State Department Releases Human Rights Report

To be sure, violations of human rights and miscarriages of justice can and do occur in democratic countries. No governmental system is without flaws. Human rights conditions in democracies across the globe vary widely, and these country reports reflect that fact. In particular, democratic systems with shallow roots and scarce resources can fall far short of meeting their solemn commitments to citizens, including human rights commitments. Democratic transitions can be tumultuous and wrenching. Rampant corruption can retard democratic development, distort judicial processes, and destroy public trust. Nonetheless, taken overall, countries with democratic systems provide far greater protections against violations of human rights than do nondemocratic states.

The United States’ own journey toward liberty and justice for all has been long and difficult, and it is still far from complete. Yet over time our independent branches of government, our free media, our openness to the world, and, most importantly, the civic courage of impatient American patriots help us keep faith with our founding ideals and our international human rights obligations.

These country reports offer a factual basis by which to assess the progress made on human rights and the challenges that remain. The reports review each country’s performance in 2005, not one country’s performance against that of another. While each country report speaks for itself, cross-cutting observations can be made. Six broad observations, supported by country-specific examples, are highlighted below. The examples are illustrative, not exhaustive.

• First, countries in which power is concentrated in the hands of unaccountable rulers tend to be the world’s most systematic human rights violators. [Discusses North Korea, Burma, Iran, Zimbabwe, Cuba, China, and Belarus] …
• Second, human rights and democracy are closely linked, and both are essential to long-term stability and security. [Discusses Burma, North Korea, Iran, and Syria] …
• Third, some of the most serious violations of human rights are committed by governments within the context of internal and/or cross-border armed conflicts. [Discusses Sudan, Nepal, Ivory Coast, Chechnya, Colombia, and central Africa countries]
• Fourth, where civil society and independent media are under siege, fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and assembly are undermined. [Discusses Cambodia, China, Zimbabwe, Venezuala, Belarus, and Russia] …
• Fifth, democratic elections by themselves do not ensure that human rights will be respected, but they can put a country on the path to reform and lay the groundwork for institutionalizing human rights protections. Democratic elections are, however, milestones on a long journey of democratization. [Discusses Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Indonesia, Lebanon, and Liberia] …
• Sixth, progress on democratic reform and human rights is neither linear nor guaranteed. [Discusses Kyrgyz Republic, Ecuador, Congo, Uganda, Egypt, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Pakistan]…