U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on February 27 released the 2013 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. The country-specific Human Rights Reports are documents the U.S. Congress, by law, requires the State Department to prepare annually and make public. The reports cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements. The publication of the annual reports reflects U.S. commitment to the advancement of human rights around the world.
The U.S. Human Rights Report on Zambia highlights noteworthy improvements in several key sectors, notably in prison capacity, anti-corruption investigations, and mine safety. Increased visibility of the Human Rights Commission gives evidence that an independent government organization is actively working to ensure all Zambians may exercise their human rights.
At the same time, the U.S. government in 2013 observed serious human rights problems. These include arbitrary arrest; extrajudicial killings; prolonged pretrial detention; arbitrary interference with privacy; restrictions on freedoms of speech, assembly, and the press; government corruption; violence and discrimination against women; child abuse; trafficking in persons; discrimination against persons with disabilities and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community; restrictions on labor rights; forced labor; and child labor.
The United States government appreciates its ongoing dialogue with the Zambian government about the internationally recognized human rights that both our nations have pledged to uphold. These are important commitments we make with all our citizens. We firmly believe both the United States and Zambia are more secure in a world where governments protect their peoples’ rights and freedoms.
The full report is available at http://zambia.usembassy.gov/keyreports.html.
Issued by Janet Deutsch
Public Affairs officer
Embassy of the United States of America
Zambia has continued human rights violations in Barotseland and human rights organizations have been mute.
The opposition political parties and other PF opponents have suffered these abuses. The Zambia police have been the promoters of violence in the country and ever since PF took over, there has been no rule of law.
Even church going people have been assaulted and no charges laid against the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses.
Barotseland is a Nation and Northern Rhodesia should just accept its atrocities committed in. Barotseland. Self determination is a right, therefore, people of Barotseland are free to determine their destiny without NR interference.
The rule of law in Zambia is only on paper and can’t be practiced due to endless corruption. Viva Barotseland.
You know that BULL…What Barotse…go back where you came from..SA
The USA should be the last country to talk about human rights violations. Let them first talk about what they are doing at Quantanamo Prison, let them talk about their abuses in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc!
Hoooo no no not the US please. Its all over, Kabimba has put Sata is everlasting trouble. Now with the constitution on top of all that, it will the Libya style!! My soul is shivering…..
this is bull crap fro the United States of Amnesia (USA).
USA must look at their country first, internally and then at their glaring and rampant abuse starting from invading countries to destroying infrastructure and killing of innocent citizens.
we may have some isolated pockets of violations in our country but lesbians and gays are not human rights issues
How rich, coming from this terrorist robbing and Murdering United Snakes Of America.
**Big L,
The Kololo people are the ones who came from South Africa and found the Barotse people in Barotseland, thus in 1830.
“No philosopher, politician, security officer, or lawyer can argue that there is no Barotseland territory, unless he has intellectual problem. Since the treaty (BA’64) was revoked, Barotseland subsequently reverted to her former condition.
“Those running short of sound judgment talk about secession; some talk about treason; which means betrayal of one’s country. Even if there were a treaty of union, termination of a treaty does not constitute treason. Moreover, our country is Barotseland.”
Afumba Mombotwa – Administrator General, Royal Barotseland.
Skeleton, you are right the Kololo came from South Africa and mixed with the Lozi, however, the Lozi people arrived in Barotse at the same time as the Bemba clans of Muchinga from the same location, in fact, the people of Muchinga and the people of Barotse were speaking the same language when they first arrived in the 16th century, the language difference came with the Makololo. This is according to Anthropological studies, there is a good anthropological map of Africa that states this information, but I can’t remember the name of the author at this point. I say this to say that there is little distinction between all of us, sufficient enough to justify the division you are agitating for, We are all have equal claim to the entirety of the Land.
USA what about Edward Snowden and the revelations? Are you not violating rights of so many people, including citizens of other nations.
USA what about Edward Snowden and the revelations? Are you not violating rights of so many people, including citizens of other nations? Snowden is even in exile, isn’t that human rights abuse?
These people are hypocrites, How many innocent people have they killed in the wars they started and how many are dying everyday by their drone programs pretending to fighting terrorist they created and funded not to mention the Edward Snowden scandal at the NSA. And now they want to preach human rights to us. What a joke.
Unfortunately evils do not offset. You cannot justify one evil because of another. Zambia must account for its own human rights violations, irrespective of similar cases pending elsewhere on the globe.
