n***@bigmailbox.net
2005-02-26 21:10:19 UTC
http://archive.parade.com/2005/0213/0213_dictator.html
Parade's Ranking Of World's 10 Worst Dictators:
1. Omar al-Bashir, Sudan.
Age 61. In power since 1989.
Last year's rank: 7
===============================================================================================
2. Kim Jong Il, North Korea.
Age 62. In power since 1994.
Last year's rank: 1
===============================================================================================
3. Than Shwe, Burma.
Age 72. In power since 1992.
Last year's rank: 2
===============================================================================================
4. Hu Jintao, China.
Age 62. In power since 2002.
Last year's rank: 3
===============================================================================================
5. Crown Prince Abdullah, Saudi Arabia.
Age 81. In power since 1995.
Last year's rank: 5
================================================================================================
6. Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libya.
Age 62. In power since 1969.
Last year's rank:
Dishonorable mention
===============================================================================================
7. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan.
Age 61. In power since 1999.
Last year's rank: Not mentioned
===============================================================================================
8. Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenistan.
Age 64. In power since 1990.
Last year's rank: 8
===============================================================================================
9. Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe.
Age 80. In power since 1980.
Last year's rank: 4
================================================================================================
10. Teodoro Obiang Nguema,
Equatorial Guinea. Age 62.
In power since 1979. Last year's rank: 6
===============================================================================================
http://archive.parade.com/2005/0213/0213_dictator.html
Parade
February 13, 2005
The World's 10 Worst Dictators
By David Wallechinsky
The past year was a good one for dictators-unfortunately. None of the
most serious offenders lost his job. Competition for the Top 10 Worst
of the Worst was so heated that two dictators who made last year's
list were nudged off-Fidel Castro of Cuba and King Mswati III of
Swaziland-even though their actions were as harsh as the year before.
(See "Dishonorable Mentions" below.)
The following list has been prepared after consultation with Human
Rights Watch, Freedom House, Amnesty International and Reporters
Without Borders-human-rights groups that have not hesitated to expose
the policies of dictatorships on both the left and the right.
1. Omar al-Bashir, Sudan.
Age 61. In power since 1989.
Last year's rank: 7
A colossal humanitarian tragedy in western Sudan's Darfur region has
uprooted 2 million people and killed 70,000, mostly through the
activities of government-supported militias. This is nothing new in
Sudan, where Omar al-Bashir, its dictator, has engaged in ethnic and
religious persecution since seizing power in a military coup. Sudan has
6 million internally displaced persons-more than any other nation. In
southern Sudan, where Christianity and traditional religions are
practiced, Bashir tried to impose Islamic law in a campaign that
included aerial bombing of villages and enslavement of women and
children. His forces met with armed resistance, escalating to what some
called a civil war between Muslims and Christians. (In Darfur,
meanwhile, he has been killing Muslims.) Last month, Bashir signed a
cease-fire with rebels in the south. It allows government troops to
remain in southern Sudan and prohibits southerners from voting for
independence for six years.
2. Kim Jong Il, North Korea.
Age 62. In power since 1994.
Last year's rank: 1
Kim Jong Il slipped from first place, but not for want of trying. North
Korea still ranks last in Reporters Without Borders' international
index of press freedom, and it earned Freedom House's worst score for
political rights and civil liberties for the 33rd straight year (a
world record). The Ministry of People's Security places spies in
workplaces and neighborhoods to inform on anyone who criticizes the
regime, even at home. All radios and TV sets are fixed to receive only
government stations. Disloyalty to Kim Jong Il and his late father, Kim
Il Sung, is a punishable crime: Offenses include allowing pictures of
either leader to gather dust or be torn or folded. The population is
divided into "loyalty groups." One-third belong to the "hostile
class." These people receive the worst jobs and housing and may not
live in the capital, Pyongyang. Below the hostiles are the estimated
250,000 held in prison camps, some for crimes allegedly committed by
relatives. Executions often are
performed in public.
3. Than Shwe, Burma.
Age 72. In power since 1992.
Last year's rank: 2
In response to world opinion, Gen. Than Shwe freed 9000 prisoners, but
hopes for a new liberalism faded when only 40 were political detainees
(among more than 1000 still being held). The rest were common
criminals. Than Shwe extended the house arrest of Nobel Peace
Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party won 80% of the vote in the
last open election (1990). The arrest of opposition members resumed.
Freedom of expression is not allowed; unlicensed possession of a fax
machine or modem is punishable by 15 years in prison. To relocate
ethnic minorities, the army destroyed 3000 villages and drove 1.2
million Burmese from their homes. In a landmark case, Unocal Corp. of
California agreed to pay damages to Burmese villagers who said the
military used torture, rape or murder to force them to work on the
company's pipeline.
4. Hu Jintao, China.
Age 62. In power since 2002.
