Cry in the dark

Human rights bashing and refugee crisis hinder global tranquility. Throughout recorded history, oppression, persecution, and violence have caused people to flee their own land. In the Biblical era, the enslaved Jews fled Egypt. In the 15th century, the Moors were rooted out from Spain. As an aftermath of World War I, people were removed en masse from Asia Minor, the Russian Empire, and the Balkans. During World War II, the Nazis coerced approximately 7 million Jews and other ethnic minorities to leave their homeland.

The Arab Israeli conflict created a large population of Palestinian refugees who fled Israel for different Arab states. Consequently, the rift between the Israelis and the Palestinians continues to fester. In 1947, during the partition of the Indian sub-continent, thousands of innocent people were killed as Hindus moved across the new borders to India and Muslims moved to Pakistan. War in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Chechnya killed thousands and millions took refuge in neighboring countries.

In the year 2001, the world had almost 15 million refugees, who had crossed international borders to seek asylum. But there were at least 22 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), who had been uprooted within their own border! Facts say that 78% of all refugees came from 10 areas: Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Congo-Kinshasa, Eritrea, Iraq, Myanmar, Palestine, Somalia and Sudan. Besides, Asia and Africa host respectively 45% and 30% of all refugees, according to Human Rights Watch. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, (UNHCR), a subsidiary organ of the United Nations, is working sincerely to elevate their living condition and to resolve their problems. In 1992 UNHCR spent more than $1 billion.

Deprivation of human rights, civil wars, lack of food, medication, basic needs escalate the exodus of people. Some refugees relocate to avoid religious or political persecution. Whilst, relief work and aid for the displaced people are not often adequate, very little progress has been made to rehabilitate these people. It can be illustrated by the agonies of the "Biharis" living in Geneva camp in Bangladesh.

The violation of human rights is disrupting the world order. The horrendous sectarian violence in Gujarat last year not only raised the death toll to hundreds but also made thousands of people homeless. The 9/11 incident, the Bali bombing and the Gujarat carnage demonstrate how religious fanatics trample basic human rights by killing innocent civilians. Tyrant rulers often undermine the necessity of human rights. As we now see in war-torn Africa, the absence of "human rights" and "law and order" is obviously catastrophic to a society. Civil war and unrest in Sri Lanka, Somalia and Sierra Leone have caused considerable human suffering.

People shouldn't be discriminated according to race, religion, cast, creed, ethnicity or language. One of the UN's major goals under its charter is to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all people, regardless of race, sex, language, or religion. Though the intended result is yet to be obtained because of its "lack of authority" over member nations, but there are laws, rules, provisions and paradigms in the international arena to ensure human rights. All we need to do is to enforce the existing human rights laws.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN in 1948, codified human rights in International law. According to this declaration, "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." (article 3). It also says, "Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state." (article 13.1). Individual human rights are mentioned in the UN charter -- in the preambles and in articles 1, 55, 56, 62 and 68. The Charter of the United Nations articulated "universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion." (chapter , article 55 (c)). The UN is now working to develop a "third generation" of rights, such as the right to development, the right to peace and the right to a clean environment.

The former Secretary General of the UN, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, observed that human rights constitute a "common language of humanity." But, often many states show little interest in human rights issues, especially if turning a blind eye benefits their own national interests. Hence, the UN found it hard to take a tough stand against major human rights abusers such as Pol Pot in Cambodia or Idi Amin in Uganda. No nation should provide safe haven to the perpetrators of human rights.

Though we are now living in a volatile world, we must bring about changes to drive all the plights, despairs, discontents and difficulties from our society. We should address problems in such areas as health care, education, housing, jobs and human rights to end racial injustice and to eradicate poverty. We need to augment the level of cooperation among nations. By exercising constructive politics, we can build a peaceable world for the forthcoming period of time. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Khaled Iqbal Chowdhury is a 1st year honours student at Dhaka University.