June, 10 2010, 10:12am EDT
![Amnesty International](https://assets.rbl.ms/32012687/origin.png)
Amnesty International Says Millions Suffer in 'Human Rights Free Zone' in Northwest Pakistan
Human rights organization urges President Obama to pressure Pakistan to end abuses in area; calls for accountability in drone attacks
WASHINGTON
Millions of Pakistanis in the
northwest tribal areas live in a human rights free zone where they have
no legal protection by the government and are subject to abuses by the
Taleban, Amnesty International said in a major report released today.
"Many areas of north-western Pakistan
now
resemble the Taleban-ruled Afghanistan in the late 1990s," said Larry
Cox, Amnesty International USA Executive Director. "The world should be
alarmed by the way living conditions have deteriorated under the
increasingly
brutal control of the Pakistani Taleban and its allied insurgent groups;
instead, the suffering of the people of this area has been largely
ignored,
sacrificed in the name of geopolitical interests."
The 130-page report, 'As if Hell Fell
on Me': The Human Rights Crisis in Northwest Pakistan, is based on
nearly 300 interviews with residents of the Federally Administered
Tribal
Areas (FATA) and adjacent areas of the Northwest Frontier Province
(NWFP).
Amnesty International's review of
available
information also suggests that at least 1,300 civilians were killed in
the fighting in northwest Pakistan in 2009, from a total of more than
8,500
casualties (including combatants).
The report documents the systematic
abuses
carried out by the Taleban as they established their rule by killing
those
who challenge their authority, such as tribal elders and government
officials.
Amnesty International was told of Taleban insurgents blocking roads to
prevent civilians from escaping as villages fell under heavy bombardment
by government forces. The insurgents also increased the likelihood of
civilian
casualties by dispersing themselves among civilians and in and around
schools.
Successive Pakistani governments have
treated
the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan with disdain, ignoring the rights
of the area's residents, particular in FATA. Over the past decade,
Pakistan's
government has veered from appeasing the Pakistani Taleban through a
series
of failed "peace deals" to launching heavy-handed military operations
that include indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks.
The United States' use of drones to
target
insurgents in northwest Pakistan has generated considerable resentment
inside Pakistan. Amnesty International has called on the U.S. government
to clarify its chain of command and rules of engagement for the use of
drones and ensure proper accountability for civilian casualties.
"President Obama should exert pressure
on
the Pakistani government to take steps to address abuses by the
Pakistani
security forces and local militias called "lashkars" - who are
little more than bandits," said T. Kumar, Amnesty International USA
director
of international advocacy. "As the main military supplier and trainer
of the Pakistani security forces, the U.S. government cannot turn a
blind
eye to their abuses. President Obama should also speak out about the
abuses
committed by the Pakistani Taleban and find ways to exert pressure
through
those entities who support or who otherwise have influence on them."
The report also demonstrates the role of
China and its influence on the Pakistani government. China has been
Pakistan's
largest supplier of arms and military equipment.
FATA residents are governed by the
Frontier
Crimes Regulation (FCR) of 1901. The FCR provides a
government-appointed
Political Agent ultimate judicial and executive authority, including the
ability to carry out communal punishment, including formal detention, by
holding all members of a tribe potentially responsible for alleged
infractions
committed by any tribe member.
The Constitution of Pakistan of 1973
explicitly
excludes FATA from the legal, judicial and parliamentary system of
Pakistan,
including barring residents from voting in parliamentary elections and
bringing appeals to a higher court outside the territory. Pakistan
has recently promised to reform the FCR but this has not yet happened.
Amnesty International urges both the
Pakistani
government and the Taleban to comply with international humanitarian law
by taking all measures to prevent loss of civilian life and buildings
including
hospitals and schools and allowing unfettered NGO access to provide
food,
shelter and medical supplies to the injured and displaced.
"Both the Pakistani and U.S. governments
should take note that addressing human rights abuses is not just the
right
thing to do from a human rights perspective," said Cox. "It's
also the smart thing to do from a security perspective. The insurgent
abuses described in this Amnesty International report have occurred as
part of their efforts to carve out a safe area to recruit, organize, and
train fighters-not only to launch military attacks in Pakistan and
Afghanistan
but also armed attacks on far-off international targets."
"All nations have two interrelated
obligations:
they must protect civilians from abuses by non-state actors, and they
must
respect human rights in the process of confronting non-state actors.
Getting
this balance right is a challenge that governments can no longer afford
to ignore," said Cox.
This report is supplemented by an
innovative
new website (www.eyesonpakistan.org)
that, through interactive maps, offers virtual access to this isolated
region. The information presented is based on a geo-coded database of
more
than 2,300 publicly reported incidents occurring between 2005 and 2009,
including suicide attacks, U.S. drone strikes and insurgent attacks
against
civilians. The Eyes on Pakistan website is unique, as it allows
users to manipulate the data and identify temporal and spatial trends of
insurgency and military activity, and contextualizes the hundreds of
individual
stories that Amnesty International has collected.
