"Enemies of the People"

...I hope you enjoy it?

Research Question

What has the government of Turkey done to put an end to the clear human rights violations of its penal system since the 70's?

What I will need to find out:
-the violations in the 70's
-the government's reaction to "The Midnight Express"
-international pressure

Tentative Research Proposal

To be honest, I had not even looked at this assignment until recently. I had no idea what I wanted to research. Nevertheless, a topic hit me right in the face last night as I watched the movie, "Midnight Express". Initially, I denounced this as a topic simply because it would be too easy to "illuminate" the already illuminated human rights violations in the Turkish prison such as torture. After giving the subject more thought, It would be more interesting to research this from a legal perspective. For example, Articles 10, 11, and 14 are prevalent in Billy Hayes's experience in the foreign penal system. If I were to research the applications of human rights to the topic of foreign penal systems as a whole, other articles that could apply are articles 5, 7,9, and 28.

I am unsure about whether I should research the Billy Hayes story in detail or foreign legal systems in general, but I at least have a topic that interests me.

Here are some sources that have assisted the growth of my interest and knowledge in this topic:
http://www.daemonstv.com/2010/06/28/billy-hayes-the-real-midnight-express-exclusive-interview/
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/locked-up-abroad/all/Overview
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Hayes_(writer)
http://www.usp.com.au/fpss/index.html

Although I am gaining  firmer grasp on this topic, I do have a few questions that would further narrow my focus as I continue research:
1. Would it be more beneficial to focus on the story of Billy Hayes or the larger issue of legal treatment while incarcerated abroad?
2. Even if they are in violation of the UDHR, is it plausible to make a case against foreign penal systems?
3. Are there any stronger stories to research besides that of Billy Hayes? (After reading his interview, there were quite a few details that could lessen an audience's sympathy for his experience).

The Difficulty of Defining Human Rights

The difficulty of defining human rights becomes evident when one examines the very purpose of "human rights", for between its purpose and its origins, there lies a deep contradiction. Human rights were created in order to protect the liberties of all human beings. They describe a plethora of instances in which all humans are entitled to this and that. However, the human rights themselves were written by a single comity. It seems almost futile for a small group of people -most of whom coming from privileged Western or European societies- to write the rules for all of the human race.

The Modern Congo

1. DR Congo rebel leader arrested over mass rapes: Over the past couple of days, the UN and the Army of the Democratic Republic of Congo have been tracking down the leader of a rebel force who is responsible for coordinating the mass rapes of a local villages. Just recently, through a joint operation, the rebel leader was captured and taken into custody. In my opinion the occurrence of these mass rapes is evidence of an unstable government. This is not unexpected considering that the country hadn't become independent until 1960. It is clear that the control of Leopold I's regime has left the Congo in ruin. However, I believe that this arrest is a good sign of progress. It shows that the people and the government of the Congo will not tolerate injustice anymore.

KLG Thoughts...

1. The question that I has haunted me for the course of this book is simple. Why is most of Europe completely oblivious to the atrocities being committed in the Congo? At what Point Will King Leopold's good luck run out? When will the world grow weary of the Belgian King's greed? Unfortunately, this question will not be answered until later in the book. However, I find it enjoyable to piece together the evidence of King Leopold's weakening grip on power.

2. For the most part, my group discussion shows potential. Although Drew, Isabel, and I showed a great interest in the relevance of the text, the other half of the group often talked while a point was being made. This was frustrating to say the least. The quality of the group discussion was very high when all participants were engaged and eager to give their opinion. Since I know that I am a strong asset in seminars, it is my goal to raise the interest of others who are diverting from the overall progress of the group.

King Leopold's Ghost Reflection 1

I enjoyed this reading because it has already rounded out my knowledge of the setting of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. A memorable quote from Joseph Conrad's story made a strong connection between the two texts. As Marlow tells his tale to his crew, he comments on the imperialist expansion, "which mostly means the taking away [of land] from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much" (Conrad Pt. 1). The author of King Leopold's Ghost describes this as well. I find it intriguing that the nations of Europe got away with complete extortion and even genocide by justifying their heinous crimes with hollow rationals containing little more than hypocrisy and ignorance. The powers of Europe simply hid their injustices behind the veil of religious and humanitarian interests. Out of all of the topics discussed in the first few chapters of Kind Leopold's Ghost, I find this topic especially interesting.

Questions:

1. If the casualties of the conquest of Africa (specifically the Congo) reached levels close to those of the Holocaust, why do most people of our society continue to live their lives without learning about these events?

2. Stanley's compulsive need to reinvent his past was said to embody the attitude of many similar figures at the time. What does this say about 19th century society?