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SARS-CoV-2 has killed Western-style human rights and democracy

5/4/20


During the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, human rights violations including censorship, discrimination, arbitrary detention, xenophobia were reported from different parts of the world, of course including America and European countries. Let see how the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has killed Western-style human rights and democracy.
This might sound like a strange issue to raise when the national priority is – understandably – how to stop the spread of coronavirus, treat the sick and tackle the hit to the economy. The response to an epidemic has the potential to affect the human rights of millions of people. First and foremost is the right to health, but there are several other rights at stake too.
“Censorship, discrimination and arbitrary detention have no place in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic,” said Nicholas Bequelin, Regional Director at Amnesty International. “Human rights violations hinder, rather than facilitate, responses to public health emergencies, and undercut their efficiency.”
In response to the virus, many countries have closed their doors to those travelling from China or other Asian countries, while others have imposed strict quarantine measures.
The Australian government has sent hundreds of Australians to an immigration detention centre on Christmas Island, where treatment conditions were previously described as “inhumane” by the Australian Medical Association because of the mental and physical suffering that occurred when refugees were detained there.
Papua New Guinea has closed its borders to people from all other Asian countries, not limited to those with confirmed cases of the coronavirus. This has left some Papua New Guinean students stranded in the Philippines after they were blocked from boarding a flight home on the instruction of the Papua New Guinea authorities.
Quarantines, which restrict the right to freedom of movement, may be justified under international law only if they are proportionate, time bound, undertaken for legitimate aims, strictly necessary, voluntary wherever possible and applied in a non-discriminatory way. Quarantines must be imposed in a safe and respectful manner. The rights of those under quarantine must be respected and protected, including ensuring access to health care, food and other necessities.
Governments must prevent disinformation and provide timely and accurate health guidance. However, any restrictions on freedom of expression must be proportionate, legitimate and necessary.
“Governments are facing a challenging situation and must take measures both to prevent the spread of the coronavirus while ensuring that affected people have access to the health care they need,” said Nicholas Bequelin.
The response to the outbreak has been discouraging. The main tool has been brute isolation and quarantine, not just in China and other Asian countries but also in the West like United States, European countries, etc.
But fear has not only infected medical responses to the current outbreak—it has come at a time when fear has already defined politics in many places. The rise of far-right populist movements, led by stand-alone demagogues who question the international rules-based system, hampers country cooperation. Those same politicians and their supporters spread misinformation. Still others are capitalizing on the current climate—a new disinformation campaign linked to Russia promotes the conspiracy theory that the United States unleashed the virus.
The international community should support all efforts to end this outbreak, but human rights would be a casualty to the coronavirus crisis. The WHO declares that core principles of human rights and health includes accountability, equality and non-discrimination and participation. It even acknowledges that “participation is important to accountability as it provides … checks and balances which do not allow unitary leadership to exercise power in an arbitrary manner”.
Now amid the epidemic the Western-style human rights and democracy has been killed for people’s health. What a pity for them./.

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All comments [ 4 ]


LawrenceSamuels 5/4/20 22:18

International law is clear that during a time of public health emergency, any restrictions on human rights should be based on legality, necessity, proportionality and grounded in evidence.

For A Peace World 5/4/20 22:23

Now, all ảe ignoring suppression of human rights regarding the outbreak, including severe restrictions on freedom of expression.

Swift Hoodie 5/4/20 22:27

There's no so-called human rights and democracy for all in all situations, it always has exceptions like COVID-19.

Robinson Jones 5/4/20 23:05

Do not be naive to believe in the West, they just say what is good for them. Trust in our government!

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