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STORY: GENEVA / ERITREA HUMAN RIGHTS
TRT: 2.50
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 19 JUNE 2014, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. External shot, Palais des Nations, Geneva.
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sheila B. Keetharuth, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea:
“The situation is dire and some of the issues which concern me more is the number of people fleeing because of the national service, the indefinite aspect of the national service and other violations in the context of the national service. Basically, imprisonment for those deserters or those who have been in the service for eighteen, fourteen years and who want to get out. Imprisonment in very difficult conditions. There are also lots of other issues such as extra judicial killings, torture and disappearances. There is also the issue of sexual violence in the context of the national service.”
3. Cutaway, Sheila B. Keetharuth walking down steps
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sheila B. Keetharuth, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea:
“When the national service started, it was for eighteen months and many people embraced it. They were all for reconstruction, development of the country after the independence struggle. However, it became into this indefinite situation with regards to the fact that the eighteen months were extended and it went on. There's some people who have been in the national service for fourteen, eighteen, twenty years, the best part of their life.”
5. Cutaway, Sheila B. Keetharuth walking Palais des Nations
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sheila B. Keetharuth, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea:
“The remuneration doesn't allow them, which is very low (10 dollars or so) per month, doesn't allow them to take care of the family; their best part of their life is in this situation and many other issues: no hope, despair in terms of what next in life and many take the roots of, you know, fleeing the country.”
7. Cutaway, Sheila B. Keetharuth walking Palais des Nations
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sheila B. Keetharuth, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea:
“The first recommendation I have for the Eritrean government is to stop the indefinite national service, to ratify the Convention against Torture and its optional protocol.”
9. Cutaway, Sheila B. Keetharuth walking Palais des Nations
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sheila B. Keetharuth, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea:
“To the international community there is one recommendation which I believe is very important: any development program should undergo due diligence process in order to make sure that there's no human rights' violation.”
11. Cutaway, Sheila B. Keetharuth walking Palais des Nations
The international community has been urged to address the “dire" human rights violations in Eritrea which have led to about 4,000 people fleeing each month to neighboring countries.
The call has come from the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea who presented her report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday.
Sheila Keetharuth said that fear and experience of national service - an indefinite conscription that amounts to forced labour - were prompting many people to flee the country.
She said "the situation is dire. There's some people who have been in the national service for fourteen, eighteen, twenty years, the best part of their life.”
At the moment, there about 4, 000 people leaving every month and that's a sharp increase, she explained, adding that there is a “shoot to kill” policy at the borders.
Eritreans are the most numerous among those attempting the risky crossing from North Africa to Europe by boat, a trip that has killed hundreds so far this year.
