**Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2005 - 2006\
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor**

"All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: The United States
will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you
stand for your liberty, we will stand with you."

           *\--President George W. Bush, 2005 Inaugural Address*

Released on April 5, 2006

**Preface**

Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2005 - 2006\
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor

Today, in growing numbers across the globe, men and women are pressing
for their rights to be respected and their governments to be responsive,
for their voices to be heard and their votes to count, for just laws and
justice for all. Growing also is the recognition that democracy is the
form of government that can, over time, best meet the demands of
citizens for dignity, liberty, and equality.

As President Bush stated in his second inaugural address, \"... it is
the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of
democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with
the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.\"

In the Broader Middle East, the past year saw indigenous calls for
democratic reform, the beginnings of political pluralism, unprecedented
elections, and some new protections for women and minorities. The people
of Iraq went to the polls three times and held to democracy's course
despite high levels of violence. The men and women of Afghanistan cast
their ballots countrywide in the first free legislative elections since
1969, even as the Government struggled to expand its authority over
provincial centers.

The first post-conflict elections in Liberia resulted in Africa's first
elected female head of state, marking a milestone in Liberia's
transition from civil war to democracy. Latin American and Caribbean
democracies continued to confront the challenges of strengthening weak
institutions, fighting corruption, and redressing social inequality.
Ukraine's new government, reflecting the democratic will of the people,
made notable improvements in human rights performance. And Indonesia,
the world's most populous Muslim majority country, strengthened the
architecture of its democratic system when, for the first time, citizens
directly elected their leaders at the city, regency, and provincial
levels.

Meanwhile, from Burma to Belarus, China to Cuba, North Korea to Syria,
and Iran to Zimbabwe, courageous men and women suffered persecution for
exercising their fundamental freedoms of expression, association,
assembly, and movement, and against great odds continued to work for
peaceful change.

This report describes the many ways American foreign policy helped
citizens and governments around the globe turn their increasing demands
for human rights and democracy into programs of action.

*Condoleezza Rice\
Secretary of State*

Released on April 5, 2006

**U.S. Human Rights and Democracy Strategy**

Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2005 - 2006\
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor

The United States applies a wide range of diplomatic tools in support of
human rights and democracy across the globe. This report summarizes our
strategy in every region, and describes what we did to support
indigenous reform efforts in 95 countries over the past year.

As President Bush has said in January 2005: \"Freedom, by its nature,
must be chosen, and defended by citizens, and sustained by the rule of
law and the protection of minorities. ... America will not impose our
own style of government on the unwilling. Our goal instead is to help
others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their
own way.\"

To further that goal, the United States responded to the growing global
demand for greater personal and political freedom by supporting the
efforts of those calling for reform. We stood in solidarity with the
brave men and women around the world who were persecuted by repressive
regimes for exercising their rights. By on-the-ground interaction with
government officials, civil society organizations and individuals, and
through multilateral engagement on the regional and global levels, we
defended international human rights standards and advanced democratic
principles.

So that fellow democracies can better deliver democracy's blessings to
their people, we helped them strengthen their institutions of government
and sink deeper roots for the rule of law. We encouraged the full
participation of all citizens, including women and minorities, in the
public life of their countries. To ensure that the will of the people
would prevail, we promoted political pluralism and helped to level
playing fields so that elections would meet international standards. We
called to account democratically elected governments that did not govern
democratically. And, as they came under siege in many countries around
the world, we championed the vital contributions to democracy of
independent media and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

In Fiscal Year 2005, the United States budgeted \$1.4 billion for human
rights and democracy programming. We also fostered democratic reform
efforts through well targeted development assistance, such as the
innovative Millennium Challenge Account, which links a country's
eligibility for poverty alleviation funding to good governance. At the
same time, we continued to bring economic sanctions to bear on
systematic human rights violators like the Burmese and Cuban regimes. In
concert with the Group of 8 industrialized nations (G-8) and regional
governments and NGOs, the United States launched two new institutions
to foster indigenous reform in the Broader Middle East and North Africa
\-- the Foundation for the Future, which supports civil society; and the
Fund for the Future, which supports investment. Finally, the United
States sought to make international institutions more effective
defenders and supporters of human rights and democracy. To that end, in
Fiscal Year 2005 we provided \$10 million to the United Nations
Democracy Fund and pressed for the creation of a new, credible Human
Rights Council at the United Nations that excludes the worst violators.

