ID :
117520
Mon, 04/19/2010 - 17:42
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/117520
The shortlink copeid
HUMAN RIGHTS OF MONGOLIA'S MINORITIES HIGHLIGHTED IN UPR
Ulaanbaatar, /MONTSAME/ A national minorities' working group of non-governmental organisations reporting for Mongolia's 2010 Universal Periodic Review has highlighted a range of ongoing human rights issues affecting their respective communities.
The report--to be jointly submitted by the Arular Association of Kazakh Women, the Itgel Foundation, the Mongolian LGBT Centre and the National AIDS Foundation--focuses on the rights of Kazakhs and Dukha (Tsaatan) ethnic minorities, sexuality minorities, people living with HIV/AIDS and sex workers.
Their report documents widespread societal and institutional discrimination against these particular minority groups within Mongolian society. While each group is distinct in its area of representation, there is commonality among them in terms of a lack of acceptance within the broader society, a lack of recognition of each group's rights and basic freedoms, ongoing systematic discrimination and human rights violations, a lack of institutional and/or legislative protections, a lack of political will to implement existing legal protection frameworks, and a lack of redress mechanisms.
In relation to Kazakh and Dukha people, although they are native-born and have citizenship rights and associated protections afforded them under the law, Mongolia's socio-political and legal context do not effectively ensure the preservation of their ways of life and their overall well-being. They lack adequate protection against human rights injustices and remain culturally, linguistically, economically, and politically marginalized, and disadvantaged as compared with their ethnic majority counterparts in Mongolia.
In relation to sexuality minorities - lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons - discrimination is endemic in the public, private and non-governmental sectors and encompasses the police and the judiciary, health-care services, education, the housing sector and the media. So prolific is the level of prejudice within Mongolian society that few LGBT persons have escaped some degree of harassment and/or violence when their sexual orientation and/or gender identity has become known. Sexuality minorities suffer discrimination due to being perceived as not conforming to dominant notions of male/female gender identity and heteronormativity and are routinely victims of hate crimes.
People living with HIV/AIDS are stigmatised within Mongolia society and accordingly have been subject to ongoing human rights violations since the first case of HIV was reported in Mongolia. They are subject to discrimination in employment and in the health sector, enjoy no privacy protection, and are routinely blamed for contracting the disease are told they deserve it.
Sex workers also suffer stigmatisation despite the majority being forced into sex work as a result of difficult socio-economic circumstances, such as poverty and unemployment. Sex workers routinely are victims of verbal and physical abuse, are at risk of trafficking for forced sexual labour, and suffer physical and sexual violence when detained by police.
The national minorities' UPR working group is calling on the Government of Mongolia to address a series of recommendations made by each group aimed at putting an end to the human rights violations they face and ensuring that Mongolia's stated commitment to the upholding of universal human rights principles is upheld in both word and deed, and that a truly free and democratic society is guaranteed for all citizens.
S.Batbayar
The report--to be jointly submitted by the Arular Association of Kazakh Women, the Itgel Foundation, the Mongolian LGBT Centre and the National AIDS Foundation--focuses on the rights of Kazakhs and Dukha (Tsaatan) ethnic minorities, sexuality minorities, people living with HIV/AIDS and sex workers.
Their report documents widespread societal and institutional discrimination against these particular minority groups within Mongolian society. While each group is distinct in its area of representation, there is commonality among them in terms of a lack of acceptance within the broader society, a lack of recognition of each group's rights and basic freedoms, ongoing systematic discrimination and human rights violations, a lack of institutional and/or legislative protections, a lack of political will to implement existing legal protection frameworks, and a lack of redress mechanisms.
In relation to Kazakh and Dukha people, although they are native-born and have citizenship rights and associated protections afforded them under the law, Mongolia's socio-political and legal context do not effectively ensure the preservation of their ways of life and their overall well-being. They lack adequate protection against human rights injustices and remain culturally, linguistically, economically, and politically marginalized, and disadvantaged as compared with their ethnic majority counterparts in Mongolia.
In relation to sexuality minorities - lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons - discrimination is endemic in the public, private and non-governmental sectors and encompasses the police and the judiciary, health-care services, education, the housing sector and the media. So prolific is the level of prejudice within Mongolian society that few LGBT persons have escaped some degree of harassment and/or violence when their sexual orientation and/or gender identity has become known. Sexuality minorities suffer discrimination due to being perceived as not conforming to dominant notions of male/female gender identity and heteronormativity and are routinely victims of hate crimes.
People living with HIV/AIDS are stigmatised within Mongolia society and accordingly have been subject to ongoing human rights violations since the first case of HIV was reported in Mongolia. They are subject to discrimination in employment and in the health sector, enjoy no privacy protection, and are routinely blamed for contracting the disease are told they deserve it.
Sex workers also suffer stigmatisation despite the majority being forced into sex work as a result of difficult socio-economic circumstances, such as poverty and unemployment. Sex workers routinely are victims of verbal and physical abuse, are at risk of trafficking for forced sexual labour, and suffer physical and sexual violence when detained by police.
The national minorities' UPR working group is calling on the Government of Mongolia to address a series of recommendations made by each group aimed at putting an end to the human rights violations they face and ensuring that Mongolia's stated commitment to the upholding of universal human rights principles is upheld in both word and deed, and that a truly free and democratic society is guaranteed for all citizens.
S.Batbayar
