adminsecurity forces during a crackdown on anti-government protests.
“We have been following with great concern the reports of human rights violations in the context of last week’s anti-government demonstrations in Malawi,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“We call on the government to stop the use of force and urge prompt, impartial and transparent investigations into these allegations of grave human rights violations,” she added. At least 18 people were killed during the anti-government demonstrations. The call by the human rights body has shocked analysts, who view it as double standards since the world body has not called for similar probes on the UK and US governments, which recently suspended budgetary aid to the Southern African nation.
Britain, the former coloniser suspended aid to Malawi after a diplomatic tiff, which saw the two nations expelling each other’s envoys, when the British diplomat criticised Malawian president Bingu wa Mutharika. The United States suspended aid to Malawi this week, citing the handling of the anti-government protests.
In 2010, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon flew to Malawi after two gay men had been imprisoned. President wa Mutharika pardoned them during the Secretary General’s visit, a move that was believed to have been influenced by London and Washington. – AFP-Herald.
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