How the Government is Restricting our Freedom and Rights - Essay Example

?Running Head: How the Government is restricting our freedom and rights. How the Government is restricting our freedom and rights Institution Tutor Date Introduction People are free to choose their own destiny and make their choices. They are free, sovereign, autonomous citizens, free to access power, authority and rights of self-determination and domination over their own bodies, minds, souls and lives. Human rights and freedom are the basis of human freedom, dignity, peace and justice. Behind every right, there is a history of oppression. As these play a significant role in development of common humanity. The (UDHR) Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, set out equal and common rights for all humanity and three essential principles that govern such rights. Human rights are universal in that they apply to all, inalienable meaning they precede authority by the state governments authority and are anchored on people's humanity, and finally, indivisible meaning that they are equally significant, (Maroukis, 2010). Discussion Recent research indicated that the public officials and the government are increasingly setting illegitimate restrictions on citizen's freedom of peaceful assembly, and expression to silence key voices. Evidence reveals how opposition politicians, activists and journalists face arbitrary intimidation, politically motivated criminal charges, arrest and threats for expressing opinions deemed critical and vital by the government authorities, (Sinopoli, 1994). The government restricts the right to freedom of expression by law of the international human rights, to protect and preserve the rights of public order and other rights, if permitted in a democratic society to restrict and law mainly does it. The formulation is based on the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Covenant on Political and Civil Rights. Religious rights of protection are crucial as a human right, but concerning the freedom of religion, the government laws impose restrictions, a restriction same as the freedom of expression. Right to religion, is a freedom to manifest or express one's beliefs, which is subjected to various limitations as prescribed by law. Although such limitations are fundamental to protect public order, safety, morals, health or essential freedoms and rights of others, it still infringes ones right. According to the Law of Associations, ministry of Social Solidarity has the right to restrict funding for a number of reasons such as if it decides the aim of the funding falls outside the stated mandate of the organization. This has resulted to regular check to the arbitrary funds blocking to organizations and projects dealing with sensitive and vital human rights violations, like torture, (Bardes, Shelley and Schmidt, 2008). The government has banned public protest among unverified contentions that coordinators organized violence. In contemporary times, political activists are accused of treason a serious offense for their engagement in planning the protest. In many countries, government authorities are creating an environment where it is difficult for citizens to criticize government practices or policies and government officials. Recent report documents more and more restrictions on the media in US, which prevent it from freely, and timely broadcasting information concerned with government scandals and other critical matter. Journalists in media houses and private broadcasters have reported facing temporary closure, harassment and intimidation by the government authorities. All these imposed measure and restrictions infringe people freedom of expression, (McMullen, Bagby and Palich, 2008). Under the current international Conventions, obligations of the state concerning freedom of expression are immediate and absolute. Similarly, as with other types of liberty, particularly unrestricted freedom of speech and expression may result to the infringement of other people’s rights. A number of restrictions and limitations have hedged the freedom of expression in several occasions than other human rights. Historically, a number of impediments have focused on expression of sentiments divergent to the existing religious or institutions, political or other related beliefs. Additionally, in war times, governments always restrict the freedom of expression and movement for the sake of national security. The complexity and the significance of the freedom of expression, as a foundation of democracy, has resulted to massive case law before international supervisory mechanisms and national court, (Brettschneider, 2007). In addition, citizen’s freedom of expression and its limitations, which are internationally accepted, can be falsified by the government schemes via propaganda, media control and many other measures geared towards restricting the press such as economic measures, licensing requirements or restrictions on access to vital information also exists. The committee of Human Rights has dealt with several cases addressing the right to freedom of expression by citizens. For example, it has established that retaining and assassinating a trade leader for encouraging and helping a strike and denouncing a government threat to sponsor troops is to violate the trade leader’s right to freedom of expression is a violation of human rights. In some cases, the government restricts people’s right to form their own politically based non-governmental organizations and other association groups and networks, voice their labour concerns and challenges through associations and trade unions and conduct open demonstrations in opposition of government officials and policies. The government harasses and intimidates strike leaders, and in many cases, union officials are banned from members' workplaces. Such leaders and organizers risk losing their jobs and being detained as a result of supporting or organizing strikes and protests against the government. Evidence reveals that some strike organizers and planners in America and Russia have experienced similar reprisals. This is mainly because influential government officials had the power to mobilize law enforcement arms and agencies in opposition of protesting workers, as well as denying revealing wage data and other vital information to the unions trying to impose collective bargaining efforts. The government manipulated the law to protect those in favor of their evil schemes, (Weinstein, 2009). American and Russian citizens presently suffer enormous restrictions on freedom of assembly. Researches demonstrated that authorities have dispersed and banned nearly all public protest in America and Russia. Whereas the law permits or supports these demonstrations, the underpinning requisite allows procedures produce actions highly difficult in practice. Such leaders and organizers must apply permits approximately five days prior even if the protest is approved. Additionally, the authorities often deny permission and support for group protests that are critical of their regime, whereas permitting pro-government protest and demonstrations by organizations that receive support such as state funding, (Churilov and Vinokurov, 1998). Every citizen is entitled to the right to freedom of free movement and residence in the borders of a state. Each citizen has the right to vacate any country, and return later willingly. The right and freedom to the free movement or the consequent denial of the right, within international and national borders can have adverse effects on the fundamental human rights as highlighted or abridged in the treaties such as Universal Declaration of Human Freedoms and Rights. Without the right as citizens to leave their home country, citizens’ rights may be politically restricted or repressed, hindered from observing and committing themselves to the religion of their choice, enjoying fundamental right and freedom to family life or marriage, or blocked from education and jobs that are ultimately designed to promote their living standards or quality of life. Therefore, whereas free movement may appear on the surface to be obvious and minor human right, it is one of the most fundamental right that various nations all over the world, when restricted and violated, may lead to a lot of problems and lead to citizen suffering, (Brettschneider, 2007). The freedom of movement, which is an inalienable right to liberty, applies to all individuals. Whereas it may occur that this right is only fundamental to refugees, asylum seeker sand immigrants, it is also key ramifications on those who are internally displaced (IDPs), and to students and economic migrants. The government has the responsibility and duty to provide improved living standard, security, satisfaction, equality, sense of belonging among others to its citizens. In some cases, these rights and freedom are denied to the exact citizens that make up a nation. (Sinopoli, 1994). For example, internally displaced persons suffer the similar fate as refugees except within their precise own nationality or place of origin. They face internal exile, violation of basic human right to liberty and forms of persecution. For those who have left their residential areas, they are forced to settle and remain in a confined location, in their nation, and similar movements outside thus location are forbidden. In addition, students also suffer the risk of having their freedom and the right to receive education restricted if their right to movement has been denied because of fear of brain drain or other restrictions placed on them. Therefore, getting visas to move out of the country is impossible especially for those from underprivileged social backgrounds. Moreover, various government interested in brain drain startle such students that they may not afford an opportunity to return home after studies. This challenge and denial of visa is a critical violation of international treaties and the Universal Declaration of Human rights. Therefore, while this may not appear as an infringement of student’s right to liberty, it is a crucial problem in a number of nations around the world, (Maroukis, 2010). Conclusion All the government authorities in every nation must stop high degree of human rights repression and set policies and laws, which ensure the preservation and protection of fundamental human rights at all levels, in a bid to promote human diversity and living standards for all irrespective of race, creed, ethnicity, religion, status and nationality. References Bardes, B. A., Shelley, M. C. and Schmidt, S. W. (2008). American government and politics today: The essentials. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth. Brettschneider, C. (January 01, 2007). The Rights of the Guilty. Political Theory, 35, 2, 175-199. Churilov, A., & Vinokurov, A. (January 01, 1998). Protecting civil rights and liberties. Russian Politics and Law: a Journal of Translations, 64-76. Maroukis, T. C. (2010). The Peyote road: Religious freedom and the Native American Church. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. McMullen, J. S., Bagby, D. R., & Palich, L. E. (September 01, 2008). Economic Freedom and the Motivation to Engage in Entrepreneurial Action. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 32, 5, 875-895. Sinopoli, R. C. (December 01, 1994). Associational Freedom, Equality, and Rights against the State. Political Research Quarterly, 47, 4, 891-908. UN. Commission on Human Rights (58th sess.: 2002: Geneva). (January 01, 2002). Situation of human rights in Myanmar. Weinstein, J. (January 01, 2009). Democracy, Individual Rights and the Regulation of Science. Science and Engineering Ethics, 15, 3, 407-429. Read More