Human Right Abuses

Genocide• The United Nations has defined Genocide as "any of the following

acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such:

– Killing members of the group; – Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the

group; – Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated

to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; – Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the

group; – and forcibly transferring children of the group to another

group."

Treatment of Native Americans

• Cortez (conquered Aztecs) and Pissarro (conquered Incas) killed millions of native Americans with better technology (guns) and disease (smallpox), then forced them to work on encomienda plantations.

Enslavement of Africans – African Diaspora• Imported to replace Native American labor.• Millions die in Middle Passage

What was done about it?• Slavery made illegal at European

Congress of Vienna – 1814• Americans emancipate slaves in

1860s during Civil War

Imperialism – 19th century

• 1885-1900s – native Congo by King Leopold of Belgium 3 to 30 million. Famous for cutting off their hands if they did not collect enough rubber.

White Man’s Burden - Kipling

• Take up the White Man's burden-- – Send forth the best ye

breed-- • Go, bind your sons to exile

– To serve your captive's need; • To wait, in heavy harness,

– On fluttered folk and wild-- • Your new-caught sullen

peoples, – Half devil and half child. …

The 19th century term “White Man’s Burden” reflects the idea that

A. Asians and Africans were equal to Europeans B. Asians and Africans would be grateful for

European help C. imperialism was opposed by most Europeans D. Europeans had a responsibility to improve the

lives of the colonial peoples

The phrase “White Man’s burden” in this excerpt refers to the

E. negative attitude of Europeans toward peoples of the non-Western world

F. advantages Europeans would gain by colonizing Africa, Asia, and Latin America

G. positive role of the Roman Catholic Church in Africa and Asia

H. challenges non-Europeans faced when trading with the Europeans

South African Apartheid• Apartheid – institutionalized separation of Blacks from

Political, Economic and Social Power.• People of color (blacks and Indians) are required to carry

pass cards.• Nelson Mandela will use Gandhi’s non-violent protests

against the white majority – will be imprisoned for 28 years.

What was done about it? • UN puts economic sanctions on South Africa – refuse to

trade with them.• Nelson Mandela, President of the African National Congress (ANC), casting

the ballot in his country's first all-race elections, in April 1994• ANC won 2/3 of seats in legislature.• Despite political gains – still economic and social inequality

• Which statement best characterizes the period of apartheid in South Africa?

A. the majority of the population had the right to vote B. the Boers attempted to conquer Nigeria C. many racist ideas of the ruling minority were adopted into laws D. French was declared the official language of the nation

Armenian Massacre1915

•During WW1 – Ottoman Empire Disarmed the Armenians in the army, place them into labor battalions and then kill them.

• On April 24, 1915, the Armenian political and intellectual leaders were gathered and killed.

• The rest of the men, and the women and children were marched off to concentration camps in the desert. Here, they would starve and thirst to death in the burning sun. Prisoners were starved, beaten, raped and murdered by unmerciful guards.

What was done about it?• Nothing – Hitler will use it to justify

his slaughter of the Jews• Turkey never forced to recognize it.

Armenians Christians lived in north/eastern Turkey – Muslim Turks had overtaken territory and restricted Armenians to live in “millets” – segregated religious communities

Nazi Holocaust• Einsatzgruppen – special strike force created to round up all Polish Jews

and concentrate them in Ghettos – mobile group, but deemed inefficient

• Created death camps – Treblinka, Auschwitz, etc. using Zyklon B (hydrogen cyanide) in gas chambers. At Auschwitz – 70% were killed automatically

• 90% of Jewish population of Baltic Countries and Germany were exterminated

• Others also exterminated 6 million – homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics, Gypsies, Slavs, mentally retarded (despite his sister being so).

What was done about it?• Nuremberg Trials held to hold those who were guilty of abuses

accountable – some imprisoned, some put to death.• United Nations formed to protect human rights of all individuals

Pol Pot’s Killing Fields• Khmer Rouge were guerrilla fighters in

Cambodia who supplied Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Cong (communist).

• After America left Vietnam, Pol Pot became leader (1975-9) of Khmer Rouge and began an extermination of “western” ideas. Genocide of over 1 million intellectuals

• Schools were closed and reopened as torture chambers and “killing fields”. Pictures of victims taken prior to killing them. 30% of Cambodia’s population killed.

Pol Pot’s Year Zero

• Closed cities – forced people to work in fields.• Closed banking institutions, hospitals, stores.• Ended religion.• People forced to work 12-14 hr. per day• Planted 10 million land mines – one for every

person.

Rwanda Crisis in Africa• Tutsis and Hutus – over 2,000 years same

culture, single religion, common religious beliefs, dances, etc.

• 18th c. rulers began categorizing people into those who were wealthy – Tutsi (rich in cattle) and Hutu (subordinate).

• Marriage within tribe created genetic characteristics: Tutsi are tall and thin; Hutus are shorter and stronger.

• When Belgians made it a colony, gave jobs and prominence to richer and better educated Tutsis.

• 1961 – Rwanda gains independence.• Hutus make up 80% of population and had political

control.• March 1994 – Government gives firearms and

machetes to Hutu population and told to kill the Tutsis. Given food if they did. 1 million Tutsis killed in 100 days.

What was done about it?• UN is still putting people

on trial.• Created a museum to

remember victims by• Movie Hotel Rwanda

brings international attention to problem.

The stability of many African nations continues to be threatened by the

A. spread of Animism among the people B. ethnic and tribal loyalties of the people C. use of command economies D. establishment of labor unions

Sudan - Africa•British and Egyptians rule Sudan jointly

•Muslim Egypt in North; Christian British in South.

• 1953 – grant Sudan independence.

• Coups and civil war.

• Colonel Nimeiry instituted Islamic law in 1983 – Koran rule of law.

What was done about it?•2011 – broke into two separate countries

Sudan Slave Trade• Fighters in civil war are not

paid, Islamic govt. encouraged Janjaweed Arab Militia to take slaves as payment.

• Christian Women and children taken.

• Government say not a bad practice; similar to traditional tribal practices.

• Street children rounded up to “donate” kidneys.