Sunday Times 2
Paradise lost
France, Spain and Belgium might not be the obvious places to look for human rights infringements but according to Amnesty International, many popular holiday spots aren’t quite the paradise they appear to be.
The countries all appear on a list of destinations described by the charity as concealing a “darker world of tragedy and human rights abuse.”
The Maldives may be paradise to the millions of tourists, but a new report from Amnesty International has revealed a darker side to the island nation (stock photo by vivekchugh)
Others on the list include the Netherlands, the UK and the USA, as well as more obvious candidates such as the Maldives, which earlier this year sentenced a teenage rape victim to 100 lashes for adultery, and Sri Lanka which has endured decades of civil war.
In Europe, Spain was criticised for abuses including “excessive use of force” during demonstrations and a lack of justice for victims of the Franco regime.
France’s burka ban also attracted censure, as did its fast track procedure for asylum applications, which Amnesty said fell short of international standards.
Ireland also fell foul of the charity, thanks to its abortion laws and overcrowded prisons, and Germany was criticised for its inadequate asylum system and heavy-handed policing of demonstrations.
Even Belgium and the Netherlands didn’t escape without some censure, with the former said to be discriminating against travellers and the latter being castigated for ‘excessive use’ of immigration detention centres.
Meanwhile, the Maldives, which boasts an average of 958,000 international visitors a year, was reprimanded for attacks carried out by the police using truncheons and pepper-spray to crack down on largely peaceful demonstrations and reports that detainees have been tortured.
The charity also pinpointed an incident that took place in May in which two juvenile offenders were sentenced to death – despite this being contrary to international law – as well as the case in which a 15-year-old raped by her step-father was sentenced to 100 lashes.
For Sri Lanka, Amnesty cited alledged war crimes during the conflict with the Tamil Tigers and said that unlawful detentions, torture and enforced disappearances are “rife”.
The USA was singled out for extra criticism thanks to its continued use of capital punishment, overuse of tasers and Guantanamo Bay.
The UK, which is the world’s eighth most popular holiday destination, was reprimanded by the charity for the “highly controversial” Justice and Security Act, which allows secret courts and for the recent reduction in the amount of legal aid available to prisoners.
The charity also says “toxic language” surrounding human rights is common to the UK and raises concerns about the possible scrapping of the Human Rights Act and withdrawal from the European Court of Human Rights.
“Holidays are a time to relax and forget about life’s headaches, and we’re not expecting people to anxiously research the human rights situation of their holiday destinations,” said Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen.
“But behind the sparkling seas, the luxurious hotels and picturesque landscapes, there’s a darker reality of tragedy and human rights abuse.
“Holidaymakers may want to forget about hardship and injustice and that’s understandable – but when the tan has faded and the holiday photos are filed away, this is a good time to engage with the issues that affect the locals long after the tourists have gone home.”
© Daily Mail, London
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus