Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

US Politics

Outgoing HRW boss says governments are no longer able to hide the repression

#Outgoing #HRW #boss #governments #longer #hide #repression

After three decades at the helm of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth has come to believe that governments are “always tempted” to violate citizens’ rights.

But as he prepares to step down later this month, Roth also believes a more powerful human rights movement means it can no longer hide this “ugly reality.”

In an interview before his departure, Roth looked back on the “endless struggle”, the ups and downs, victories and defeats, since he took office as HRW Managing Director in 1993.

“I think the big trend over the last 30 years is that the human rights movement has deepened and strengthened,” he told AFP in his New York apartment. “There are human rights defenders in every country I visit.”

“Does that mean human rights abuses are going away? Apparently not,” Roth said.

“Governments are always tempted to violate human rights,” he said, citing China’s repression of the Uyghurs, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and regions he says get less attention, like Tigray in Ethiopia and Yemen.

But thanks to increased activism, “it’s virtually impossible for governments to hide their abuses, especially in a social media era where everyone has a smartphone.”

“And by emphasizing this discrepancy between appearances and ugly reality, we create pressure,” he stressed.

Looking back over the last 30 years, he believes the world has “been going through tremendous changes, some for the better, some for the worse.”

On the one hand, he highlights the birth of democracies in Eastern Europe and South America, but laments that the Middle East and North Africa are “still pretty much the same” as they used to be.

– ‘Shame her’ –

As for Russia and China, the former is “returning” towards the Soviet era after a “positive development with significant opening” and the latter towards Maoist rule, he said.

“It’s a struggle, it’s an endless struggle,” said the former attorney, who plans to devote his time after leaving HRW to writing a book on how to pressure governments.

“At least you can shame them, you can embarrass them. But we also go to allied governments around the world and ask, would you use your influence on our behalf to push for positive change?” Roth adds.

“(And) abusive governments always care about something: they want the next military aid package, they want a trade deal, they want to be invited to a fancy summit,” he said.

“I’m not suggesting we turn these governments into good guys,” he admitted. “Often it’s all about staying in power.”

“But if we put enough pressure on them, the benefits they see from human rights violations will start to be outweighed by the cost to their reputation,” Roth said.

“Sometimes we manage to change the cost-benefit analysis in ways that make governments feel it’s not worth violating human rights, but sometimes we fail. And that’s just inevitable.”

Social Tags:
#Outgoing #HRW #boss #governments #longer #hide #repression

You May Also Like

Business

State would join dozens of others in enacting legislation based on federal government’s landmark whistleblower statute, the False Claims Act

press release

With a deep understanding of the latest tech, Erbo helps businesses flourish in a digital world.

press release

#Automotive #Carbon #Canister #Market #Projected #Hit #USD New York, US, Oct. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  According to a comprehensive research report by Market...

press release

Barrington Research Analyst James C.Goss reiterated an Outperform rating on shares of IMAX Corp IMAX with a Price target of $20. As theaters...