Hand International, a non-governmental organisation that focuses on poverty.

The bees collected nectar from flowers growing near her home in the Marmul district in the northern Balkh province. Their first harvest produced about 16kg (35lb) of honey, which enabled Frozan to pay back her loan and still have money left over.

She now has 12 beehives and last year collected 110kg of honey, which earned her 100,000 Afghanis ($1,450) in a country where GDP per capita is only about $600.

“The village I live in is a traditional village and women are not allowed to work outside,” says Frozan, who goes by one name. “But when I started beekeeping I realised that it’s an easy task. I told the people about beekeeping and then they accepted it.”

Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the lives and status of women in society have improved significantly. But traditions, insecurity and recently a decline in international donors, have slowed progress.

A Human Rights Watch report, quoting government officials, says 85 per cent of the 3.5 million children who don’t go to school are girls. Only 37 per cent of adolescent girls are literate compared with 66 per cent of adolescent boys.

Frozan is now in her final year of school and would like to study economics and grow her business, goals that may now be possible for her and her three siblings thanks to her income stream.

She says looking after tens of thousands of bees can easily be done between studies and household chores and her father, Ismail, who is a farmer like much of Marmul’s population, supports his daughter’s enterprise.&nbsp;

“It has been my dream to have a daughter who could find a job like this and make a future for herself,” he says.

Every few weeks, Ismail takes the fresh honey to Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital, more than 50km away, where it’s sold to shops and consumed mainly by local customers.

While industry data is scant, local media citing government officials say Afghanistan’s honey production has risen in recent years, hitting 2,000 tonnes in 2015. Several varieties such as acacia, almond flower, and basil are now available.

However, infrastructure constraints mean most of this honey never leaves Afghanistan.

Afghan schoolgirl Frozan, has 12 beehives and last year collected 110kg of honey, which earned her 100,000 Afghanis ($1,450) in a country where GDP per capita is only about $600

In war-torn Afghanistan, honey is regarded as a traditional cure-all but for one schoolgirl, the sticky commodity has also created sweet opportunities to work and own a business in a country where few women do so. Three years ago, Frozan, now 19-years-old, obtained a small loan, bought two beehives and learned about apiculture from Hand in Hand International, a non-governmental organisation that focuses on poverty. The bees collected nectar from flowers growing near her home in the Marmul district in the northern Balkh province. Their first harvest produced about 16kg (35lb) of honey, which enabled Frozan to pay back her loan and still have money left over. She now has 12 beehives and last year collected 110kg of honey, which earned her 100,000 Afghanis ($1,450) in a country where GDP per capita is only about $600. “The village I live in is a traditional village and women are not allowed to work outside,” says Frozan, who goes by one name. “But when I started beekeeping I realised that it’s an easy task. I told the people about beekeeping and then they accepted it.” Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the lives and status of women in society have improved significantly. But traditions, insecurity and recently a decline in international donors, have slowed progress. A Human Rights Watch report, quoting government officials, says 85 per cent of the 3.5 million children who don’t go to school are girls. Only 37 per cent of adolescent girls are literate compared with 66 per cent of adolescent boys. Frozan is now in her final year of school and would like to study economics and grow her business, goals that may now be possible for her and her three siblings thanks to her income stream. She says looking after tens of thousands of bees can easily be done between studies and household chores and her father, Ismail, who is a farmer like much of Marmul’s population, supports his daughter’s enterprise. “It has been my dream to have a daughter who could find a job like this and make a future for herself,” he says. Every few weeks, Ismail takes the fresh honey to Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital, more than 50km away, where it’s sold to shops and consumed mainly by local customers. While industry data is scant, local media citing government officials say Afghanistan’s honey production has risen in recent years, hitting 2,000 tonnes in 2015. Several varieties such as acacia, almond flower, and basil are now available. However, infrastructure constraints mean most of this honey never leaves Afghanistan.

19-year-old Afghan schoolgirl earns more than country's average per capita income

Israeli fire killed a Palestinian at the Gaza border on Thursday and another died of wounds suffered several days ago, health officials said, bringing to 19 the number of Palestinian dead from a week of frontier protests.

The Israeli military said one of its aircraft targeted an armed militant near the security fence along the Gaza Strip.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians are holding a six-week-long protest in tent encampments along the fenced border of the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, an enclave of 2 million ruled by the Islamist Hamas group.

The demonstrators are pressing for a right of return for refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel.

The latest deaths are likely to add to international concerns over the violence, which human rights groups have said involved live fire against demonstrators posing no immediate threat to life.

UN&nbspSecretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent investigation into the deaths on the first day of the protest last Friday, and B'Tselem, an Israeli rights group, urged Israeli soldiers to "refuse to open fire on unarmed demonstrators.” Orders to do so were “manifestly illegal,” it said.

The United States, however, directed its criticism at the protest leaders. "We condemn leaders and protesters who call for violence or who send protesters - including children - to the fence, knowing that they may be injured or killed," President Donald Trump's Middle East peace envoy, Jason Greenblatt, said in a statement on Thursday.

Sixteen Palestinians died after being shot by Israeli troops on the first day of the demonstrations, Palestinian medical officials said, and another was killed on Tuesday.

A 33-year-old man, hit by Israeli fire a few days ago near one of the tent cities, died on Thursday, the officials said.

Israel says it is doing what is necessary to defend its border. The military said that its troops had used live fire only against people trying to sabotage the border fence or rolling burning tyres and throwing rocks.

On Thursday, Brigadier-General Ronen Manelis, Israel's chief military spokesman, cautioned that Israel might attack deeper inside Gaza if the demonstrations did not stop.

"We have information that tomorrow, under a smoke screen and civilian cover, Hamas intends to carry out terrorist attacks against our civilians and troops, and cross the fence," he said.

"We have no interest in harming women and children who are protesting. They are not our enemies. We have one intention, not to allow terrorist attacks against our civilians and troops on the other side of the fence."

Lethal force

Many of the demonstrators who turned out for the first wave of protests along the border returned to their homes and jobs over the week. But organisers expect large crowds again on Friday, the Muslim sabbath.

Protesters on Thursday were bringing more tents and thousands of tyres to burn, in what has become known as “The Friday of Tyres." They say they intend to use mirrors and laser pointers to distract Israeli sharpshooters.

“Friday is going to be a special day, they will see that we are not afraid,” said one Palestinian youth as he delivered tyres to the area. But Ahmed Ali, a 55-year-old teacher, said that while he wanted his family to see the tent camp, he would not come back on Friday.

“I taught my children one day we will be returning to Jaffa, our home, but I can’t allow them to throw stones because the Israelis won’t hesitate to kill them,” he said.

Hamas said on Thursday it would pay $3,000 to the family of anyone killed in the protests, $500 for critical injuries and $200 for more minor injuries. Israeli leaders say that such payments serve to instigate violence.

Visiting the frontier this week, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned protesters that "every person who comes close to the fence is endangering their lives."

The protest action is set to wind up on May 15, when Palestinians mark the "Naqba", or "Catastrophe", when hundreds of thousands fled or were driven out of their homes during violence that culminated in war in May 1948 between the newly created state of Israel and its Arab neighbours.

Israel has long ruled out any right of return, fearing it would lose its Jewish majority.

Israeli fire killed a Palestinian at the Gaza border on Thursday and another died of wounds suffered several days ago, health officials said, bringing to 19 the number of Palestinian dead from a week of frontier protests

Israeli fire killed a Palestinian at the Gaza border on Thursday and another died of wounds suffered several days ago, health officials said, bringing to 19 the number of Palestinian dead from a week of frontier protests. The Israeli military said one of its aircraft targeted an armed militant near the security fence along the Gaza Strip. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are holding a six-week-long protest in tent encampments along the fenced border of the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, an enclave of 2 million ruled by the Islamist Hamas group. The demonstrators are pressing for a right of return for refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. The latest deaths are likely to add to international concerns over the violence, which human rights groups have said involved live fire against demonstrators posing no immediate threat to life. UN&nbspSecretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent investigation into the deaths on the first day of the protest last Friday, and B'Tselem, an Israeli rights group, urged Israeli soldiers to "refuse to open fire on unarmed demonstrators.” Orders to do so were “manifestly illegal,” it said. The United States, however, directed its criticism at the protest leaders. "We condemn leaders and protesters who call for violence or who send protesters - including children - to the fence, knowing that they may be injured or killed," President Donald Trump's Middle East peace envoy, Jason Greenblatt, said in a statement on Thursday. Sixteen Palestinians died after being shot by Israeli troops on the first day of the demonstrations, Palestinian medical officials said, and another was killed on Tuesday. A 33-year-old man, hit by Israeli fire a few days ago near one of the tent cities, died on Thursday, the officials said. Israel says it is doing what is necessary to defend its border. The military said that its troops had used live fire only against people trying to sabotage the border fence or rolling burning tyres and throwing rocks. On Thursday, Brigadier-General Ronen Manelis, Israel's chief military spokesman, cautioned that Israel might attack deeper inside Gaza if the demonstrations did not stop. "We have information that tomorrow, under a smoke screen and civilian cover, Hamas intends to carry out terrorist attacks against our civilians and troops, and cross the fence," he said. "We have no interest in harming women and children who are protesting. They are not our enemies. We have one intention, not to allow terrorist attacks against our civilians and troops on the other side of the fence." Lethal force Many of the demonstrators who turned out for the first wave of protests along the border returned to their homes and jobs over the week. But organisers expect large crowds again on Friday, the Muslim sabbath. Protesters on Thursday were bringing more tents and thousands of tyres to burn, in what has become known as “The Friday of Tyres." They say they intend to use mirrors and laser pointers to distract Israeli sharpshooters. “Friday is going to be a special day, they will see that we are not afraid,” said one Palestinian youth as he delivered tyres to the area. But Ahmed Ali, a 55-year-old teacher, said that while he wanted his family to see the tent camp, he would not come back on Friday. “I taught my children one day we will be returning to Jaffa, our home, but I can’t allow them to throw stones because the Israelis won’t hesitate to kill them,” he said. Hamas said on Thursday it would pay $3,000 to the family of anyone killed in the protests, $500 for critical injuries and $200 for more minor injuries. Israeli leaders say that such payments serve to instigate violence. Visiting the frontier this week, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned protesters that "every person who comes close to the fence is endangering their lives." The protest action is set to wind up on May 15, when Palestinians mark the "Naqba", or "Catastrophe", when hundreds of thousands fled or were driven out of their homes during violence that culminated in war in May 1948 between the newly created state of Israel and its Arab neighbours. Israel has long ruled out any right of return, fearing it would lose its Jewish majority.

Israeli fire kills Palestinian at Gaza border, with more protests ahead

A number of protests have broken out in Iran since the beginning of the year over water, a growing political concern due to a drought which residents of parched areas and analysts say has been exacerbated by mismanagement.

The demonstrations have been relatively small, sporadic and limited to towns around the central city of Isfahan and Khuzestan province in the west. But they have highlighted an issue that played a role in earlier unrest and the authorities have cracked down, while recognising the need for change.

In early March, the turnout was light in a town near Isfahan, with dozens of farmers chanting the tongue-in-cheek slogan "Death to farmers, long live oppressors!", according to online videos. A week later the protests became more tense.

Dozens of riot police on motorcycles faced off against farmers in the same town, Varzaneh, another video showed. Smoke swirled around the protesters and the person filming said tear gas was being fired. A second person reported clashes. Police in the city of Isfahan were not immediately available to comment.

“What’s called drought is more often the mismanagement of water,” said a journalist in Varzaneh, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject.

“And this lack of water has disrupted people's income.”

Farmers accuse local politicians of allowing water to be diverted from their areas in return for bribes.

While the nationwide protests in December and January stemmed from anger over high prices and alleged corruption, in rural areas, lack of access to water was also a major cause, analysts say.

At least 25 people were killed and, according to one parliamentarian, up to 3,700 people were arrested, the biggest challenge yet for the government of president Hassan Rouhani, who was reelected last year.

Displaced

In Syria, drought was one of the causes of anti-government protests which broke out in 2011 and led to civil war, making the Iranian drought particularly sensitive.

Approximately 97 percent of the country is experiencing drought to some degree, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Meteorological Organization. Rights groups say it has driven many people from their homes.

“Towns and villages around Isfahan have been hit so hard by drought and water diversion that they have emptied out and people who lived there have moved,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director for the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), a New York-based advocacy group.

“Nobody pays any attention to them. And people close to Rouhani told me the government didn’t even know such a situation existed and there were so many grievances.”

Rouhani and Iran`s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mentioned drought as a problem that needs to be addressed in the country during their speech last week commemorating Nowruz, the Iranian new year, while condemning "lawlessness and violence".

An ad running on state TV which encourages Iranian citizens to conserve water shows a man sitting in a chair in the middle of a desert with the slogan, "Drought is closer than you think".

A United Nations report last year noted, "Water shortages are acute agricultural livelihoods no longer sufficient. With few other options, many people have left, choosing uncertain futures as migrants in search of work."

In early January, protests in the town of Qahderijan, some 10 km (6 miles) west of Isfahan, quickly turned violent as security forces opened fire on crowds, killing at least five people, according to activists. One of the dead was a farmer, CHRI said, and locals said water rights were the main grievance.

Videos posted on social media show protesters chanting outside a police station and throwing Molotov cocktails at the building, one of the most violent incidents documented during the nationwide protests.

A journalist in Qahderijan who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue said the attack on the police station was not the right thing to do but that water mismanagement had deprived farmers of their livelihoods.

Security

Hassan Kamran, a parliamentarian from Isfahan, publicly criticised energy minister Reza Ardakanian this month, accusing him of not properly implementing a water distribution law.

"The security and intelligence forces shouldn’t investigate our farmers. The water rights are theirs," he told a parliamentary session.

In early March, Ardakanian set up a working group comprising four ministers and two presidential deputies to deal with the crisis.

Since the January protests, Rouhani has repeatedly said the government will do what it can to address grievances. But there is no quick fix for deeply rooted environmental issues like drought, observers say.&nbsp

“These are local grievances but the solutions are with the national government,” said Tara Sepehri Far, Iran researcher for Human Rights Watch, adding that the government had limited power and widespread corruption.

Rouhani`s office was not immediately available to comment.

Iranian security forces are aware of the potential for water issues to cause instability. A senior Revolutionary Guards commander, Yahya Rahim Safavi, noted in a public speech in late February that water will play a key role for both the Islamic Republic’s national and regional security.

Environmentalists have found themselves in the firing line.

In late January, Kavous Seyed-Emami, the director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, and six other environmentalists were arrested.

Two weeks later, authorities said Seyed-Emami had committed suicide in jail after confessing to being a spy for the United States and Israel. His family has denied the allegation.

