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2008 Human Rights Report: PrefaceBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2008 Country Reports on Human Rights PracticesFebruary 25, 2009Human progress depends on the human spirit. This inescapable truth has never beenmore apparent than it is today, when the challenges of a new century require us tosummon the full range of human talents to move our nation and our world forward.Guaranteeing the right of every man, woman, and child to participate fully insociety and live up to his or her God-given potential is an ideal that hasanimated our nation since its founding. It is enshrined in the United NationsUniversal Declaration of Human Rights, and was reflected in President Obama'sInaugural Address, when he reminded us that every generation must carry forwardthe belief that "all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursuetheir full measure of happiness."Our foreign policy must also advance these timeless values, which empower peopleto speak, think, worship, and assemble freely, to lead their work and family liveswith dignity, and to know that their dreams of a brighter future are within reach.The promotion of human rights is an essential piece of our foreign policy. Notonly will we seek to live up to our ideals on American soil, we will pursuegreater respect for human rights as we engage other nations and people around theworld. Some of our work will be conducted in government meetings and officialdialogues, which is important to advancing this cause. But we will not rely on asingle approach to overcome tyranny and subjugation that weaken the human spirit,limit human possibility, and undermine human progress.We will make this a global effort that reaches beyond government alone. We willwork together with nongovernmental organizations, businesses, religious leaders,schools and universities, and individual citizens – all of whom play a vital rolein creating a world where human rights are accepted, respected, and protected.Our commitment to human rights is driven by faith in our moral values, and also bythe knowledge that we enhance our own security, prosperity, and progress whenpeople in other lands emerge from shadows and shackles to gain the opportunitiesand rights we enjoy and treasure.In that spirit, I hereby transmit the Department of State’s Country Reports onHuman Rights Practices for 2008 to the United States Congress.Hillary Rodham ClintonSecretary of State2008 Human Rights Report: Overview and AcknowledgementsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2008 Country Reports on Human Rights PracticesFebruary 25, 2009Why the Reports Are Prepared
 
This report is submitted to the Congress by the Department of State in compliancewith Sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), asamended. The law provides that the Secretary of State shall transmit to theSpeaker of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations ofthe Senate by February 25 "a full and complete report regarding the status ofinternationally recognized human rights, within the meaning of subsection (A) incountries that receive assistance under this part, and (B) in all other foreigncountries which are members of the United Nations and which are not otherwise thesubject of a human rights report under this Act." We have also included reports onseveral countries that do not fall into the categories established by thesestatutes and thus are not covered by the congressional requirement.In the early 1970s the United States formalized its responsibility to speak out onbehalf of international human rights standards. In 1976 Congress enactedlegislation creating a Coordinator of Human Rights in the Department of State, aposition later upgraded to Assistant Secretary. In 1994 the Congress created aposition of Senior Advisor for Women's Rights. Legislation also requires that U.S.foreign and trade policy take into account countries' human rights and workerrights performance and that country reports be submitted to the Congress on anannual basis.How the Reports Are PreparedIn 1993 the Secretary of State strengthened the human rights efforts of ourembassies by asking all sections to contribute information and corroborate reportsof human rights violations, and there was a renewed effort to link missionprogramming to the advancement of human rights and democracy. In 1994 theDepartment of State reorganized the Bureau of Human Rights and HumanitarianAffairs, renaming it the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. This movereflected both a broader sweep and a more focused approach to the interlockingissues of human rights, worker rights and democracy. As part of that effort, theannual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices represent the bureau's continuingeffort to report human rights violations. The reports reflect the work by hundredsof State Department and other U.S. Government employees, both in Washington andabroad.Our overseas U.S. missions, which prepared the initial drafts of the reports,gathered information throughout the year from a variety of sources across thepolitical spectrum. These sources included government officials, jurists, thearmed forces, journalists, human rights monitors, academics, and labor activists.This information gathering can be hazardous, and U.S. Foreign Service personnelregularly go to great lengths, under trying and sometimes dangerous conditions, toinvestigate reports of human rights abuse, monitor elections, and come to the aidof individuals at risk, such as political dissidents and human rights defenderswhose rights are threatened by their governments.After completing their drafts, State Department missions abroad sent them toWashington for review by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, incooperation with other Department of State offices. As they worked to corroborate,analyze, and edit the reports, Department officers drew on their own sources ofinformation. These included reports provided by U.S. and other human rightsgroups, foreign government officials, representatives from the United Nations andother international and regional organizations and institutions, experts fromacademia, and the media. Officers also consulted with experts on worker rights,refugee issues, military and police topics, women's issues, and legal matters. Theguiding principle was to ensure that all information was assessed objectively,thoroughly, and fairly.
