Human Rights in the News

HRW -- HRW Report on Human Rights in Columbia Released
Human Rights Watch has released a report on the human rights situation in Columbia. The article notes that paramilitaries are the main obstacle to progress, particularly because they have been engaged in "mafia-style" agreements with many government officials. President Uribe's majority party has often been an obstacle, however, engaging in often baseless attacks against members of Columbia's Supreme Court.

NYT -- Franco-era Mass Grave to be Opened
A Spanish Judge has ordered that a mass grave, which is believed to be the site of poet Federico Garcia Lorca's body, be opened as part of an investigation. According to the article, however, "[Lorca's] family... believes the reputed grave should remain intact as a testimony to the atrocities committed there."

Newsweek -- Ethnic Tensions Endure Under Government Controlled Jaffna
Security concerns has moved the Sri Lankan government to impose large restrictions on freedom of movement in Jaffna, a Tamil majority area in the north. Tamils claim they are under constant suspicion, and many have "disappeared".