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. Our supporters are outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world - so we work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity. We have more than 2.2 million members and subscribers in more than 150 countries and regions and we coordinate this support to act for justice on a wide range of issues.
LATEST NEWS
'Tragic Outcome' for Gig Workers as California Supreme Court Hands Win to Uber, DoorDash
"Today's ruling only strengthens our demand for the right to join together in a union so that we can begin improving the gig economy for workers and our customers," the case plaintiff said.
Jul 25, 2024
Labor advocates on Thursday decried a ruling by the California Supreme Court upholding a lower court's affirmation of a state ballot measure allowing app-based ride and delivery companies to classify their drivers as independent contractors, limiting their worker rights.
The court's seven justices ruled unanimously in Castellanos v. State of California that Proposition 22, which was approved by 58% of California voters in 2020, complies with the state constitution. Prop 22—which was overturned in 2021 by an Alameda County Superior Court judge in 2021—was upheld in March 2023 by the state's 1st District Court of Appeals.
The business models of app-based companies including DoorDash, Instacart, Lyft, and Uber rely upon minimizing frontline worker compensation by categorizing drivers as independent contractors instead of employees. Independent contractors are not entitled to unemployment insurance, health insurance, or compensation for business expenses.
There are approximately 1.4 million app-based gig workers in California, according to industry estimates.
While DoorDash hailed Thursday's ruling as "not only a victory for Dashers, but also for democracy itself," gig worker advocates condemned the decision.
"Over the last three years, gig workers across California have experienced firsthand that Prop 22 is nothing more than a bait-and-switch meant to enrich global corporations at the expense of the Black, brown, and immigrant workers who power their earnings," plaintiff Hector Castellanos, who drives for Uber and Lyft, said in a statement.
"Prop 22 has allowed gig companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash to deprive us of a living wage, access to workers compensation, paid sick leave, and meaningful healthcare coverage," Castellanos added. "Today's ruling only strengthens our demand for the right to join together in a union so that we can begin improving the gig economy for workers and our customers."
Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, said that "we are deeply disappointed that the state Supreme Court has allowed tech corporations to buy their way out of basic labor laws despite Proposition 22's inconsistencies with our state constitution."
"These companies have upended our social contract, forcing workers and the public to take on the inherent risk created by this work, while they profit," she continued. "A.B. 5 granted virtually all California workers the right to be paid for all hours worked, health and safety standards, unemployment insurance, workers compensation, and the right to organize."
"Rideshare and delivery drivers deserve those rights as well," Gonzalez stressed.
The Gig Workers Rising campaign said on social media that "Uber and other app corporations spent $220 million to buy this law, and they did it by tricking Californians."
Prop 22's passage in November 2020 with nearly 59% of the vote was the culmination of what was by far the most expensive ballot measure in California history. App-based companies and their backers outspent labor and progressive groups by more than 10 to 1, with proponents pouring a staggering $204.5 million into the "yes" campaign's coffers against just $19 million for the "no" side.
"Voters were told the initiative would provide us with 'historic new benefits' and guaranteed earnings," said Gig Workers Rising. "But since it went into effect, drivers have seen our pay go down, learned the benefits are a sham, and have to accept unsafe rides because of the constant threat of being 'deactivated,' kicked off the app with little explanation or warning."
"If Uber really cared about good benefits and fair wages, it could make that happen tomorrow," the campaign added. "Instead, it has shown it would rather slash pay, bamboozle voters, and put drivers' lives and livelihoods in danger—all while promising $7 billion in stock buybacks to banks and billionaires."
Veena Dubal, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine who focuses on labor and inequality, toldCalMatters that Thursday's ruling was "a really tragic outcome," but "it's not the end of the road."
Dubal's sentiment was echoed by some California state legislators, who said the ruling presents an opportunity to act.
"While this decision is frustrating, it must also be motivating," said state Senate Labor Committee Chair Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-28). "I'm more determined than ever to ensure that all workers—including our diverse and Black, Indigenous, and people of color-led gig workforce—have the basic protections of workers compensation, paid sick leave, family leave, disability insurance, and the right to form a union."
Prop 22 has served as a template for lawmakers in other states seeking to deny or limit basic worker rights, benefits, and protections.
In Massachusetts, app-based companies have been fighting for years to get a measure to classify drivers as contractors on the state ballot. In 2022, Lyft made the largest political donation in state history—$14.4 million—to a coalition funding one such proposal.
Last month, Uber and Lyft reached an agreement with the office of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, a Democrat, to pay $175 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2020. As part of the deal, the companies also agreed to increase driver pay and provide paid sick leave, accident insurance, and some health benefits. The agreement does not address how app-based gig workers should be classified.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Young Voters Tell Kamala Harris to 'Fight for Our Future'
"This is your chance to energize young people and our communities to vote, mount one of the greatest political comebacks in decades, and deliver a resounding defeat to the far-right agenda of Trump and Vance."
Jul 25, 2024
Four youth-led groups on Thursday urged Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, to "fight for our future" by pursuing a policy agenda the coalition unveiled in a March letter to U.S. President Joe Biden.