Last year's rank: 3
Despite China's economic liberalization, President Hu Jintao's
government remains one of the most repressive. Some 250,000 Chinese are
serving sentences in "re-education and labor camps." China executes
more people than all other nations combined, often for nonviolent
crimes. The death penalty can be given for burglary, embezzlement,
counterfeiting, bribery or killing a panda. Hu's government controls
all media and Internet use. Defense lawyers who argue too vigorously
for clients' rights may be disbarred or imprisoned. And if minorities
(such as Tibetans) speak out for autonomy, they're labeled
"terrorists," imprisoned and tortured.
5. Crown Prince Abdullah, Saudi Arabia.
Age 81. In power since 1995.
Last year's rank: 5
Bending under strong international pressure, Crown Prince Abdullah and
his family, who have absolute power, are holding Saudi Arabia's first
elections in 40 years-municipal elections, that is. Women may not
vote or run for office, owing to "technical difficulties": Most
Saudi women don't have the photo IDs needed to register; there
aren't enough female officials to register those who do; and men may
not register women, because the sexes are forbidden to mingle in
public. Worldwide, the royal family promotes an extreme form of Islam
called Wahhabism, which considers all followers of other
religions-even other Muslims-"infidels." In 2004, the U.S.
State Department added Saudi Arabia to its list of nations in which
religious liberty is severely violated.
6. Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libya.
Age 62. In power since 1969.
Last year's rank:
Dishonorable mention
Increasingly annoyed by other Arab leaders, Qaddafi-once considered a
supporter of terrorism -has gone to great lengths to re-establish
links with the West. He turned over a perpetrator of the 1988 terrorist
bombing of an American commercial flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, and
made substantial payments to families of the victims of both the
Lockerbie bombing and that of a French plane. He gave up his nuclear
weapons program and is opening his nation's economy to foreign
investment. Yet at home he continues to run a brutal dictatorship,
maintaining total control over all aspects of Libyan life. Freedom of
speech, assembly and religion are harshly restricted. Entire families,
tribes and even towns can be punished for "collective guilt."
Political opposition and damaging public or private property are
considered "crimes against the state."
7. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan.
Age 61. In power since 1999.
Last year's rank: Not mentioned
Two years after seizing power in a military coup that overthrew an
elected government, Gen. Pervez Musharraf appointed himself president
of Pakistan. He recently agreed to step down as head of the military,
then reversed his decision, claiming that he was best suited to unite
Pakistan's contentious political and military elements. "The
country is more important than democracy," he said. Pakistan has
endangered the world by spreading nuclear technology. Last year, it was
discovered that Abdul Qadeer Khan, head of Pakistan's nuclear weapons
program, had been selling nuclear technology to North Korea, Libya and
Iran. As for civil liberties in Pakistan, a woman who has been raped
may present her case only if she can produce four Muslim men who
witnessed the attack.
8. Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenistan.
Age 64. In power since 1990.
Last year's rank: 8
Niyazov has developed an overbearing personality cult that crushes
dissent and invades all aspects of life in Turkmenistan, no matter how
trivial. He controls his one-party state with torture, disappearances,
detentions, house demolitions, forced labor and exile. He muzzles all
media, and it is illegal to criticize any of his policies. Statues of
Niyazov appear everywhere, and his picture is on all denominations of
money. His "moral guide," Rukhnama (Book of the Soul), is required
reading for students, married couples and even applicants for a
driver's license. Female newscasters may not wear makeup, nor may
young men wear beards, long hair or gold teeth.
9. Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe.
Age 80. In power since 1980.
Last year's rank: 4
After leading an anti-colonial war of liberation, Mugabe was elected
Zimbabwe's first prime minister, raising hopes for a new era of
democracy. But he has turned increasingly dictatorial and run his
country into the ground. Average life expectancy in Zimbabwe is 33
years-among the lowest in the world. One of Mugabe's many
repressive laws deems it a crime "to make an abusive, indecent or
obscene statement" about him. He continues to hold elections, but
opposition is discouraged. Looking toward a vote in March, the
parliament passed a law banning from Zimbabwe any human-rights or
civil-liberties group that receives money from abroad. In other words,
independent election monitors will not be allowed.
10. Teodoro Obiang Nguema,
Equatorial Guinea. Age 62.
In power since 1979. Last year's rank: 6
Since major oil reserves were discovered there in 1995, U.S. oil
companies have poured $5 billion into this tiny West African nation.
Most of the oil income goes to President Obiang and his family, while
the majority of the people live on less than $1 a day. Some American
oil companies are being investigated for improprieties involving
Obiang. The U.S. State Department has accused Obiang's government of
committing torture. In November, 20 people-including 11 foreign
nationals -were sentenced to prison for an alleged coup attempt. The
only evidence against them, says Amnesty International, were
confessions extracted through torture.
