HRW responds to Sotto, denies ‘silence’ on India rape

Senator Vicente Sotto lll. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Contrary to Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III’s claim that international rights advocates were silent on the reported rape cases in India, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) “has repeatedly criticized sexual violence in India.”

Sotto earlier said that rights advocates were too focused on the drug war in the country and have been “quiet” on the rape cases in India.

“Human Rights Watch has repeatedly criticized sexual violence in India, calling for an end to institutional barriers to justice, and has recommended reforming and training the police,” Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director for New York-based HRW, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Ganguly said that the group has attended to human rights violations in various countries, including India and Philippines.

“We draw attention to human rights violations in over 90 countries including in the Philippines, where the spate of extrajudicial killings, apparently with the government’s blessing as it engages in a war on drugs, has however shocked people around the world, including in India,” Ganguly said.

Sotto took to Twitter Monday to slam international human rights advocates over their supposed silence on the reported case of a 16-year old girl, who was allegedly kidnapped and raped by a group of men in India last week.

“Another daily gang rape in india. Sinunog pa. Bakit quiet mga (international) human rightists? Drugs lang ang concern nila?” Sotto asked on Twitter.

“Araw araw ang gang rape sa India. Pinapatay pa biktima. Gobyerno nila ang bagal. Nasaan sila?” he added in a text message. /cbb

READ: Sotto: Why are rights groups silent on India rapes?