STATE DEPT REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHT PRACTICES OF UAE-Released 3/8/06

[kpete]

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE

United Arab Emirates

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 8, 2006


The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven semi-autonomous emirates, with an estimated resident population of 4.5 million, of which only 21 percent are citizens. The seven emirate rulers constitute the Federal Supreme Council, the highest legislative and executive body. The Council selects a president and vice president from its membership; the president, in turn, appoints the prime minister and cabinet. In November 2004 the Council selected Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi Emirate, as head of state for a five-year term. Traditional rule in the emirates generally is patriarchal, with political allegiance defined in terms of loyalty to the tribal leaders, to the leaders of the individual emirates, and to the leaders of the federation. There are no democratically elected institutions or political parties. There are no general elections; however, citizens may express their concerns directly to their leaders through traditional consultative mechanisms, such as the open majlis, or council. A consultative body, the Federal National Council (FNC), consists of 40 advisors appointed by emirate rulers for two-year terms. The civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces.

The government's respect for human rights remained problematic. The following human rights problems exist or were reported:


• no citizens' right to change the government and no popularly elected representatives of any kind
• flogging as judicially sanctioned punishment
• arbitrary detention
• incommunicado detention permitted by law
• questionable independence of the judiciary
• restrictions on civil liberties--freedom of speech and of the press, and assembly
• restrictions on right of association, particularly for human rights groups
• restrictions on religious freedom
• domestic abuse of women, sometimes enabled by police
• trafficking in women and children
• legal and societal discrimination against women and noncitizens
• corruption and lack of government transparency
• abuse of foreign domestic servants
• restrictions on and abuses of workers' rights.

tons more at:
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61701.htm

[Turbineguy]

1. Hmmmm.......

that place sounds kinda "Republican" to me.

[mom cat]

2. That reminds me a lot of another country thats name starts with "U".

I'll remember it shortly.

[Earth_First]

3. ends with -ited?

Rhymes with "dates"?

[mom cat]

4. And something about "error-ca?" Damn, it is right on the tip of my

frontal lobe. :evilgrin:

[mdmc]

5. uae

[mdmc]

6. kick