State TV later aired a report saying Seyed-Emami and his colleagues were telling Iran`s enemies the country could no longer maintain domestic agriculture production because of a water shortage and needed to import food.

In late February, three more environmentalists were arrested and three weeks ago, Seyed-Emami’s wife was prevented from leaving Iran, according to family members.

“Public opinion has become sensitised to environmental issues,” said Saeed Leylaz, a Tehran-based economist and political analyst. “So the government may see the organizations and institutions who work on environmental issues as problematic.”&nbsp

A number of protests have broken out in Iran since the beginning of the year over water, a growing political concern due to a drought which residents of parched areas and analysts say has been exacerbated by mismanagement

A number of protests have broken out in Iran since the beginning of the year over water, a growing political concern due to a drought which residents of parched areas and analysts say has been exacerbated by mismanagement. The demonstrations have been relatively small, sporadic and limited to towns around the central city of Isfahan and Khuzestan province in the west. But they have highlighted an issue that played a role in earlier unrest and the authorities have cracked down, while recognising the need for change. In early March, the turnout was light in a town near Isfahan, with dozens of farmers chanting the tongue-in-cheek slogan "Death to farmers, long live oppressors!", according to online videos. A week later the protests became more tense. Dozens of riot police on motorcycles faced off against farmers in the same town, Varzaneh, another video showed. Smoke swirled around the protesters and the person filming said tear gas was being fired. A second person reported clashes. Police in the city of Isfahan were not immediately available to comment. “What’s called drought is more often the mismanagement of water,” said a journalist in Varzaneh, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. “And this lack of water has disrupted people's income.” Farmers accuse local politicians of allowing water to be diverted from their areas in return for bribes. While the nationwide protests in December and January stemmed from anger over high prices and alleged corruption, in rural areas, lack of access to water was also a major cause, analysts say. At least 25 people were killed and, according to one parliamentarian, up to 3,700 people were arrested, the biggest challenge yet for the government of president Hassan Rouhani, who was reelected last year. Displaced In Syria, drought was one of the causes of anti-government protests which broke out in 2011 and led to civil war, making the Iranian drought particularly sensitive. Approximately 97 percent of the country is experiencing drought to some degree, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Meteorological Organization. Rights groups say it has driven many people from their homes. “Towns and villages around Isfahan have been hit so hard by drought and water diversion that they have emptied out and people who lived there have moved,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director for the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), a New York-based advocacy group. “Nobody pays any attention to them. And people close to Rouhani told me the government didn’t even know such a situation existed and there were so many grievances.” Rouhani and Iran`s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mentioned drought as a problem that needs to be addressed in the country during their speech last week commemorating Nowruz, the Iranian new year, while condemning "lawlessness and violence". An ad running on state TV which encourages Iranian citizens to conserve water shows a man sitting in a chair in the middle of a desert with the slogan, "Drought is closer than you think". A United Nations report last year noted, "Water shortages are acute agricultural livelihoods no longer sufficient. With few other options, many people have left, choosing uncertain futures as migrants in search of work." In early January, protests in the town of Qahderijan, some 10 km (6 miles) west of Isfahan, quickly turned violent as security forces opened fire on crowds, killing at least five people, according to activists. One of the dead was a farmer, CHRI said, and locals said water rights were the main grievance. Videos posted on social media show protesters chanting outside a police station and throwing Molotov cocktails at the building, one of the most violent incidents documented during the nationwide protests. A journalist in Qahderijan who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue said the attack on the police station was not the right thing to do but that water mismanagement had deprived farmers of their livelihoods. Security Hassan Kamran, a parliamentarian from Isfahan, publicly criticised energy minister Reza Ardakanian this month, accusing him of not properly implementing a water distribution law. "The security and intelligence forces shouldn’t investigate our farmers. The water rights are theirs," he told a parliamentary session. In early March, Ardakanian set up a working group comprising four ministers and two presidential deputies to deal with the crisis. Since the January protests, Rouhani has repeatedly said the government will do what it can to address grievances. But there is no quick fix for deeply rooted environmental issues like drought, observers say. “These are local grievances but the solutions are with the national government,” said Tara Sepehri Far, Iran researcher for Human Rights Watch, adding that the government had limited power and widespread corruption. Rouhani`s office was not immediately available to comment. Iranian security forces are aware of the potential for water issues to cause instability. A senior Revolutionary Guards commander, Yahya Rahim Safavi, noted in a public speech in late February that water will play a key role for both the Islamic Republic’s national and regional security. Environmentalists have found themselves in the firing line. In late January, Kavous Seyed-Emami, the director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, and six other environmentalists were arrested. Two weeks later, authorities said Seyed-Emami had committed suicide in jail after confessing to being a spy for the United States and Israel. His family has denied the allegation. State TV later aired a report saying Seyed-Emami and his colleagues were telling Iran`s enemies the country could no longer maintain domestic agriculture production because of a water shortage and needed to import food. In late February, three more environmentalists were arrested and three weeks ago, Seyed-Emami’s wife was prevented from leaving Iran, according to family members. “Public opinion has become sensitised to environmental issues,” said Saeed Leylaz, a Tehran-based economist and political analyst. “So the government may see the organizations and institutions who work on environmental issues as problematic.”

Water crisis spurs protests in Iran

Syrian rebels and their families began leaving Syria&#39;s Eastern Ghouta on Thursday under the first evacuation deal in the shrinking opposition enclave outside Damascus.

The agreement announced on Wednesday and brokered by regime ally Russia, could empty one of three rebel-held pockets in the region and mark a major advance in government efforts to secure the nearby capital.

It could also increase pressure on rebels to follow suit in the two other opposition-held pockets of the besieged enclave, where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped under relentless bombardment.

State television said around 1,824 people -- including 319 fighters -- had boarded buses from the Eastern Ghouta town of Harasta until now held by the Ahrar al-Sham rebel group.&nbsp;

A military source said that the rebels and accompanying civilians had boarded buses and were in a buffer zone, waiting to cross into regime-controlled territory.

Another military source said around 2,000 people are expected to leave in total, including around 700 fighters on Thursday.

Ahrar al-Sham spokesman Munzer Fares said the evacuations could last several days.&nbsp;

They followed renewed air strikes in Ghouta early on Thursday which killed 20 civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.&nbsp;

Since February 18, a devastating Russian-backed offensive on Eastern Ghouta has sliced the shrinking enclave into three isolated pockets.

Rebels cut off

Central Damascus lies within mortar range of Eastern Ghouta, and the evacuation deal came after the deadliest rebel rocket attack on the capital in months killed 44 civilians on Tuesday.

Rebel fire on Thursday killed four people in Damascus, state television said.

The regime&#39;s offensive on Ghouta has killed more than 1,500 civilians since February 18, according to Observatory.

The rebels and their families will be transported to the northwestern province of Idlib, which is held by a myriad of jihadist, Islamist and secular groups, many with links to Turkey.

The evacuation from Harasta will further isolate the rebel groups that control the remaining two pockets of Eastern Ghouta and pile pressure on them to accept similar deals.

Syrian Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar told AFP that Ahrar al-Sham had negotiated with the Russian Centre for Reconciliation and that Damascus was not directly involved.

Nawar Oliver, an analyst at the Turkey-based Omran Centre, said fighters in Harasta &quot;were not able to impose a single one of their conditions&quot;.

&#39;Tragic&#39; conditions

Opposition figures in Ghouta said talks were underway for a deal to evacuate rebels from the enclave&#39;s main town, Douma.

Douma is controlled by the Jaish al-Islam group, while a pocket of territory around the town of Zamalka, closer to the capital, is held by Faylaq al-Rahman with a small jihadist presence.

Air strikes on Zamalka killed 16 civilians on Thursday, the Observatory said.

An AFP reporter in Douma said hundreds of civilians were fleeing the town.

Similar evacuation deals have seen the government retake a string of former rebel bastions.

A May 2014 deal saw rebels pull out of the third city Homs, once labelled the &quot;capital of the revolution&quot; that sparked Syria&#39;s seven-year civil war.

In December 2016, the army retook the whole of the second city Aleppo as rebels withdrew in one of their worst defeats of the war.

Those agreements also followed devastating bombardments that took a heavy toll on trapped civilians.

The assault on Ghouta has sparked a mass exodus of civilians from the shrinking rebel enclave.

Some 50,000 people have reached shelters in the government-controlled territory in the past week, according to the United Nations.

On Wednesday, the UN&#39;s humanitarian coordinator in Syria said those displaced were living in &quot;tragic&quot; conditions.

&quot;People may have escaped fighting, fear and insecurity but they find themselves in a place without anywhere to wash themselves,&quot; Ali al-Zaatari said.

Syrian rebels and their families began leaving Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Thursday under the first evacuation deal in the shrinking opposition enclave outside Damascus

Syrian rebels and their families began leaving Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Thursday under the first evacuation deal in the shrinking opposition enclave outside Damascus. The agreement announced on Wednesday and brokered by regime ally Russia, could empty one of three rebel-held pockets in the region and mark a major advance in government efforts to secure the nearby capital. It could also increase pressure on rebels to follow suit in the two other opposition-held pockets of the besieged enclave, where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped under relentless bombardment. State television said around 1,824 people -- including 319 fighters -- had boarded buses from the Eastern Ghouta town of Harasta until now held by the Ahrar al-Sham rebel group. A military source said that the rebels and accompanying civilians had boarded buses and were in a buffer zone, waiting to cross into regime-controlled territory. Another military source said around 2,000 people are expected to leave in total, including around 700 fighters on Thursday. Ahrar al-Sham spokesman Munzer Fares said the evacuations could last several days. They followed renewed air strikes in Ghouta early on Thursday which killed 20 civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Since February 18, a devastating Russian-backed offensive on Eastern Ghouta has sliced the shrinking enclave into three isolated pockets. Rebels cut off Central Damascus lies within mortar range of Eastern Ghouta, and the evacuation deal came after the deadliest rebel rocket attack on the capital in months killed 44 civilians on Tuesday. Rebel fire on Thursday killed four people in Damascus, state television said. The regime's offensive on Ghouta has killed more than 1,500 civilians since February 18, according to Observatory. The rebels and their families will be transported to the northwestern province of Idlib, which is held by a myriad of jihadist, Islamist and secular groups, many with links to Turkey. The evacuation from Harasta will further isolate the rebel groups that control the remaining two pockets of Eastern Ghouta and pile pressure on them to accept similar deals. Syrian Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar told AFP that Ahrar al-Sham had negotiated with the Russian Centre for Reconciliation and that Damascus was not directly involved. Nawar Oliver, an analyst at the Turkey-based Omran Centre, said fighters in Harasta "were not able to impose a single one of their conditions". 'Tragic' conditions Opposition figures in Ghouta said talks were underway for a deal to evacuate rebels from the enclave's main town, Douma. Douma is controlled by the Jaish al-Islam group, while a pocket of territory around the town of Zamalka, closer to the capital, is held by Faylaq al-Rahman with a small jihadist presence. Air strikes on Zamalka killed 16 civilians on Thursday, the Observatory said. An AFP reporter in Douma said hundreds of civilians were fleeing the town. Similar evacuation deals have seen the government retake a string of former rebel bastions. A May 2014 deal saw rebels pull out of the third city Homs, once labelled the "capital of the revolution" that sparked Syria's seven-year civil war. In December 2016, the army retook the whole of the second city Aleppo as rebels withdrew in one of their worst defeats of the war. Those agreements also followed devastating bombardments that took a heavy toll on trapped civilians. The assault on Ghouta has sparked a mass exodus of civilians from the shrinking rebel enclave. Some 50,000 people have reached shelters in the government-controlled territory in the past week, according to the United Nations. On Wednesday, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Syria said those displaced were living in "tragic" conditions. "People may have escaped fighting, fear and insecurity but they find themselves in a place without anywhere to wash themselves," Ali al-Zaatari said.

First rebels quit Syria enclave under Russia-brokered deal

A former member of the European Parliament, Paulo Casaca, recently raised questions over the European Union&#39;s ignorance towards human rights violations, minority rights, and terror-funding activities in Pakistan.

Casaca, who is now an executive director of Brussels-based south Asia Democratic Forum, said, &quot;There are laws that should be followed. The European Union is now giving to Pakistan the very rare distinction of being considered to be one utmost follower of international laws and namely of human rights conventions and also of conventions against terrorism. And, it cannot ignore what is going on. I think that the European Union with this attitude actually gives a lot of incentive for the Pakistani authorities to ignore human rights. The European Union has a lot of responsibility of what is going on in Pakistan&quot;.

Recently, the European Parliament expressed satisfaction on the progress achieved by Pakistan in enacting new laws and developing new institutions for implementation of 27 core conventions of Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus.

The international committee on international trade also agreed to deliberate upon the possibility of up-scaling the relationship with Pakistan from a beneficiary of GSP Plus to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partner in the future.

Paulo Casaca, who addressed a side event on the human rights situation in Pakistan during the 37th session of United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva told, &quot;There is an article that clearly states that for being eligible for any trade preference a country must apply United Nations&#39; Conventions and it very clearly the case that Pakistan is not doing. At last, the President of United States said it in a very clear way, it is a declaration that is late for some decades, but better late than never, This is so obvious what it says that I cannot understand how can someone ignore it.&quot;

Pakistan maintains a poor record on human rights as the country witnesses a rise in the incidents of enforced disappearances, tortures, attack on minorities under blasphemy laws, military courts and rise of extremism.

While reacting to the issue of minorities, Paulo said the Pakistan government should be held accountable for.

