MaximsNewsNetwork: US AIR DRONES HUMAN RIGHTS in PAKISTAN & AFGHANISTAN

MaximsNewsNetwork: 27 October 2009 - UNTV - United Nations: Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Philip Alston says that the use by the United States of unmanned drone aircraft in Pakistan and Afghanistan may be in violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

A top United Nations human rights official today (27 October) sharply criticized those governments who refuse to allow independent investigations into alleged human rights violations.
Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions Philip Alston expressed concern over the use by the United States of unmanned drone aircraft in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which he said may well violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law."
He added that the onus is on the government of the United States to demonstrate that extrajudicial executions are not in fact being carried out through the use of these weapons and lamented that the US government has so far failed to cooperate with the Human Rights Council in this matter.
Turning to Sri Lanka and allegations that its forces carried out extrajudicial executions against ethnic Tamils after a video depicting the killings surfaced on British television, the Special Rapporteur said that if the video appears to reasonably be authentic an independent investigation must be conducted.

Alston, who recently visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, said that the work of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African nation is going to become increasingly unsustainable unless it can demonstrate that its taking a much stronger line in relation to allegations of human rights violations.
He added that the machinery that its currently in place is not at all adequate.
Regarding the Goldstone Report which alleges that Israel committed international humanitarian law and international human rights law violations during its Gaza offensive in January, Alston said that when allegations reach a certain threshold it is not sustainable for a government to say either, we are not going to investigate, or we are going to appoint some friends of the army to investigate.
He pointed out that Israel has for many years refused to welcome an official visit by the Rapporteur.

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• US unmanned drone aircraft
• Pakistan
• Afghanistan
• international human rights law
• humanitarian law
• Philip Alston
• MaximsNews Network
• UN Human Rights Council
• Sri Lanka
• DR Congo
• Goldstone report
• Israel

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