Human Rights Watch
Created | Updated Apr 21, 2005
Darfur: Women who have fled ethnic cleansing in Darfur are
experiencing sexual violence in the camps they go to for protection. If
they leave the camp to find water, fuel or animal fodder they are often
subject to violence from the Janjaweed militia and the Sudanese security
force.
Women who have fled to neighbouring Chad are also being violated when
they go near the border to collect necessities. In Chad some have been
jailed for leaving the camps for firewood etc and then have been raped and
assaulted by other inmates whilst in jail. This is after the previous
abuses of pregnant women being fined for fornication, often after being
raped, covered here
Haiti: Violence in the capital Port-au-Prince is killing and
wounding hundreds of people. The authorities are not punishing any of the
perpetrators say the UN Security Council delegation which leaves people
living in fear and feeling defenseless.
This year has seen 391 patients treated for gunshot wounds at the
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospital. The MSF estimates that 100 people
were killed every month from September to December last year.
The UN civilian police have not been welcomed by the authorities and
the National police do not turn up at crime scenes. Yet victims of
violence report being harassed; anyone who has been shot is treated as a
gang member by the police and arrested.
The situation arose when President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was forced
out of office by an armed uprising; the interim government has done
nothing to improve the situation. Elections take place in
October/November. The UN was due to leave in June 2005 but, as they are
the only peace-keeping force who are actually doing their job at present,
they are hoping to be allowed to stay longer.
Tibet To keep up-to-date with the human rights issues in Tibet
please refer to Tibet News by John–the-gardener.