He said, &quot;Very much so! Because, the way the blasphemy laws have been dealt with and the fact that actually nobody is allowed to protest against these blasphemy laws as we are seeing with the former governor of Punjab was a very important personality within at a time the ruling party of the civilians authorities in Pakistan shows that this is a terror law. Whoever considers themselves to be the owners of Islam are at their will can kill whoever they want by calling them as blasphemers, without any objective basis.&quot;

Favouring strict sanctions on Pakistan by the European Union, Paulo said, &quot;This would actually be a very important cause of action. I think before giving sanctions, the most obvious step is to withdraw the very favourable concessions that have been given to Pakistan. This should have been made clear to the Pakistani authorities and I have to say that if this was the case, the Pakistani authorities would be now behaving differently. I am absolutely convinced.&quot;

While reacting to the issue of minorities, Paulo (a former member of the European Parliament) said the Pakistan government should be held accountable for

A former member of the European Parliament, Paulo Casaca, recently raised questions over the European Union's ignorance towards human rights violations, minority rights, and terror-funding activities in Pakistan. Casaca, who is now an executive director of Brussels-based south Asia Democratic Forum, said, "There are laws that should be followed. The European Union is now giving to Pakistan the very rare distinction of being considered to be one utmost follower of international laws and namely of human rights conventions and also of conventions against terrorism. And, it cannot ignore what is going on. I think that the European Union with this attitude actually gives a lot of incentive for the Pakistani authorities to ignore human rights. The European Union has a lot of responsibility of what is going on in Pakistan". Recently, the European Parliament expressed satisfaction on the progress achieved by Pakistan in enacting new laws and developing new institutions for implementation of 27 core conventions of Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus. The international committee on international trade also agreed to deliberate upon the possibility of up-scaling the relationship with Pakistan from a beneficiary of GSP Plus to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partner in the future. Paulo Casaca, who addressed a side event on the human rights situation in Pakistan during the 37th session of United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva told, "There is an article that clearly states that for being eligible for any trade preference a country must apply United Nations' Conventions and it very clearly the case that Pakistan is not doing. At last, the President of United States said it in a very clear way, it is a declaration that is late for some decades, but better late than never, This is so obvious what it says that I cannot understand how can someone ignore it." Pakistan maintains a poor record on human rights as the country witnesses a rise in the incidents of enforced disappearances, tortures, attack on minorities under blasphemy laws, military courts and rise of extremism. While reacting to the issue of minorities, Paulo said the Pakistan government should be held accountable for. He said, "Very much so! Because, the way the blasphemy laws have been dealt with and the fact that actually nobody is allowed to protest against these blasphemy laws as we are seeing with the former governor of Punjab was a very important personality within at a time the ruling party of the civilians authorities in Pakistan shows that this is a terror law. Whoever considers themselves to be the owners of Islam are at their will can kill whoever they want by calling them as blasphemers, without any objective basis." Favouring strict sanctions on Pakistan by the European Union, Paulo said, "This would actually be a very important cause of action. I think before giving sanctions, the most obvious step is to withdraw the very favourable concessions that have been given to Pakistan. This should have been made clear to the Pakistani authorities and I have to say that if this was the case, the Pakistani authorities would be now behaving differently. I am absolutely convinced."

'European Union must take note of human rights violations in Pakistan'

A Turkish bombing raid struck the main hospital in the Kurdish-controlled Syrian town of Afrin, killing sixteen civilians, a monitor said.

The Kurdish Red Crescent medical service, which supports the hospital, confirmed that the hospital was hit but did not give a toll.

According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Turkish air strike &quot;directly&quot; hit the medical facility.

&quot;Sixteen civilians were killed, including two pregnant women,&quot; said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

No medical staff were among the dead, he said.

Serwan Bery, co-chair of the Kurdish Red Crescent and based in the northeast Syria town of Qamishli, also said no hospital staff were known to have died.

&quot;There was bombing on the city during the day that got close to the hospital, but this evening it was directly hit,&quot; said Bery.

&quot;It was the only functioning hospital in Afrin city,&quot; he said.

Turkey and allied rebels have waged a nearly two-month offensive on the Afrin region, which is held by the Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG).

Pro-Ankara forces were now on the verge of besieging Afrin, and terrified civilians have poured out of the city.

At least 15,000 people left Afrin on Friday, according to the Observatory.

A Turkish bombing raid struck the main hospital in the Kurdish-controlled Syrian town of Afrin, killing sixteen civilians, a monitor said. The Kurdish Red Crescent medical service, which supports the hospital, confirmed that the hospital was hit but did not give a toll. According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Turkish air strike "directly" hit the medical facility. "Sixteen civilians were killed, including two pregnant women," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. No medical staff were among the dead, he said. Serwan Bery, co-chair of the Kurdish Red Crescent and based in the northeast Syria town of Qamishli, also said no hospital staff were known to have died. "There was bombing on the city during the day that got close to the hospital, but this evening it was directly hit," said Bery. "It was the only functioning hospital in Afrin city," he said. Turkey and allied rebels have waged a nearly two-month offensive on the Afrin region, which is held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Pro-Ankara forces were now on the verge of besieging Afrin, and terrified civilians have poured out of the city. At least 15,000 people left Afrin on Friday, according to the Observatory.

Turkish air strike hits hospital in Syria's Afrin: Monitor, medics

Ronald Reagan was America&#39;s president when Philipos Melaku-Bello first began protesting in front of the White House.

Thirty-seven years and five presidents later, Melaku-Bello is still there, quietly delivering his message from a tarpaulin-covered shelter plastered with signs advocating for peace, against the nuclear industry, and in support of human rights.

He says the site is a living demonstration of America&#39;s right to freedom of expression, guaranteed by a Constitution which the activist says is being tested under Donald Trump, a president he describes as &quot;unlike any other.&quot;

&quot;Our federal judges, not only the Supreme Court, have tried to keep Donald Trump in check but I tell you, he has them working very hard,&quot; Melaku-Bello says, referring to the numerous court challenges faced by Trump -- on everything from immigration to birth control to potential conflicts of interest.

Opposite the front lawn of the president&#39;s home, Melaku-Bello greets passersby with a gentle manner.

&quot;How do you do, sir?&quot; he asks. &quot;Peace be with you.&quot;

Hour after hour, local residents and tourists stop to chat or to snap photographs of the orderly protest site where he sits behind a box of pamphlets about uranium and nuclear weapons, drone warfare, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Some drop donations into a plastic container which says &quot;Free Leonard Peltier,&quot; a member of the American Indian Movement jailed for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents, and whom most people will have long forgotten.

Not Melaku-Bello.

He speaks articulately, knowledgeably -- and at length -- about Peltier&#39;s case and a range of other domestic and global political issues.

They call this &#39;democracy&#39;?

Melaku-Bello dismisses suggestions he himself has become an attraction.

&quot;I&#39;d always want it to be the message more than me,&quot; he says, flanked by signs, large and small.

&quot;Free Tibet,&quot; says one.

&quot;Make a peace treaty with North Korea,&quot; demands another, dwarfed by the biggest placard that calls for &quot;wisdom and honesty.&quot;

Other signs address topical issues including the fate of hundreds of thousands of &quot;Dreamers,&quot; immigrants brought to the country illegally as children whose protections Trump has vowed to end.

A California native in his mid-50s, who describes his personal politics as anarchistic, Melaku-Bello began protesting in the 1970s.

He belonged to a punk rock band which was touring the Washington area when he first came into contact with the protest site and &quot;helped out.&quot;

That was in the summer of 1981.

The vigil was founded earlier that year by activist William Thomas, joined by Concepcion Picciotto who remained until her death in 2016. Thomas died in 2009.

For the first decade of his involvement, Melaku-Bello says he split his time between protesting and working for Amha Selassie, the exiled son of late Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie.

In the course of that work, which involved preparing human rights reports, Melaku-Bello recounts being wounded by a landmine blast in Ramallah in 1987, leaving him in a wheelchair.

For the past seven years, the protest site has been his life, taking 90 to 100 hours a week.

Melaku-Bello, who tucks his hair up Rasta-style in a red and white toque above his untrimmed sideburns and graying beard, has reliable support from only two other activists, Neil Cousins and Craig Thompson, who rotate shifts with him.

On the pedestrian mall in front of the White House, activists for various causes come and go but the peace vigil remains, unique because it is manned day and night, a right Melaku-Bello says has been won through court fights.

Healthy debate

Melaku-Bello&#39;s passion is undiminished.

&quot;How dare they call this a democracy when it&#39;s not government for the people by the people but by an oligarchy government controlled by the few,&quot; he says, complaining that the wealthy are able to buy political influence in the United States.

His devotion earns praise even from those who disagree with him, such as passerby Eric Meek, 47, an Ohio school teacher who describes himself as &quot;more right wing.&quot;

&quot;I think that&#39;s what makes our country great,&quot; Meek says, &quot;if two people who have different philosophies can talk in a sensible way&quot; and listen to each other.

Melaku-Bello says he will keep talking, and listening, as long as he physically can.

&quot;Maybe loving all the civilians of the planet, some people would call it madness,&quot; he says. &quot;So how long will I do it? Maybe till my last breath.&quot;

Thirty-seven years and five presidents later, Melaku-Bello is still there, quietly delivering his message from a tarpaulin-covered shelter plastered with signs advocating for peace

Ronald Reagan was America's president when Philipos Melaku-Bello first began protesting in front of the White House. Thirty-seven years and five presidents later, Melaku-Bello is still there, quietly delivering his message from a tarpaulin-covered shelter plastered with signs advocating for peace, against the nuclear industry, and in support of human rights. He says the site is a living demonstration of America's right to freedom of expression, guaranteed by a Constitution which the activist says is being tested under Donald Trump, a president he describes as "unlike any other." "Our federal judges, not only the Supreme Court, have tried to keep Donald Trump in check but I tell you, he has them working very hard," Melaku-Bello says, referring to the numerous court challenges faced by Trump -- on everything from immigration to birth control to potential conflicts of interest. Opposite the front lawn of the president's home, Melaku-Bello greets passersby with a gentle manner. "How do you do, sir?" he asks. "Peace be with you." Hour after hour, local residents and tourists stop to chat or to snap photographs of the orderly protest site where he sits behind a box of pamphlets about uranium and nuclear weapons, drone warfare, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some drop donations into a plastic container which says "Free Leonard Peltier," a member of the American Indian Movement jailed for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents, and whom most people will have long forgotten. Not Melaku-Bello. He speaks articulately, knowledgeably -- and at length -- about Peltier's case and a range of other domestic and global political issues. They call this 'democracy'? Melaku-Bello dismisses suggestions he himself has become an attraction. "I'd always want it to be the message more than me," he says, flanked by signs, large and small. "Free Tibet," says one. "Make a peace treaty with North Korea," demands another, dwarfed by the biggest placard that calls for "wisdom and honesty." Other signs address topical issues including the fate of hundreds of thousands of "Dreamers," immigrants brought to the country illegally as children whose protections Trump has vowed to end. A California native in his mid-50s, who describes his personal politics as anarchistic, Melaku-Bello began protesting in the 1970s. He belonged to a punk rock band which was touring the Washington area when he first came into contact with the protest site and "helped out." That was in the summer of 1981. The vigil was founded earlier that year by activist William Thomas, joined by Concepcion Picciotto who remained until her death in 2016. Thomas died in 2009. For the first decade of his involvement, Melaku-Bello says he split his time between protesting and working for Amha Selassie, the exiled son of late Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie. In the course of that work, which involved preparing human rights reports, Melaku-Bello recounts being wounded by a landmine blast in Ramallah in 1987, leaving him in a wheelchair. For the past seven years, the protest site has been his life, taking 90 to 100 hours a week. Melaku-Bello, who tucks his hair up Rasta-style in a red and white toque above his untrimmed sideburns and graying beard, has reliable support from only two other activists, Neil Cousins and Craig Thompson, who rotate shifts with him. On the pedestrian mall in front of the White House, activists for various causes come and go but the peace vigil remains, unique because it is manned day and night, a right Melaku-Bello says has been won through court fights. Healthy debate Melaku-Bello's passion is undiminished. "How dare they call this a democracy when it's not government for the people by the people but by an oligarchy government controlled by the few," he says, complaining that the wealthy are able to buy political influence in the United States. His devotion earns praise even from those who disagree with him, such as passerby Eric Meek, 47, an Ohio school teacher who describes himself as "more right wing." "I think that's what makes our country great," Meek says, "if two people who have different philosophies can talk in a sensible way" and listen to each other. Melaku-Bello says he will keep talking, and listening, as long as he physically can. "Maybe loving all the civilians of the planet, some people would call it madness," he says. "So how long will I do it? Maybe till my last breath."

Longtime White House protester has passion for peace

&nbsp;A senior European researcher has accused Pakistan of making moves to sell the disputed region of Gilgit-Baltistan to China in return for stacks of Renminbi (Chinese currency) and Yuan (basic unit of Chinese currency).

Participating in the 37th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Senior Research Analyst at the European Foundation for South-Asian Studies Du&scaron;an Vejinovic said Friday, &quot;While Pakistan manifests itself as a self-styled advocate of the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the factual situation is, that it remains an illegal occupier of Jammu and Kashmir, which has deprived the people of their political and civil liberties.&quot;

&quot;Contrary to the country&#39;s diplomatic rhetoric, it is Pakistan which has denied the people of Jammu and Kashmir their fundamental human rights. Moreover, it is now aspiring to become a broker of Jammu and Kashmir, by negotiating the sale of Gilgit-Baltistan to Beijing, in return for stacks of Chinese Yuan,&quot; he added.

Demanding that the United Nations take appropriate action against Pakistan, Vejinovic said, &quot;Why is Pakistan allowed to infringe international law and make a mockery of this august institution? The United Nations is obliged to act, not only to ensure peace in South Asia, but more importantly, to maintain its own credibility and reinforce its authority.&quot;

Reminding the UNHRC that the UN&nbsp;resolutions of 1948 and 1949 had directed Pakistan to withdraw its troops from the state of Jammu and Kashmir by August 13, 1948, a perplexed Vejinovic asked what is preventing Islamabad from complying with a legally binding instruction issued more than 70 years ago.

Jammu and Kashmir has been an area of contention for both India and Pakistan ever since the nations were formed in 1947 with three battles having been fought between the two neighbours over it.

A senior European researcher has accused Pakistan of making moves to sell the disputed region of Gilgit-Baltistan to China in return for stacks of Renminbi (Chinese currency) and Yuan (basic unit of Chinese currency)

A senior European researcher has accused Pakistan of making moves to sell the disputed region of Gilgit-Baltistan to China in return for stacks of Renminbi (Chinese currency) and Yuan (basic unit of Chinese currency). Participating in the 37th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Senior Research Analyst at the European Foundation for South-Asian Studies Dušan Vejinovic said Friday, "While Pakistan manifests itself as a self-styled advocate of the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the factual situation is, that it remains an illegal occupier of Jammu and Kashmir, which has deprived the people of their political and civil liberties." "Contrary to the country's diplomatic rhetoric, it is Pakistan which has denied the people of Jammu and Kashmir their fundamental human rights. Moreover, it is now aspiring to become a broker of Jammu and Kashmir, by negotiating the sale of Gilgit-Baltistan to Beijing, in return for stacks of Chinese Yuan," he added. Demanding that the United Nations take appropriate action against Pakistan, Vejinovic said, "Why is Pakistan allowed to infringe international law and make a mockery of this august institution? The United Nations is obliged to act, not only to ensure peace in South Asia, but more importantly, to maintain its own credibility and reinforce its authority." Reminding the UNHRC that the UN resolutions of 1948 and 1949 had directed Pakistan to withdraw its troops from the state of Jammu and Kashmir by August 13, 1948, a perplexed Vejinovic asked what is preventing Islamabad from complying with a legally binding instruction issued more than 70 years ago. Jammu and Kashmir has been an area of contention for both India and Pakistan ever since the nations were formed in 1947 with three battles having been fought between the two neighbours over it.

'Broker' Pakistan now aspiring to sell Gilgit-Baltistan to China: European Union expert

India on Thursday highlighted human rights violations by Pakistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

India&#39;s response came after Pakistan raised the issue of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mini Devi Kumam, Second Secretary, India&#39;s Permanent Mission at UNHRC, said it had become a habit of Pakistan to misuse the UNHRC platform to make misleading references about internal matters pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir.

&quot;This Council should be mindful that the dubious concern for human rights is coming from a country, which has systematically abused and violated the human rights of the people in Baluchistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir,&quot; Kumam said at the 37th Session of UNHRC.

She added that &quot;Pakistan has long been attempting to mask its territorial ambitions and use of terrorism as a state policy under the guise of concern for human rights&quot;.

The Indian representative also told the UNHRC that Pakistan was committing grossest violation of human rights by exporting terrorism to Jammu and Kashmir.

&quot;Terrorism is the grossest violation of human rights. The real problem in the State of Jammu and Kashmir is terrorism, which has constantly received sustenance from Pakistan and territories under its control,&quot; Kumam asserted.

India also urged the UNHRC to call on Pakistan to end cross-border infiltration, to dismantle special terrorist zones, safe havens and sanctuaries, and to take verifiable actions, including on terror financing.

The Indian representative also told the UNHRC that Pakistan should provide freedom to the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir by ending its illegal and forcible occupation.

While highlighting the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, India said Islamabad should end harassment of minorities; place procedural and institutional safeguards to prevent its misuse.

Kumam also demanded that Pakistan should end forced conversions and marriages of minorities; including Hindu, Sikh and Christian women, and prosecute all such cases.

India also highlighted enforced disappearances and unlawful killing of political dissidents by the Pakistani security forces.

&quot;We urge the Council to call on Pakistan to stop targeting political dissidents and legitimate criticism in Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to stop torture, enforced disappearances and unlawful killing, including that of journalists and activists by its security agencies. Pakistan should also prosecute all perpetrators of such crimes,&quot; Kumam said.

India also demanded end of sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on Muslim minorities, such as Shia, Ahmadiyas , Ismailia and Hazaras in Pakistan.&nbsp;

India also highlighted enforced disappearances and unlawful killing of political dissidents by the Pakistani security forces

India on Thursday highlighted human rights violations by Pakistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). India's response came after Pakistan raised the issue of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. Mini Devi Kumam, Second Secretary, India's Permanent Mission at UNHRC, said it had become a habit of Pakistan to misuse the UNHRC platform to make misleading references about internal matters pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir. "This Council should be mindful that the dubious concern for human rights is coming from a country, which has systematically abused and violated the human rights of the people in Baluchistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir," Kumam said at the 37th Session of UNHRC. She added that "Pakistan has long been attempting to mask its territorial ambitions and use of terrorism as a state policy under the guise of concern for human rights". The Indian representative also told the UNHRC that Pakistan was committing grossest violation of human rights by exporting terrorism to Jammu and Kashmir. "Terrorism is the grossest violation of human rights. The real problem in the State of Jammu and Kashmir is terrorism, which has constantly received sustenance from Pakistan and territories under its control," Kumam asserted. India also urged the UNHRC to call on Pakistan to end cross-border infiltration, to dismantle special terrorist zones, safe havens and sanctuaries, and to take verifiable actions, including on terror financing. The Indian representative also told the UNHRC that Pakistan should provide freedom to the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir by ending its illegal and forcible occupation. While highlighting the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, India said Islamabad should end harassment of minorities; place procedural and institutional safeguards to prevent its misuse. Kumam also demanded that Pakistan should end forced conversions and marriages of minorities; including Hindu, Sikh and Christian women, and prosecute all such cases. India also highlighted enforced disappearances and unlawful killing of political dissidents by the Pakistani security forces. "We urge the Council to call on Pakistan to stop targeting political dissidents and legitimate criticism in Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to stop torture, enforced disappearances and unlawful killing, including that of journalists and activists by its security agencies. Pakistan should also prosecute all perpetrators of such crimes," Kumam said. India also demanded end of sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on Muslim minorities, such as Shia, Ahmadiyas , Ismailia and Hazaras in Pakistan.

India to UN: Call on Pakistan to dismantle 'special terrorist zones'

Prime Minister Theresa May defended Britain&#39;s links to security ally Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Queen Elizabeth for lunch on a high-profile visit that drew protests over Riyadh&#39;s human rights record.

A fiery exchange in parliament between May and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn underlined tension in Britain over Prince Mohammed&#39;s trip, which was aimed at building a broader economic partnership between the two countries, but has sparked anger about alleged human rights abuses and the war in Yemen.

&quot;The link that we have with Saudi Arabia is historic, it is an important one, and it has saved the lives of potentially hundreds of people in this country,&quot; May said, pausing her answer briefly as opposition lawmakers cried &quot;Shame!&quot;. She was alluding to intelligence-sharing on Islamist militant suspects.

The debate took place as Prince Mohammed lunched with the British monarch on the first leg of a trip packed with displays of diplomatic affection designed to help widen long-standing defence ties into a more far-reaching partnership.

May later met Prince Mohammed at her Downing Street office, extending a warm diplomatic welcome to the conservative kingdom&#39;s heir apparent and agreeing a 65 billion pound ($90.29 billion) trade and investment target.

Britain is looking for trading partners as it exits the European Union, and energy powerhouse Saudi Arabia needs to convince sceptical investors about its domestic reforms.

&quot;This is a significant boost for UK prosperity and a clear demonstration of the strong international confidence in our economy as we prepare to leave the European Union,&quot; a spokeswoman from May&#39;s office said after the meeting.

But demonstrators gathered outside May&#39;s office amid a heavy police presence to protest at both countries&#39; role in Yemen, where war has killed around 10,000 people. A Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015 and critics say Riyadh has been using British-supplied weapons in devastating strikes.

&quot;I don&#39;t believe that someone like Mohammed bin Salman should be welcomed in Britain,&quot; said Hassan Yassine, a 25-year-old customer service worker from London. &quot;It is definitely not ethical, bearing in mind what is going on in Yemen every single day, every single second, even as we speak.&quot;

Corbyn said British military advisers were &quot;directing the war&quot; in Yemen. May&#39;s spokesman said British personnel had no role in carrying out coalition air strikes, and were not involved in Saudi targeting decisions.

Strategic partnership

Police said a man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after an egg was thrown at a police vehicle as bin Salman&#39;s motorcade arrived in Downing Street.

Wednesday&#39;s first official engagement was a trip to Buckingham Palace to see Queen Elizabeth - a rare honour usually reserved for heads of state.

The Saudi delegation then met May at her offices to launch a UK-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council.

The meeting set out the mutual trade and investment target, which would include direct investment in Britain and new Saudi public procurement with British companies. This would be spread across sectors including finance, education, healthcare, renewable energy and defence, May&#39;s office said.

Britain is vying to land the stock market listing of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, but no decision is expected this week.

&quot;We would like the Aramco share option to be issued in the United Kingdom and we will continue to suggest the City would be the best place for it,&quot; junior foreign office minister Alistair Burt told parliament.

Later this month Prince Mohammed visits the United States, which also wants the lucrative listing, although sources said both countries might miss out.

British officials were privately delighted at the decision by Prince Mohammed, 32, to choose Britain as the major Western destination on his first foreign trip since becoming heir to the Saudi throne last year.

The British government is keen to develop a two-way trade and investment relationship, eyeing both an expanded market in Saudi Arabia for service sector exports, and attracting Saudi cash to finance domestic projects.

For his part, Saudi Arabia&#39;s ambitious heir wants to show that &quot;shock&quot; reforms have made his country a better place to invest and a more tolerant society.

Photographs posted online showed London taxis displaying advertising graphics welcoming Prince Mohammed, and electronic billboards around the capital promoted pro-Saudi messages with the hashtag #anewsaudiarabia.

Business deals are possible with British defence group BAE Systems and European weapons maker MBDA, and initial agreements could be concluded on gas exploration, petrochemicals and other industries, according to British and Saudi sources.

Royal treatment

The three-day visit will include a second Royal audience - dinner with the Prince Charles and Prince William on Wednesday - and a prestigious visit to May&#39;s country residence on Thursday.

The prime minister intends to use the private dinner at Chequers, a 16th-century manor house 40 miles (60 km) northwest of London, to further press her concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, her spokesman said.

The Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Iran-allied Houthi movement in Yemen in a campaign to restore its internationally recognised government, generating what the United Nations said in January is the world&#39;s worst humanitarian crisis.

Demonstrators are protesting against Britain for licensing 4.6 billion pounds of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia since 2015.

May said all arms sales were strictly regulated, that Saudi Arabia&#39;s involvement in the conflict was backed by the UN&nbsp;Security Council and her government supported it.

&quot;The prime minister and crown prince agreed on the importance of full and unfettered humanitarian and commercial access, including through the ports, and that a political solution was ultimately the only way to end the conflict and humanitarian suffering in Yemen,&quot; the statement from May&#39;s office said.

A fiery exchange in parliament between May and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn underlined tension in Britain over Prince Mohammed's trip

Prime Minister Theresa May defended Britain's links to security ally Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Queen Elizabeth for lunch on a high-profile visit that drew protests over Riyadh's human rights record. A fiery exchange in parliament between May and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn underlined tension in Britain over Prince Mohammed's trip, which was aimed at building a broader economic partnership between the two countries, but has sparked anger about alleged human rights abuses and the war in Yemen. "The link that we have with Saudi Arabia is historic, it is an important one, and it has saved the lives of potentially hundreds of people in this country," May said, pausing her answer briefly as opposition lawmakers cried "Shame!". She was alluding to intelligence-sharing on Islamist militant suspects. The debate took place as Prince Mohammed lunched with the British monarch on the first leg of a trip packed with displays of diplomatic affection designed to help widen long-standing defence ties into a more far-reaching partnership. May later met Prince Mohammed at her Downing Street office, extending a warm diplomatic welcome to the conservative kingdom's heir apparent and agreeing a 65 billion pound ($90.29 billion) trade and investment target. Britain is looking for trading partners as it exits the European Union, and energy powerhouse Saudi Arabia needs to convince sceptical investors about its domestic reforms. "This is a significant boost for UK prosperity and a clear demonstration of the strong international confidence in our economy as we prepare to leave the European Union," a spokeswoman from May's office said after the meeting. But demonstrators gathered outside May's office amid a heavy police presence to protest at both countries' role in Yemen, where war has killed around 10,000 people. A Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015 and critics say Riyadh has been using British-supplied weapons in devastating strikes. "I don't believe that someone like Mohammed bin Salman should be welcomed in Britain," said Hassan Yassine, a 25-year-old customer service worker from London. "It is definitely not ethical, bearing in mind what is going on in Yemen every single day, every single second, even as we speak." Corbyn said British military advisers were "directing the war" in Yemen. May's spokesman said British personnel had no role in carrying out coalition air strikes, and were not involved in Saudi targeting decisions. Strategic partnership Police said a man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after an egg was thrown at a police vehicle as bin Salman's motorcade arrived in Downing Street. Wednesday's first official engagement was a trip to Buckingham Palace to see Queen Elizabeth - a rare honour usually reserved for heads of state. The Saudi delegation then met May at her offices to launch a UK-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council. The meeting set out the mutual trade and investment target, which would include direct investment in Britain and new Saudi public procurement with British companies. This would be spread across sectors including finance, education, healthcare, renewable energy and defence, May's office said. Britain is vying to land the stock market listing of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, but no decision is expected this week. "We would like the Aramco share option to be issued in the United Kingdom and we will continue to suggest the City would be the best place for it," junior foreign office minister Alistair Burt told parliament. Later this month Prince Mohammed visits the United States, which also wants the lucrative listing, although sources said both countries might miss out. British officials were privately delighted at the decision by Prince Mohammed, 32, to choose Britain as the major Western destination on his first foreign trip since becoming heir to the Saudi throne last year. The British government is keen to develop a two-way trade and investment relationship, eyeing both an expanded market in Saudi Arabia for service sector exports, and attracting Saudi cash to finance domestic projects. For his part, Saudi Arabia's ambitious heir wants to show that "shock" reforms have made his country a better place to invest and a more tolerant society. Photographs posted online showed London taxis displaying advertising graphics welcoming Prince Mohammed, and electronic billboards around the capital promoted pro-Saudi messages with the hashtag #anewsaudiarabia. Business deals are possible with British defence group BAE Systems and European weapons maker MBDA, and initial agreements could be concluded on gas exploration, petrochemicals and other industries, according to British and Saudi sources. Royal treatment The three-day visit will include a second Royal audience - dinner with the Prince Charles and Prince William on Wednesday - and a prestigious visit to May's country residence on Thursday. The prime minister intends to use the private dinner at Chequers, a 16th-century manor house 40 miles (60 km) northwest of London, to further press her concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, her spokesman said. The Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Iran-allied Houthi movement in Yemen in a campaign to restore its internationally recognised government, generating what the United Nations said in January is the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Demonstrators are protesting against Britain for licensing 4.6 billion pounds of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia since 2015. May said all arms sales were strictly regulated, that Saudi Arabia's involvement in the conflict was backed by the UN Security Council and her government supported it. "The prime minister and crown prince agreed on the importance of full and unfettered humanitarian and commercial access, including through the ports, and that a political solution was ultimately the only way to end the conflict and humanitarian suffering in Yemen," the statement from May's office said.

Theresa May defends Saudi ties as crown prince gets royal welcome in London

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said that Myanmar&#39;s &#39;ethnic cleansing&#39; continues. Gilmour&#39;s comments came after a four-day visit to refugee camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar, Bangladesh on Tuesday.&nbsp;

&quot;The ethnic cleansing of Rohingya from Myanmar continues. I don&#39;t think we can draw any other conclusion from what I have seen and heard in Cox&#39;s Bazar,&quot; Gilmour said.&nbsp;

&quot;It appears that widespread and systematic violence against the Rohingya persists,&quot; Gilmour added in a statement.

&quot;The nature of the violence has changed from the frenzied blood-letting and mass rape of last year to a lower intensity campaign of terror and forced starvation that seems to be designed to drive the remaining Rohingya from their homes and into Bangladesh.&quot;&nbsp;

Insurgent attacks in Myanmar, carried out almost six months back, sparked a security response that has driven nearly 700,000 people into Bangladesh.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Insurgent attacks in Myanmar, carried out almost six months back, sparked a security response that has driven nearly 700,000 people into Bangladesh

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said that Myanmar's 'ethnic cleansing' continues. Gilmour's comments came after a four-day visit to refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on Tuesday. "The ethnic cleansing of Rohingya from Myanmar continues. I don't think we can draw any other conclusion from what I have seen and heard in Cox's Bazar," Gilmour said. "It appears that widespread and systematic violence against the Rohingya persists," Gilmour added in a statement. "The nature of the violence has changed from the frenzied blood-letting and mass rape of last year to a lower intensity campaign of terror and forced starvation that seems to be designed to drive the remaining Rohingya from their homes and into Bangladesh." Insurgent attacks in Myanmar, carried out almost six months back, sparked a security response that has driven nearly 700,000 people into Bangladesh. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar's 'ethnic cleansing' of Rohingya continues: UN human rights official

Syrian regime and allied forces pushed deeper into Eastern Ghouta on Monday and have now retaken a third of the rebel enclave, a monitor said.

