32
Land Center for Human Rights issues its new report: Human rights conditions in Egypt throughout the last ten years, Between market freedom and deterioration of citizens’ conditions
It is issue no. 34 of social and economic rights series issued by Land Center for Human Rights. It studies the impacts of free market policies on conditions of social, economic, legal and political rights in Egypt especially rights to safe land possession, suitable work, adequate housing, health care and education.
The report aims to reveal the lost correlation between violence and implementation of free market policies. It reviews that the deterioration of human rights conditions in Egypt lies to the implementation of different reform programs concerning democracy and development especially that these programs ignore the privacy, culture, history, social relations between citizens and different social forces of our community. The report asserts that paying more concern with social, economic and cultural privacy is the main condition for achieving success for programs of development and participation.
The report is divided into four parts,
The first part; evaluation of social, economic and civil rights in Egypt, this part comprises nine chapters as follows: the first chapter reviews the development of the political conditions highlighting the experience of the political diversity, the role of different political forces, vocational and labour syndicates, civil associations and businessmen under the umbrella of the free market policies. It mentions that despite the rise of parties’ number in Egypt (17 parties in 2002), the majority have no real effectiveness in the parliament or making the public policies. It highlights the impact of issuance of law 100/1993 concerning the vocational syndicates that changes the relation between these syndicates and the state’s institutions. It asserts that in spite of the wideness of the base of labour syndicates that comprise 4.5 million labourers divided into 2000 corporative committees, it represents 25% only of the labour force estimated by the Arabian Labour Organization in 1998 with 17.631 million labourers. The report asserts that these conditions impacts negatively the participation of the citizens resulted in increasing the violence.
The second chapter reviews the development of economic conditions mentioning to the reforms occurred in the financial sector, privatisation programs. It mentions to the economic crises that the ratio of the growth of the local Egyptian production retreats from 5.9 in the fiscal year 1999/2000 to 3.4% in the fiscal year 2000/2001 then 3.2% in the fiscal year 2001/2002. the report reviews the data of the ministry of trade regarding the ration of unemployment in Egypt [7.7% in 99/2000 - 8.3% in 2000/2001]. The data of ministry of external affairs asserts that the changing ratio of products’ prices reaches 2.4% in 2000/2001 and it remains with the same level during 2001/2002. on the other hand, the IMF mentions that the changing ratio of products’ prices reaches 2.4 in 2001 and increases to 2.5% in 2002 with expectance for increase reaches 3.4% in 2003. The report asserts that such polices lead for more deteriorated economic conditions resulted in more violence.
The third chapter reviews the social conditions revealing some social aspects as poverty, unemployment, family status, corruption and family violence as the most impressive factors that lead to more violence and more deterioration of social conditions in Egypt throughout the last ten years. It highlights the data presented by report of human development that asserts that the percentage of spread of poverty is still high [38.3% according to the wide definition of poverty - 24.2% according to the close definition of poverty]. It reviews that 60% of the poor lives in the rural areas while the other 40% lives in the urban areas. The sharpness of poverty increases in the rural Upper Egypt. This part mentions to the circulation of corruption (1221 cases of bribe and defalcation in 2001. the report reviews that these social phenomenons are natural outputs for the implementation of free market policies that increases violence in the Egyptian community.
The forth chapter reviews the development of legal legalization mentioning to the constitutional defect especially concerning the continuity of emergency law, laws regarding the political rights, different exceptional laws, laws about freedom of expression, laws regulating women and child rights laws concerning socio-economic rights issued throughout the last period especially laws of arable land and housing. This chapter reveals how the free market policies lead to issuance of legalization that violate citizens’ rights that increases violence throughout the last ten years.
The fifth chapter examines the right in safe land possession reviewing the deterioration of farmers’ conditions in the Egyptian countryside and how violence is used to implement land law 96/1992 in addition to the negative impacts of the implementation of this law in farmers’ rights and the Egyptian agriculture. It highlights the negative impacts of land reform policies in Egypt on citizens’ right in food and it leads for more violence especially in the countryside.
The sixth chapter mentions to the right to work; it asserts that the total number of labourers in different activities reached 17.631 million labourers in 1998 while the number of population (up to 14 years old) was 23.971 popn in 1996. it means that the number of the unemployed are 6.340 million popn (26.4% of the available labour force). The UNDP and International Labour Bureau estimated the labour force in Egypt in 1997 with 17.726 million popn, number of the labourers with 15.808 million popn and number of the unemployed with 1.919 million popn (10.8% of the labour force). The report asserts that according to the state withdrawal from maintenance of labour and protection against unemployment, the levels of the income growth in Egypt decrease [(4.1%) in 1999 - (3.9%) in 2000 - (3.1%) in 2001 - (0%) in 2002- (-2%) in 2003]. It clarifies how these policies push towards increasing the labourers’ protests that reached 743 protests from 1998 to 2003.