===============================================================================================
Parade's Ranking Of World's 10 Worst Dictators:
1. Omar al-Bashir, Sudan.
Age 61. In power since 1989.
Last year's rank: 7
===============================================================================================
2. Kim Jong Il, North Korea.
Age 62. In power since 1994.
Last year's rank: 1
===============================================================================================
3. Than Shwe, Burma.
Age 72. In power since 1992.
Last year's rank: 2
===============================================================================================
4. Hu Jintao, China.
Age 62. In power since 2002.
Last year's rank: 3
===============================================================================================
5. Crown Prince Abdullah, Saudi Arabia.
Age 81. In power since 1995.
Last year's rank: 5
================================================================================================
6. Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libya.
Age 62. In power since 1969.
Last year's rank:
Dishonorable mention
===============================================================================================
7. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan.
Age 61. In power since 1999.
Last year's rank: Not mentioned
===============================================================================================
8. Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenistan.
Age 64. In power since 1990.
Last year's rank: 8
===============================================================================================
9. Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe.
Age 80. In power since 1980.
Last year's rank: 4
================================================================================================
10. Teodoro Obiang Nguema,
Equatorial Guinea. Age 62.
In power since 1979. Last year's rank: 6
===============================================================================================
http://archive.parade.com/2005/0213/0213_dictator.html
Parade
February 13, 2005
The World's 10 Worst Dictators
By David Wallechinsky
The past year was a good one for dictators-unfortunately. None of the
most serious offenders lost his job. Competition for the Top 10 Worst
of the Worst was so heated that two dictators who made last year's
list were nudged off-Fidel Castro of Cuba and King Mswati III of
Swaziland-even though their actions were as harsh as the year before.
(See "Dishonorable Mentions" below.)
The following list has been prepared after consultation with Human
Rights Watch, Freedom House, Amnesty International and Reporters
Without Borders-human-rights groups that have not hesitated to expose
the policies of dictatorships on both the left and the right.
1. Omar al-Bashir, Sudan.
Age 61. In power since 1989.
Last year's rank: 7
A colossal humanitarian tragedy in western Sudan's Darfur region has
uprooted 2 million people and killed 70,000, mostly through the
activities of government-supported militias. This is nothing new in
Sudan, where Omar al-Bashir, its dictator, has engaged in ethnic and
religious persecution since seizing power in a military coup. Sudan has
6 million internally displaced persons-more than any other nation. In
southern Sudan, where Christianity and traditional religions are
practiced, Bashir tried to impose Islamic law in a campaign that
included aerial bombing of villages and enslavement of women and
children. His forces met with armed resistance, escalating to what some
called a civil war between Muslims and Christians. (In Darfur,
meanwhile, he has been killing Muslims.) Last month, Bashir signed a
cease-fire with rebels in the south. It allows government troops to
remain in southern Sudan and prohibits southerners from voting for
independence for six years.
2. Kim Jong Il, North Korea.
Age 62. In power since 1994.
Last year's rank: 1
Kim Jong Il slipped from first place, but not for want of trying. North
Korea still ranks last in Reporters Without Borders' international
index of press freedom, and it earned Freedom House's worst score for
political rights and civil liberties for the 33rd straight year (a
world record). The Ministry of People's Security places spies in
workplaces and neighborhoods to inform on anyone who criticizes the
regime, even at home. All radios and TV sets are fixed to receive only
government stations. Disloyalty to Kim Jong Il and his late father, Kim
Il Sung, is a punishable crime: Offenses include allowing pictures of
either leader to gather dust or be torn or folded. The population is
divided into "loyalty groups." One-third belong to the "hostile
class." These people receive the worst jobs and housing and may not
live in the capital, Pyongyang. Below the hostiles are the estimated
250,000 held in prison camps, some for crimes allegedly committed by
relatives. Executions often are
performed in public.
3. Than Shwe, Burma.
Age 72. In power since 1992.
Last year's rank: 2
In response to world opinion, Gen. Than Shwe freed 9000 prisoners, but
hopes for a new liberalism faded when only 40 were political detainees
(among more than 1000 still being held). The rest were common
criminals. Than Shwe extended the house arrest of Nobel Peace
Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party won 80% of the vote in the
last open election (1990). The arrest of opposition members resumed.
Freedom of expression is not allowed; unlicensed possession of a fax
machine or modem is punishable by 15 years in prison. To relocate
ethnic minorities, the army destroyed 3000 villages and drove 1.2
million Burmese from their homes. In a landmark case, Unocal Corp. of
California agreed to pay damages to Burmese villagers who said the
military used torture, rape or murder to force them to work on the
company's pipeline.
4. Hu Jintao, China.
Age 62. In power since 2002.