&quot;Regime forces now control 33 percent, or a third, of besieged Eastern Ghouta,&quot; the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said.

&quot;Regime forces are advancing at a high pace because operations so far are mostly conducted in farmland,&quot; said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Observatory.

Pro-government forces were two kilometres (1.2 miles) south-east of Douma, the main town in Eastern Ghouta, a semi-rural area that lies within mortar range of central Damascus.

The government lost control of Eastern Ghouta in 2012 and has besieged the area, which is now controlled by Islamist and jihadist groups, almost ever since.

Government forces have over the years clawed back nearly two-thirds of the territory they lost just east of Damascus in 2012.

President Bashar al-Assad vowed on Sunday his forces would continue the latest campaign until the whole area is retaken.

The regime intensified its air strikes on the enclave last month and on February 18 further ramped up its campaign, with an assault that has left more than 700 civilians dead in two weeks.

'Regime forces now control 33 percent, or a third, of besieged Eastern Ghouta,' the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor said

Syrian regime and allied forces pushed deeper into Eastern Ghouta on Monday and have now retaken a third of the rebel enclave, a monitor said. "Regime forces now control 33 percent, or a third, of besieged Eastern Ghouta," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said. "Regime forces are advancing at a high pace because operations so far are mostly conducted in farmland," said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Observatory. Pro-government forces were two kilometres (1.2 miles) south-east of Douma, the main town in Eastern Ghouta, a semi-rural area that lies within mortar range of central Damascus. The government lost control of Eastern Ghouta in 2012 and has besieged the area, which is now controlled by Islamist and jihadist groups, almost ever since. Government forces have over the years clawed back nearly two-thirds of the territory they lost just east of Damascus in 2012. President Bashar al-Assad vowed on Sunday his forces would continue the latest campaign until the whole area is retaken. The regime intensified its air strikes on the enclave last month and on February 18 further ramped up its campaign, with an assault that has left more than 700 civilians dead in two weeks.

Syria regime forces control third of Ghouta enclave: Monitor

Syrian regime bombardment on the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta killed at least 45 civilians on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based war monitor said at least 19 of the victims were killed in the town of Hammuriyeh, where regime aircraft used crude improvised munitions known as &quot;barrels bombs&quot;.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-regime-forces-control-third-of-ghouta-enclave-monitor-34740">Syria regime forces control third of Ghouta enclave</a>

The Observatory warned that toll could rise further as bodies were still being retrieved from the rubble.

The Britain-based war monitor said at least 19 of the victims were killed in the town of Hammuriyeh

Syrian regime bombardment on the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta killed at least 45 civilians on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based war monitor said at least 19 of the victims were killed in the town of Hammuriyeh, where regime aircraft used crude improvised munitions known as "barrels bombs". Also read: Syria regime forces control third of Ghouta enclave The Observatory warned that toll could rise further as bodies were still being retrieved from the rubble.

45 killed Monday in bombardment of Syria enclave

The first Rohingya refugees who arrived on Jorina Katun&#39;s farmland in Bangladesh last year were worn out and traumatised after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar. They wept and begged to stay, and Katun, moved by their plight, said yes.

&quot;I really regret that,&quot; she said. &quot;They said they would stay for only a month. They&#39;re still here and more are coming.&quot; Katun now has 25 Rohingya families living on a patch of land where she used to grow rice and vegetables.

Since August, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have crossed from Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State into Bangladesh. Makeshift camps housing the Rohingya sprawl across thousands of acres of what was once a government forest reserve, butting up against - and sometimes overwhelming - Bangladeshi homes and land. Jorina Katun lives on the edge of the largest such camp.

Officials and aid workers fear that the welcome is wearing thin, due to the unprecedented number of refugees and growing doubts over whether Myanmar will ever take them back.

Repatriation was due to begin in January under an agreement signed by Myanmar and Bangladesh. But the plan has stalled due to safety and logistical concerns, and meanwhile, Rohingya continue to flee across the border.

&quot;We&#39;ve accommodated them, but for how long?&quot; said Kazi Abdur Rahman, a deputy district administrator in Cox&#39;s Bazar. &quot;Our crop fields are destroyed. Our forests are destroyed...It&#39;s a huge impact on the whole community.&quot;

So far, local people have been remarkably tolerant, with many feeling duty-bound to help fellow Muslims they see as being oppressed because of their religion. There have only been a handful of anti-Rohingya protest, all small and peaceful.

But many also blame the Rohingya for driving up food prices and stealing jobs, and officials worry that the refugees bring with them an increased risk of disease, militant activity and drug trafficking. 
Residents have been told to report any Rohingya seen outside the camps, said Rahman. &quot;It&#39;s for our security, so they can&#39;t get up to any terrorist activity,&quot; he said.

He said he had no evidence that the Rohingya were involved in crime, but noted they were poor, desperate and &quot;very vulnerable to evil forces&quot;.

THE CHEAPEST WORKER

Before the current crisis, Bangladesh was already home to 300,000 Rohingya refugees who had fled previous bouts of violence in Myanmar. Now, in Ukhia and Teknaf, two sub-districts near the Myanmar border, Rohingya outnumber local people by about two to one.

Residents of Ukhia and Teknaf were already among Bangladesh&#39;s poorest and by some measures as deprived as the refugees, according to ACAPS, a Geneva-based think-tank which analyses humanitarian responses.

Seven in 10 families &ndash; both Bangladeshi and Rohingya &ndash; struggled to get enough to eat, ACAPS found.

Little of the land around Cox&#39;s Bazar is suitable for farming, so Bangladeshis have to buy about 80 percent of their food in local markets, said ACAPS.

The price of that food is rising, said Hamidul Hoque Chowdhury, a college principal who heads the Ukhia branch of the Awami League, the party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Six months ago, 1 kg of potatoes cost 20 takas ($0.24); it has since tripled in price to 60 or 70 takas. The price of fish has doubled, he said.

&quot;The local people are now silent. They&#39;re not shouting now. But they&#39;re not happy,&quot; said Chowdhury. &quot;Tensions will definitely rise.&quot; 
Chowdhury, who helped organise a small anti-Rohingya protest in Ukhia in January, said Rohingya were competing with Bangladeshis for unskilled labour jobs, the main source of income for about half the local population.

Faruk Ahmed, 73, a local farmer, said he hired Rohingya labourers because they were cheap, plentiful and hard-working.

&quot;Bangladeshis want 500 takas ($6) a day, but Rohingya will take 300 takas,&quot; he said. &quot;I&#39;ll hire the cheapest worker.&quot;

ROHINGYA ISLAND

Partly to ease the congestion at the camps, Bangladesh is accelerating a controversial plan to temporarily relocate 100,000 Rohingya on a remote island in the Bay of Bengal.

H.T. Imam, an advisor of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said the refugees must be kept apart from Bangladeshis. &quot;In the past, the Rohingya spread out and caused serious law and order problems,&quot; he said.

Humanitarian groups said they were also looking for ways to support the Bangladeshi community.

Of the $950 million budget currently being requested from donors for March to December, a quarter had been earmarked for projects that will directly benefit Bangladeshis, said UN host community liaison Maurice Dewulf.

There are &quot;no major signals yet&quot; of problems between Bangladeshis and locals in Cox&#39;s Bazar, Dewulf said, but such problems become more likely the longer a refugee crisis lasts.

The Rohingya families camped out on Jorina Katun&#39;s land are also doing what they can to keep the peace, paying Katun between 300 and 600 takas ($3.50 to $7) a month in rent, says refugee Bodi Alam. 
The Bangladesh Army, which oversees security in the area, said it forbids local people to charge rent. &quot;But we still pay,&quot; said Alam.

Without such payments, there would be quarrels with the Bangladeshis. &quot;They will say &#39;go from here, this is our area, these are our houses, this is our land,&#39;&quot; he said.

Since August, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have crossed from Myanmar's Rakhine State into Bangladesh

The first Rohingya refugees who arrived on Jorina Katun's farmland in Bangladesh last year were worn out and traumatised after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar. They wept and begged to stay, and Katun, moved by their plight, said yes. "I really regret that," she said. "They said they would stay for only a month. They're still here and more are coming." Katun now has 25 Rohingya families living on a patch of land where she used to grow rice and vegetables. Since August, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have crossed from Myanmar's Rakhine State into Bangladesh. Makeshift camps housing the Rohingya sprawl across thousands of acres of what was once a government forest reserve, butting up against - and sometimes overwhelming - Bangladeshi homes and land. Jorina Katun lives on the edge of the largest such camp. Officials and aid workers fear that the welcome is wearing thin, due to the unprecedented number of refugees and growing doubts over whether Myanmar will ever take them back. Repatriation was due to begin in January under an agreement signed by Myanmar and Bangladesh. But the plan has stalled due to safety and logistical concerns, and meanwhile, Rohingya continue to flee across the border. "We've accommodated them, but for how long?" said Kazi Abdur Rahman, a deputy district administrator in Cox's Bazar. "Our crop fields are destroyed. Our forests are destroyed...It's a huge impact on the whole community." So far, local people have been remarkably tolerant, with many feeling duty-bound to help fellow Muslims they see as being oppressed because of their religion. There have only been a handful of anti-Rohingya protest, all small and peaceful. But many also blame the Rohingya for driving up food prices and stealing jobs, and officials worry that the refugees bring with them an increased risk of disease, militant activity and drug trafficking. Residents have been told to report any Rohingya seen outside the camps, said Rahman. "It's for our security, so they can't get up to any terrorist activity," he said. He said he had no evidence that the Rohingya were involved in crime, but noted they were poor, desperate and "very vulnerable to evil forces". THE CHEAPEST WORKER Before the current crisis, Bangladesh was already home to 300,000 Rohingya refugees who had fled previous bouts of violence in Myanmar. Now, in Ukhia and Teknaf, two sub-districts near the Myanmar border, Rohingya outnumber local people by about two to one. Residents of Ukhia and Teknaf were already among Bangladesh's poorest and by some measures as deprived as the refugees, according to ACAPS, a Geneva-based think-tank which analyses humanitarian responses. Seven in 10 families – both Bangladeshi and Rohingya – struggled to get enough to eat, ACAPS found. Little of the land around Cox's Bazar is suitable for farming, so Bangladeshis have to buy about 80 percent of their food in local markets, said ACAPS. The price of that food is rising, said Hamidul Hoque Chowdhury, a college principal who heads the Ukhia branch of the Awami League, the party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Six months ago, 1 kg of potatoes cost 20 takas ($0.24); it has since tripled in price to 60 or 70 takas. The price of fish has doubled, he said. "The local people are now silent. They're not shouting now. But they're not happy," said Chowdhury. "Tensions will definitely rise." Chowdhury, who helped organise a small anti-Rohingya protest in Ukhia in January, said Rohingya were competing with Bangladeshis for unskilled labour jobs, the main source of income for about half the local population. Faruk Ahmed, 73, a local farmer, said he hired Rohingya labourers because they were cheap, plentiful and hard-working. "Bangladeshis want 500 takas ($6) a day, but Rohingya will take 300 takas," he said. "I'll hire the cheapest worker." ROHINGYA ISLAND Partly to ease the congestion at the camps, Bangladesh is accelerating a controversial plan to temporarily relocate 100,000 Rohingya on a remote island in the Bay of Bengal. H.T. Imam, an advisor of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said the refugees must be kept apart from Bangladeshis. "In the past, the Rohingya spread out and caused serious law and order problems," he said. Humanitarian groups said they were also looking for ways to support the Bangladeshi community. Of the $950 million budget currently being requested from donors for March to December, a quarter had been earmarked for projects that will directly benefit Bangladeshis, said UN host community liaison Maurice Dewulf. There are "no major signals yet" of problems between Bangladeshis and locals in Cox's Bazar, Dewulf said, but such problems become more likely the longer a refugee crisis lasts. The Rohingya families camped out on Jorina Katun's land are also doing what they can to keep the peace, paying Katun between 300 and 600 takas ($3.50 to $7) a month in rent, says refugee Bodi Alam. The Bangladesh Army, which oversees security in the area, said it forbids local people to charge rent. "But we still pay," said Alam. Without such payments, there would be quarrels with the Bangladeshis. "They will say 'go from here, this is our area, these are our houses, this is our land,'" he said.

Rohingya refugees test Bangladeshi welcome as prices rise and repatriation stalls

By Oscar Gil-Garcia*&nbsp;

 
For more than a decade, I documented one man&rsquo;s deportation, the impact on his family and his eventual return to the U.S.

I did this as part of my work studying the migration of indigenous Mayan refugees from Guatemala to Mexico and the U.S. My telling of the story of this man, who I&rsquo;ll call Alex to protect his identity, is forthcoming in the journal Representations. I believe it can help shed light on the human consequences of deportations and family separations &ndash; and the enormous risks deportees are willing to take, irrespective of walls, fences, and the danger of reuniting with their families.

Here is Alex&rsquo;s story.

An immigration raid

Alex was born in a refugee settlement in Chiapas, Mexico. His family is one of more than 200,000 Guatemalans who fled a protracted war, supported by the U.S. and its allies, that largely targeted the indigenous people in Guatemala. In Mexico, barriers to legal status barred refugees from formal employment. To improve his family&rsquo;s situation, he decided to enter the U.S. through a human smuggler, often referred to as a &ldquo;coyote,&rdquo; in 2000. He worked at a meatpacking plant and sent money to support his parents in Mexico.

Two years later, Alex fell in love with his wife, who we&rsquo;ll refer to as Grace, a Guatemalan national. Grace arrived in the U.S. in 1999, also with the help of a coyote, to join her parents who enrolled her in elementary school. Grace too was smitten, and in 2002 she decided to forgo her high school senior year to be with Alex. One year later, Grace gave birth to their first child.

In December of 2006, Alex was deported, without a hearing &ndash; a violation of international human rights law &ndash; in one of the largest immigration raids in U.S. history. He was separated from his wife and 3-year-old child. Family separation due to deportation is common. It is also a violation of the American Convention on Human Rights. Article 17 of the Convention, signed by the U.S. in 1969, states: &ldquo;The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state.&rdquo; The statement of this principle underscores how deportation violates one of the fundamental rights protected by the Convention &ndash; the rights of the family.

