Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

July 6, 2016

U.S. Refuses to Halt Imprisonment of Migrant Children, Denies Torture, in Response to U.N.


Photos: Migrant children in Texas prison. Native Americans hauling water in U.S. Protesters of U.S. torture and Guantanamo. Children hit during U.S. drone assassinations in Pakistan.


US denials: How to lie to the United Nations and avoid upholding human rights and international law

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

The United States response to its Periodic Review by the United Nations is a lesson in how to lie, and avoid the truth.

It is the perpetual tap dance of U.S. politicians who refuse to be held accountable for torture, drone assassinations and the murder of civilians, the murder of migrants by US Border Patrol, the murder of blacks by racist white police officers, and a long list of daily human rights abuses within the United States.

Countries around the world expressed outrage over the U.S. human rights violations during the U.S. Periodic Review in Geneva in May of 2015. The United States executive branch has issued its written response to a long list of human rights violations expressed by the countries of the world.

US refuses to halt imprisonment of migrant children, and reunite families

The United States executive branch refused to agree to halt the imprisonment of migrant children, which continues in Texas prisons, and refused to admit this is a violation of international law. Further, the U.S. refused to guarantee the rights of migrant families to be reunited.

The U.S. executive branch said, reuniting migrant families is "not a right recognized under our domestic laws or in any international binding agreement."



The United States executive branch also refused to agree to pay reparations to victims of murder by US Border Patrol agents. The U.S. said it is a matter for the courts.

No guarantees of safe water and food for Indigenous and poor

Responding to the demand for safe water for Indigenous and migrants, the U.S. executive branch said it is not a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Once again, when pressed to ensure to meet the needs of housing, food, health and education for the 48 million poor in the United States, the U.S. said it is not a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

U.S Drone Assassinations and Murder of Innocent Civilians

When pressed to hold individuals responsible for torture, drone killings, and lethal force against African Americans, the U.S. denied it is carrying out torture in violation of international law. The U.S. said it continues to investigate and prosecute those responsible for lethal force against African-Americans.

The United States said it is complying with international law, following outrage from other countries over the targeted assassinations and killing of civilians with drones. The U.S. denied it illegally hold suspects without charges at Guantanamo.

Although countries pressed for the U.S. to pay compensation to innocent victims in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, including victims of drone strikes, the U.S. said it would only offer condolences, and ex gratia (voluntary) payments based on individual cases. The U.S. said it has no responsibility to compensate all the innocent victims of war.

In its denial of racial inequality and systematic racism in the United States, the U.S. government denied it targets persons of Islamic heritage in airports.

U.S. Death Penalty, Sexual Assaults in Military

Further, the United States refused to halt the death penalty, following pressure from other countries to do so.

The U.S. said it can not ensure redress of those sexually assaulted within the U.S. military by fellow soldiers, and this is a matter for the courts.

Climate Change

In regards to climate change, the U.S. refused to list concrete steps to eliminate greenhouse gases and pollution.

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Inequality in the U.S.

After the countries of the world pressed the U.S. to end various forms of inequality, the United States said it can not realistically agree to guarantee equality within the United States. The U.S. said it "may never completely accomplish" equality for African-Americans, Muslims, Arabs, and indigenous persons.




The U.S. in Geneva in May 2015 Avoiding the truth
When the U.S. representatives were before the United Nations in May, the US did not reveal that it had carried out a systematic regime of spying on the American Indian Movement, Black Panthers and Chicano movements, by way of COINTELPRO, and that entrapment and provocateurs were used to silence and imprison activists in the US.
The US did not reveal the systematic abuse of Native American children in boarding schools, or the generations of kidnapping, torture and murder in US government boarding schools. The theft of Native American children continues today by social services and the sexual abuse continues in boarding schools and foster homes.
In Geneva in May, the Federation of Russia, Pakistan, China, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Korea, Ecuador and Mexico representatives gave passionate recommendations to the United States.
Pakistan urged the prosecution of CIA agents responsible for torture. Cuba also pressed for prosecution of those responsible for torture. Cuba also pressed for programs to reduce poverty in the US affecting 48 million people. Ecuador called for the prosecution of those responsible for torture and the use of drones for killing. Democratic Republic of Korea pressed for an end to racial discrimination and torture. Egypt called for an end to discrimination of Middle Easterners at airports.
Mexico pointed out the murder of its citizens by border immigration agents and the need for reparations. The Russian Federation quickly stated a long list of concerns and recommendations, including police arbitrary procedures, need to close Guantanamo, need to halt extrajudicial killings including drones, cruel treatment of adoptive children, and the racial profiling of Indigenous.

China pointed out the racial discrimination, spying, torture and abuse of blacks and Indigenous by the United States government.

The U.S. response to the Periodic Review is at: 
http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/Session22/US/AdditionalInfo_US_22session.pdf

Previous article at Censored News:
Keith Harper, Cherokee, leads U.S. delegation in Geneva and defends U.S. human rights record as countries of world press concerns:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2015/05/un-world-concerned-over-racial.html

Photos of U.S. torture: https://www.google.com/search?q=torture+US&rlz=1CAACAJ_enUS646US646&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjur8qWm9_NAhVBziYKHbS-ANkQ_AUICSgC&biw=1366&bih=631#imgrc=_

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