In all of these efforts on behalf of human rights and democracy, the
United States welcomed the partnership of other governments and we
sought the ideas and expertise of NGOs that do the hard work of
defending human rights and building democracy citizen by citizen,
institution by institution, and country by country each and every day.

Released on April 5, 2006

**Purpose and Acknowledgments**

Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2005 - 2006\
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor

This report is submitted to the Congress by the Department of State in
compliance with Section 665 of P.L. 107-228, the Fiscal Year 2003
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, which requires the Department to
report on actions taken by the U.S. Government to encourage respect for
human rights. This fourth annual submission complements the longstanding
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2005, and takes the next
step, moving from highlighting abuses to reporting the actions and
programs the United States has employed to end those abuses.

Unlike the 196 Country Reports, *Supporting Human Rights and Democracy:
The U.S. Record 2005-2006* highlights U.S. efforts to promote human
rights and democracy in only 95 countries and entities -- those facing
the most serious human rights challenges. References to Hong Kong and
Tibet have been incorporated into the China report. To make this report
consistent with the criteria in the legislation, this year's report also
deletes a number of countries: Albania, Argentina, and Macedonia.

*Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2005-2006*
reflects the dedicated effort of hundreds of officials from State
Department, U.S. Agency for International Development and other U.S.
Government agencies, as well as the employees of numerous NGOs. U.S.
Embassies and Consulates prepared the initial drafts of the reports.
After the posts completed their drafts, the texts were sent to
Washington for careful review by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights
and Labor, in cooperation with other State Department bureaus and
offices, and other Federal Departments and Agencies. As they worked to
analyze and edit the reports, Department officers drew on their own
knowledge of U.S. Government programs and activities.

*Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2005-2006* will
be used as a resource for shaping policy, conducting diplomacy and
making assistance, training, and other resource allocations. It will
also serve as a basis for the U.S. Government's cooperation with private
groups to promote the observance of internationally recognized human
rights and democracy. As United States officials consider how best to
advance the President's foreign policy goals, they adhere to relevant
legislation. A list of significant legislation can be found
at [[www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/42314.htm]{.underline}](http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/42314.htm).

Within the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the editorial
staff of the report consists of: Editor in Chief -- Oscar DeSoto; Senior
Editorial Advisors -- Barry F. Lowenkron, Jonathan Farrar, Erica Barks-
Ruggles, Jeffrey Krilla, Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, Lynne Davidson; Deputy
Editor in Chief and Producer -- Kari Johnstone; Senior Producer -- Sally
I. Buikema; Senior Editors and Deputy Producers -- Pamela Erickson, Amy
Schmisseur, Rana Siu; Senior Editors: Meghan Brown, Jerome Hoganson, Ann
Marie Jackson, Sandra Murphy, Julie Turner; Editors -- Kent Brokenshire,
Elise Carlson, Samuel Chang, Cheryl Clayton, Jeannette Davis, Caitlin
Fitzpatrick, Saba Ghori, Karen Gilbride, David Goldberg, Vanessa
Golding, Patrick Harvey, Kathleen Kerr, Catherine Kuchta-Helbling,
Michael Michener, Jennie Munoz, Thy Nguyen, Meagan Oates, Michael Orona,
Susan O'Sullivan, Sarah Fox Ozkan, Wendy B. Silverman, Nicole Wilett;
Editorial Assistants -- Joseph Barghout, Philip Barth, Steven Brattain,
Kara Cumberland, Kendra Davis, Douglas Dearborn, Victor Huser, Michael
Mates, Julietta Noyes, Gianni Paz, LeRoy G. Potts, Vitessa Del Prete,
Sarah Ryman, Deborah Schneider, James Todd; Public and Congressional
Affairs Officers and Assistants -- Elyse Bauer, Carol Finerty, Camille
Goldberg, Eunice Johnson, Sarah Lohmann, Jeremy Moon, Sam Porter;
Publication and Technical Officers -- Patricia Adams, Roberta Mather,
and for the Bureau of Public Affairs, Janice Clark and Monica Roll.