Back in Mexico, Alex faced a lack of job opportunities, compounded by racial discrimination toward indigenous peoples. Meanwhile, Grace, faced economic instability in the U.S. without Alex&rsquo;s income. Even so, she advised Alex to stay in Mexico, due to her fear of more raids and concern over increased criminalization to punish unauthorized migration. In addition, under enforcement priorities initiated under George W. Bush, unlawful entry and re-entry would initiate a new era in the criminalization of migration that involved the creation of new classes of &ldquo;felonies&rdquo; that apply only to noncitizens.

Six months later, Alex&rsquo;s wife and their son joined him in Chiapas, Mexico &ndash; becoming what are often referred to as &ldquo;de facto&rdquo; deportees. Studies have identified how deportees face stigma and discrimination upon return. National origins, language abilities and presumptions of why one was deported can become significant factors in the reintegration to home countries or the countries of spouses or parents. For example, Grace is a Guatemalan national and could not seek legal employment in Mexico.

Despite their reunification, Alex&rsquo;s family continued to face significant hardships in Mexico. Alex&rsquo;s friend, a coyote, informed him that he could make a livable wage working as a coyote and stay close to his family. Alex decided to explore this alternative.&nbsp;

Clandestine migration

Alex&rsquo;s participation in a human smuggling network came with enormous risks. One day, for example, armed bandits surrounded a group of migrants he was leading across the U.S.-Mexico border and confiscated their belongings. Alex ran into the desert bush and escaped to the U.S. side of the border.

After a night in the desert without food or water, Alex returned to Mexico. He later learned that the bandits had taken the migrants hostage, but that they were released after relatives in the U.S. paid an undisclosed ransom. Alex returned home and informed his wife and parents of the incident. All insisted that he no longer continue to work as a coyote.

A large body of research documents how the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border has led to a militarization and reorganization of drug trafficking organizations. Drug cartels can interfere with smuggling networks, making migrants even more vulnerable to assault or being forced to transport drugs. Scholar Laura Ortiz argues that the increased participation of imposter coyotes, who recruit migrants only to extort them, has helped reinforce dominant perceptions of smuggling as intertwined with drug trafficking. Despite this dominant perception, scholar Sim&oacute;n Pedro Izcara Palacios argues that human smuggling and drug trafficking are operated by different groups. Drug cartels are not directly involved with human smuggling, but instead extort fees from human smugglers. Indeed, Alex identified how cartels pressured smugglers to pay a user&rsquo;s fee for crossing the Sonora-Arizona border. Failure to pay can result in violence.

The risk of violence in coyote work, along with an absence of viable job opportunities in Chiapas, prompted Alex and his wife, now with four children, to make arrangements to join other family in the U.S. in 2015. Although Grace&rsquo;s father is a U.S. permanent resident, he could not sponsor them through what politicians refer to as &ldquo;chain migration&rdquo; because he failed to meet annual income criteria - no less than 125 percent of the federal poverty level. Without legal options, Alex paid US$3,500 to a fellow coyote to take his wife and children over the border. This coyote successfully led them to a location on the Sonora-Arizona border where U.S. immigration officials at the time captured and later released migrants.

Grace and her children turned themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol. Because of new legal protections for families and children in the U.S., Grace and her children were released following one night in detention. The U.S. government filed removal proceedings; and to provide an opportunity to appear before an immigration judge to adjudicate her case, Grace and her children received deportation relief.

To help finance his family&rsquo;s crossing, Alex decided to make a final clandestine crossing with eight migrants in the Sonora&ndash;Arizona corridor. Hours after beginning their journey, heavily armed men captured and held them hostage in a secluded building. A ransom was requested from U.S. kin of every migrant. Despite Grace&rsquo;s offer to pay the ransom for his release, his captors refused. Instead, Alex remained captive for several weeks and was physically tortured.

Eventually, he escaped his captors, but was stuck in the desert again. Without food or water, he turned himself in to U.S. Border Patrol agents who documented the physical wounds he sustained from his prolonged torture and placed him in detention.&nbsp;

Few options

Alex&rsquo;s previous unauthorized entry prompted what&rsquo;s called a &ldquo;reinstatement of removal,&rdquo; a provision under the 1996 immigration reform that re-established the order of removal from 2006. At the request of his family, I located and covered the cost of an attorney. Because Alex expressed a well-founded fear of persecution or torture upon return to Mexico, his attorney advised him to apply for either a &ldquo;withholding of removal,&rdquo; or protection under the Convention Against Torture. Unlike asylum, neither of these remedies offer a path to permanent resident status.

Additionally, the application would have required that Alex remain in detention &ndash; potentially six months to a year &ndash; during the adjudication of his case. Scholars have noted how prolonged detention can exacerbate post-traumatic stress and other harms that asylum seekers and their families may have suffered in their own countries. Others have identified how prolonged detention compromises due process protections that violate international human rights law and coerce migrants into surrendering to deportation. Several have identified how deportations can be tantamount to a death sentence.

His family feared that he too may be killed following deportation and begged him to permit the attorney to adjudicate his case. Alex weighed his options and declined legal counsel. Following the end of his sentence and deportation, he returned to Chiapas. Within a month he made arrangements with another coyote and paid $7,000 to cross via the Chihuahua-Texas border. Like most who attempt re-entry following an apprehension, he succeeded, and is now reunited with his wife and children in the U.S.&nbsp;

Family reunification

Alex says he never wanted to be a coyote. His story provides an opportunity to understand the complex motivations that fuel unauthorized re-entry of deportee parents with family in the U.S. A 2009 Department of Homeland Security report states that 21 percent of re-entries are those without a U.S.-born child, while more than one-third of re-entries are parents of U.S. citizen children. Scholars have also shown how deportees like Alex, who are separated from families in the U.S., are more likely to migrate again than those without family ties.

As the nation considers reforming immigration policy, it is important to remember that deterrence strategies are ineffective in reducing the intention to migrate, particularly among those with family in the U.S. Walls or even detention cells are no match for those with direct experience with crime and violence who have credible fear claims and those separated from their families in the U.S.

In 2017, two years after Alex&rsquo;s family&rsquo;s reunification in the U.S., Grace appeared in court for her immigration hearing. The immigration judge filed an order of removal. Like other returnees and recent unauthorized arrivals, both now face the threat of deportation. Until international protocols on the protection of migrants and their families are upheld, the U.S. will continue producing unauthorized persons or families who are at risk of deportation for years to come.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

* Oscar Gil-Garcia is an Assistant Professor &nbsp;in Binghamton University, State University of New York

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

While the U.S. considers reforming of immigration policy, it is important to remember that deterrence strategies are ineffective in reducing the intention to migrate, particularly among those with family in the U.S.

By Oscar Gil-Garcia* For more than a decade, I documented one man’s deportation, the impact on his family and his eventual return to the U.S. I did this as part of my work studying the migration of indigenous Mayan refugees from Guatemala to Mexico and the U.S. My telling of the story of this man, who I’ll call Alex to protect his identity, is forthcoming in the journal Representations. I believe it can help shed light on the human consequences of deportations and family separations – and the enormous risks deportees are willing to take, irrespective of walls, fences, and the danger of reuniting with their families. Here is Alex’s story. An immigration raid Alex was born in a refugee settlement in Chiapas, Mexico. His family is one of more than 200,000 Guatemalans who fled a protracted war, supported by the U.S. and its allies, that largely targeted the indigenous people in Guatemala. In Mexico, barriers to legal status barred refugees from formal employment. To improve his family’s situation, he decided to enter the U.S. through a human smuggler, often referred to as a “coyote,” in 2000. He worked at a meatpacking plant and sent money to support his parents in Mexico. Two years later, Alex fell in love with his wife, who we’ll refer to as Grace, a Guatemalan national. Grace arrived in the U.S. in 1999, also with the help of a coyote, to join her parents who enrolled her in elementary school. Grace too was smitten, and in 2002 she decided to forgo her high school senior year to be with Alex. One year later, Grace gave birth to their first child. In December of 2006, Alex was deported, without a hearing – a violation of international human rights law – in one of the largest immigration raids in U.S. history. He was separated from his wife and 3-year-old child. Family separation due to deportation is common. It is also a violation of the American Convention on Human Rights. Article 17 of the Convention, signed by the U.S. in 1969, states: “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state.” The statement of this principle underscores how deportation violates one of the fundamental rights protected by the Convention – the rights of the family. Back in Mexico, Alex faced a lack of job opportunities, compounded by racial discrimination toward indigenous peoples. Meanwhile, Grace, faced economic instability in the U.S. without Alex’s income. Even so, she advised Alex to stay in Mexico, due to her fear of more raids and concern over increased criminalization to punish unauthorized migration. In addition, under enforcement priorities initiated under George W. Bush, unlawful entry and re-entry would initiate a new era in the criminalization of migration that involved the creation of new classes of “felonies” that apply only to noncitizens. Six months later, Alex’s wife and their son joined him in Chiapas, Mexico – becoming what are often referred to as “de facto” deportees. Studies have identified how deportees face stigma and discrimination upon return. National origins, language abilities and presumptions of why one was deported can become significant factors in the reintegration to home countries or the countries of spouses or parents. For example, Grace is a Guatemalan national and could not seek legal employment in Mexico. Despite their reunification, Alex’s family continued to face significant hardships in Mexico. Alex’s friend, a coyote, informed him that he could make a livable wage working as a coyote and stay close to his family. Alex decided to explore this alternative. Clandestine migration Alex’s participation in a human smuggling network came with enormous risks. One day, for example, armed bandits surrounded a group of migrants he was leading across the U.S.-Mexico border and confiscated their belongings. Alex ran into the desert bush and escaped to the U.S. side of the border. After a night in the desert without food or water, Alex returned to Mexico. He later learned that the bandits had taken the migrants hostage, but that they were released after relatives in the U.S. paid an undisclosed ransom. Alex returned home and informed his wife and parents of the incident. All insisted that he no longer continue to work as a coyote. A large body of research documents how the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border has led to a militarization and reorganization of drug trafficking organizations. Drug cartels can interfere with smuggling networks, making migrants even more vulnerable to assault or being forced to transport drugs. Scholar Laura Ortiz argues that the increased participation of imposter coyotes, who recruit migrants only to extort them, has helped reinforce dominant perceptions of smuggling as intertwined with drug trafficking. Despite this dominant perception, scholar Simón Pedro Izcara Palacios argues that human smuggling and drug trafficking are operated by different groups. Drug cartels are not directly involved with human smuggling, but instead extort fees from human smugglers. Indeed, Alex identified how cartels pressured smugglers to pay a user’s fee for crossing the Sonora-Arizona border. Failure to pay can result in violence. The risk of violence in coyote work, along with an absence of viable job opportunities in Chiapas, prompted Alex and his wife, now with four children, to make arrangements to join other family in the U.S. in 2015. Although Grace’s father is a U.S. permanent resident, he could not sponsor them through what politicians refer to as “chain migration” because he failed to meet annual income criteria - no less than 125 percent of the federal poverty level. Without legal options, Alex paid US$3,500 to a fellow coyote to take his wife and children over the border. This coyote successfully led them to a location on the Sonora-Arizona border where U.S. immigration officials at the time captured and later released migrants. Grace and her children turned themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol. Because of new legal protections for families and children in the U.S., Grace and her children were released following one night in detention. The U.S. government filed removal proceedings; and to provide an opportunity to appear before an immigration judge to adjudicate her case, Grace and her children received deportation relief. To help finance his family’s crossing, Alex decided to make a final clandestine crossing with eight migrants in the Sonora–Arizona corridor. Hours after beginning their journey, heavily armed men captured and held them hostage in a secluded building. A ransom was requested from U.S. kin of every migrant. Despite Grace’s offer to pay the ransom for his release, his captors refused. Instead, Alex remained captive for several weeks and was physically tortured. Eventually, he escaped his captors, but was stuck in the desert again. Without food or water, he turned himself in to U.S. Border Patrol agents who documented the physical wounds he sustained from his prolonged torture and placed him in detention. Few options Alex’s previous unauthorized entry prompted what’s called a “reinstatement of removal,” a provision under the 1996 immigration reform that re-established the order of removal from 2006. At the request of his family, I located and covered the cost of an attorney. Because Alex expressed a well-founded fear of persecution or torture upon return to Mexico, his attorney advised him to apply for either a “withholding of removal,” or protection under the Convention Against Torture. Unlike asylum, neither of these remedies offer a path to permanent resident status. Additionally, the application would have required that Alex remain in detention – potentially six months to a year – during the adjudication of his case. Scholars have noted how prolonged detention can exacerbate post-traumatic stress and other harms that asylum seekers and their families may have suffered in their own countries. Others have identified how prolonged detention compromises due process protections that violate international human rights law and coerce migrants into surrendering to deportation. Several have identified how deportations can be tantamount to a death sentence. His family feared that he too may be killed following deportation and begged him to permit the attorney to adjudicate his case. Alex weighed his options and declined legal counsel. Following the end of his sentence and deportation, he returned to Chiapas. Within a month he made arrangements with another coyote and paid $7,000 to cross via the Chihuahua-Texas border. Like most who attempt re-entry following an apprehension, he succeeded, and is now reunited with his wife and children in the U.S. Family reunification Alex says he never wanted to be a coyote. His story provides an opportunity to understand the complex motivations that fuel unauthorized re-entry of deportee parents with family in the U.S. A 2009 Department of Homeland Security report states that 21 percent of re-entries are those without a U.S.-born child, while more than one-third of re-entries are parents of U.S. citizen children. Scholars have also shown how deportees like Alex, who are separated from families in the U.S., are more likely to migrate again than those without family ties. As the nation considers reforming immigration policy, it is important to remember that deterrence strategies are ineffective in reducing the intention to migrate, particularly among those with family in the U.S. Walls or even detention cells are no match for those with direct experience with crime and violence who have credible fear claims and those separated from their families in the U.S. In 2017, two years after Alex’s family’s reunification in the U.S., Grace appeared in court for her immigration hearing. The immigration judge filed an order of removal. Like other returnees and recent unauthorized arrivals, both now face the threat of deportation. Until international protocols on the protection of migrants and their families are upheld, the U.S. will continue producing unauthorized persons or families who are at risk of deportation for years to come. * Oscar Gil-Garcia is an Assistant Professor in Binghamton University, State University of New York (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Man struggles to help his family survive due to US immigration policies

Rome&#39;s ancient Colosseum was lit in red on Saturday in solidarity with persecuted Christians, particularly Asia Bibi, a woman condemned to death under Pakistan&#39;s blasphemy laws.

Hundreds gathered on a rainy night outside the Roman amphitheatre that is a symbol of the martyrdom of early Christians to hear the husband and daughter of Asia Bibi.

