West 'failing to act on human rights crises'

Published on Tuesday 27 May 2008 22:41

WESTERN governments were accused today of failing to tackle human rights abuses.

Amnesty International said administrations seemed "impotent" to combat crises around the globe.

The organisation's annual checklist of human rights outrages showed people are still tortured or ill-treated in at least 81 countries.

Men and women also face unfair trials in at least 54 countries and are denied free speech in at least 77, the annual report said.

Amnesty challenged world leaders to "apologise for six decades of human rights failure" and to make a new commitment to work for improvements.

Irene Khan, Amnesty International's secretary-general, said: "Injustice, inequality and impunity are the hallmarks of our world today. Human rights flashpoints in Darfur, Zimbabwe, Gaza, Iraq and (Burma] demand immediate action.

"Last year was characterised by the impotence of western governments and the ambivalence of emerging powers to tackle some of the world's worst human rights crises, from entrenched conflicts to growing inequalities which are leaving millions of people behind."

The report renewed criticism of the UK for its policy of deportations to unstable countries, secret terror hearings and failing to investigate fully alleged state collusion in killings in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.