The seventh chapter examines the right to education revealing this right in the international conventions and the Egyptian reality. It mentions to the deteriorated educational conditions in Egypt represented in low capacity, inequality and allegation of free education. It asserts that the implementation of structural adjustment policies and the gradual withdrawal of the social role of the state impact negatively the citizens’ right to education. It mentions to the low public expenditure for education in site of the supports presented by the donors especially the World Bank [4.5% (985-1987) - 4.8% (1995-1997)]. Despite the allegation of increasing the public expenditure for education during the last twenty years, the educational conditions in Egypt is sill deteriorated that increases violence and reproduce poverty and ignorance in the society.
The eighth chapter reviews the right to health care mentioning to the negative impacts of the implementation of structural adjustment polices in the right to health care. This chapter reveals the strategies of the ministry of health, the governmental health system, the contribution of the private sector to secure this right, indications of health conditions in Egypt and numerous violations against right to health care. It highlights to the public expenditure for health throughout the last decade (1.5% of the local production and 4.5% of the public budgetary of the state). It is accompanied with the deterioration of the quality of health services presented in governmental health units that since the beginning of the nineties, there was deficiency of the following health staff:
- Medicine: 52.1% in the urban areas - 82.3% in the rural areas
- Medical equipments: 51.6% in the urban areas - 70.3% in the rural areas
- Specialists: 36.1% in the urban areas - 80.1% in the rural areas
Such deterioration increases the spread of chronic diseases as renal failure and hepato-cellular failure especially between the poor accompanied by increasing the violence.
The ninth chapter mentions to the right to housing reviewing the legal framework “international level and the Egyptian law” that regulates this right. It mentions to the forced eviction of citizens, random areas, lack of services, the state’ role in the new cities and projects of youth housing. This chapter asserts hat the number of population in the random areas is between 11.56 and 12.6 million popn (37-46% of the urban population). The data center of Cairo province asserted in August 1995 that there were 79 random districts in Cairo [67 districts required development - 12 districts had to be subverted for security reasons]. Such conditions lead for more deterioration of this right and increase of social violence between its populations.
The second part; state violence in Egypt, this part comprises eight chapters as follows:
The first chapter; phenomenon of torture in Egypt: it monitors 1124 cases of torture from 1981 to 1999 exception torture cases of farmers that exceed than 500 cases. It asserts that torture crimes aren’t stopped by 2003; on the contrary it increases throughout the 2nd half of the nineties. It mentions to the increasable number of the unknown places, where torture crimes are committed (32.47% of the total crimes). It asserts that Cairo is the most province that comprises torture victims (302 cases with percentage 26.86%). The chapter reviews that the continuity of torture policies leads to reproduction of violence in the society especially in the poor areas.
The second chapter; state maltreatment, it mentions to the increase of the maltreatment cases represented in insulting, deteriorated health care, deprivation from education and absence of communication with the external arena committed against the detainees. The report mentions to death of 14 detainees because of deterioration of health care in four jails [(4 cases) el Fayoum jail - (4 cases) Loman Torra jail - (3 cases) Damanhour jail - (1 case) loman Abu Zabal jail - (1 case) el Wady el Gedid jail]. The report asserts that the state should stop maltreating citizens in prisons and detentions in order to eliminate the phenomenon of violence.
The third chapter; increasing murder and penalty of death, it reviews the violent conflicts between security authorities and armed Islamic groups resulted in 17 killed of the Islamic groups in 1998. it monitors the mortality in police stations and jails because of torture that reaches 37 cases in 1999/2000. it highlights the extra-usage of weapons by the security forces to release the peaceful or the armed Islamic gatherings. The report asserts that violence committed by the state authorities should be stopped to destroy the production of social violence in Egypt.
The forth chapter; phenomenon of repeated detention, it is the most factors that increase violence committed by the executive authority against some opposite forces especially Islamic groups. The report asserts that the Egyptian government make use of penalty of detention throughout the last ten years illegally (20.000 detainees). It highlights that the government pays 2 billion pounds for building 21 new jails. The report emphasizes on the importance to release the whole detainees to promote their rights in life and security stipulated by the law and the constitution that may contributes to stopping violence.
The fifth chapter; violence and forced disappearance, the Egyptian legalization doesn’t comprise direct legal articles about phenomenon of forced disappearance in addition to weakness of penalties of such crime. The report sees that such phenomenon lies to practises of some governmental authorities that lead to more violence.
The sixth chapter; state violence against children, it mentions to the increase of perversity of children [4332 cases in 1995 - 6536 cases in 1996]. The statistics assert that street children faced 3069 different crimes during 2001 through which 129 child were killed (88 male - 45 female), 1230 girls were raped, 21 boys were tortured and 40 child were kidnapped for using in criminal activities. It was accompanied with increasing accidents that children labourers in the agrarian field face that pushes for adopting alternative policies to protect rights of those children and stop violence committed against them.
