HUMAN RIGHTS

VIOLATIONS
Human rights advocates agree that, sixty years after its issue, the Universal De
claration of Human Rights is still more a dream than reality. Violations exist i
n every part of the world. For example, Amnesty Internationals 2009 World Report
and other sources show that individuals are:
Tortured or abused in at least 81 countries
Face unfair trials in at least 54 countries
Restricted in their freedom of expression in at least 77 countries
Not only that, but women and children in particular are marginalized in numerous
ways, the press is not free in many countries, and dissenters are silenced, too
often permanently. While some gains have been made over the course of the last
six decades, human rights violations still plague the world today.
To help inform you of the true situation throughout the world, this section prov
ides examples of violations of six Articles of the Universal Declaration of Huma
n Rights (UDHR):
ARTICLE 3 THE RIGHT TO LIVE FREE
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
An estimated 6,500 people were killed in 2007 in armed conflict in Afghanistannea
rly half being noncombatant civilian deaths at the hands of insurgents. Hundreds
of civilians were also killed in suicide attacks by armed groups.
In Brazil in 2007, according to official figures, police killed at least 1,260 i
ndividualsthe highest total to date. All incidents were officially labeled acts of
resistance and received little or no investigation.
In Uganda, 1,500 people die each week in the internally displaced person camps.
According to the World Health Organization, 500,000 have died in these camps.
Vietnamese authorities forced at least 75,000 drug addicts and prostitutes into
71 overpopulated rehab camps, labeling the detainees at high risk of contracting HIV
/AIDS but providing no treatment.
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