Governments must apologise for human rights failure: Amnesty
Amnesty International called for Guantanamo Bay to be closed
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Wednesday, 28, May 2008 09:16
Amnesty International has called on world leaders to apologise for six decades of human rights failure.
The aid agency published its annual report into the state of the world's human rights today, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Amnesty claims 60 years after the agreement was adopted by the United Nations people are still being tortured or ill-treated in at least 81 countries, facing unfair trails in at least 54 and not allowed to speak freely in at least 77 nations around the world.
It also called for immediate international action in countries such as Darfur.
"The human rights flashpoints in Darfur, Zimbabwe, Gaza, Iraq and Myanmar demand immediate action," Irene Khan, secretary general of Amnesty International, said.
"Injustice, inequality and impunity are the hallmarks of our worlds today. Governments must act now to close the yawning gap between promise and performance.
"2007 was characterised by the impotence of Western governments and the ambivalence or reluctance of emerging powers to tackle some of the world's human rights crises, ranging from entrenched conflicts to growing inequalities which are leaving millions of people behind," Ms Khan added.
"2008 presents an unprecedented opportunity for new leaders coming to power and countries emerging on the world stage to set a new direction and reject the myopic policies and practices that in recent years have made the world a more dangerous and divided place."
Today's report called on China to live up to the human rights promises it made around the Olympic Games and allow free speech and freedom of the press.
It also said that the US should close Guantanamo Bay detention camp and allow detainees a fair trial.
Russia was also called upon to show greater tolerance for political dissent.
"World leaders are in a state of denial but their failure to act has a high cost. As Iraq and Afghanistan show, human rights problems are not isolated tragedies, but are like viruses that can infect and spread rapidly, endangering us all," Ms Khan said.
"Governments today must show the same degree of vision, courage and commitment that led the United Nations to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60 years ago.
"There is a growing demand from people for justice, freedom and equality," she concluded.