Afghanistan, China, India Among Asian Countries Accused of Violating Religious Freedom – The Diplomat

For the primary time since 2001, the U.S. Fee on Worldwide Spiritual Freedom (USCIRF) has beneficial that Afghanistan be designated by the U.S. State Division as a “nation of specific concern” (CPC). “With the Taliban’s return to energy, non secular freedom circumstances in Afghanistan, and the general human rights scenario, considerably deteriorated in 2021,” the fee’s report famous.

Afghanistan joins 14 different nations the place, USCIRF finds, governments have interaction or tolerate “notably extreme” violations of spiritual freedoms. An extra dozen nations are beneficial within the report back to be added to the “particular watch listing,” denoting “extreme” violations of spiritual freedom. 

Of the 27 nations named to the 2 teams, 13 sit inside The Diplomat’s protection space: Afghanistan, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam (italics denote these on the particular watch listing). Most are repeat offenders, showing in previous lists of beneficial CPCs.

Restrictions on non secular freedom all over the world take many varieties. In China, there’s the mass internment of Uyghur Muslims, which quite a few nations have deemed a genocide; in Myanmar, social media has more and more been used to stoke violence in opposition to non secular minorities, notably Muslim Rohingya. In India, it’s discrimination in issues of citizenship and vigilante mobs incited to violence over rumors of consuming beef or slaughtering cows. In Turkmenistan, it’s the closing of mosques throughout holidays on account of the COVID-19 pandemic (which the nation denies any instances of), whereas state holidays celebrating the nationwide horse and nationwide canine proceed unaffected. 

Having fun with this text? Click on right here to subscribe for full entry. Simply $5 a month.

USCIRF’s mandate is to make suggestions, however the State Division doesn’t all the time designate the nations USCIRF recommends. 

For instance, in April 2021 (because it had in April 2020 for the primary time) USCIRF beneficial that India be designated as a CPC, however when the State Division made its designations in November 2021, India was not among the many nations positioned on the CPC or the particular watch listing.

Designation is meant to ivolve sanctions, however waivers might be granted. Waivers have been extra frequent than not within the case of Central Asian states, as I’ve lined beforehand. Within the report (as in previous variations), USCIRF famous that it had lengthy known as on U.S. administrations “to discontinue the apply of counting on waivers or present sanctions in response to CPC designations.” Of the ten nations the State Division designated in 2021, present sanctions have been reimposed on six and the remaining 4 (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) have been granted waivers — “as required within the ‘vital nationwide curiosity of the USA.’” 

We’ll have to attend and see which nations the State Division finally designates and if there’s any change in ways because of the finish of U.S. navy involvement in Afghanistan. The U.S. struggle effort in Afghanistan was largely seen because the “vital nationwide curiosity” that protected nations like Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan from sanctions on account of their CPC designation. It additionally arguably stored Afghanistan off each the CPC listing and from among the many beneficial states, on account of the violations of spiritual freedoms coming from militant teams just like the Taliban and the Islamic State. With the Taliban again in energy, and the Islamic State Khorasan (ISK) finishing up assaults focusing on Shia Hazaras, it is not going to be a shock to see Afghanistan designated later this 12 months. 

India is a unique matter. Though USCIRF has beneficial once more that India be designated a CPC, it appears unlikely that the Biden administration will accomplish that given the precarious worldwide tightrope which India walks. India is each a U.S. accomplice within the Quad, alongside the U.S., Japan and Australia, whereas additionally notably refraining from condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Naming and shaming, not to mention sanctioning, India with regard to violations of spiritual freedom wouldn’t endear New Delhi to Washington.