The seventh chapter; associational violence against women, it mentions that sexual, psychological and physical violence committed against women is an indication for the inferior position of women in the community. Such violence is correlated with the governmental policies that lead to more social discrimination and exploitation against women. The report asserts that the most category that face violence and discrimination is women working in the agrarian sector. The report recommends adopting fair policies that protect women rights and stop violence committed against them.
The eighth chapter; state violence against various social categories, it mentions to violence committed against labourers, farmers, drivers in addition to summary punishment against citizens in rural and random areas. It reveals how free market policies violate rights of the majority of the Egyptian population especially the poor in the rural and random areas.
The third part; phenomenon of social violence, it comprises four chapters as follows:
The first chapter; forms of revenge, murder, beating to death, suicide, violence between farmers, disputes for land possession and irrigating water “more than two thousands injured farmers and one hundred killed farmers”. This chapter reveals that social violence is a reproduction of state violence and it is a natural result for implementation of policies that aren’t concerned with the privacy and identity of our community. The report asserts that there have to be alternative policies and programs to stop deteriorating human rights conditions in Egypt and destroying phenomenon of violence.
The second chapter; violence in gatherings as demonstrations and elections, the report reveals the violent and savage attack of the government against peaceful protests of some social categories represented in repression of peaceful demonstrations and strikes and incrimination of all forms of peaceful protesting. Moreover, the government interferes to issue laws that deprive labourers and farmers from their rights that they used to enjoy with for long years as law 96/1992 and law 12/2003. it mentions to the violence committed by the Egyptian government through the last legislative elections and how the police forces make use of vagrancy to support the government’s candidates that lead for more violence.
The third chapter; social violence against children, it mentions to the violence committed against children either in work (agriculture and industry) or in the street. It mentions to the family violence that children face in the family zone or school. According to the statistics monitored by the public security authorities (1995-9), about 89% of the children killers are small-scale agrarian labourers, craftsmen or the unemployed. The report asserts that implementation of these policies impact negatively on children that are 45% of the population. The report reveals that violence against children is correlated with socio-economic conditions of the society that have to be changed to protect rights of those children.
The forth chapter; social violence against women, it reviews definition and forms of non-state violence committed against women “family violence, FGM, honour crimes, beating wives, early marriage”. It mentions to violence committed against women in different work places especially against female labourers in the agrarian sector. . the report mentions that the percentage of family violence in Cairo province is 26%, 25.5% in Giza province and 8.8% in Kaliobeya province. The report links between stopping violence against women with changing the policies and paying more concern with the privacy, economic development and social and cultural history of our community.
The forth part; results and recommendations, it comprises two chapters as follows:
The first chapter; results, it mentions to deterioration of citizens’ rights to safe land possession, suitable work, health care, adequate housing and education. It highlights the role of the state that leads for committing more violence against the poor represented in phenomenon of torture inside police stations and other detentions and maltreatment of citizens in the governmental institutions and the street. It mentions to the continuity of the military trails that may violate the right in life in addition to imprisoning tens thousands alleging their membership for violence groups, phenomenon of forced disappearance and violent activities against children and women. The report asserts that the poor is the most category that faces more forced practices resulted in more violence and impoverishment. Such conditions increases phenomenon of social violence represented in murdering crimes between relatives and in the street in addition to increasing social violence in random areas as daily activities. Also, it helps to reappearance of some traditions as revenge and disputes because of arable land. The report asserts that these policies repress populace gatherings (protests of labourers, farmers and students). These policies lead to absence of participation in the political life especially after forgery of legislative elections and corruption.
The second chapter; recommendations, it aims to stop deteriorating human rights conditions in Egypt and contributing to destroying social and state violence. The center thinks that we have to be considered with two basic cases (supporting the populace participation in managing their living affairs and promoting their self capacities to improve their living conditions) in order to stop deterioration of human rights. We think that the way for achieving success is a bird with two wings that is participation/development and democracy and improving living conditions. this bird couldn’t fly with one wing. Therefore, when programs are implemented, they should concern with social, cultural and historical privacy of our Egyptian community. The report sees the case of democracy and improving living conditions is correlated with a comprehensive process for changing tha depends on effective dialogue, accepting diversity, free-expression, deleting laws that restrict liberties, deleting emergency law, securing rights in demonstration, strike and gathering, lobbying and networking and securing rights to safe land possession, suitable work, adequate housing, health care and education.
Finally, LCHR believes that implementing these recommendations could eliminating the phenomenon of social and state violence but it isn’t an easy process. On the contrary, our belief in our rights to live in humanistic living conditions will push us to achieve our responsibilities towards our society. Implementing thee recommendations require achieving joint work between the Egyptian civil society associations (parties, labour and vocational syndicates, civil associations and different social forces) in order to implement the alternative policies that improve human rights conditions and promote participation of populace in development process that achieves better future free from violence and social, economic and political crisis.