Unions can exercise their right to organize and bargain collectively. Although the judicial system is generally independent, the government has, at times, attempted to pressure the largely expatriate judiciary in politically sensitive cases. After the arrest of some 500 suspected rioters in January 1998, there were credible reports that police assaulted or otherwise poorly treated prisoners. In 1999, the Ombudsman s Office said that jails failed to meet the minimum international standards and the constitutional rights of inmates are often violated. The country s small ethnic-minority communities are discriminated in land ownership.
Women have limited opportunities in education and politics.
In 1999, Prime Minister Kalpokas urged employers to hire more women.