Rights NGO decries Malawi's poor rights situation

A recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has bemoaned the country' rights violations in 2011, saying president Bingu wa Mutharika acted 'in an increasingly repressive manner'.

But government has condemned the organisation, saying some of the issues raised in the report have ignored the democratic steps followed before being implemented.

The report comes few days after French-based media watchdog; Reporters Without borders reported the country's drop in Press Freedom Index as a result of totalitarian tendencies of the president.

In the just released report HRW faults Mutharika's government for the declining rights situation.

"The human rights situation in Malawi deteriorated significantly in 2011, with President Bingu wa Mutharika's government acting in an increasingly repressive manner. Fuel and foreign currency shortages and increasing food prices have taken a toll on the country, reversing the economic gains made during Mutharika's first term in office," reads part of the report.

Apart from registering its concerns on Section 46 of the penal code which empowers a minister to ban any publication seen not in the interest of the general public, the report also faults Mutharika for signing laws which limit people's rights.

"The president also signed the Injunctions Law, which prevents Malawians from filing civil suits against government officials. These new laws, which were severely criticized by civil society activists, limit the ability of the media to operate freely and deny Malawians the protection of the law," continues the report.

Other areas the report has noted include police inspector general, Peter Mukhito's interrogation of University of Malawi lecturer Blessings Chinsinga on the content of one of his lectures and the resultant 8-month closure of the college due to the lecturers' protest to the summoning.

The report has also noted events of July 20 demonstration in which people got killed, which it has described as 'the most brutal crackdown on a peaceful demonstration'.

The report also observes that there is an atmosphere of fear.

"There is a climate of fear in the country as journalists and civil society activists who attempt to report on the human rights situation have come under increasing attack from security forces and supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Several human rights activists have received death threats and been forced to go into hiding," reads the report.

But minister of Information and Civic Education, Patricia Kaliati, has said no law was broken when putting in place laws that people contested.

"The laws being faulted went through the normal process of putting them in place. For instance, Section 46 and the injunction bill went through parliament before being passed. Why is the organisation ignoring that? After all, the issue of these laws is already water under the bridge because they were referred back to Law commission for review," Kaliati said.

HRW is a US-based international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights.


(2012-02-01/bnltimes)