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MALAWI COUNTRY of ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service

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MALAWI COUNTRY of ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service MALAWI COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 31 OCTOBER 2012 MALAWI 31 OCTOBER 2012 Contents Preface Useful news sources for further information Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................... 1.01 Map ........................................................................................................................... 1.05 2. ECONOMY .................................................................................................................. 2.01 3. HISTORY .................................................................................................................... 3.01 Local government elections .................................................................................. 3.05 Foreign donor aid to Malawi suspended ............................................................. 3.07 Anti-government protests: July 2011 ................................................................... 3.10 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 2012) .......................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION ............................................................................................................ 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ...................................................................................................... 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES ...................................................................................................... 8.01 Police ....................................................................................................................... 8.01 Armed forces .......................................................................................................... 8.03 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................. 8.04 Arbitrary arrest and detention .............................................................................. 8.04 Torture .................................................................................................................. 8.06 Extra-judicial killings ............................................................................................. 8.08 Avenues of complaint ............................................................................................ 8.09 9. MILITARY SERVICE ...................................................................................................... 9.01 10. JUDICIARY .................................................................................................................. 10.01 Organisation ........................................................................................................... 10.01 Independence ......................................................................................................... 10.02 Fair trial .................................................................................................................... 10.03 11. ARREST AND DETENTION - LEGAL RIGHTS ..................................................................... 11.01 12. PRISON AND DETENTION CENTRE CONDITIONS .............................................................. 12.01 13. DEATH PENALTY ......................................................................................................... 13.01 14. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ............................................................................................... 14.01 Freedom of political expression ........................................................................... 14.01 Freedom of association and assembly ................................................................ 14.02 Opposition groups and political activists ............................................................ 14.04 15. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ................................................................................ 15.01 Overview .................................................................................................................. 15.01 Internet ..................................................................................................................... 15.09 Journalists .............................................................................................................. 15.10 16. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ..................................... 16.01 17. CORRUPTION .............................................................................................................. 17.01 18. FREEDOM OF RELIGION................................................................................................ 18.01 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 2 26 September 2012. 31 OCTOBER 2012 MALAWI Religious demography ........................................................................................... 18.03 19. ETHNIC GROUPS ......................................................................................................... 19.01 20. SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY ............................................................... 20.01 Legal rights ............................................................................................................. 20.01 Treatment by, and attitude of, state authorities .................................................. 20.06 Societal treatment and attitudes ........................................................................... 20.14 21. WOMEN ...................................................................................................................... 21.01 Legal rights ............................................................................................................. 21.01 Political rights ......................................................................................................... 21.05 Social and economic rights ................................................................................... 21.08 Violence against women ........................................................................................ 21.16 22. CHILDREN .................................................................................................................. 22.01 Overview .................................................................................................................. 22.01 Basic legal information ......................................................................................... 22.04 Legal rights ............................................................................................................. 22.06 Birth registration and citizenship .......................................................................... 22.09 Violence against children ...................................................................................... 22.11 Female genital mutilation (FGM) .......................................................................... 22.14 Early or forced marriage ....................................................................................... 22.15 Child labour .......................................................................................................... 22.17 Sexual abuse ........................................................................................................ 22.21 Protection ............................................................................................................. 22.22 Education ................................................................................................................ 22.23 Health and welfare .................................................................................................. 22.25 23. TRAFFICKING .............................................................................................................. 23.01 Overview .................................................................................................................. 23.01 Government efforts to tackle trafficking .............................................................. 23.02 Protection for victims ............................................................................................ 23.03 24. MEDICAL ISSUES ......................................................................................................... 24.01 Overview of availability of medical treatment and drugs .................................. 24.01 HIV/AIDS – anti-retroviral treatment ..................................................................... 24.04 Cancer treatment .................................................................................................... 24.11 Kidney dialysis ....................................................................................................... 24.14 Mental health ........................................................................................................... 24.15 25. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT ............................................................................................. 25.01 26. CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONALITY .................................................................................... 26.01 27. FOREIGN REFUGEES .................................................................................................... 27.01 Annexes Annex A – Chronology of major events Annex B – Political
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