India was elected on UN’s “Human Rights” council with 188 votes in Asia-Pacific category and will take the seat on 1st January 2019 for a three year period. India received the highest number of votes among any category, followed by Fiji (187), Bangladesh (178) and Bahrain, Philippines (165) votes each, where a nation needs a minimum of 97 votes to serve on the Human Rights Council. (HRC)
The 18 new members on Human Rights Council are elected by secret ballet every three years, by 193 members UN General Assembly, corridor of power, cornucopia of political rewards on international stage. India has a good record serving on various UN bodies, having previously served on Geneva based HRC for two constative terms, from 2011 to 2017.
Obviously secret vote ballot helps India, as there is a tendency among UN members, indeed in any organization to vote for countries who share their culture, tradition, religion and political thinking, mainly due to external pressure. Who can forget Eurovision song contest where Greece inevitably gives top marks to Cyprus and vice-versa. Britain, who has one of the best music industries that dominates the world of music, with US, always lingers on in the bottom half. Secret voting takes such equation out of political arena, electing the most deserving nations rather than being a puppet on a string, controlled by political groups playing politics with human rights.
Election of some of the countries raised eye-brews and that include Bahrain and Philippines, amongst many more, as Philippines is described as “Killing Field” where thousands of drug dealers and child prostitute peddlers are murdered by police on the streets without a second thought, the tough, ruthless policy of its President Rodrigo Duterte who has declared war on these criminals who escape justice due to mass corruption among police officers, most of whom are on pay-role of these thugs.
Although this is tough policy bordering on mass murders, it is popular amongst the people, as drug trade and child prostitution is destroying family life and the fabrics of the nation.
Bhupendra M. Gandhi
By email
