Will UN Rights Chief Bachelet Stand Up to China? Daily Brief

For the first time since 2015, the regime in China has granted the United Nations high commissioner for human rights access to the country. This raises some big questions for Michelle Bachelet, who started her 6-day trip on Monday. "Bachelet’s legacy as high commissioner will be measured by her willingness to hold a powerful state accountable for crimes against humanity committed on her watch," says Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. 

The European Union and its member states should take concrete steps to strengthen the international justice system, including through national prosecutions of crimes under international law. Member states should expand the reach of justice by adopting necessary laws, creating or reinforcing specialized war crimes units, strengthening cooperation among states, and providing greater financial and political support to the International Criminal Court and other accountability mechanisms so they can impartially carry out their work. “This year’s EU Day Against Impunity shines a spotlight on the fact that much more is needed to effectively address grave human rights violations around the world,” says Balkees Jarrah, interim international justice director at Human Rights Watch. “EU countries should work together to extend principled support for accountability for atrocities not just in Ukraine but in other conflicts where civilians suffer widespread abuses.”

The war in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts have pushed the number of forcibly displaced people to more than 100 million worldwide, according to new data released by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). “One hundred million is a stark figure – sobering and alarming in equal measure. It’s a record that should never have been set,” says Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “This must serve as a wake-up call to resolve and prevent destructive conflicts, end persecution, and address the underlying causes that force innocent people to flee their homes.”

Human Rights Watch has a clear message for the authorities in Thailand, who should immediately drop the charges and release pro-democracy activists detained for insulting the monarchy. Tantawan “Tawan” Tuatulanon (20), who has been on a hunger strike since April 20 to protest her pre-trial detention, should be transferred to a hospital for urgent medical supervision. “The Thai government should stop punishing peaceful dissenters and demonstrate respect for human rights by permitting all viewpoints,” says Elaine Pearson, HRW's acting Asia director. “The authorities in Thailand should engage with United Nations experts and others about amending the lese majeste law to bring it into compliance with international human rights law obligations.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo authorities haven't meaningfully investigated the role of security forces in the killing of at least eight people in ethnic violence outside Goma in April 2021. Police commanders and officers implicated in at least three extrajudicial executions and other killings should be suspended, fully investigated, and appropriately prosecuted. On April 11 and 12, 2021, ethnic Kumu men who were later joined by local police and military police, raided the Buhene district in Congo’s eastern North Kivu province, killing at least eight ethnic Nande, leaving scores more wounded, and looting Nande-owned houses and businesses. Seven women and ten children were among the wounded. 

And did you know that world football federation FIFA is expected to make $6 billion in revenue for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, that is scheduled to begin in November? The organization should dedicate at least the same amount of money they are paying to participating football teams to address the serial wage theft and unexplained deaths scores of migrant workers faced, from countries such as Nepal. Join our campaign to force FIFA and the authorities in Qatar to  pay up now!