“We’re All Victims”

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 39-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Salvi

While the call for “national reconciliation” as a way to avoid criminal trials for human rights violations has been a constant refrain in the discourse of the armed forces since the return to democracy in Argentina in 1983, it has been made from different positions and in response to diverse conjunctures. Changes in the rhetoric of national reconciliation have been employed as a political and extrajudicial strategy by both the military and civilians for 30 years. The proposal of national reconciliation has oscillated between the need to forget the long-term effects of an “antisubversive war” and a sort of “duty to remember” in which all Argentines are brothers in the evocation of collective pain. Aunque el llamado a la “reconciliación nacional” como una manera para evitar los juicios penales por violaciones a los derechos humanos ha sido un estribillo constante en el discurso de las fuerzas armadas desde el regreso de la democracia en la Argentina en 1983, éste se ha hecho desde diferentes posiciones y como respuesta a coyunturas diferentes. Los cambios en la retórica de la reconciliación nacional han sido usados como una estrategia política y extrajudicial tanto por los militares como por los civiles desde hace 30 años. La propuesta de reconciliación nacional ha oscilado entre la necesidad de olvidar los efectos a largo plazo de la “guerra antisubversiva” y una especie de “deber de memoria” en el que todos los argentinos están hermanados en la evocación de un dolor colectivo.

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-208
Author(s):  
Shamus McFee

The aim of this paper is to illumine the insidious and covert nature of the racially motivated programme of measures, implemented by the State Party and other key stakeholders in Scottish society, ostensibly designed to crush and eradicate age-old Scottish Gypsy Traveller culture. To best rationalise those actions committed necessitates exploration of various themes: the treatment meted out, the mindset underpinning those actions, the attitudinal context, the intersectionality of the human rights violations and the long term effects of the damage sustained, both at an individual and collective level, by those subjected nationally to such assimilatory schemes, culminating in an inquisition of the reasons furnished by the Scottish Government for its subsequent refusal to grant an apology to the victims – despite repeated appeals to that end. The methodology will include personal photographs, reference to historical papers, relevant newspaper articles, and files from both national and local authority archives. The corollary of these investigations will conclude that the human rights of Scottish Gypsy Travellers have been irrefutably violated under international law; this has been executed with impunity by the authorities and, inarguably, constitutes a crime against humanity.


2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Lessa ◽  
Cara Levey

With the increasing opportunities for justice ushered in by the repeal of the Full Stop and Due Obedience laws in 2005, the struggles for memory and justice by Argentina’s H.I.J.O.S. (Sons and Daughters for Identity and Justice against Forgetting and Silence) have shifted focus. Pre-2005, the organization used escraches (public demonstrations in which the perpetrators of human rights violations are “outed”) to respond to the problem of top-down impunity in Argentina, condemn the atrocities, and expose the legal immunity enjoyed by the perpetrators. Post-2005, it has employed escraches to bring to the fore shortcomings in the judicial sphere by widening its selection of targets. Furthermore, new activities outside and inside the courtroom reflect the new landscape of justice, celebrating the advent of justice and accompanying victims, survivors, and witnesses in this process while continuing to highlight persistent shortcomings and obstacles in the judicial sphere. Con las nuevas oportunidades para la justicia que trajo la anulación de las leyes de Punto Final y de Obediencia Debida en 2005, la organización argentina H.I.J.O.S. (Hijos e Hijas por la Identidad y la Justicia contra el Olvido y el Silencio) ha reorientado el enfoque de sus luchas por la memoria y la justicia. Antes de 2005, la organización usaba los escraches (manifestaciones públicas en las cuales los responsables de violaciones derechos humanos son “sacados del closet” o puestos al descubierto) para responder al problema de la impunidad en la Argentina, condenar las atrocidades y poner de manifiesto la impunidad legal de la cual gozaban los autores de las violaciones. Después de 2005, los escraches ampliaron la selección de sus blancos de ataque y sirvieron para llamar la atención sobre las deficiencias del sistema judicial. Además, las nuevas actividades fuera y dentro de los tribunales reflejan el nuevo panorama de la justicia, al celebrar la llegada de la misma y acompañar a las víctimas, a los sobrevivientes y a los testigos en este proceso mientras continúan denunciando las deficiencias y los obstáculos persistentes en la esfera judicial.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luane Flores Chuquel

