| The U.N. Human Rights Council began a three-week | | | | Pillay urged the Human Rights Council and the |
| session Monday amid reports of widespread human | | | | international community to support and protect |
| rights violations around the world and escalating | | | | human rights defenders. She spoke with horror of |
| threats against human rights defenders. | | | | the killings by criminal gangs of 72 migrants from |
| The new session of the rights council takes place | | | | Mexico. Pillay also expressed concern about reports |
| against the backdrop of immense human suffering | | | | of a program by the United States of targeted |
| caused by devastating floods in Pakistan, violence | | | | killings of suspected terrorists. In Kyrgyzstan, Pillay |
| and conflict in places, such as Afghanistan, Iraq and | | | | descried the overall human rights situation, the result |
| Somalia and indiscriminate killings of civilians. | | | | of ongoing tensions between the country's Kyrgyz |
| In her speech to the Council, U.N. High Commissioner | | | | and Uzbek ethnic communities. |
| for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, drew attention to the | | | | But Pillay reserved her harshest criticisms for, what |
| vital role played by human rights defenders in | | | | she calls, the new policies of France towards the |
| exposing abuse around the world. These people, | | | | Roma, including the dismantling of their settlements |
| she said, as well as journalists and civil society | | | | and collective expulsion to their country of origin. |
| activists in all regions face threats to their lives and | | | | "Such measures can only exacerbate the |
| security because of their work. | | | | stigmatization of Roma and the extreme poverty |
| "Peaceful dissidents, human rights advocates, | | | | and exclusion in which they live," she said. "The often |
| lawyers, and press representatives have been | | | | stereotyping and discriminatory rhetoric by officials |
| targeted and violently attacked in countries, including | | | | and by the media when referring to the Roma in |
| in Iran, Iraq, and Somalia." said Pillay. "Difficult | | | | Europe is also an issue of grave concern." |
| conditions, including threats and assaults that put in | | | | Pillay noted that France's behavior toward the Roma |
| jeopardy human rights workers, journalists, trade | | | | is currently under scrutiny by the European |
| unionists and community organizers are often | | | | Commission and the European Parliament. She called |
| compounded by competition over natural resources, | | | | on European States, including France, to adopt policies |
| as is the case in Angola, the Democratic Republic of | | | | to overcome their marginalization. |
| Congo, and Zimbabwe." | | | | |