Human Rights Society feels the absence of govt support

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Public benefit associations make efforts in humanitarian issues of various kinds

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 3: The public benefit associations concerned with human rights, have made great efforts in the recent past towards humanitarian issues of various kinds, reports Al-Qabas daily.

These associations have achieved limited success in a small number of cases in spite of the obstacles they had to endure such as the lack of financial support and weak participation in the activities of these associations.

On the other hand, these societies have faced overwhelming criticism in the area of their work, especially since many of the issues they have adopted over the past few years remains stagnant because the progress is slow and limited.

While some associations have received financial perks and moral support from the government others had to suffice with only moral support which sometimes makes it difficult for them to achieve their goals. Several members of human rights societies in Kuwait have expressed their views on the current situation and highlighted the issues adopted over the past years as well as the pending issues.

“The human rights organizations registered at and approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor under Law No. 24 of 1962 say their role is governed by its statute, monitored by the ministry and they also follow the instructions of the ministry,” according to a human rights activist attorney Athra’a Al-Rifaei. She pointed out the activities of human rights societies are not satisfactory and “we have to provide more support for them and appeal to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Social Affairs to help us build our headquarters to do our work to serve the community.”

Rights
She added the Human Rights Society was established in 1961 with a purpose to stand by the government to look into the human rights grievances and help them exercise their rights without their rights being violated to see that they are not deprived of anything, discriminated against and provide support and guidance.

She stressed the human rights work in general, and the Human Rights Society in particular feels the absence of government support for civilian institutions She pointed out the social partnership under which the societies are established are declining because of personal interference and taking up top positions to achieve political goals which negatively affects the role of human rights societies. For his part, Vice-President of the Liberal Freedom Society Anwar Al-Rashed said Kuwait is one of the most active countries in the field of human rights.

“This is evidenced by Kuwait embracing two human rights societies, the Kuwaiti Human Rights Society and the Human Rights Association. This is in addition to the presence of dozens of activists who are active in this field. “This is in addition to holding seminars and human rights workshops, as well as the existence of a school, although informal, teaching human rights,” Al- Rashed said.

“In spite of efforts of Kuwait in the field of human rights, which show the situation is wonderful, this does not mean rights are not being violated, especially in the case of the ‘bedoun file’ and the ‘women’s file’ Al-Rashed added. He pointed out the file of freedoms is also bloating. The number of prisoners of opinion is more than 30. They were put behind bars for expressing their opinion which is guaranteed by Articles 36 and 37 of the Constitution, irrespective whether we agree or not, because at the end of the day it was just an opinion, not action.

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