The Catholic woman has been living on death row in Pakistan since 2010 when she was condemned for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Islam after neighbours objected to her drinking water from their glass because she was not Muslim.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International say the blasphemy law is increasingly exploited by religious extremists as well as ordinary Pakistanis to settle personal scores.

&quot;The aim of the blasphemy laws is crush people who believe differently,&quot; Archbishop Nunzio Galantino, secretary-general of the Italian bishops conference, told the gathering.

The law does not define blasphemy and evidence might not be reproduced in court for fear of committing a fresh offence. There are no penalties for false accusations.

Asia Bibi&#39;s case drew international attention after the murder of two politicians who tried to intervene on her behalf.

At the Rome gathering, her husband Ashiq Masih said his wife was innocent of blasphemy. &quot;This is just hate against Christians, who are considered impure,&quot; he said.

The husband and daughter, who broke down in tears as she addressed the group, were earlier received by Pope Francis, who told her: &quot;I think often of your mother and I pray for her&quot;.

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, who has been tipped as a possible Italian prime minister after next week&#39;s election, said that persecution of Christians was &quot;a genocide&quot;.

&quot;A message must be sent from this place. It is the duty of Europe to defend these values (of religious liberty) wherever on earth they are trampled on,&quot; Tajani said.

Rebecca Bitrus, a Nigerian Christian woman who was held for two years after she was abducted by Boko Haram Islamist militants, told of how she was repeatedly beaten and raped.

During the event, organised by the Catholic group &quot;Aid to the Church in Need,&quot; there were live link-ups with Aleppo, Syria, and Mosul, Iraq, both of whose minority Christian populations have been hit hard by wars.

Hundreds gathered on a rainy night outside the Roman amphitheater that is a symbol of the martyrdom of early Christians to hear the husband and daughter of Asia Bibi

Rome's ancient Colosseum was lit in red on Saturday in solidarity with persecuted Christians, particularly Asia Bibi, a woman condemned to death under Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Hundreds gathered on a rainy night outside the Roman amphitheatre that is a symbol of the martyrdom of early Christians to hear the husband and daughter of Asia Bibi. The Catholic woman has been living on death row in Pakistan since 2010 when she was condemned for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Islam after neighbours objected to her drinking water from their glass because she was not Muslim. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International say the blasphemy law is increasingly exploited by religious extremists as well as ordinary Pakistanis to settle personal scores. "The aim of the blasphemy laws is crush people who believe differently," Archbishop Nunzio Galantino, secretary-general of the Italian bishops conference, told the gathering. The law does not define blasphemy and evidence might not be reproduced in court for fear of committing a fresh offence. There are no penalties for false accusations. Asia Bibi's case drew international attention after the murder of two politicians who tried to intervene on her behalf. At the Rome gathering, her husband Ashiq Masih said his wife was innocent of blasphemy. "This is just hate against Christians, who are considered impure," he said. The husband and daughter, who broke down in tears as she addressed the group, were earlier received by Pope Francis, who told her: "I think often of your mother and I pray for her". European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, who has been tipped as a possible Italian prime minister after next week's election, said that persecution of Christians was "a genocide". "A message must be sent from this place. It is the duty of Europe to defend these values (of religious liberty) wherever on earth they are trampled on," Tajani said. Rebecca Bitrus, a Nigerian Christian woman who was held for two years after she was abducted by Boko Haram Islamist militants, told of how she was repeatedly beaten and raped. During the event, organised by the Catholic group "Aid to the Church in Need," there were live link-ups with Aleppo, Syria, and Mosul, Iraq, both of whose minority Christian populations have been hit hard by wars.

Rome's Colosseum turned red to protest Pakistan blasphemy law

The crisis in Myanmar and reported massacres of Rohingya Muslims are the consequence of a society encouraged to hate and a lack of global leadership on human rights, Amnesty International said on Thursday.

The human rights group said in its annual report covering 159 countries that &quot;hate-filled rhetoric&quot; by leaders was normalising discrimination against minorities.

&quot;We saw the ultimate consequence of a society encouraged to hate, scapegoat and fear minorities laid bare in the horrific military campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people in Myanmar,&quot; said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty.

Last week, the United States urged the UN Security Council to hold Myanmar`s military accountable for what it said was the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.

Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine and taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh since the Myanmar military launched a crackdown on insurgents at the end of August, according to the UN.

More than 6,500 Rohingya are currently trapped on a strip of unclaimed land between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Amnesty said the international community had failed to respond robustly to &quot;crimes against humanity and war crimes from Myanmar to Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen&quot;.&nbsp;

It said that leaders in countries such as the United States, Russia and China were not standing up for civil liberties and instead were &quot;callously undermining the rights of millions&quot;.

Amnesty said President Donald Trump had taken backward steps on human rights that were setting a dangerous precedent. Shetty described his move to ban people from several Muslim-majority countries in January last year as &quot;transparently hateful&quot;.

Last year`s report accused Trump of &quot;poisonous&quot; rhetoric.&nbsp;

Free speech will be a key issue for those concerned about human rights this year, the report said.&nbsp;

Amnesty said its staff were arrested at an unprecedented rate in Turkey in 2017, which along with Egypt and China was also among the biggest jailors of journalists.

Two Reuters reporters in Myanmar were arrested while investigating the killing of Rohingya Muslims. Court proceedings are ongoing.

&quot;In 2018, we cannot take for granted that we will be free to gather together in protest or to criticise our governments. In fact, speaking out is becoming more dangerous,&quot; Shetty said. 
&nbsp;

Amnesty said the international community had failed to respond robustly to "crimes against humanity and war crimes from Myanmar to Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen".

The crisis in Myanmar and reported massacres of Rohingya Muslims are the consequence of a society encouraged to hate and a lack of global leadership on human rights, Amnesty International said on Thursday. The human rights group said in its annual report covering 159 countries that "hate-filled rhetoric" by leaders was normalising discrimination against minorities. "We saw the ultimate consequence of a society encouraged to hate, scapegoat and fear minorities laid bare in the horrific military campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people in Myanmar," said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty. Last week, the United States urged the UN Security Council to hold Myanmar`s military accountable for what it said was the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine and taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh since the Myanmar military launched a crackdown on insurgents at the end of August, according to the UN. More than 6,500 Rohingya are currently trapped on a strip of unclaimed land between Myanmar and Bangladesh. Amnesty said the international community had failed to respond robustly to "crimes against humanity and war crimes from Myanmar to Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen". It said that leaders in countries such as the United States, Russia and China were not standing up for civil liberties and instead were "callously undermining the rights of millions". Amnesty said President Donald Trump had taken backward steps on human rights that were setting a dangerous precedent. Shetty described his move to ban people from several Muslim-majority countries in January last year as "transparently hateful". Last year`s report accused Trump of "poisonous" rhetoric. Free speech will be a key issue for those concerned about human rights this year, the report said. Amnesty said its staff were arrested at an unprecedented rate in Turkey in 2017, which along with Egypt and China was also among the biggest jailors of journalists. Two Reuters reporters in Myanmar were arrested while investigating the killing of Rohingya Muslims. Court proceedings are ongoing. "In 2018, we cannot take for granted that we will be free to gather together in protest or to criticise our governments. In fact, speaking out is becoming more dangerous," Shetty said.

Amnesty says Rohingya crisis consequence of society 'encouraged to hate'

By&nbsp;Keith Parry*,&nbsp;Emma Kavanagh**,&nbsp;Ryan Storr***

Athletes from Western nations have various protections, and many now share equal rights in most aspects of the law. But when they travel to compete in countries with regressive human rights records, these protections can be lost.

Australia competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, both of which were held in Russia. It will again send a team to Russia to play in this year&rsquo;s FIFA World Cup and aims to compete in the 2022 edition in Qatar. Both countries have poor human rights records, particularly on LGBTI+ issues.

Sport is often lauded as a platform to advance human rights. But, for LGBTI+ individuals and athletes, this may not necessarily be true. The continued hosting of mega sporting events in countries with anti-LGBTI+ laws brings the role of sport in campaigns to advance human rights into focus.&nbsp;

LGBTI+ rights and the Winter Olympics

Sochi became a platform for LGBTI+ rights when Western activists called for a boycott based on several human rights concerns. Their resistance increased in direct response to the implementation of laws in Russia outlawing sexual minorities.

Principle 4 of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism was often referred to amid concerns for the safety of LGBTI+ athletes at Sochi:

The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

Athlete activists have begun to challenge the hosting of mega sporting events in countries like Russia that ignore human rights and reinforce systems of oppression. But what has really changed since Sochi for Olympians?

This year a country with a questionable stance on LGBTI+ rights is again hosting the Winter Olympics. South Korea scores only 13% on the Rainbow Index, which measures the impacts of a country&rsquo;s laws and policies on the lives of LGBTI+ people. This is only a marginally better score than Russia&rsquo;s 8%.

Although homosexuality is legal in South Korea, LGBTI+ rights remain highly volatile. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has courted controversy with comments opposing homosexuality, and sexual minorities continue to face significant stigma in the region.

Australia is taking 51 athletes to compete in South Korea, with two openly gay women on the team. One, Belle Brockhoff, has criticised the anti-LGBTI+ laws in host countries. She joined 26 other athletes who signed a letter opposing Kazakhstan&rsquo;s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics due to its anti-LGBTI+ policies.

However, it is not only host nations that can be called to account for their poor LGBTI+ records. Adam Rippon, an openly gay figure skater who has won bronze in Pyeongchang, recently said he did not want to meet Vice President Mike Pence as part of an official reception for the US team. Rippon argued the Trump administration does not &ldquo;represent the values that [he] was taught growing up&rdquo;.

A Fox News executive has criticised the inclusion of &ldquo;African-Americans, Asians and openly gay athletes&rdquo; in the US team. He claimed that &ldquo;Darker, Gayer, Different&rdquo; was now a more suitable Olympic motto than &ldquo;Faster, Higher, Stronger&rdquo;.

Current evidence suggests that anti-LGBTI+ discrimination is rising. Stonewall, the UK&rsquo;s leading LGBTI+ charity, reports hate crimes toward the LGBTI+ community have increased: &nbsp;one in five LGBTI+ people have experienced a hate crime due to their sexual orientation or gender identity in the last year.

In the US, Donald Trump tried to ban transgender people from serving in the military. Several states have attempted to pass laws to restrict access to bathrooms for people who are trans or gender-diverse.&nbsp;

With increased visibility comes increased risk&nbsp;

An increasing number of athletes now openly demonstrate their sexual orientation, but many acknowledge it leaves them open to homophobic abuse &ndash; especially on social media platforms.

American Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy referred to social media as a space that serves to reinforce the presence of casual and aggressive homophobia. British Olympian Tom Bosworth said he believed fear of abuse on social media could be preventing athletes from coming out.

Mega sporting events can be problematic for LGBTI+ athletes as many may not be &ldquo;out&rdquo; and there can be serious implications if they were to do so.

The safety and welfare of LGBTI+ athletes made headlines when a journalist went undercover in the athletes&rsquo; village at the 2016 Rio Olympics to identify out or closeted athletes. Several athletes who were identified were from countries where being gay is criminalised or even punishable by death.

Sport is responding at a notably slow pace to the advancement of LGBTI+ human rights.

Major sporting codes have shown they are not ready to tackle trans and gender diversity. For example, the Australian Football League recently banned transgender player Hannah Mouncey from joining its women&rsquo;s competition.

There is still much work to be done around athletes with intersex variations, sex testing in elite-level competition, and transgender and transitioned athletes.

Hope for the future?

One particular social inclusion legacy to come from a mega sporting event is Pride House International. This initiative provides a safe space for the LGBTI+ community to engage with a sporting event.

In addition, the Principle 6 campaign, launched in response to Russia&rsquo;s anti-LGBT laws, led to the expansion of that particular part of the Olympic Charter to include sexual orientation as something sport should be free from discrimination on.

It will be interesting to see whether the 2018 Winter Olympics can contribute to the advancement of LGBTI+ rights within South Korea and beyond. However, more scrutiny must be directed to the human rights records of potential host nations when awarding mega sporting events.&nbsp;

*Keith Parry is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Management, Western Sydney University.

**Emma Kavanagh is a senior lecturer in Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences, Bournemouth University.&nbsp;

***Ryan Storr, Lecturer in sports development, Western Sydney University.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A country with a questionable stance on LGBTI+ rights is again hosting the Winter Olympics.

