HRW disputes Sotto’s claim on rights groups’ ‘silence’

The Human Rights Watch on Tuesday has responded to Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III’s statement where he questioned the “silence” of human rights groups on rape cases in India.

South Asia director for Human Rights Watch Meenakshi Ganguly said that the HRW “has repeatedly criticized sexual violence in India, calling for an end to institutional barriers to justice, and has recommended reforming and training the police.”

Ganguly added that the HRW has focused on human rights violation in several countries, including India and the 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,” she added.

Sotto on Monday criticized human rights advocates’ alleged silence on the case of a 16-year-old girl from India who was set on fire after being raped.

“Another daily gang rape in India. She was even burned. Why are international human rights groups quiet? Are drugs their only concern?” Sotto tweeted in a mix of English and Filipino.

The content was written for Philippine Canadian Inquirer’s Daily News Round-Up, May 8, 2018 edition.