The Human Truth Foundation

Human Rights and Freedom in Uganda

https://www.humantruth.info/uganda_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2019

#antisemitism #uganda #uganda_antisemitism

Uganda
Republic of Uganda

[Country Profile Page]
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index135th best
LocationAfrica
Population42.7m1
Life Expectancy62.70yrs (2017)2

Uganda is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Uganda comes in the best 20 in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice3 (amongst the best in Africa). It does better than average when it comes to speed of uptake of HR treaties4, its nominal commitment to Human Rights5 and in freethought6. But, things could still be better. Uganda does worse than average in terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports7, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms8 (still good for Africa), supporting press freedom9, opposing gender inequality10 (still good for Africa) and in LGBT equality11. 'The government of President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, continues to violate free association, expression, and assembly rights'12.


1. Uganda's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Africa (2020)13
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank13
1S. Africa56.1
2Seychelles66.7
3Namibia69.4
...
11Tunisia91.6
12Kenya92.4
13Niger93.8
14Uganda94.2
15Lesotho94.8
16=Botswana94.8
17Mozambique94.9
18Gabon95.2
19Benin95.7
Africa Avg108.2
q=54.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)13
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank13
1Sweden9.0
2Norway14.5
3Denmark14.5
...
102Niger93.8
103Monaco93.8
104Belize93.9
105Uganda94.2
106Lesotho94.8
107=Sri Lanka94.8
107=Botswana94.8
109Mozambique94.9
World Avg87.9
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark14. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu14.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe14, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia14.

For more, see:

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Uganda stated:

Ugandan authorities continued to criminalize protest without legal basis. The state used preventive detention and criminal charges to deter criticism and the authorities ordered the closure of an LGBTI umbrella rights group. The president gave district security committees greater powers to authorize evictions, increasing the risk of forced evictions. Plans to construct the East African Crude Oil Pipeline threatened to harm the environment and adversely impact communities’ livelihoods and health. The country hosted almost 1.5 million refugees, with 100,000 arriving in 2022.

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)15

Protests over constitutional amendments that would entrench the power of the ruling elites–one to remove the presidential age limit, allowing Museveni to run for office in 2021, and another to dramatically ease government´s ability to acquire land without meaningful advance consultation and adequate compensation–met with heavy-handed partisan response from police. Security officials´ continue to use excessive use of force with impunity.

The police unjustifiably block, restrict, and disperse peaceful assemblies and demonstrations by opposition groups, relying on the vague and overbroad 2013 Public Order Management Act (POMA). [...]

The government refused to investigate the conduct of its forces during military and police operations at the palace compound of the region´s cultural institution and other locations in Kasese, western Uganda from November 26 to 27, 2016. Over 100 civilians were killed including at least 15 children. [...]

Police and prosecutors consistently failed to investigate cases of illegal detention and torture of suspects and did not charge a single security personnel under Uganda´s Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act.

Human Rights Watch and other organizations have documented numerous instances of mistreatment and torture, particularly in Nalufenya police post in Jinja, eastern Uganda over several years.

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)12

2. Human Rights & Tolerance

2.1. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments
Higher is better7
Pos.2017
Score7
1=UK9
1=France9
1=Germany9
...
78Azerbaijan-5
79=China-5
79=Cambodia-5
79=Uganda-5
79=S. Sudan-5
79=Zimbabwe-5
79=Bahrain-5
79=Venezuela-5
Africa Avg-5.6
World Avg-1.9
q=123.
Uganda comes 78th in the world regarding commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

2.2. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better5
Pos.2009
Treaties5
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
...
48S. Korea20
49=Panama20
49=New Zealand20
51Uganda19
52=Colombia19
52=Switzerland19
52=UK19
52=Venezuela19
Africa Avg14.8
World Avg15.1
q=194.
Uganda comes 51st in the world in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

2.3. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better4
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty4
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
...
43Rwanda6.83
44Sri Lanka6.91
45Syria7.02
46Uganda7.03
47Mauritius7.09
48Australia7.31
49Brazil7.36
50Guinea7.43
Africa Avg9.88
World Avg10.02
q=195.
Uganda ranks 46th in the world in terms of speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

2.4. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
Lower is better8
Pos.2014
Rank8
1Hong Kong1
2Switzerland2
3New Zealand3
...
97Ecuador97
98Kyrgyzstan98
99Tanzania99
100Uganda100
101=Philippines101
101=Honduras101
103Zambia103
104=Mozambique103
Africa Avg114.2
World Avg79.7
q=159.
Uganda comes 100th in the world regarding supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]

The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]

Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.

