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In its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011, the US Department of States singled out Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Guyana, Jamaica and Belize for most alleged abuses.
In Haiti, it said most serious human rights problems included alleged abuses by government security forces and representatives of the judiciary, including extrajudicial killings by police and government officials; allegations of sexual exploitation by members of United Nations Peacekeeping Force (MINUSTAH); and “chronic, severe corruption in all branches of government”.
Other human rights problems included torture and excessive use of force against suspects and prisoners; overcrowding and poor sanitation in prisons; prolonged pre-trial detention and “an inefficient, unreliable, and inconsistent judiciary subject to significant outside and personal influence”.
In addition, the State Department said there were “multiple incidents” of mob violence and vigilante retribution against both government security forces and ordinary citizens, including setting houses on fire, burning police stations, throwing rocks, beheadings, and lynchings.
The report said although the government took some steps to prosecute and punish some government officials and Haitian National Police (HNP) members who committed abuses, there was “considerable evidence of impunity for some government officials, as well as for high-ranking officers in the HNP”.
The State Department said there were widespread allegations of police mistreatment of suspects during arrest and preliminary detention, as well as ?credible allegations of police brutality, several of which resulted in the deaths of suspects in police custody.
The State Department said in Trinidad and Tobago, the most serious human rights problems were alleged police killings during apprehension or custody, as well as poor treatment of suspects, detainees and prisoners.
Other human rights problems involved inmate illness and injuries due to poor prison conditions, high-profile cases of alleged bribery, violence against women, inadequate services for vulnerable children, and unsafe working conditions.
The report noted that while the Trinidad and Tobago government had taken some steps to punish security force members and other officials charged with killings or other abuse, “there continued to be a perception of impunity based on the open-ended nature of many investigations and the slow pace of criminal judicial proceedings in general”.
It said the government or its agents did not commit any politically motivated killings, but alleged that police shot and killed 39 persons during the year.
Washington said the authorities investigated or opened inquests into several of the killings and charged police officers with murder in one case.
The report said although the constitution and the law prohibit such practices, there were “credible reports that police officers and prison guards mistreated individuals under arrest or in detention”.
The State Department described as “harsh,” conditions in some of the island’s prison system’s eight facilities.
It noted that the twin-island republic’s constitution and the law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention, but that during the three-month state of emergency, the Kamla Persad Bissessar government “utilized broad powers of search and seizure granted by decree”.
The most serious human rights problems in Suriname were overcrowded detention facilities, lengthy pre-trial detention, and governmental corruption, the State Department said.
Other human rights problems included self-censorship by some media organizations and journalists; societal discrimination against women, maroons, indigenous people, and other minorities; domestic violence against women; trafficking in persons; and child labour in the informal sector.
The report said the government continued to take steps to prosecute abusers in the security forces, “where there was a widespread perception of impunity”.
It said the trial of former military dictator and current President Desire Bouterse and his co-defendants for the 1982 extrajudicial killing of 15 political opponents continued at year’s end “without interference”.
While the law prohibits such practices, human rights groups and the media continued to report mistreatment by police, as well as isolated incidents of abuse of prisoners by prison officials, the report said.
It said prison and detention center conditions remained poor, with “poor ventilation, limited lighting, and extreme heat remained problem” and that most prisons and detention centers, particularly the older jails, remained unsanitary and overcrowded, but added that prisoners had access to potable water.
The State Department said the government has not fully complied with a number of decisions by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
It said no further progress was made on implementing that court’s 2007 ruling that the government must recognize the collective land rights of 12 Saramaccan clans, draft legislation that complies with international treaties, establish a development fund of SRD1,680,000 ($600,000), and provide them with their own land.
The report, however, noted that, by the end of 2010, the government had paid about SRD560,000 ($200,000) toward this amount and had not completed the demarcation process.
In Guyana, the State Department said the most serious human rights abuses involved complaints of mistreatment of suspects and detainees by security forces, unlawful killings by police, and poor prison and jail conditions.
It said other human rights problems included lengthy pre-trial detention; allegations of government corruption, including among police officials; sexual and domestic violence against women; and abuse of minors.