By Keith Parry*, Emma Kavanagh**, Ryan Storr*** Athletes from Western nations have various protections, and many now share equal rights in most aspects of the law. But when they travel to compete in countries with regressive human rights records, these protections can be lost. Australia competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, both of which were held in Russia. It will again send a team to Russia to play in this year’s FIFA World Cup and aims to compete in the 2022 edition in Qatar. Both countries have poor human rights records, particularly on LGBTI+ issues. Sport is often lauded as a platform to advance human rights. But, for LGBTI+ individuals and athletes, this may not necessarily be true. The continued hosting of mega sporting events in countries with anti-LGBTI+ laws brings the role of sport in campaigns to advance human rights into focus. LGBTI+ rights and the Winter Olympics Sochi became a platform for LGBTI+ rights when Western activists called for a boycott based on several human rights concerns. Their resistance increased in direct response to the implementation of laws in Russia outlawing sexual minorities. Principle 4 of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism was often referred to amid concerns for the safety of LGBTI+ athletes at Sochi: The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. Athlete activists have begun to challenge the hosting of mega sporting events in countries like Russia that ignore human rights and reinforce systems of oppression. But what has really changed since Sochi for Olympians? This year a country with a questionable stance on LGBTI+ rights is again hosting the Winter Olympics. South Korea scores only 13% on the Rainbow Index, which measures the impacts of a country’s laws and policies on the lives of LGBTI+ people. This is only a marginally better score than Russia’s 8%. Although homosexuality is legal in South Korea, LGBTI+ rights remain highly volatile. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has courted controversy with comments opposing homosexuality, and sexual minorities continue to face significant stigma in the region. Australia is taking 51 athletes to compete in South Korea, with two openly gay women on the team. One, Belle Brockhoff, has criticised the anti-LGBTI+ laws in host countries. She joined 26 other athletes who signed a letter opposing Kazakhstan’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics due to its anti-LGBTI+ policies. However, it is not only host nations that can be called to account for their poor LGBTI+ records. Adam Rippon, an openly gay figure skater who has won bronze in Pyeongchang, recently said he did not want to meet Vice President Mike Pence as part of an official reception for the US team. Rippon argued the Trump administration does not “represent the values that [he] was taught growing up”. A Fox News executive has criticised the inclusion of “African-Americans, Asians and openly gay athletes” in the US team. He claimed that “Darker, Gayer, Different” was now a more suitable Olympic motto than “Faster, Higher, Stronger”. Current evidence suggests that anti-LGBTI+ discrimination is rising. Stonewall, the UK’s leading LGBTI+ charity, reports hate crimes toward the LGBTI+ community have increased: one in five LGBTI+ people have experienced a hate crime due to their sexual orientation or gender identity in the last year. In the US, Donald Trump tried to ban transgender people from serving in the military. Several states have attempted to pass laws to restrict access to bathrooms for people who are trans or gender-diverse. With increased visibility comes increased risk An increasing number of athletes now openly demonstrate their sexual orientation, but many acknowledge it leaves them open to homophobic abuse – especially on social media platforms. American Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy referred to social media as a space that serves to reinforce the presence of casual and aggressive homophobia. British Olympian Tom Bosworth said he believed fear of abuse on social media could be preventing athletes from coming out. Mega sporting events can be problematic for LGBTI+ athletes as many may not be “out” and there can be serious implications if they were to do so. The safety and welfare of LGBTI+ athletes made headlines when a journalist went undercover in the athletes’ village at the 2016 Rio Olympics to identify out or closeted athletes. Several athletes who were identified were from countries where being gay is criminalised or even punishable by death. Sport is responding at a notably slow pace to the advancement of LGBTI+ human rights. Major sporting codes have shown they are not ready to tackle trans and gender diversity. For example, the Australian Football League recently banned transgender player Hannah Mouncey from joining its women’s competition. There is still much work to be done around athletes with intersex variations, sex testing in elite-level competition, and transgender and transitioned athletes. Hope for the future? One particular social inclusion legacy to come from a mega sporting event is Pride House International. This initiative provides a safe space for the LGBTI+ community to engage with a sporting event. In addition, the Principle 6 campaign, launched in response to Russia’s anti-LGBT laws, led to the expansion of that particular part of the Olympic Charter to include sexual orientation as something sport should be free from discrimination on. It will be interesting to see whether the 2018 Winter Olympics can contribute to the advancement of LGBTI+ rights within South Korea and beyond. However, more scrutiny must be directed to the human rights records of potential host nations when awarding mega sporting events. *Keith Parry is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Management, Western Sydney University. **Emma Kavanagh is a senior lecturer in Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences, Bournemouth University. ***Ryan Storr, Lecturer in sports development, Western Sydney University. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Not much development in LGBTI+ rights for sports

A Peruvian court ordered former president Alberto Fujimori today to stand trial for the 1992 killings of six farmers, arguing that he lacks immunity despite a recent pardon for a different crime.

The National Criminal Court said the pardon granted to Fujimori in a human rights case for which he was serving a 25-year sentence did not apply to the murders of the group.

Prosecutors asked to try the ex-president and 22 others for the death squad killings.

Fujimori, 79, was pardoned by the current Peruvian president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, on December 24 on humanitarian grounds because of ill health.

The former leader had been serving a sentence for crimes that included commanding death squads that killed suspected civilian sympathizers of left-wing guerrillas that his regime was fighting.

The pardon triggered street protests in Peru and was slammed by international rights groups as a blow in the struggle against impunity.

Kuczynskis pardon was seen by many as quid pro quo for help from Fujimoris lawmaker son Kenji days earlier in beating an impeachment vote in Congress over alleged corruption.&nbsp;

The National Criminal Court said the pardon granted to Fujimori in a human rights case for which he was serving a 25-year sentence did not apply to the murders of the group

A Peruvian court ordered former president Alberto Fujimori today to stand trial for the 1992 killings of six farmers, arguing that he lacks immunity despite a recent pardon for a different crime. The National Criminal Court said the pardon granted to Fujimori in a human rights case for which he was serving a 25-year sentence did not apply to the murders of the group. Prosecutors asked to try the ex-president and 22 others for the death squad killings. Fujimori, 79, was pardoned by the current Peruvian president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, on December 24 on humanitarian grounds because of ill health. The former leader had been serving a sentence for crimes that included commanding death squads that killed suspected civilian sympathizers of left-wing guerrillas that his regime was fighting. The pardon triggered street protests in Peru and was slammed by international rights groups as a blow in the struggle against impunity. Kuczynskis pardon was seen by many as quid pro quo for help from Fujimoris lawmaker son Kenji days earlier in beating an impeachment vote in Congress over alleged corruption.

Peru court orders Fujimori tried for 1992 mass killing: Official

In a recent report published by United Nations showed&nbsp;disturbing data revealing Afghanistan war&#39;s impact on people living in the area.

According to the report&nbsp;a total of 10,453 civilian were victims of war in 2017 of which 3,438 were killed and 7,015 were injured.

The report was released on Thursday by the UN Assitance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

However, the report also states that the number has been decreased by nine per cent in comparison to the figures of 2016.

The report further says suicide bombings and other attacks using Improvised explosive device were the reason for the highest number of casualties.

The report also says that engagements between anti-government elements and pro-government forces caused 11%&nbsp;of civilian casualties.

People who were heavily affected by the violence were woman and children.

359 women were killed and 865 were injured; in child casualties, 861 were killed and 2,318 injured.

Though the number of woman casualties has been increased by five per cent compared to 2016 data. The child casualty number was decreased by 10% compared to 2016.

Afghanistan is in the war since 2001 after American invasion in order to dismantle Al-Qaeda and removing Taliban from power.

The report was released on Thursday by the UN Assitance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

In a recent report published by United Nations showed disturbing data revealing Afghanistan war's impact on people living in the area. According to the report a total of 10,453 civilian were victims of war in 2017 of which 3,438 were killed and 7,015 were injured. The report was released on Thursday by the UN Assitance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. However, the report also states that the number has been decreased by nine per cent in comparison to the figures of 2016. The report further says suicide bombings and other attacks using Improvised explosive device were the reason for the highest number of casualties. The report also says that engagements between anti-government elements and pro-government forces caused 11% of civilian casualties. People who were heavily affected by the violence were woman and children. 359 women were killed and 865 were injured; in child casualties, 861 were killed and 2,318 injured. Though the number of woman casualties has been increased by five per cent compared to 2016 data. The child casualty number was decreased by 10% compared to 2016. Afghanistan is in the war since 2001 after American invasion in order to dismantle Al-Qaeda and removing Taliban from power.

More than 10,000 civilians killed or injured in Afghanistan conflict in 2017: UN

The Indian army is the epitome of courage and fearlessness. The institution in itself is a representation of the idea of India.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The army has been deployed in every corner of India, including the state of Jammu and Kashmir to discharge its duties. In Jammu and Kashmir, the presence of the armed forces is directed mainly to provide assistance to the state government in civil and administrative matters as well as to maintain public order and ensure the security of the nation. The security forces are always in the forefront during any disturbances, be it a natural calamity such as floods, cloudburst and landslides, or a terrorist attack.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The personnel of the armed forces dedicate their lives towards the service of the nation and to uphold the honour of the flag and sovereignty of the country. However, there have been several incidents in which stones and petrol bombs have been hurled at the security personnel.

&nbsp;

The human rights activists and organisations often take up cases of human rights of the perpetrators of violence who suffer injury or sometimes death during the incitement and criticise the armed forces.

&nbsp;

Whenever the armed forces are required to retaliate either in defence or to restore peace, they are protected by the provisions of the AFSPA. The AFSPA act is applicable in the state of J&amp;K which allows special powers to the armed forces.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;However, it is then that these activists and others term AFSPA as a &ldquo;tool of state abuse, oppression and discrimination&rdquo;. It is essential to understand that these special powers are no privilege but a protection so that they can carry out their duties without fear and obstructions.

&nbsp;

Every member of society, by its very existence, is clothed with human rights. Thus, it is also integral to recognise that the personnel of security forces, including the Army, the BSF, and the CRPF, have human rights as well that need to be protected.

&nbsp;

Many activists and organisation have held the Indian army responsible for infringing upon the human rights of the perpetrators of violence, however, the army is responsible for safeguarding those very rights that are invoked.

&nbsp;

The appalling and gruesome pictures of soldiers being pelted with stones, disarmed and being violently attacked by groups of people and the apathy of the state government, implicating the troops in criminal cases, was disturbing. The situation compelled us to approach the human rights commission and file a representation in the NHRC.

&nbsp;

There have been attempts to add a communal twist to this issue and politicise it. However, the Indian Army is an apolitical and a positively secular institution. The Army&rsquo;s loyalty is to the nation and not to any political party.

&nbsp;

We are happy and reassured to see NHRC rising up to the occasion and promptly issuing a notice to the Government of India and the Ministry of Defence and calling upon them to submit a report.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp; &nbsp;

Every member of society, by its very existence, is clothed with human rights. Thus, it is also integral to recognise that the personnel of security forces, including the Army, the BSF, and the CRPF, have human rights as well that need to be protected.

The Indian army is the epitome of courage and fearlessness. The institution in itself is a representation of the idea of India. The army has been deployed in every corner of India, including the state of Jammu and Kashmir to discharge its duties. In Jammu and Kashmir, the presence of the armed forces is directed mainly to provide assistance to the state government in civil and administrative matters as well as to maintain public order and ensure the security of the nation. The security forces are always in the forefront during any disturbances, be it a natural calamity such as floods, cloudburst and landslides, or a terrorist attack. The personnel of the armed forces dedicate their lives towards the service of the nation and to uphold the honour of the flag and sovereignty of the country. However, there have been several incidents in which stones and petrol bombs have been hurled at the security personnel. The human rights activists and organisations often take up cases of human rights of the perpetrators of violence who suffer injury or sometimes death during the incitement and criticise the armed forces. Whenever the armed forces are required to retaliate either in defence or to restore peace, they are protected by the provisions of the AFSPA. The AFSPA act is applicable in the state of J&K which allows special powers to the armed forces. However, it is then that these activists and others term AFSPA as a “tool of state abuse, oppression and discrimination”. It is essential to understand that these special powers are no privilege but a protection so that they can carry out their duties without fear and obstructions. Every member of society, by its very existence, is clothed with human rights. Thus, it is also integral to recognise that the personnel of security forces, including the Army, the BSF, and the CRPF, have human rights as well that need to be protected. Many activists and organisation have held the Indian army responsible for infringing upon the human rights of the perpetrators of violence, however, the army is responsible for safeguarding those very rights that are invoked. The appalling and gruesome pictures of soldiers being pelted with stones, disarmed and being violently attacked by groups of people and the apathy of the state government, implicating the troops in criminal cases, was disturbing. The situation compelled us to approach the human rights commission and file a representation in the NHRC. There have been attempts to add a communal twist to this issue and politicise it. However, the Indian Army is an apolitical and a positively secular institution. The Army’s loyalty is to the nation and not to any political party. We are happy and reassured to see NHRC rising up to the occasion and promptly issuing a notice to the Government of India and the Ministry of Defence and calling upon them to submit a report. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: As daughter of a soldier, I find stone pelting gruesome

Two Hyderabad women, who were stuck in Saudi Arabia in search of a job, have now safely returned to India.

Rehana and Noor had gone to Saudi Arabia with a promise of employment but were forced to work as domestic help.&nbsp;

Their sister Farzana had written to the Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj stating that her sisters were being tortured and must return to India.&nbsp;

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Telangana: Hyderabad woman who had gone to Saudi Arabia for a job &amp; thrashed &amp; sexually assaulted there, returned to India on 25th January. Her daughter says, I thank Sushma Swaraj Ma&#39;am, Indian Embassy and Hyderabad police for bringing back my mother&#39;. <a href="https://t.co/2NMLwn7r6c">pic.twitter.com/2NMLwn7r6c</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/957254653648842753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The two women safely returned to India on January 25, shortly after Farzana&#39;s&nbsp;appeal for their safe return.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;women, who went to Saudi Arabia in February 2017, claim that they were thrashed and sexually assaulted during their employment&nbsp;period.

&quot;I was not given food to eat. I even tried committing suicide,&quot; noted one of the sisters.

The daughter of one of the victims&nbsp;thanked Sushma Swaraj saying that &quot;I thank Sushma Swaraj Ma&#39;am, the Indian Embassy and the Hyderabad police for bringing back my mother&quot;.

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I was thrashed and sexually assaulted. I was not given food to eat. I even tried committing suicide. My children told me they are trying to bring me back and asked me not to lose hope. I then received a call from Indian Embassy &amp; today I am here: Woman <a href="https://t.co/2LuLHcNi4R">pic.twitter.com/2LuLHcNi4R</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/957254656626900993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Earlier in January,&nbsp;Farzana had claimed that her&nbsp;sisters were being held in Saudi Arabia on a pretext of employment.

She asked the External Affairs Minister to initiate the process of safe return of her sisters.

&quot;They were taken to Saudi through an agent on the promise of a beautician job, but are now forced to work as domestic help,&quot; Farzana noted previously.

According to media reports, the women were promised a salary&nbsp;of 1200 Saudi Riyal but received only one Saudi Riyal during the course of their employment.

The women claim to have been thrashed and sexually assaulted in Saudi Arabia

Two Hyderabad women, who were stuck in Saudi Arabia in search of a job, have now safely returned to India. Rehana and Noor had gone to Saudi Arabia with a promise of employment but were forced to work as domestic help. Their sister Farzana had written to the Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj stating that her sisters were being tortured and must return to India. Telangana: Hyderabad woman who had gone to Saudi Arabia for a job & thrashed & sexually assaulted there, returned to India on 25th January. Her daughter says, I thank Sushma Swaraj Ma'am, Indian Embassy and Hyderabad police for bringing back my mother'. pic.twitter.com/2NMLwn7r6c — ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2018 × The two women safely returned to India on January 25, shortly after Farzana's appeal for their safe return. The women, who went to Saudi Arabia in February 2017, claim that they were thrashed and sexually assaulted during their employment period. "I was not given food to eat. I even tried committing suicide," noted one of the sisters. The daughter of one of the victims thanked Sushma Swaraj saying that "I thank Sushma Swaraj Ma'am, the Indian Embassy and the Hyderabad police for bringing back my mother". I was thrashed and sexually assaulted. I was not given food to eat. I even tried committing suicide. My children told me they are trying to bring me back and asked me not to lose hope. I then received a call from Indian Embassy & today I am here: Woman pic.twitter.com/2LuLHcNi4R — ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2018 × Earlier in January, Farzana had claimed that her sisters were being held in Saudi Arabia on a pretext of employment. She asked the External Affairs Minister to initiate the process of safe return of her sisters. "They were taken to Saudi through an agent on the promise of a beautician job, but are now forced to work as domestic help," Farzana noted previously. According to media reports, the women were promised a salary of 1200 Saudi Riyal but received only one Saudi Riyal during the course of their employment.

Hyderabad sisters stuck in Saudi Arabia return, daughter thanks Sushma Swaraj

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