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Egyptian Farmer’s ..Ignored Needs and Violated Rights
Although Egyptian farmers undertake a fundamental role in the production of Egypt's agricultural and animal resources, the majority of them live under a state of bitter impoverishment. Those people only need social security in a way that could enable them to play their developmental role in the agricultural sector, which constitutes the main source of income in Egypt. There are many evidences that the economic and social conditions of those living in rural Egypt - whether they are small landowners, tenants, workers, women or children - are increasingly deteriorating.
LCHR is deeply concerned about the conditions of these
vulnerable groups, as its principal aim is to defend the social and economic
rights of Egypt's rural population in addition to their civil and political
rights. In this context, LCHR issues this report that monitors different
violations committed against the above-mentioned social groups. The report also
aims to refute the charges raised against farmers of disregard to public
interests and participation in public affaires.
Based on LCHR’s experience, poor farmers are being victims of national and local unjust social and economic policies. Therefore, the lack of participation is not their fault. Rather it is a result of the social, economic and political environment, which produces vulnerability and passivity.
Together with this gloomy state of affaires, LCHR also stresses the mismanagement of the development programs in rural areas. In this regard LCHR’s report raises the following question: why is there such a wide gap between the objectives of these programs and the real achievements in view of the fact that farmers do not participate in determining such objectives? In addition, the miserable conditions of farmers makes us wonder why –after 20 years- have not they seen a change effected by such programs.
The report comprises five parts discussing the following issues:
· Evaluation of the government policies in these areas by monitoring the most important events and problems in the first half of the year 2000.
· Discussion of the living conditions of farmers, their problems with the Egyptian Bank for Agricultural Development and the government authorities such as al-Awaqaf (religious endowment Ministry), the agricultural reform authorities and the farmer’s clashes regarding borders, proprietorship or irrigation.
· Tackling the problems of clashes between farmers and security forces after issuance of a martial decree for demolishing hundreds of houses. According to the LCHR’s fact-finding missions, the total number of demolished houses is 136 houses.
· The report also deals with the problems that the farmers are facing because of loans of the Agricultural Development Bank.
· Monitoring other problems between the Agricultural Reform Authority and farmers after former ordered dozens of farmers to leave their land after 30 years of tenancy.
·
Monitoring
the violence in the rural areas where 19 persons were killed, 96 were wounded
and 151 were arrested. These clashes began with a dispute over land property
where eight persons were killed, 39 were wounded and 79 were arrested. Other
clashes took place regarding the landmarks of contiguous plots where 2 farmers
were killed, 33 were wounded and 40 were arrested. In addition, the disputes
over inheritance caused the death of 2 farmers, injury of 6, and 11 arrests.
Finally, the report includes LCHR’s recommendations, based on the fact that the ignored needs of farmers should be satisfied and the violated rights should be restored. LCHR stresses in its recommendations on the right to land and calls for an immediate end to driving farmers out of the state-owned plots of land. In addition, LCHR draws public attention to the necessity to review the legal relationship between landowners and tenants in order to protect the poor tenants from the impact of market economic policies. The report also calls for a stop to the measures driving farmers from their houses in which they have lived for decades. The government should provide those farmers driven out of their houses with alternative place for shelter. Among LCHR's recommendations, more attention should be given to the irrigation projects, especially the under-ground water and the clearing-up of canals. The report also calls for an end to arresting farmers who do not submit to the governmental orders regarding rice cultivation, to reschedule the debts of farmers and to abate the loans of those who have no land.
Finally, LCHR urges the authorities to pay more attention to the above recommendations to preserve the life and health of our people in the rural areas. The bulk of these recommendation are meant to protect the farmers' legal rights, guaranteed by the Egyptian Constitution and international covenants of human rights.