The established democracies are accepting flawed and unfair elections for political expediency, Human Rights Watch said in releasing its World Report 2008. By allowing autocrats to pose as democrats, without demanding they uphold the civil and political rights that make democracy meaningful, the United States, the European Union and other influential democracies risk undermining human rights worldwide.
Human Rights Watch identifies human rights challenges in need of attention in places like Chad, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia's Ogaden region, Iraq, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan's Darfur region, Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Libya, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, France, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States, among others.