Last year's rank: 3
Despite China's economic liberalization, President Hu Jintao's
government remains one of the most repressive. Some 250,000 Chinese are
serving sentences in "re-education and labor camps." China executes
more people than all other nations combined, often for nonviolent
crimes. The death penalty can be given for burglary, embezzlement,
counterfeiting, bribery or killing a panda. Hu's government controls
all media and Internet use. Defense lawyers who argue too vigorously
for clients' rights may be disbarred or imprisoned. And if minorities
(such as Tibetans) speak out for autonomy, they're labeled
"terrorists," imprisoned and tortured.
5. Crown Prince Abdullah, Saudi Arabia.
Age 81. In power since 1995.
Last year's rank: 5
Bending under strong international pressure, Crown Prince Abdullah and
his family, who have absolute power, are holding Saudi Arabia's first
elections in 40 years-municipal elections, that is. Women may not
vote or run for office, owing to "technical difficulties": Most
Saudi women don't have the photo IDs needed to register; there
aren't enough female officials to register those who do; and men may
not register women, because the sexes are forbidden to mingle in
public. Worldwide, the royal family promotes an extreme form of Islam
called Wahhabism, which considers all followers of other
religions-even other Muslims-"infidels." In 2004, the U.S.
State Department added Saudi Arabia to its list of nations in which
religious liberty is severely violated.
6. Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libya.
Age 62. In power since 1969.
Last year's rank:
Dishonorable mention
Increasingly annoyed by other Arab leaders, Qaddafi-once considered a
supporter of terrorism -has gone to great lengths to re-establish
links with the West. He turned over a perpetrator of the 1988 terrorist
bombing of an American commercial flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, and
made substantial payments to families of the victims of both the
Lockerbie bombing and that of a French plane. He gave up his nuclear
weapons program and is opening his nation's economy to foreign
investment. Yet at home he continues to run a brutal dictatorship,
maintaining total control over all aspects of Libyan life. Freedom of
speech, assembly and religion are harshly restricted. Entire families,
tribes and even towns can be punished for "collective guilt."
Political opposition and damaging public or private property are
considered "crimes against the state."
7. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan.
Age 61. In power since 1999.
Last year's rank: Not mentioned
Two years after seizing power in a military coup that overthrew an
elected government, Gen. Pervez Musharraf appointed himself president
of Pakistan. He recently agreed to step down as head of the military,
then reversed his decision, claiming that he was best suited to unite
Pakistan's contentious political and military elements. "The
country is more important than democracy," he said. Pakistan has
endangered the world by spreading nuclear technology. Last year, it was
discovered that Abdul Qadeer Khan, head of Pakistan's nuclear weapons
program, had been selling nuclear technology to North Korea, Libya and
Iran. As for civil liberties in Pakistan, a woman who has been raped
may present her case only if she can produce four Muslim men who
witnessed the attack.
8. Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenistan.
Age 64. In power since 1990.
Last year's rank: 8
Niyazov has developed an overbearing personality cult that crushes
dissent and invades all aspects of life in Turkmenistan, no matter how
trivial. He controls his one-party state with torture, disappearances,
detentions, house demolitions, forced labor and exile. He muzzles all
media, and it is illegal to criticize any of his policies. Statues of
Niyazov appear everywhere, and his picture is on all denominations of
money. His "moral guide," Rukhnama (Book of the Soul), is required
reading for students, married couples and even applicants for a
driver's license. Female newscasters may not wear makeup, nor may
young men wear beards, long hair or gold teeth.
9. Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe.
Age 80. In power since 1980.
Last year's rank: 4
After leading an anti-colonial war of liberation, Mugabe was elected
Zimbabwe's first prime minister, raising hopes for a new era of
democracy. But he has turned increasingly dictatorial and run his
country into the ground. Average life expectancy in Zimbabwe is 33
years-among the lowest in the world. One of Mugabe's many
repressive laws deems it a crime "to make an abusive, indecent or
obscene statement" about him. He continues to hold elections, but
opposition is discouraged. Looking toward a vote in March, the
parliament passed a law banning from Zimbabwe any human-rights or
civil-liberties group that receives money from abroad. In other words,
independent election monitors will not be allowed.
10. Teodoro Obiang Nguema,
Equatorial Guinea. Age 62.
In power since 1979. Last year's rank: 6
Since major oil reserves were discovered there in 1995, U.S. oil
companies have poured $5 billion into this tiny West African nation.
Most of the oil income goes to President Obiang and his family, while
the majority of the people live on less than $1 a day. Some American
oil companies are being investigated for improprieties involving
Obiang. The U.S. State Department has accused Obiang's government of
committing torture. In November, 20 people-including 11 foreign
nationals -were sentenced to prison for an alleged coup attempt. The
only evidence against them, says Amnesty International, were
confessions extracted through torture.
===============================================================================================