Indonesians in Philadelphia Should be Aware of 2007 Human Rights Practices Reports Released by U.S. State Department
On March 11, 2008, the Department of State released its Country Reports for 2007 on Human Rights Practices for 196 different nations.
The 196 reports consist of summaries of human rights practices in countries organized by region: Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Near East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere.
For the many Indonesians in the Philadelphia Pennsylvania region who are seeking political asylum, here is the specific Human Rights Report on Indonesia. It's amazing to me how difficult it still is for Indonesians to be granted asylum when the 2007 Report begins:
"The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however, weak legal institutions, limited resources, and insufficient political will prevented accountability for serious abuses that occurred in the past. Problems during the year included: killings by security forces; vigilantism; harsh prison conditions; impunity for prison authorities; arbitrary detentions; corruption in the judicial system; some limitations on free speech and on peaceful assembly; interference with freedom of religion, sometimes with the complicity of local officials; intimidation of human rights groups by security forces; serious instances of violence and sexual abuse against women and children; trafficking in persons; forced labor; and failure to enforce labor standards and worker rights."
Here is the text of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's statement on all the Reports.
