Musharraf in British magazine’s top 10 list of dictators

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2006/September/subcontinent_September121.xml§ion=subcontinent

ISLAMABAD — Dubbed as a shrewd and skilful manipulator by his political opponents, President General Pervez Musharraf has achieved the dubious distinction of being ranked one of the world’s top 10 dictators.

Kim Jong-il of North Korea and Equatorial Guinea’s alleged cannibalistic ruler Teodoro Obiang Nguema also figure in the dictator’s list compiled by the British weekly magazine New Statesman and featured in its current issue.

“Our top 10 is a selection of men — there are currently no women dictators — who combine a high level of personal power with repressive practices, ranging from Press censorship to fixing elections and, in the case of Equatorial Guinea’s Teodor Obiang Nguema, allegedly cannibalising political opponents,” the report says. According to the magazine, the top five most repressive dictators (for freedom of speech) are: Kim Jong-il (North Korea); Isaias Afewerki (Eritrea); Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenistan); Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Iran); and Senior General Than Shwe (Myanmar). Fidel Castro of Cuba figures in the list along with Hu Jintao of China as the most corrupt dictators.

[NNN0LHI]

1. NYT and WaPo refer to this thug as President Musharraf

:scared:

[ERF]

2. Has there ever been a "woman dictator"?. Naturally there

have been queens, but an actual dictator? Perhaps one could look at Evita as a dictator, but somehow she doesn't really fit the bill based on the politics in Argentina at the time. Can you think of anyone?

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Not Eva Peron (she was never president), perhaps Isabel Peron

Isabel Peron's presidency lasted until 1976 when she was deposed by a military junta led by Jorge Rafael Videla.

During her term in office the country was racked by labour strikes and political violence including hundreds of political murders.

Isabelita failed to win the hearts of the Argentine public. She lived in the shadow of Eva Peron, Juan Peron's second wife.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/29/newsid_2857000/2857121.stm

Gloria Arroyo in the Philippines has had accusations of election rigging, human rights abuses and suppression of legitimate opposition.

[rman]

3. Bush 2nd behind Castro in New Statesman survey

http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/dictators/

The results of the survey so far are as follows:
1. Fidel Castro
2. George W Bush
3. Pervez Musharraf
4. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
5. Joseph Stalin
6. Robert Mugabe
7. Kim Jong-il
8. Adolf Hitler
9. Augusto Pinochet
10. Tony Blair

[allemand]

4. Some quotes from the New Statesman article on Musharraf:

"Musharraf came to power in 1999 after ousting the civilian government of Nawaz Sharif. Sharif had brought the country to its knees: corruption was endemic, ethnic warfare was tearing Pakistan apart, the economy was near collapse."

"After coming to power, Musharraf began implementing an elaborate plan to introduce grassroots democracy. He established regional and city assemblies, promoted the participation of women and peasants, and held elections. He went on to introduce parliamentary democracy and set up a National Assembly. But all this was done, in the true Pakistani military tradition, after he had introduced a few notable constitutional changes. Musharraf's constitutional amendments, the Legal Framework Order (LFO), give him the power to sack prime ministers, dissolve parliaments and make him both head of the army and head of state.Not surprisingly, the National Assembly refused to endorse his amendment. So Musharraf went directly to the voters, who had, by now, warmed to him. A referendum in April 2002 extended his rule for five years."

"Musharraf may be a dictator, but he is strictly not of the tin-pot variety. He has survived two assassination attempts and numerous political upheavals. Under him, Pakistan has achieved high rates of economic growth but he has not accumulated any personal wealth, something that ordinary Pakistanis appreciate. He has also not muzzled the press, which aggressively maintains its independence."

Dictators: Islam's man of action
NS Special Issue
Ziauddin Sardar
Monday 4th September 2006
http://www.newstatesman.com/200609040030

[NNN0LHI]

6. Here is another version. Don't forget Saddam was a swell guy too

As long as he was on our side Saddam could do no wrong. We now have him on trial for things he was doing while he was our good friend. He was never described as a dictator either. He was a "strong-man."

Don


http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/pakistan/summary.do

Pakistan


Human Rights Concerns

Women and Religious Minorities at Risk

Women and religious minorities, including Shi'a Muslims, Ahmadis, and Christians, are routinely subject to discrimination. The government has permitted discriminatory laws to remain on the books, failed to enforce laws prohibiting discrimination, allowed individuals to be arbitrarily detained, and failed to ensure that those responsible for abuses are held to account. In addition, Christians, Shi'a Muslims and Ahmadis, who have been the subject of targeted killings by Islamist groups, have been afforded little protection by the government.

Women

Domestic violence, including physical abuse, rape, acid throwing, burning and "honor" killing, is widespread. Forced marriage of young girls continues to be reported despite a legal minimum age of 16. Although slavery is illegal in Pakistan, girls and women continue to be traded to settle debts or conflicts. Physical abuse of women in custody is rife.

Tribal Justice System

The government has allowed tribal councils, or jirgas, to abuse a wide range of human rights. In rural Pakistan, jirgas are convened to resolve disputes over land, water, breaches of "honor," murder and blood feuds. Jirgas often resolve feuds by ordering an offender to hand over girls and women to the aggrieved party. In cases where a woman is believed to have "dishonored" her family by having a male friend, marrying a man of her choice, or seeking a divorce, jirgas have decided that those involved be killed or otherwise punished. The state does not generally take action when jirga decisions lead to murder, rape or other abuses.

Abuse of Blasphemy Laws

Pakistan's blasphemy laws, while purporting to protect Islam and the religious sensitivities of the Muslim majority are vaguely formulated and arbitrarily enforced by the police and the judiciary. The laws have frequently been abused to imprison people on grounds of religious enmity and have also provided a mechanism through which to have people imprisoned when the real motives are business rivalry, land disputes, or politics.

Children

Children who come into contact with the criminal justice system are routinely denied basic rights to which they are entitled under Pakistani law. Thousands of children have been denied access to bail and remain in prison for months - sometimes years - while awaiting trial under conditions in which they are vulnerable to abuse by police, prison staff or adult prisoners. Children are routinely transported while chained to each other, adult prisoners, or guards. They are frequently held in lockups with adults. Some children have been sentenced to death.