This current work studies the human rights violations suffered by indigenous peoples during the period of the Brazilian CivilMilitary Dictatorship. Likewise, it makes some notes about the beginning of the violations in a moment before this dark period. On this path, even before the Military Coup was launched in the year 1964 (one thousand nine hundred and sixty-four), the Indians were already experiencing constant usurpations of their rights at the expense of irresponsibilities commanded most of the time, by those who should watch over their rights lives. As will be seen, the violation and disrespect for Human Rights in the face of these peoples ended up becoming common and gaining strength mainly in the beginning of the implementation of the military regime. Negligent attempts at acculturation and "emancipation", in addition to inconsequential contacts with isolated peoples, culminated in the destruction and predatory logging of their lands. Missing processes of terribly violating demarcations of indigenous areas promoted the expulsion of countless peoples, causing the Indians to fall into a life totally surrounded by hunger, begging, alcoholism and prostitution. All in the name of the so-called “economic advance”, which aimed at building roads, in what was called “occupation of the Amazon”? As frequently stated by the authorities at the time, the Amazon rainforest was seen and understood as a “population void” by the Military Government. According to this thought idealized by the disgusting dictators and supporters, it will be observed that the cases of violations of Human Rights have been systematically “legalized”. The life, land and culture of indigenous peoples were left in the background. Depending on this brief narrative developed through documentary research, based on a hypothetical-deductive method, the intention is to rescue the martyrdoms of that time, demonstrating what actually happened to indigenous peoples during the Military Regime, in the simplest attempt to remember or even disclose to those who are unaware of this part of history. All that said, don't you forget. So that it never happens again.


Author(s):  
Berta Rodrigo Mateu

Resumen: Los medios de comunicación tienen una responsabilidad indiscutible en la defensa y promoción de los Derechos Humanos. Más aún: tiene la obligatoriedad moral y ética de proporcionar informaciones basadas en la verdad y la objetividad. ¿Qué ocurre con los medios de comunicación en las dictaduras donde se ejerce de manera sistemática la violación de Derechos Humanos? ¿Qué responsabilidad social tienen estos en el sustento y pervivencia de las dictaduras? Este artículo ahonda en esta cuestión a propósito de un estudio de caso, el de la desaparición de la joven chilena Marta Hugarte durante la Dictadura del general Pinochet. Abstract: The Mass Media have an unquestionable responsibility in the defense and promotion of Human Rights. Moreover, they have the moral and ethical obligation to provide information based on truth and objectivity. What happens with the Media in dictatorships where the violation of Human Rights is systematically practiced? What social responsibility do these have in the sustenance and survival of dictatorships? This article delves into this question with regard to a case study, the disappearance of the young Chilean Marta Hugarte during the dictatorship of General Pinochet.


Author(s):  
Jorge Ernesto ROA ROA

LABURPENA: Kasuen ikerketa-metodologia erabiliz, Santo Domingo vs. Kolonbia epaiari buruzko iruzkinean, nagusiki, inter-amerikar esparruko giza eskubideen babesari lotutako egiturazko alderdiak aipatzen dira; besteak beste, eta bereziki: nola erabiltzen duen Inter-amerikar Auzitegiak Nazioarteko Zuzenbide Humanitarioa barne-gatazka armatuetako egoeretan; zer erlazio dagoen zigor-jurisdikzio militarraren eta Indar Armatuetako kideek egindako giza eskubideen urraketen ikerketaren artean; zein diren Estatuaren erantzukizuna aitortzeko egintzetarako baldintzak, eta zer elkarreragin dagoen nazioetako eta nazioarteko instantzia judizialen artean giza eskubideen urraketen ordainaz den bezainbatean. Egokiera-arrazoiengatik, alde batera utziko da Kolonbiako Estatuak urratu zituen Amerikar Konbentzioko eskubideetako bakoitzari buruz Giza Eskubideetarako Nazioarteko Auzitegiak erabakitakoaren azterketa. RESUMEN: Mediante la aplicación de la metodología de estudio de caso, el comentario a la Sentencia Santo Domingo vs. Colombia se centra en aspectos estructurales sobre la protección de los derechos humanos en el ámbito interamericano, en especial, el uso que la Corte Interamericana hace del Derecho Internacional Humanitario en situaciones que se producen en contextos de conflictos armados internos, la relación entre la jurisdicción penal militar y la investigación de las violaciones a los derechos humanos cometidas por miembros de las Fuerzas Armadas, los requisitos de los actos de reconocimiento de la responsabilidad del Estado y la interacción entre las instancias judiciales nacionales e internacionales en materia de reparación de violaciones a los derechos humanos. Por razones de oportunidad, se prescinde del análisis del pronunciamiento de la Corte IDH sobre cada uno de los derechos de la Convención Americana que fueron violados por el Estado de Colombia. ABSTRACT: By means of the problem based learning methodology, the analysis of the judgment Santo Domingo vs. Colombia focuses on structural features of the human rights protection within the Inter-American area, specially, the use made by the Inter-American Court of International Humanitarian Law in situations within contexts of internal military conflict, the relationship between military criminal jurisdiction and the investigation of human rights violations committed by Army forces, the requirements of the acts of recognition of the State responsibility and the interaction between the national and international judicial instances regarding the redress for human rights violations. For reasons of practical expediency, we will not analyze the judgment by the Inter-American Court on each of the rights of the American Convention breached by the State of Colombia.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike Mitterbauer ◽  
Daniela Ghica

