KUWAIT CITY, March 30: The human rights situation in Kuwait drastically deteriorated in 2010 when the country faced a series of human rights problems, including the government’s violation of the people’s freedom of expression and gathering by clamping down on peaceful demonstrations, says the Kuwait Human Rights Society (KHRS).

In a press statement Wednesday, the society pointed out that visa trading, violation of the rights of expatriate workers and abuse are still rampant in spite of the implementation of the new labor law for the private sector (6/2010), which stipulates rights and conditions better than that of the previous law (38/1964).
The society also highlighted the fact that the situation of Bedouns has remained the same, despite the establishment of a new agency to handle their affairs under the direct supervision of the Cabinet. The Central System for Remedying the Status of Illegal Residents (CSRSIR), headed by former lawmaker Saleh Yousef Al-Fadhalah, studied Bedoun files in 2010 and agreed on the need to find lasting solutions to the problems of these people. Due to its recommendations, the concerned authorities have stepped up efforts to close the Bedoun file in the next five years.

Recommendations
Recommendations of the Planning Committee, which resulted in the formation of the CSRSIR, included granting citizenship to those listed in the 1965 census based on the 1959 Citizenship Law and the subsequent amendments. The committee also proposed that those not included in the 1965 Census must be given priority for employment in the public sector, after Kuwaitis and ahead of the expatriates. It also stressed the need to grant Bedouns access to free education and health services, in addition to the issuance of important documents like birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates.
However, the concerned human rights bodies are still waiting for the implementation of these recommendations to solve the problems of Bedouns. The government must grant them their basic rights, such as indefinite stay in the country, healthcare in public hospitals and clinics, driving license, travel documents, and work in the public and oil sectors with indemnity.
The society added the amendments on the Audio-Visual, Press and Publication laws did not improve press freedom in Kuwait, arguing the amendments even reinforced penalties, including imprisonment for expression of opinion.

Promulgated
The Women Affairs Committee at the National Assembly has promulgated the Housing Law for women, making it easy for them to get proper accommodation. However, the executive bylaws have yet to be completed. The law should clearly specify the beneficiaries, including widows, divorcees, single mothers, those who have never married and wives of foreigners. Other rights of women include civil, employment and promotion, because they suffer a lot in terms of promotion compared to their male counterparts.
Many human rights organizations have visited prisons, police stations, juvenile centers, elderly homes and psychiatric hospitals.

They discovered that the institutions lack basic amenities. The prisons do not have basic infrastructure suitable for human beings, especially the kitchen and toilet. The prisoners live in a deplorable condition inside cells. The society asked the Interior Ministry to act fast to avoid keeping suspects for a long period in the detention centers.

The officers should undergo training on the right treatment of inmates in line with the constitutional provisions, international human rights declaration, as well as relevant international treaties and protocols.
The elderly and juvenile homes should have the required facilities to ensure the residents enjoy adequate healthcare, food and empathy of the officials in charge.