Released on April 5, 2006

**Middle East and North Africa**

Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2005 - 2006\
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor

\"As an Arab and Muslim woman, I see no contradiction whatsoever between
Islam and the call for democratic governance and respect for human
rights...democracy provides a sensible framework for guaranteeing human
rights...and is in harmony with the main assumption in Islam that the
individual human being is born free and endowed with the freedom of
choice regardless of his or her religion, race or identity.\"\
      *\--Amat al-Aleem Alsoswa, The Then Yemeni Minister for Human
Rights*

The past year brought both heartening progress and challenges to the
promotion of democracy and human rights in the Middle East and North
Africa. New technologies such as the Internet and satellite television
widened public access to global information and strengthened internal
demands for political participation, clean and responsive government,
and broader economic opportunity. The Freedom Agenda found new partners
in regional leaders and in a growing number of reform-minded government
officials and civil society leaders. The Iraqi people went to the polls
three times, in increasing numbers. At the same time authoritarian
governments, rebuffing calls for peaceful democratic change, struck back
at internal challenges to their monopoly on power. Courageous critics of
such regimes continued to speak out despite assassinations, brutal
attacks, and incarceration on spurious charges of defamation or treason.

Citing fears of instability or foreign interference, some governments
moved to impose Draconian restrictions on reformist civil society
groups. Their efforts to weaken the secular opposition often drove
frustrated citizens to support the only visible alternative to
corruption and inefficiency \-- Islamist parties with compelling
anti-corruption and good governance platforms and solid social service
track records.

The United States used a variety of diplomatic and programmatic tools to
strengthen its support for the consolidation of democracy and human
rights protections in the region. Through these efforts the people of
Iraq continued to build their nascent democracy, despite corruption and
high levels of sectarian violence instigated by those who would
institute a new dictatorship to replace that of Saddam Hussein. With
U.S. support, Iraqis carried out elections that met international
standards. This allowed a growing number of Iraqi voters, including
members of the Sunni Arab community, to assert their right to
participate in national political life, voting in elections and electing
members of their community to the Council of Representatives. U.S.
experts and outreach programs supported Iraqis who drafted and ratified
a new Constitution that reflected growing public support for democratic
principles, including protections for fundamental freedoms and human
rights, due process, and separation of powers.

Robust private and public advocacy by U.S. officials spotlighted
egregious violations such as arrests of peaceful reformers in Syria and
Iran, and promoted continued progress through multilateral fora such as
the Forum for the Future and the UN. The United States worked with
regional and international allies to demand Syrian compliance with UN
Security Council resolutions and investigations and to support credible
international monitoring of elections around the region.

Buffeted by allegations of complicity in assassinations and kidnapping
in Lebanon, President Bashar Al-Assad and the Syrian regime struggled to
contain internal demands for freedom and to rebuff intensifying
international scrutiny. The United States supported multilateral
pressure on Syria to meet its international obligations and improve its
deplorable human rights record, while encouraging calls for peaceful
change such as the Damascus Declaration.

Meanwhile, Iran sank further into tyranny and international isolation
during the year, turning back limited democratic progress through
blatant electoral manipulation and the unblinking repression of dissent
and religious and ethnic minorities. It continued to act as a state
sponsor of terrorism, to stifle religious freedom, and to foster
sectarian divisions and hatred abroad. The United States worked with
regional allies to highlight concerns on Iran's human rights
performance, and sought to strengthen internal voices of reform.

U.S. assistance programs throughout the region worked to address
injustice and past abuses, strengthen democratic civil society
organizations, support women's empowerment, and bolster the efforts of
reformists within regional governments. Free Trade Agreement
negotiations conditioned access to U.S. economic assistance and trade
benefits on genuine progress toward labor, good governance and human
rights benchmarks. An International Labor Organization official noted
that member countries in the region had been \"knocking on our door\" in
2005 to ask for help with labor reform and protecting worker rights, and
several countries in the region are making serious strides to end the
use of child jockeys in the hazardous sport of camel racing.

The United States joined leaders such as King Abdullah Al-Hussein of
Jordan in calling for increased religious tolerance and respect for
religious minorities. Iran and Saudi Arabia were designated as Countries
of Particular Concern for continued severe violations of religious
freedom. During the year, the United States and Saudi Arabia initiated
the Strategic Dialogue to address issues of concern including respect
for religion and political, social, and educational reforms. The United
States urged Saudi Arabia to widen political participation and to extend
greater protections for religious minorities and women. The United
States welcomed Saudi Arabia's release of political prisoners following
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud's accession to the throne, as well
as steps to widen political participation through municipal council
elections. The United States also encouraged governments throughout the
region to enhance their efforts to prevent trafficking in persons,
particularly of expatriate workers.

**Women's Advocacy Groups in Jordan**

The foundations of democracy and its critical institutions are built
over time, through the efforts of ordinary people longing for a better
life and a say in their future. U.S.-supported Women's Advocacy Groups
in Jordan work to open the door to that future, provide the skills and
knowledge to empower the powerless, and build critical partnerships
between a willing government and its people for internal democratic
reform.

