Rule by Law: Discriminatory Legislation and Legitimized Abuses in Uganda
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RULE BY LAW DIscRImInAtORy legIslAtIOn AnD legItImIzeD Abuses In ugAnDA Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million supporters, members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. First published in 2014 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW United Kingdom © Amnesty International 2014 Index: AFR 59/06/2014 Original language: English Printed by Amnesty International, International Secretariat, United Kingdom All rights reserved. This publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee for advocacy, campaigning and teaching purposes, but not for resale. The copyright holders request that all such use be registered with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in any other circumstances, or for reuse in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, prior written permission must be obtained from the publishers, and a fee may be payable. To request permission, or for any other inquiries, please contact [email protected] Cover photo: Ugandan activists demonstrate in Kampala on 26 February 2014 against the Anti-Pornography Act. © Isaac Kasamani amnesty.org CONTENTS 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 7 2. Methodology ........................................................................................................... 11 3. Restricting rights: The background to the Acts ........................................................... 12 Clampdown on opposition protests ............................................................................. 12 Suppression of critical media to stifle reporting of protests .......................................... 13 Harassment of anti-corruption activists ...................................................................... 14 Religious influence on politics .................................................................................. 15 Restrictions on civil society ....................................................................................... 15 4. Legalising repression: The Acts................................................................................. 16 Public Order Management Act 2013 .......................................................................... 16 Anti-Pornography Act 2014 ...................................................................................... 17 Anti-Homosexuality Act 2014 ................................................................................... 18 Commonalities ........................................................................................................ 20 Other Proposed Legislation ....................................................................................... 21 The Non-Governmental Organisations Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2013 ............... 21 Civic Education Policy .......................................................................................... 21 Constitutional challenges .......................................................................................... 22 5. A climate of fear: Attitudes and discrimination ........................................................... 24 Statements by state actors ........................................................................................ 24 Public attitudes ....................................................................................................... 28 6. Pushed to the wall: State enforcement of the Acts ...................................................... 32 Arrests .................................................................................................................... 32 Treatment in detention ......................................................................................... 34 Media parading .................................................................................................... 35 Reporting ............................................................................................................ 36 Arrests at police stations ....................................................................................... 36 Suppression of public assemblies ............................................................................. 38 One law inhibiting protest against another law ........................................................ 38 Media .................................................................................................................... 39 Harassment by state actors ...................................................................................... 40 Surveillance and investigation .................................................................................. 41 7. Legitimizing abuse: Non-state actors ........................................................................ 43 Physical attacks and harassment .............................................................................. 44 Homophobic violence ........................................................................................... 46 Harassment and threats of violence ....................................................................... 47 Familial impact ................................................................................................... 53 Infringements with right to adequate housing ............................................................. 54 Abuses of the right to work ....................................................................................... 56 Media “outings” ...................................................................................................... 58 Denial of access to health care ................................................................................. 61 General health care while the AHA was in force ....................................................... 61 Sexual health services while the AHA was in force ................................................... 62 Mental health ...................................................................................................... 64 Government response and Ministry of Health Directive on non-discrimination ............. 64 Abuses with impunity .............................................................................................. 65 8. Shrinking space: The impact on civil society ............................................................. 66 Public activities and advocacy ................................................................................... 66 Service provision ..................................................................................................... 68 Operations .............................................................................................................. 69 Security .................................................................................................................. 70 9. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 72 10. Recommendations ................................................................................................ 73 11. Endnotes ............................................................................................................. 76 6 Rule by Law Discriminatory Legislation and Legitimized Abuses in Uganda Amnesty International October 2014 Index: AFR 59/006/2014 Rule by Law 7 Discriminatory Legislation and Legitimized Abuses in Uganda 1. INTRODUCTION “It is no longer rule of law, it is rule by law, the law of the ruler” Bishop Zac Niringiye, Retired Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Kampala, Church of Uganda and anti-corruption activist1 As Uganda’s ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) looks ahead to the 2016 elections, which will mark President Museveni’s 30th year in power, new laws have been enacted or proposed with a damaging effect on the human rights of Ugandans. This report documents the cumulative human rights impact of three pieces of legislation - the Public Order Management Act (POMA), the Anti-Pornography Act (APA), and the now nullified Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA). These Acts were all passed by the Parliament of Uganda and signed into law between August 2013 and February 2014, though the AHA had been debated for over four years before it was passed. This flurry of repressive and discriminatory legislation represents an increasing use of “rule by law” to intensify restrictions on free expression, association and assembly in place since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 2005. While these laws have had a repressive and discriminatory impact, the causes of this legislation are manifold. The POMA was first introduced as a Bill as President Museveni and the NRM faced more challenges from outside and within the ruling party. The AHA, introduced as a Private Member’s Bill not government legislation, demonstrates the rising influence of religion on law-making. As the debate around it took shape, however, it drew in broader identity issues, such as Uganda’s relationship with the Global North, cultural autonomy and family values.