On 4 July 2008, the World Organization Against Torture and International Federation of Human Rights produced an annual monitoring report on the condition of human rights defenders. Jointly published by Informal Sector Service Centre and Advocacy Forum, the report details the persistence of human rights violations against human rights defenders.

The persistence of violations against human rights defenders

 On 4 July 2008, an annual monitoring report[i] on the condition of human rights defenders (HRDs), which was prepared by World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) and International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), was published jointly by Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) and Advocacy Forum.

The report details the persistence of human rights violations against HRDs. The impetus for the report lies in the fact that many States continue to oppress and target HRDs sixty years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights[ii] and ten years after the adoption of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.[iii]

Despite these two instruments, States have continued to elaborate on measures to hinder the work of HRDs. One such means is handing out long sentences following unfair trials. In fact, the year 2007 confirmed the tendency to criminalise social protest in many countries.

The report further says that arbitrary arrests, extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances of HRDs occurred in several Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Philippines, Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. With reference to Nepal, INSEC stated that a culture of impunity was to blame for the dangers faced by HRDs.

Despite Nepal's transition from a monarchy to a parliamentary republic, perpetrators of past human rights abuses have not been prosecuted and victims have not received proper redress. The prevailing instability of 2007 was accompanied by HRDs being targeted by State agents, such as the police and armed forces, who regularly sought to intimidate and threaten them.

Furthermore, the proliferation of rebel groups saw HRDs become victims of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Terai (Janatanrtik Terai Mukti Morcha – JTMM) and Maoists. In this region, major human rights abuses, such as kidnappings, assassinations and other forms of violence, were rampant.

The release of this joint report, which draws attention to the difficulties faced by HRDs and celebrates their steadfast protest, is another reminder that the international community must do more to protect HRDs.

This means that the two above-mentioned international instruments must be respected and put into practice to foster a safe environment for all HRDs.

[i]  The report by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is titled Steadfast in Protest: Annual Report 2007.

[ii] The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948.

It is available at: http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

[iii] The Declaration on Human Rights Defenders was adopted by the General Assembly in 1998. It is available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/defenders/declaration.htm