In tiny neighborhoods in rural and urban areas of the governorates of
Jerash, Madaba, and Al-Karak, in partnership with government ministries,
the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, and the Queen Zein
Al Sharaf Institute for Development, the nongovernmental organization
CARE used a small grant from the United States to establish three
women's community development centers and provide impoverished women the
skills, knowledge, and mechanisms to advocate for their needs and
rights.

Participants in the Women's Advocacy Groups --- women from traditional,
conservative Muslim communities --- learned how to resolve practical
problems with the critical tools of grassroots democracy: consultation
with the community to collect data on public needs, dialogue with
government officials and service providers, networking to exchange best
practices and address mutual concerns, and fostering public outreach on
civic rights and responsibilities. During the 22 months of this project,
these women not only mastered new leadership and advocacy skills but
quickly used them to push for positive improvements to their
communities. Successes included:

-   Assignment of a much-needed resident gynecologist to the public
    health center in Mu'ta. 

-   Closure of an abandoned and contaminated pool in Al-Karak that
    endangered community children.

-   Improved conditions in public schools, and plans for new schools in
    Al-Karak and Jarash.

-   Improved street lighting and bus routes in Madaba.

The work of these women and their success in mobilizing positive change
for their community has been remarkable. This and other civil society
projects supported by the United States underscore the energy and
enthusiasm of grassroots democrats in the region and the compatibility
of democracy and Islam. This support will continue to help build
critical democratic skills and empower women to play a key role in
advancing democracy in the region.

**Saudi Arabia**

King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud served 23 years as Crown Prince of
Saudi Arabia, acting as regent during the last 10 years. Since assuming
the throne on August 1, following the death of his half-brother King
Fahd, he has continued to foster a reform agenda. In early 2005, as
Crown Prince, he supported the country's very limited elections for
municipal councils, which were the first such elections since 1963. The
King appointed half the council members in December. Saudi women did not
vote or run in these polls. Freedom of the press improved with more
frequent press reports and articles on controversial issues and those
containing criticism of the Government. Despite these important steps
forward, the Government's human rights record remained poor. Security
forces continued to abuse detainees and prisoners and to arbitrarily
arrest, detain, and hold persons incommunicado. The Mutawwa'in
(religious police) continued to intimidate, abuse, and detain citizens
and foreigners with impunity, although to a lesser extent than in the
past. Strict limitations on women's rights continued, including
harassment and highly restrictive dress codes, travel restrictions
including denial of any right to drive, severe discrimination in family
law and other legal proceedings, and extraordinary segregation in
schools, most workplaces, and public facilities of every kind. Violence
against women and children, as well as discrimination against ethnic and
religious minorities, continued. Most trials were closed, and defendants
usually had no legal counsel. The Government continued to infringe upon
privacy rights and restricted freedom of speech and the press. Freedom
of religion did not exist. The Government restricted freedom of
assembly, association, and movement.

The Secretary of State launched the U.S.-Saudi Strategic Dialogue in
November, which reinvigorated the bilateral relationship and raised the
profile of key issues through this new process. The Dialogue's
Education, Exchange, and Human Development Working Group was established
to address improving citizen participation in decision-making and human
rights issues such as religious freedom, trafficking in persons (TIP),
and promoting tolerance.

The United States frequently engaged the Government on issues of
political participation, transparency, accountability in government,
religious freedom, and rights for women and workers. Numerous high-level
U.S. officials--including the Vice President, influential members of
Congress, cabinet secretaries, and the Under Secretary of State for
Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs--used visits to the Kingdom to
discuss these and related concerns with King Abdullah and senior
officials. The United States continued to raise concerns on human rights
at all levels of the Government, notably on religious freedom, TIP, and
women's rights. In September, the Government established the Human
Rights Commission (HRC) headquarters in Riyadh. U.S. officials met with
and encouraged the work of the HRC, the National Society for Human
Rights, and the still unrecognized NGO Human Rights First Society.

In June, the United States, working with the U.S.-based Center for Civic
Education, provided training to Saudi school principals and Education
Ministry officials in civic education. In September and December, the
Riyadh-based King Faisal School Director General organized a series of
U.S.-sponsored, one-week training workshops for 25 female and 50 male
teachers from throughout the Kingdom. The training focused on skills and
concepts for teaching civic education, including activities to promote
community involvement and grassroots democracy.