<p>The project ABC-MAUS is undertaken by a collaboration of the Austrian Ministry of Defense, Joanneum Research, the Austrian national weather and geophysical service Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik (ZAMG), including the Austrian National Data Center (NDC), as well as the private company GIHMM. The aim is to develop a strategy of protection for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threads (CBRN) for the Austrian armed forces.</p><p>In the frame of the project, a mobile infrasound array was deployed together with seismic sensors to monitor the military training ground Allentsteig in Lower Austria. During one week a series of controlled explosions was recorded. Infrasound data was processed and analyzed by using a duo of infrasound detection-oriented software (DTK-GPMCC and DTK-DIVA, packaged into NDC-in-a-Box). The dataset contained not only local and regional data, but revealed as well long term sources and – after comparing the data with data from stations of the CEEIN (Central Eastern European Infrasound Network) – some global events. Those events were localized using data of the temporary deployed array and by observations collected by other stations of the CEEIN.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-124
Author(s):  
Tine Destrooper

This article builds on theories about the expressive function of law and uses Structural Topic Modelling to examine how the prioritisation of civil and political rights (CPR) issues by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) has affected the agendas of Cambodian human rights NGOs with an international profile. It asks whether these NGOs’ focus on CPR issues can be traced back to the near-exclusive focus on CPR issues by the court, and whether this has implications for the creation of a “thick” kind of human rights accountability. It argues that, considering the nature of the Khmer Rouge's genocidal policy, it would have been within the mandate and capacity of the court to pay more attention to actions that also constituted violations of economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR). The fact that the court did not do this and instead almost completely obscured ESCR rhetorically has triggered a similar blind spot for ESCR issues on the part of human rights NGOs, which could have otherwise played an important role in creating a culture of accountability around this category of human rights. Does this mean that violators of ESCR are more likely to escape prosecution going forward?


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. e001003
Author(s):  
C Hayes Wong ◽  
Christine Yen-Ting Chen

BackgroundHealthcare is under attack in Syria with repeated air strikes on hospitals and ambulances and the largest death toll of health workers in any recorded conflict.1 Ambulances in Syria have been bombed, shot at, stolen, looted and obstructed, significantly impeding their ability to safely evacuate the wounded and provide medical aid.MethodsThis article presents the summary of a literature review on attacks against ambulances in Syria from 2011 to 2018, as well as a descriptive secondary data analysis on individual attacks reported by the Syrian Network for Human Rights from January 2016 to December 2017. A peer-reviewed literature search included three databases (PubMed, ProQuest and Embase), and a grey literature search included reports from groups involved in the Syrian health response or human rights monitoring.FindingsFrom 2016 to 2017, there were 204 individual attacks involving 243 ambulances. Half (49%) were either heavily damaged or put out of service. The main perpetrators were the Syrian regime (60%) and the Russian armed forces (29%). Half (52%) of ambulances were directly targeted. The peer-reviewed literature search yielded 18 articles, from which the following themes were drawn: targeting of ambulances, ‘double-tap’ attacks, delays to care, obstruction and other forms of violence, and long-term consequences.InterpretationAmbulances have been intentionally and repeatedly targeted throughout the Syrian conflict as part of a war strategy. Real challenges in monitoring and systematically tracking attacks on ambulances exist, but as a result, they are understudied and likely under-reported.


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