"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)16

2.5. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom
Lower is better9
Pos.20139
1Finland638
2Netherlands648
3Norway652
...
100Lebanon3015
101Albania3088
102Maldives3110
103Uganda3169
104Peru3187
105Kyrgyzstan3220
106Fiji3269
107Brazil3275
Africa Avg3511
World Avg3249
q=178.
Uganda ranks 103rd in the world when it comes to supporting press freedom.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index17

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

The government consistently uses a variety of laws to curtail media freedom and free expression. Government regulatory bodies, particularly the Uganda Communications Commission, applies laws and broadcasting guidelines selectively to arbitrarily shut down radio stations and curtail speech critical of the president or the government. [...]

Journalists, at times, were interrogated and faced charges of criminal defamation, which remains law, despite a 2014 ruling from the African Court on Human and People´s Rights that such laws are an unnecessary restriction on free expression.

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)12

2.6. Slavery

#burundi #eritrea #france #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery
Lower is better
18
Pos.2018
% Victims18
1Japan0.03
2=Canada0.05
2=Taiwan0.05
...
132Guinea-Bissau0.75
133=Madagascar0.75
133=Malawi0.75
135Uganda0.76
136=Timor-Leste (E. Timor)0.77
136=Philippines0.77
136=Libya0.77
136=Nigeria0.77
Africa Avg0.96
World Avg0.65
q=167.
Uganda comes 135th in the world regarding eliminating modern slavery.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory19. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends20. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life21. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves22.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery23. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity24. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.25. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi26, Eritrea26, Indonesia27) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery28.

For more, see:

3. Gender Equality

Uganda is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
10
Pos.201510
1Switzerland0.04
2Denmark0.04
3Netherlands0.04
...
118Iran0.51
119Bangladesh0.52
120Senegal0.52
121Uganda0.52
122Sao Tome & Principe0.52
123Iraq0.53
124Zambia0.53
125India0.53
Africa Avg0.54
World Avg0.36
q=159.
(still good for Africa)In terms of opposing gender inequality, Uganda comes 121st in the world.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

3.2. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.0
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
133=Paraguay1961
133=Sierra Leone1961
135Zambia1962
136=Uganda1962
136=Monaco1962
136=Algeria1962
139Morocco1963
140=Iran1963
Africa Avg1961
World Avg1930
q=189.
Uganda is 135th in the world in terms of the year from which women could participate in democracy.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

4. Prejudice

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #israel #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions
Lower is better
3
Pos.2014
%3
1Laos0
2Philippines3
3Sweden4
...
19=Singapore16
19=Nigeria16
19=Iceland16
19=Uganda16
23Jamaica18
24=India20
24=Ireland20
24=Italy20
Africa Avg45.9
World Avg36.8
q=101.
(amongst the best in Africa)In terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, Uganda comes 19th-best in the world.

Anti-Semitism is the world given to irrational racism against Jews. It is not the same as anti-Judaism (involving arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews29,30,31,32. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were widespread violent outbursts against Jews of the most persistent and horrible kind. The Crusades were frequently aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East33, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews34,35. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"36. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males37.

For more, see:

4.2. LGBT Equality

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

Homosexuality is illegal and LGBT supporters are "effectively criminalized" by other vague laws12, fostering a culture of needless intolerance. The Lonely Planet series of travel books is normally overwhelmingly positive about every country is describes, but in the case of Uganda they bemourn the fact that "anti-gay sentiments have cast a shadow on the otherwise positive tourism picture"38. The "cruel, inhuman, and degrading" practice of forced anal exams (in order to tell who is a homosexual) continues12.

LGBT Equality
Higher is better
11
Pos.2017
Score11
1Netherlands103
2Belgium90
3Sweden86
...
160=Burundi-20
161Nigeria-22
162=Malawi-22
162=Uganda-22
162=Oman-22
162=Yemen-22
166Turkmenistan-24
167=Lebanon-24
Africa Avg-10.4
World Avg12.6
q=196.
Uganda is positioned 161st in the world when it comes to LGBT equality.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence39. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws40. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries39. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
6
Pos.20216
1=Belgium1.0
1=Netherlands1.0
1=Taiwan1.0
...
97Australia3.0
98=India3.0
98=Guatemala3.0
98=Uganda3.0
98=Ivory Coast3.0
98=Moldova3.0
98=Serbia3.0
98=Cyprus3.0
Africa Avg3.1
World Avg3.0
q=196.
Regarding freethought, Uganda comes 88th in the world.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights41. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish42. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era43 of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted44. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief45. The best countries at doing so are Taiwan, Belgium and The Netherlands6,46 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia6,47.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed48. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief42, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion49 and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"50 and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

5. Freedom of Belief and Religion

#religion_in_uganda #uganda