U.S. officials participated in civic organization meetings and press
roundtables to discuss internal political reform, as well as the rights
of women and minority groups. The United States also participated in
weekly majlis gatherings, open-door meetings held by the king, a prince,
or an important national or local notable during which, in theory, any
male citizen or foreign national may express an opinion or a grievance.
U.S. officials were invited to accompany Saudi citizens to voter
registration centers in advance of Jeddah's landmark municipal council
elections and observed campaign rallies for female candidates seeking
election to the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry Board of
Directors.

In December, the King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue held the
Fifth National Dialogue Forum in Abha called \"We and the Other: A
National Vision for Dealing with World Cultures.\" Then-Crown Prince
Abdullah started the National Dialogue in 2003 in response to calls for
real and practical reform in the Kingdom. The December meeting was the
culmination of 13 preparatory meetings held in Saudi Arabia between
April and November, during which men and women scholars and civil
society members discussed political reform, religious tolerance, and the
role of women and youth in the country. It brought together more than
700 men and women scholars, intellectuals, and government officials to
produce a national vision paper with recommendations that were presented
to the King for consideration. For the first time, its proceedings were
broadcast live on Saudi television.

Through the International Visitor Leadership Program, the United States
sponsored participation by members of Government and civil society in
U.S. seminars such as the rule of law in judicial reform, religious and
public education in the United States, NGO administration, and
volunteerism.

The United States recruited and obtained funding for two U.S. business
and communication professors to conduct workshops for Saudi
businesswomen at the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce in Dammam and
Qatif. Approximately 40 Saudi women attended these workshops, which
focused on leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Overall, the inclusion
and participation of women in grassroots and business organizations
increased during the year. In November, two Saudi women were elected to
the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, followed by the
December appointments of two additional women. In December, a woman was
elected to the Saudi Engineers Council Board of Directors. These women
joined the two women elected to the Saudi Journalists Association Board
of Directors in 2004. There is also one female advisor to the Majles
al-Shoura.

The United States continued providing International Military Education
and Training Assistance for the Saudi military to increase its awareness
of international norms of human rights and foster greater respect for
the principle of civilian control of the military and the rule of law.

The United States strongly advocated for religious freedom, which does
not exist in the Kingdom. In November, the Secretary of State
redesignated Saudi Arabia as a Country of Particular Concern for
particularly severe violations of religious freedom. The Ambassador and
other senior officials raised the issue of religious freedom with the
Foreign Minister and other senior Saudi officials. The Ambassador also
protested raids on private homes and the detention of Christian
worshippers. The United States encouraged Saudi officials to honor their
Government's public commitment to permit and protect private religious
worship by non-Muslims, eliminate discrimination against religious
minorities, and promote tolerance towards non-Muslims and those Muslims
who do not adhere to the official Salafist tradition of Islam. A group
of 30 Saudi religious educators, consisting of supervisors, professors,
and teachers, traveled with Education and Higher Education Ministry
officials. The group visited mosques, churches, synagogues, and public
and parochial schools throughout the United States in cities including
Washington, Philadelphia, Santa Fe, and Los Angeles.

In December, King Abdullah hosted a ministerial summit of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference in Mecca, which produced the
communiqué \"A Ten Year Plan of Action for the Muslim World.\" The
United States supported provisions calling for religious tolerance,
improved human rights standards, and state accountability.

In 2005, the United States ranked Saudi Arabia on Tier 3 for failing to
take significant steps to address TIP, including coercion and
involuntary servitude of foreign domestic workers. In the interest of
national security, the Secretary of State decided to waive sanctions. In
September, the Government issued a new labor law and began writing an
addendum for domestic workers. The United States encouraged the
Government to raise public awareness of abuse of foreign domestic
workers and to extend labor protections to domestic workers, advocating
long-term improvements in the status and legal rights of foreign
laborers under Saudi labor law. In coordination with source-country
embassies, the United States worked to promote better legal protections
for foreign workers, the prevention and protection of trafficking
victims, and the investigation and prosecution of traffickers. The
state-controlled press carried some stories on the abuse of maids and
other domestic workers, including the prosecution and punishment of
citizen employers who abused foreign domestic employees. While most
cases were settled through mediation and settlements, in the prominent
case of an Indonesian maid who was severely abused by her employers, the
wife of the employer was sentenced to 35 lashes.

**For complete report please click on following link.**

[[http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/shrd/2005/]{.underline}](http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/shrd/2005/)