It's been less than a week since Biden left the race and endorsed Harris, who is expected to face former Republican Donald Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), in the November election. Since then, she's racked up endorsements from Democratic members of Congress and progressive groups focused on issues including climate, labor, and reproductive rights.
March for Our Lives, which was launched after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, honored Harris with the group's first-ever endorsement on Wednesday, calling her "the right person to stand up for us and fight for the country we deserve."
"To defeat Trump, you must rebuild support and enthusiasm among young voters."
The gun violence prevention organization is part of the youth-led coalition behind the new letter, which also includes the climate-focused Sunrise Movement; Gen-Z for Change, which advocates on a range of issues; and the national immigrant network United We Dream Action.
"You have an urgent and important task. To defeat Trump, you must rebuild support and enthusiasm among young voters," the coalition told Harris on Thursday, noting that she sought the Democratic nomination during the last cycle. "You should build on your 2020 campaign platform where you put forward a strong vision to make the economy work for everyday people and ensure a livable future for us all."
The groups urged Harris to support the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and the Reverse Mass Incarceration Act. They pushed her to expand pathways to citizenship, keep families together, end fossil fuel subsidies, and create good, union jobs. They also called on her to prioritize gun violence prevention and investments in public health solutions and green, affordable housing.
"Democrats are at a critical crossroads with young people," the coalition wrote to Harris on Thursday. "Polls showed Biden and Trump neck-and-neck among young voters."
ANew York Times/Siena College poll conducted July 22-24 shows Trump leading Harris 48% to 47% among likely voters and 48% to 46% among registered voters—differences that fall within the margin of error.
Forbesnoted Thursday that "Democrats are far more enthusiastic about Harris than they were Biden, the Times/Siena survey found, with nearly 80% of voters who lean Democrat saying they would like Harris to be the nominee, compared to 48% of Democrats who said the same about Biden three weeks ago."
The outlet also pointed to two other polls conducted by Morning Consult and Reuters/Ipsos since Biden dropped out, which both show Harris with a narrow lead over Trump.
"You have an opportunity to win the youth vote by turning the page and differentiating yourself from Biden policies that are deeply unpopular with us, such as approving new oil and gas projects, denying people their right to seek refuge and asylum, and funding the Israeli government's killing of civilians in Gaza," the youth coalition highlighted Thursday. "You must speak to the economic pain young people are facing from crushing student debt and skyrocketing housing and food prices."
Looking beyond November, the groups told Harris—who could be the first Black woman and person of Asian descent elected to the country's highest office—that "you could be a historic president. Not just because of who you are, but what you can accomplish."
"Young people are energized and ready to organize against fascism and for the future we deserve," they concluded. "This is your chance to energize young people and our communities to vote, mount one of the greatest political comebacks in decades, and deliver a resounding defeat to the far-right agenda of Trump and Vance."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Video Game Actors Strike for AI Protections
"The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually," said one union leader. "The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games."
Jul 25, 2024
After nearly two years of negotiations with video game giants and no deal that would protect performers from artificial intelligence, unionized voice and motion capture actors who work in video game development announced Thursday that they will go on strike starting at 12:01 am on Friday, July 26.
The performers are represented by Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which last year won a contract for TV and film actors that included "unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI," after the union went on strike for four months.
The union has been negotiating on behalf of video game actors with major production companies including Disney Character Voices Inc., Activision Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc., and has won concessions over wages and job safety—but "AI protections remain the sticking point," said SAG-AFTRA on Thursday as the impending strike was announced.
Unionized actors want protections that would stop video game companies from training AI to replicate actors' voices or likeness without their consent and without compensating them.
"The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually," said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA. "The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the AI use of their faces, voices, and bodies."
"Frankly, it's stunning that these video game studios haven't learned anything from the lessons of last year—that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to AI, and the public supports us in that," he added.
Sarah Elmaleh, negotiating committee chair for the union's interactive media agreement, said the negotiations have shown the companies "are not interested in fair, reasonable AI protections, but rather flagrant exploitation."
"We look forward to collaborating with teams on our interim and independent contracts, which provide AI transparency, consent, and compensation to all performers, and to continuing to negotiate in good faith with this bargaining group when they are ready to join us in the world we all deserve," said Elmaleh.
The unionized actors voted in favor of the strike authorization with a 98.32% yes vote, said SAG-AFTRA.
The strike was announced as more than 500 workers who help develop the popular World of Warcraft video game franchise voted to join the Communications Workers of America (CWA), with the games publisher, Blizzard Entertainment, recognizing the bargaining unit.
CWA noted that the workers' journey to union representation began with a walkout in 2021 at Activision Blizzard, which was later bought by Microsoft, over sexual harassment and discrimination.
"What we've accomplished at World of Warcraft is just the beginning," Eric Lanham, a World of Warcraft test analyst, said in a statement. "We know that when workers have a protected voice, it's a win-win for employee standards, the studio, and World of Warcraft fans looking for the best gaming experience."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular