Human rights abuser granted new powers at Commonwealth meet 3
By David Akin ,Parliamentary Bureau Chief
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - It was a bad year for Canada's Commonwealth cousin, Bangladesh, when it comes to human rights.
As Human Rights Watch noted in its annual report, "extrajudicial executions and torture continued, as well as impunity for members of the security forces. The government mounted sustained attacks on the right to freedom of expression of the media and political opposition. Labor union activists protesting for higher wages were systematically targeted and, in some cases, arrested and jailed on trumped-up charges."
And yet, despite that indictment, Bangladesh has one of nine seats on a Commonwealth body given new powers over the weekend here to police human rights violations among other Commonwealth members.
When I asked Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma Sunday about the absurdity of such an appointment, he blithely dismissed concerns of impropriety and, in fact, even suggested I was off my rocker for even raising the issue.
"I do not feel that it is fair to isolate one country and start discussing what the issues may be," he said.
Well, Mr. Sharma, Bangladesh's role as a Commonwealth human rights cop is just one of any number of egregious examples of what an irrelevant sham the 62-year-old Commonwealth has become.
The Commonwealth, as host Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard mentioned a number of times over the last few days here, is supposed to be an organization of countries committed to principles of the rule of law, democracy, and human rights.
Really? The Washington-based independent think tank The Fund for Peace compiles an annual "Failed States Index," a proxy, if you will, for measuring a country's commitment to the "rule of law." Many of our Commonwealth "cousins" rank right up there on this list of shame including Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
How about upholding democratic principles? The Economist Intelligence Unit measures the state of democracy in 167 countries every year and publishes a "Democracy Index" that assigns each country the label of full democracy, (that would be Canada, the UK and Australia), flawed democracy, hybrid regime or authoritarian regime.
Among the "authoritarian regimes" are Canada's Commonwealth cousins Nigeria, Cameroon, The Gambia, and Rwanda. In the next-to-worse category of "hybrid regime," we find Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Bangladesh, and Singapore.
Finally, there is the Human Rights Index published the School for Culture and Peace in Barcelona, Spain.
Once again, our Commonwealth cousins top the charts. Pakistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, India, and Uganda are among the top 30 worst human rights abusers. Nonetheless, Canada spends its time, energy and money on this bunch.
"We're not under the illusion things are perfect," Prime Minister Stephen Harper told reporters at the conclusion of Perth gabfest. "But this remains for Canada the most useful element of the Commonwealth. We're building on a common heritage and trying to push globally an agenda of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law."
Still, I warn you now: you will likely see this column repeated next year but with a few of the names changed when Harper heads to the biennial Francophonie summit, the French version, in all its irrelevance, of the Commonwealth. The 2012 Francophonie summit will be held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
And where does Congo rank on the list of the world's human rights abusers? Right at the very top.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2011/10/30/human-rights-abuser-granted-new-powers-at-commonwealth-meet
__._,_.___