Amukwelyanisa… Yes but America has no right to be reminding anyone of human rights abuses, its a joke, because they know nothing about democracy or human rights
I tend to wonder, is there any country by the name of NR or Barotseland? l think people should stop living in the past. Those names are part of history in Zambia.
You are probably the one living in your past. Do an independent research on the matter.
“No philosopher, politician, security officer, or lawyer can argue that there is no Barotseland territory, unless he has intellectual problem. Since the treaty (BA’64) was revoked, Barotseland subsequently reverted to her former condition.
“Those running short of sound judgment talk about secession; some talk about treason; which means betrayal of one’s country. Even if there were a treaty of union, termination of a treaty does not constitute treason. Moreover, our country is Barotseland.”
Afumba Mombotwa – Administrator General, Royal Barotseland.
MMD for 2016
stop talking about gay rights..thats a taboo here..yes..arbitrary arrests we can agree..
@pompwe- wamafi pakunya. some people are gay- get over it you bigot.
so it justfies pf to abuse its citizens because of quantanamo or the wars you claim tje ve started you are an ***** this is zambia you should be worried that other countries are seeing what pf is doing.to its citizens america protect its citizens, while your stupid pf abuses its citizens
Those citing Guantanamo are advancing illusion over fact. The fact is that in Zambia you tend to mistreat anyone on a whim, on suspicion, and by inference. Even if we say that Guantanamo is comparable, does it then mean because the USA is violating it should be ok for you to violate other peoples’ rights? Finally, please visit the USA and see for yourself how free a people can be. Even in RSA which is still healing, there are rights there that are unimaginable in Zambia with 50 years of so-called independence!
John Kelly and the State department ought to be ashemed. You violet innocent peoples rights and you want to teach others about human rights? What hypocrites. Pompwe.
When you give birth to a child, you keep an eye on him/her from infancy but should you condone foolishness in a child while a toddler you should forget that you will ever reshape him/her again. You will definitely need to use a rod but remember in the Western society, use of a rod is illegal.
Childish
For sure Zambia has to change. Even though some good old laws are there to follow, the police and citizens have failed to practice them. If we all police each other, the country will improve and ousiders will will have something good to say about Zambia. Isn’t that what we all want? The solution is simple, all we must do is change the way we govern our country. No schooling is needed for that.
@Skeleton stoopid, where is Barotse Province?
There is no such thing as “Barotse Province” dear and do yourself a favor of doing a profound research. Nevertheless, its Barotseland and your illusions.
The Kololo people are the ones who came from South Africa and found the Barotse people in Barotseland, thus in 1830.
“No philosopher, politician, security officer, or lawyer can argue that there is no Barotseland territory, unless he has intellectual problem. Since the treaty (BA’64) was revoked, Barotseland subsequently reverted to her former condition.
“Those running short of sound judgment talk about secession; some talk about treason; which means betrayal of one’s country. Even if there were a treaty of union, termination of a treaty does not constitute treason. Moreover, our country is Barotseland.”
Afumba Mombotwa –…
Is it Satanic forces now in the reins of power in this country?
Mr. Sata, please try to find out what happened to Charles Taylor of Liberia. You are too old for prison life.
“No philosopher, politician, security officer, or lawyer can argue that there is no Barotseland territory, unless he has intellectual problem. Since the treaty (BA’64) was revoked, Barotseland subsequently reverted to her former condition.
“Those running short of sound judgment talk about secession; some talk about treason; which means betrayal of one’s country. Even if there were a treaty of union, termination of a treaty does not constitute treason. Moreover, our country is Barotseland.”
Afumba Mombotwa – Administrator General, Royal Barotseland.
At fifty and about to celebrate its jubilee, Zambia is still a toddler and an armature in matters of law, order and conflict resolution. How shameful!
What is America talking about? People of color are shot dead almost everyday by the police in America just for walking in the streets and nobody points a finger at them for these killings. Most of the accusations sound bogus, is it the government involved in human trafficking or criminals? Those Indians and Ethiopians who are being smuggled through Zambia have nothing to do with the govt, and American has experience with this crime on the Mexican border.
The accusations are there to hide Obama’s true agenda, which is to promote and legalise homosexuality in most African countries. After the African tour last year, Obama tried to promote his homo agenda but he was rebuked, so now he want to label all countries with anti-gay laws to be human rights violators.