Human Rights The fundamental rights and freedoms that all humans should be guaranteed simply because she

or he is a human being are called Human Rights. These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national and international law. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, partly in response to the violence of World War II. The UDHR urges member nations to promote a number of human, civil, economic and social rights, asserting these rights as part of the "foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." The declaration was the first international legal effort to limit the behavior of states and press upon them duties to their citizens following the model of the rights-duty duality. In 2005 the United Nations Human Rights Council was created to replace the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. It has a mandate to investigate violations of human rights. The Human Rights Council is a subsidiary body of the General Assembly and reports directly to it. Major rights that are defined in the UN declaration are: 1. 1. Right to life

The right to life describes the essential right to live, particularly that a human being has the right not to be killed by another human being. 1. 2. Freedom from torture

Torture is prohibited under international law and the domestic laws of most countries in the 21st century. It is considered to be a violation of human rights, and is declared to be unacceptable by Article 5 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 1. 3. Freedom from slavery

Freedom from slavery is an internationally recognized human right. Universal Declaration of Human Rights states it as - No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. 1. 4. Right to a fair trial

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him. The aim of the right is to ensure the proper administration of justice. As a minimum the right to fair trial includes the following fair trial rights in civil and criminal proceedings : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. the the the the the right right right right right to to to to to be heard by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal a public hearing be heard within a reasonable time counsel interpretation

1. 5.

Freedom of speech

Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations, such as on libel, slander, obscenity, incitement to commit a crime, etc. 1. 6. Freedom of thought, conscience and religion

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. Human Rights in China Human rights in the People's Republic of China are a matter of dispute between the Chinese government, other countries, international NGOs, and dissidents inside the country. Organizations have accused the Chinese government of restricting the freedoms of speech, movement, and religion of Chinese citizens. The Chinese government recognizes that there are problems with the current legal system, such as: A lack of laws in general, not just ones to protect civil rights. A lack of due process. Conflicts of law. As judges are appointed by the State and the judiciary as a whole does not have its own budget, this has led to corruption and the abuse of administrative power. Freedom of speech Although the 1982 constitution guarantees freedom of speech,[12] the Chinese government often uses the subversion of state power and the protection of state secret clause to imprison those who are critical of the government.[13] The government is also heavily involved in censoring news even though no state law explicitly gives it such authority. Freedom of the press Critics also argue that the Chinese authorities failed to live up to their promises on press freedom. Foreign journalists also reported that their access to certain websites, including those of human rights organizations, was restricted. Freedom of movement In 1958, Mao set up a residency permit system defining where people could work, and classified an individual as a "rural" or "urban" worker. A worker seeking to move from the country to an urban area to take up non-agricultural work would have to apply through the relevant bureaucracies. The number of workers allowed to make such moves was tightly controlled. Religious freedom Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion. The state protects normal religious activities. No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state. Religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign domination. One-child policy China's birth control policy, known widely as the one-child policy, was implemented in 1979 by the Chinese government to alleviate the overpopulation problem. Having more than one child is illegal and punishable by fines.

Tibetans Tibetans who opposed the diversion of irrigation water by Chinese authorities to the China Gold International Resources mining operations were detained, tortured and murdered. Western politicians often level the charge that the Tibetan languages are at risk of extinction in Tibet Human Rights in India Due to Indias large size and tremendous diversity, its being a developing country and a sovereign, secular, democratic republic, and its history as a former colonial territory the situation of human rights in India is seen as a complex one. The Constitution of India itself has provisions for Fundamental rights, which include freedom of religion, Freedom of Speech and freedom of movement within the country and abroad. However, there have been incidents of Human Rights abuse such as: 1. The occasional reporting of use of torture by police for e.g. during the Punjab insurgency 2. The implication caused by military in states like Kashmir and earlier in some of the north-eastern states wherein the civilian causalities did happen during violent protests or otherwise administration 3. For the first half-century of independence, media control by the state was the major constraint on press freedom which went worse during the time of emergencies and war. 4. Human trafficking has transformed into an illegal business in India. Women and children trafficking from bordering countries Bangladesh and Nepal has been a problem for many years. 5. Religious violence and conflicts between religious groups have been prevalent in India since around the time of its independence from British Rule. Communal riots took place between Hindus/Sikhs and Muslims during the partition of India, the 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots , 1992 Bombay Riots and the 2002 Gujarat violence . 6. In caste related issues, Dalits and STs continue to face discrimination, exclusion, and acts of communal violence. Laws and policies adopted by the Indian government provide a strong basis for protection, but are not being faithfully implemented by local authorities. Conclusion According to the United States Library of Congress, although human rights problems do exist in India, the country is generally not regarded as a human rights concern, unlike other countries in South Asia.[1] Based on these considerations, the 2010 report of Freedom in the World by Freedom House gave India a political rights rating of 2, and a civil liberties rating of 3, earning it the highest possible rating of free[2] In its report on human rights in India during 2010, Human Rights Watch stated India had "significant human rights problems".[3] They identified lack of accountability for security forces and impunity for abusive policing including "police brutality, extrajudicial killings, and torture" as major problems. An independent United Nations expert in 2011 expressed concern that she found human rights workers and their families who "have been killed, tortured, ill-treated, disappeared, threatened, arbitrarily arrested and detained, falsely charged and under surveillance because of their legitimate work in upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms.