The Global Sociology Blog

Via the UN News Center,

“A group of independent United Nations experts have called for urgent measures to protect those defending human rights in Colombia, following a recent surge in violence that includes killings, harassment and intimidation of civil society activists, trade union leaders and lawyers representing victims.”

This statement came from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders, Hina Jilani; the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy.

By the end of April 2008, there had already been 21 such killings in Colombia, most likely committed by right-wing paramilitary groups.

Amnesty International has also been on the case, pressing President Uribe’s government to be more active in the protection of civil society activists. These activists are constantly harassed, physically attacked. Their offices are raided, their files stolen. And by often associating these activists with the FARC, some government officials have made them targets for the paramilitary groups. As AI’s statement puts it,

“Baseless comments such as these are profoundly damaging to Colombian democracy and human rights, and place those against whom they are made in direct danger of violence,” said the NGO coalition in a letter to President Uribe. “These statements stigmatize the legitimate work of thousands of human rights defenders, trade unionists, and victims, and can have a chilling effect on the exercise of rights to freedom of expression and free association.”