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Kurdish Human Rights Project: This is the legacy website of the Kurdish Human Rights Project, containing reports and news pertaining to human rights issues in the Kurdish Regions for 20 years.

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2011 News
KHRP releases policy paper on the Kurdish Diaspora as part of the Diaspora Dialogues for Development and Peace Project

KHRP today publishes a policy paper entitled 'What Impact does UK Government Legislation and Policy have on the Kurdish Diaspora?'as part of the Diaspora Dialogues for Development and Peace Project. This project is a joint initiative between the Centre for Just Peace and Democracy and the Berghof Foundation for Peace Support, with KHRP's contribution forming part of a series of papers written by activists who work with diaspora communities worldwide. The series aims to show how activists themselves perceive political activism in this field, and to make a contribution to an area often neglected by scholarly writing.

You can download the paper by clicking here.

 
Tonight KHRP participates in discussion panel as part of Refugee Week

KHRP is tonight taking part in a discussion panel as part of a Refugee Week screening event for the film 'Son of Babylon'. Refugee Week is a unique opportunity to discover and celebrate the contributions refugees bring to the UK, with ‘Son of Babylon’, directed by Mohamad Ad Diriadji, forming part of a wider program of films and other events throughout the week.

The film tells the story of a young boy, Ahmad, and his grandmother as they travel in search of Ahmad's missing father. Set in post-invasion Iraq in 2003 the film follows the pair along dusty, battered roads from desert plains to the mountains of Kurdistan, where the travelers meet migrants caught up in the terror and destruction wrought by tyranny and war.

Bringing our experience of problems faced by refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in the Kurdish regions, KHRP is joining the panel chaired by former MP and active refugee campaigner Neil Gerard, together with immigration lawyer Steve Symonds and Kurdish documentary film-maker Karzan Sherabayani.

“Taking part in events like this is an important means by which KHRP spread awareness of the situation in the Kurdish regions, as well as contributing to the strong and vibrant spirit of cooperation that exists in the NGO community. Refugee Week is a crucial way to raise awareness of the situation of refugees not just within the UK, but globally, bringing the grave situation faced by refugee populations into the public consciousness” said Rachel Bernu, KHRP Managing Director.

The screening and discussion panel takes place from 1800-2100 on Tuesday 21st June 2011 at the BFI Southbank, London SE1 8XT.

 
KHRP to participate in a discussion panel at Migrant Rights Network screening of 'Son of Babylon' as part of Refugee Week

 

On June 21st 2011, KHRP will take part in a discussion panel as part of a Refugee Week screening event for the film 'Son of Babylon', directed by Mohamad Ad Diriadji. The film tells the story of a young boy, Ahmad, and his grandmother as they travel in search of Ahmad's missing father. Set in post-invasion Iraq in 2003 the film follows the pair along dusty, battered roads from desert plains to the mountains of Kurdistan, where the travelers meet migrants caught up in the terror and destruction wrought by tyranny and war.

The panel will be chaired by former MP and active refugee campaigner Neil Gerard, and joining KHRP on the panel will be immigration lawyer Steve Symonds and Kurdish documentary film-maker Karzan Sherabayani. KHRP will bring to the panel experience of the Kurdish regions and the problems facing those living there, especially the situation of Internally Displaced Persons and refugees who have fled conflict and insecurity.

It is a pleasure for KHRP to be able to contribute to events such as the screening of 'Son of Babylon', and to be able to work with other organisations such as Migrant Rights Network. This reflects KHRP's commitment to human rights and their protection not just within the regions that we work, but internationally, standing alongside the rest of the NGO community” said Rachel Bernu, KHRP Managing Director.

The screening and discussion panel takes place from 1800-2100 on Tuesday 21st June 2011 at the BFI Southbank, London SE1 8XT.

Tickets are £6.50 and can be purchased from the BFI Website.

 

 

 
KHRP Welcomes Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights about Turkey’s Country Report

On 20 May 2011, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted concluding observations following its review of Turkey's initial report on the implementation of the rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

In advance of this review, KHRP had raised a number of concerns about Turkey’s compliance with its obligations under the Covenant by submitting a list of issues which can be found here. KHRP also attended the Committee’s review of Turkey’s report which took place in Geneva on 3 and 4 May 2011.

In the concluding observations, the Committee noted principal subjects of concern and provided recommendations for Turkey.  KHRP welcomes, in particular, the comment that in light of the fact that Turkey “recognizes only Greeks, Jews and Armenians as minorities, the Committee expresses concern about the absence of a broad legislative framework for the recognition of all minorities…including the Kurds, the Roma and the Arameans.”  KHRP joins the Committee in urging Turkey to recognise all the minorities in its territory and to provide them the full opportunities to enjoy their economic, social and cultural rights and to adopt the necessary plans of action for this purpose.

Further areas raised by KHRP that were addressed by the Committee include:

•    concerns about the construction of the Ilisu dam, as the predominantly Kurd-inhabited areas affected will suffer a shortage of housing, forced evictions, resettlements and replacements if the project goes ahead
•    the disparities that exist between rural and urban areas, with particular focus on the eastern regions of the country where the highest levels of poverty are reported
•    the discrimination and inequality experienced by women in Turkey, and the worsening of women’s working conditions, resulting in many of them being forced to seek employment in the informal economy

KHRP Chief Executive Kerim Yildiz said “We welcome the Committee’s recommendations for a stronger collaboration between State and civil society actors around human rights promotion and protection in Turkey. To this end, it is vital that Turkey take concrete steps to implement the Committee’s recommendations effectively and, among other things, ratify the Optional Protocol to the Covenant that provides for an individual complaints mechanism.”

 
KHRP concerned over further arrests in Syria

Syria’s repressive approach steps up despite earlier promises.

Syria’s security apparatus has arrested around a thousand protesters since Friday in a concerted effort to crush the dissent that has gripped the Syrian state in recent weeks. Human rights defenders within Syria estimate that the death toll since protests began in March stands at over 500, although the difficulties in communicating from within the country mean that this is likely to be higher. Concern is intensifying for the safety of journalists within Syria, with those that are actually able to make it into the country at risk of arrest, violence or disappearance.

As well as the 'hard' tactics, the regime has attempted other 'soft' approaches such as lifting the long-standing emergency laws and an offer of amnesty to protesters who give themselves up before the 15th May. However, the lifting of the emergency laws has made little difference to the regime's brutal crackdown on the unrest, leading many to question whether other promises are similarly hollow.

In a country where they have historically been classed as 'foreigners', Kurdish activists have condemned the continued oppression, hoping that a conciliatory approach to the unrest will bring their ethnic group political concessions. However, in an official statement the Kurdish Yek Party stated that if the oppression continued Kurdish voices would join the fray, despite the regime’s attempt to placate them through promises of citizenship. The regime has responded harshly to such voices, raising concerns about continued human rights abuses towards the Kurds. On Saturday two Kurdish activists were arrested after calling for pro-democracy demonstrations in the north-eastern city of Qamishli, the first arrests in the Syrian Kurdish areas since unrest began in March. KHRP remains concerned about their fate, and the treatment and status of all others detained as a result of recent events.

Kerim Yildiz, of the Kurdish Human Rights Project in London said,

“We are concerned about the latest surge in the regime’s crackdown and its spread to the Kurdish areas. This latest unrest comes after decades of frustration built up by the lack of representation and by human rights abuses that have persisted for decades. All viewpoints must be permitted to be heard, including those of Kurds, and KHRP urges the international community to press Syria to listen to the legitimate demands of all of its citizens equally”.

 
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