Sri Lanka’s government today said it would prohibit the United Nations from conducting an independent investigation into claims that the military committed war crimes during the final months of its 25-year civil war against Tamil Tiger separatists. UN representatives, however, would be allowed to testify before the state’s Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission, which human rights groups say lacks credibility and impartiality. The Tamil Tigers are known for their heavy use of child soldiers.
UN urges Thai restraint over Myanmar refugees
The UN refugee agency has asked Thailand to reconsider its request that 166 Myanmar nationals, most of whom are women and children, return to the country ruled by military fiat. In making its case, the UNHCR cited the principle of not returning refugees to dangerous situations.
Microfinance brings limited change for Afghan women
Efforts to help Afghan women create income generating businesses through microfinance loans are facing challenges related to social restrictions on women and religious objections to interest. Microfinance institutions have awarded $831 million in loans in the past seven years, 60% of them to women.
Groups to assess disability-HIV/AIDS risks
Civil society groups and UN health agencies are joining forces to examine whether people living with disabilities are at increased risk for HIV/AIDS infection. More than 600 million people worldwide live with the disabilities, 80% of them in developing countries, but little data exists to assess any increased risks.
Liberia’s former child soldiers still struggle
Thousands of former child soldiers caught up in Liberia’s 1990s civil war are struggling to get their lives on track in a country where unemployment rates top 80%. Few have been able to find steady work and eke out livings through casual labor or crime.
UN indigenous rights declaration gains U.S. support
U.S. President Barack Obama endorsed on Thursday the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, which recognizes the rights of native peoples, such as American Indians, in areas of culture, property and self-determination.
PAKISTAN: Child domestic workers at risk of violence
According to official figures, in a 2003 survey, three million children under 18 years old, in six major cities by the government’s Commission for Child Welfare and Development, 8% are engaged as domestic workers. The International Labour Organization (ILO) puts the number of children working in the domestic sector at 264,000, according to a 2004 report. “The abuse of children who work as domestic labourers is under-reported.