UN Experts Criticize Arizona Law

UN experts says Arizona law violates international human rights treaty

By The Associated Press
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 -- 9:16 am
Arizona's new law on illegal immigration could violate international standards that are binding in the United States, six U.N. human rights
experts said Tuesday.

The basic human rights regulations, signed by the U.S. and many other nations, regard issues such as discrimination and the terms under which a person can be detained, the experts said.

"A disturbing pattern of legislative activity hostile to ethnic minorities and immigrants has been established with the adoption of an immigration
law that may allow for police action targeting individuals on the basis
of their perceived ethnic origin," the experts said.

Arizona's new sweeping law targeting illegal immigration has provisions that include requiring police enforcing another law to question a person
about his or her immigration status, if there is "reasonable suspicion"
that the person is in the United States illegally. It also makes it a
state crime to be in the country illegally.

In America, critics have said the law violates the U.S. Constitution's provisions against unreasonable search and seizure and will result in racial profiling of
Hispanics. Supporters deny that and say the law will pressure illegal
immigrants to leave the country on their own.

In their statement, the six U.N. experts said: "States are required to respect and ensure the human rights of all persons subject to their jurisdiction, without discrimination."

"Relevant international standards require that detention be used only as an exceptional measure, justified, narrowly tailored and proportional in each individual case,
and that it be subject to judicial review," the experts said.

The law could result in potential discrimination against Mexicans, indigenous peoples and other minorities in Arizona, the U.N. officials
said.

They also said they are concerned about the enactment of a law prohibiting Arizona school programs featuring the histories and cultures of ethnic minorities because everyone has the right to learn
about his own cultural and linguistic heritage.

The six U.N. human rights experts, who are unpaid, are

_Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants Jorge Bustamante of Mexico;

_Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Githu Muigai of Kenya;

_Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people James Anaya of the United States;

_Independent Expert in the field of cultural rights Farida Shaheed of Pakistan;

_Special Rapporteur on the right to education Vernor Munos Villalobos of Costa Rica; and

_Independent Expert on minority issues Gay McDougall of the United States.

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0511/experts-arizona-law-violates-inter...

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Comment by Nikki on May 11, 2010 at 11:01pm: Wow Gary, that bandanna has been around, I can see why you treasure it. I have met many Buddhists here in Calif esp back in my vegetarian days. It's a good philosophy to live by. The photo of you and Anita is...groovy! Just love the 70s hair and clothes. She sounds like she was a very special lady who had a tremendous impact on your life.

Comment by Gary Jones on May 11, 2010 at 6:30pm: Ok Nikki. The Bandana story:
I am a Buddhist. I have been for over 37 years.
Introduced to the philosophy by my first wife.
When I lived in Beverly Hills, a Priest gave me the
bandana, as I had admired it. He was Japanese.
It has been worn painting water towers in Chicago,
Caving in Missouri, climbing out of the Grand Canyon,
Horseback riding in Virginia City Nevada, hang gliding
in Monument Valley, beach combing in the Florida Keys,
running in Boston, searching for driftwood in Arizona,
Climbing on Mt. St. Helens, swinging a hammer in Kansas,
the demolition of the King Dome in Seattle...
That's just a few that come to the top shelf in memory's.
I was one of the first non-conformists in Hollywoodland,
to carry a "Man Bag". I have always carried a bag since then.
That bandana is always in it, waiting for appropriate times.
This picture is from the same year it was given to me. 1973.
That is my first wife with me. She has passed on now...
But she is with me always. Much of who I became, was her
influence. Those years are my focus now, before the world
went PC, and lost all sense of morals, values and reason.
I have been around a bit. I get bored with places and things.
And, once proven successful at a task, I tend to move along...
Few possessions remain from my past. The bandana is one.
I would like to share a treasured photo with you.
Picture taken 1973, West Hollywood, CA. Gary and wife, Anita.

Comment by fireguy on May 11, 2010 at 4:33pm: Don't buy into the lies of the "UN Human Rights" Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to the UN we have no rights except the ones that the UN grants and therefore can take away.

This is in direct opposition to our God Given Inalienable Rights that cannot be taken away.

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 26.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 28.
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.
((3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 30.
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
The UN giveth and the UN will take away whatever it decides, you deserve or don't deserve, based on how, you support or don't support, the "purposes and principles of the United Nations".

Comment by Nikki on May 11, 2010 at 4:33pm: Great rant, Gary. Regardless of how we feel about Arizona, the blue hat 'experts' need to stay out of it.
Tell us about your 'antique'.

Comment by Gary Jones on May 11, 2010 at 3:46pm: I have an Interesting "Antique".
You will never see such a thing again.
It is 30 years old.

Comment by Gary Jones on May 11, 2010 at 3:11pm: I have distinct feelings regarding immigration.
It has come down to "too little, too late".
To even target RANDOM people is not right.
But being the business boot licking country
we have become, the solution was never
enacted. If employers had been held responsible
for hiring Illegals in the first place, it would
have never been a problem to begin with.
One stiff fine, then shuttered doors if a second
instance occurred. That never happened.
Cheap labor means higher profits. Then the
entire work/salary base is driven down through
competition. Illegal competition for those jobs.
People are basically right. No one really wants
to do those jobs, for the money offered.
But the money offered would have been a lot
more competitive, had there been no cheap
desperate laborers invited to force it down.
There are many operations, who never used
Illegal workers. They still seem to be in business.
Their profit line is not obscene, but they did
not contribute to the problem either.
For the past 30 years or so, having an Illegal
cut your grass, watch your kids, swing a
hammer, serve you food, all made economic sense.
Even our revered politicians had a "Nanny"
hidden in the basement. It was common.
Both sides of the isle. Probably still is.
But about 15 years ago, things shifted.
Sending materials to Asia for assembly,
then shipping a finished product back,
raised their profit line exponentially.
Instead of paying 5-6 bucks an hour under
the table to illegal workers, they could get
comparable results for $1.00 a day in Asia.
Legally. They of course, took the low road.
Now both the worker and consumer get screwed.
Legally. Love it when they lean on that fact.
When your pre-bribed buddies write the laws,
it works out pretty good for you.
So we now enjoy lead in the only affordable
toys, and poison flavor enhancers in our
beverages. And when caught, guess who gets to
put the fines in their leaky pockets?
The good 'ol boys of course.
To spend as they see fit.
Because we are ignorant sheep.
In their opinion at least.
And their opinion carries a lot more weight,
than yours does. Sorry, Just a rant.