“There were no independent and transparent procedures for handling allegations of killings and other abuses by security force members,” the report said, adding “prosecutions, when pursued, were extremely lengthy, and convictions were rare.
“As a result, there was a widespread perception that security force members enjoyed impunity,” the report said, noting that while the law prohibits such practices, there were reports alleging mistreatment of inmates by prison officials, as well as allegations of police abuse of suspects and detainees.
It said prison and jail conditions were “poor and deteriorating, particularly in police holding cells,” adding that “capacity and resource constraints were a problem”.
The State Department said “inadequate training, poor equipment, and acute budgetary constraints severely limited the GPF’s (Guyana Police Force) effectiveness.
“Public confidence in, and cooperation with, the police remained low,” it said, adding “there were reports of corruption in the police force”.
It said pre-trial detainees constituted 39 percent of the prison and detainee population, with the average length of pre-trial detention ranging from six to 18 months for those awaiting trial at a magistrate’s court or in the High Court.
“Delays and inefficiencies undermined judicial due process,” the report said.
The State Department said alleged unlawful security force killings, “instances where cases involving the violation of rights were not resolved in a timely way,” and poor prison and jail conditions, including abuse of detainees and prisoners, were the most serious human rights problems in Jamaica.
It said other human rights problems included an overburdened judicial system and frequent lengthy delays in trials, violence against and sexual abuse of children, violence and discrimination against women, trafficking in persons, and violence against persons based on their suspected or known sexual orientation.
The report said the government took some steps to punish members of the security forces who committed abuses, but added that “there were other instances where no arrests or prosecutions occurred, providing impunity for police who committed crimes.
“While the government or its agents did not commit politically motivated killings, there were numerous accounts alleging that the government’s security forces or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings,” it said.
Washington said, based on official statistics, that there were 236 killings involving police during the year.
But it said human rights monitors indicated that many killings by police were unreported, “with police meting out the justice they see as unavailable through the judicial system.
“In most shooting incidents, police alleged that the victims were carrying firearms and opened fire on them. In many cases, however, eyewitness testimony contradicted the police accounts. In other cases, allegations of “police murder” were suspect, because well-armed gangs trafficking in weapons and narcotics, and running lottery scams controlled many inner-city communities, and were often better equipped than the police force,” the report said.
The State Department said violent crime remained a “serious concern” in Jamaica, noting that, on many occasions, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) employed lethal force in apprehending criminal suspects.
“The JCF’s Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) and the Independent Commission (INDECOM) investigated all police killings, and when appropriate, forwarded cases to the director of public prosecutions (DPP) for prosecution,” it said.
“However, it usually takes many years to bring police officers to trial for alleged unlawful killings,” it added.
In Belize, the report said the use of excessive force by security forces was “the most important human rights abuse documented during the year”.
It identified lengthy pretrial detention, domestic violence, discrimination against women, sexual abuse of children, trafficking in persons, discrimination based on sexual orientation, and child labour, among other human rights problems.
“In some cases the government took steps to prosecute officials who committed abuses, both administratively and through the courts, but successful prosecutions generally were limited in number and tended to involve less severe infractions,” the report said.
It said that the Belize government “occasionally ignored reports of abuses, withheld action until the case had faded from the public’s attention, failed to take punitive action, or transferred accused officers to other districts”.
During the year, the State Department said the Belize Police Department’s (BPD) Professional Standards Branch received 238 formal complaints of alleged police misconduct.
During the same period, it said the BPD held 14 officers on interdiction (suspension with half salary) and one on suspension (with salary).
The 14 officers on interdiction were alleged to have committed a combination of criminal and disciplinary charges, the report said.
Despite improvements over the last several years, the State Department said prison conditions did not meet all international standards.
It said Belize lone prison was administered by a local non-profit organization, but the government retained overall oversight and monitoring responsibility for management of the prison.
In October, the prison held a total of 1,391 inmates, of whom 38 were women, 60 juveniles, and 450 on remand. Prison capacity is approximately 1,750, the State Department said.
CMC/nk/pr/2012