 
The reports in this volume will be used as a resource for shaping policy,conducting diplomacy, and making assistance, training, and other resourceallocations. They also will serve as a basis for the U.S. Government's cooperationwith private groups to promote the observance of internationally recognized humanrights.The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices cover internationally recognizedcivil, political and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights. These rights include freedom from torture or other cruel, inhuman ordegrading treatment or punishment, from prolonged detention without charges, fromdisappearance or clandestine detention, and from other flagrant violations of theright to life, liberty and the security of the person.Universal human rights seek to incorporate respect for human dignity into theprocesses of government and law. All persons have the right to nationality, theinalienable right to change their government by peaceful means and to enjoy basicfreedoms, such as freedom of expression, association, assembly, movement, andreligion, without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin,or sex. The right to join a free trade union is a necessary condition of a freesociety and economy. Thus the reports assess key internationally recognized workerrights, including the right of association, the right to organize and bargaincollectively, the prohibition of forced or compulsory labor, the status of childlabor practices, the minimum age for employment of children, and acceptable workconditions.Within the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the editorial staff of theCountry Reports Team consists of: Editor in Chief Stephen Eisenbraun; OfficeDirectors: Bruce Connuck, Kay Mayfield, and Michael Orona; Senior Editors:Jonathan Bemis, Douglas B. Dearborn, Daniel Dolan, Jerome L. Hoganson, PatriciaMeeks Schnell, Julie Turner, and Rachel Waldstein; Editors: Naim Ahmed, SabrinaBahir, Joseph S. Barghout, Katherine Berglund, Sarah Beringer, Alisha Bhagat,Sarah Buckley, Laura Carey, Elise Carlson-Rainer, Ebenezer Concepcion, Sharon C.Cooke, Susan Corke, Stuart Crampton, Frank B. Crump, Mollie Davis, Cortney Dell,Morton Dworken, Jennifer Evans, Verinda Fike, Joan Garner, Karen Gilbride, JeffreyGlassman, Edward Grulich, Cheryl Harris, Patrick Harvey, Matthew Hickey, AlexandraHoey, Victor Huser, Stan Ifshin, Sami Jiries, Simone Joseph, Jennifer King, JaneKim, Sidney Kwiram, Lawrence Lesser, Jessica Lieberman, Katie McLain, John McKane,Michael McKenna, Gregory Maggio, Jessica Megill, Nicole Morales, David Mikosz,Leonel Miranda, Stephen E. Moody, Jennie Munoz, Sandra Murphy, Daniel L. Nadel,Catherine Newling, Susan O’Sullivan, Meredith Pierce, Drue Preissman, PeterSawchyn, Amy Schmisseur, Wendy Silverman, Erin Spitzer, Rachel Spring, BrianStout, James Todd, Rachel Waldstein, Nicole Wilett, Mikel Wood, and IsabelleZsoldos; Contributing Editor: Lynne Davidson; Editorial Assistants: Adrienne Bory,Karen Chen, Carol Finerty, Elizabeth Mokaba, and Kimberly Jorgensen; and TechnicalAssistant Eunice Johnson.2008 Human Rights Report: IntroductionBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2008 Country Reports on Human Rights PracticesFebruary 25, 2009The year just ended was characterized by three trends: a growing worldwide demandfor greater personal and political freedom, governmental efforts to push back onthose freedoms, and further confirmation that human rights flourish best inparticipatory democracies with vibrant civil societies.
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