Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1986
PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF YEMEN*
The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) is a
one-party state under the control of the avowedly Marxist
Yemen Socialist Party (YSP) . The President of the PDRY,
Haydar Abu Bakr al-Attas, came to power in January 1986 when
the previous president, Ali Nasir Muhammad al-Hasani, was
ousted in a violent coup after bitter fighting in which the
forces in opposition to Ali Nasir reportedly were openly aided
by Soviet and Cuban military personnel. Ali Nasir, along with
many of his followers, was forced to flee the country.
The YSP efforts to establish a Marxist-Leninist state on the
Soviet model have resulted in the destruction of many
traditional social and cultural values. Tribal leaders have
been murdered and many human rights, such as the freedoms of
speech, association, and the press, have been suppressed. As
a consequence, an estimated 25 percent of the population has
fled the PDRY since the country's independence from Great
Britain in 1967. Most have fled to the neighboring Yemen Arab
Republic (YAR) .
Approximately 40 percent of the population of about 2.2 million
are engaged in agriculture, which produces about 12 percent of
the gross national product. The economy, which had been
stagnating in recent years, worsened significantly in 1986 in
the wake of the coup; there were shortages of flour, rice,
milk, and other basic commodities.
Following the coup in January, human rights violations in the
PDRY took place on an unprecedented scale. A PDRY official
estimated in late January 1986 that between 12,000 and 13,000
people died in the fighting. A large section of Aden was
destroyed by indiscriminate shooting. The ruthless
annihilation of opponents was particularly severe in Shabwa
and Abyan provinces; on January 18, guards reportedly
machine-gunned to death nearly 100 inmates of the jail in
al-Gar, Abyan. Hundreds of Ali Nasir supporters, beyond those
killed in the initial fighting, were massacred. Exiles who
fled to the YAR reported the machine-gunning of schools and
other buildings filled with noncombatants from various tribes
loyal to Ali Nasir.
RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including
Freedom from:
a. Political Killing
Thousands of people were killed in the PDRY after the January
coup, including many persons suspected of supporting Ali
Nasi. In February Najib Shumayri, Chairman of the Supreme
Court, was reported to have been executed for refusing to
cooperate with the new regime. His death remains unconfirmed,
but Amnesty International's requests for information from the
Government have gone unanswered. Reports of many other
arbitrary executions have been common. Mustafa Muhammad
*The United States maintains no diplomatic mission in the
People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, which severed diplomatic
relations with the United States in 1969. It is difficult,
therefore, to comment authoritatively on conditions in that
country.
Musarraj , former member of the Supreme People's Conference,
and Zaki Barakat, President of the Democratic Yemen
Journalists' Organization, reportedly were among those
executed .
b. Disappearance
In the aftermath of the coup, people reportedly were still
disappearing from their homes and places of work at the end of
the year. Exiles report that many of these persons may have
been killed. Exile groups have published several long lists
of victims, but it has not been possible to confirm the fate
of those named.
c. Torture and Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment
There were many reports of torture in 1986, as well as reports
of executions being carried out by barbarous methods.
d. Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, or Exile
Arbitrary arrests continued in 1986. Many of those detained
included former officials and supporters of the previous
government, relatives of the former president and his
followers, and others believed to be sympathetic to them.
Thousands have fled into exile. Others, including several of
Ali Nasir's relatives, are reportedly under protection in
foreign embassies in Aden. Incommunicado detention is
frequently practiced.
There are no reports of forced labor.
e. Denial of Fair Public Trial
Many persons are reported to have been imprisoned and executed
without trial. There have also been a number of show trials
in which prisoners have been forced to admit their "errors."
Procedural protections outlined in the law are routinely
ignored.
f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or
Correspondence .
National security is commonly used as the pretext for the
widespread violation of virtually every aspect of commonly
accepted norms relating to privacy, the family, and the home.
Mail is routinely inspected, phones are tapped, and arbitrary
searches of residences and businesses are routinely conducted.
Section 2 Respect for Civil Liberties, Including:
a. Freedom of Speech and Press.
There is no freedom of speech or press. The state-owned and
-operated public media were used in 1986 primarily to bolster
the weak public support the regime enjoys, as well as to
vilify the former president and his supporters.
b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association
Political parties other than the YSP are prohibited. No public
or professional associations, except those sponsored by the
Government or the party, operate openly. Nonsanctioned
gatherings are prohibited. Demonstrations occurred in 1986,
although reportedly with disastrous consequences for the
participants. Local authorities fired on a demonstration in
Abyan, resulting in many casualties, and a demonstration by
women in Aden was reportedly broken up with machine-gun fire,
also with many casualties.
There are no independent trade organizations or labor unions.
The government-sponsored labor unions, organized under an
umbrella organization called the General Federation of Trade
Unions, are under close party control. Collective bargaining
is forbidden. The State represents the rights of employees.
Measures such as the curtailment of overtime have aggravated
the relationship between workers and the State. There is no
nongovernment mechanism for addressing such grievances.
c. Freedom of Religion
The Constitution declares Islam to be the state religion, but
guarantees freedom of religious expression. In practice, the
Government has attempted to minimize the influence of religious
leaders, a large number of whom were arrested during the late
1960 "s and early 1970 's. Sermons for Friday prayer in Aden
are reportedly provided by the Ministry of Awqaf (i.e.,
religious trusts) Affairs.
d. Freedom of Movement Within the Country, Foreign
Travel, Emigration, and Repatriation
Since the January coup, upwards of 15,000 people are said to
have fled the PDRY and now live in temporary camps inside the
YAR. Talks between the two governments about how to resolve
the exile issue continue sporadically. Although the PDRY has
offered amnesty for all but a few of Ali Nasir's supporters,
most of them doubt the sincerity of the amnesty offer.
Repatriation is an issue, not only for the post-coup exiles,
but also for others who have fled the PDRY in past years.
Reports indicate that they are encouraged to return, but there
is no confirmation that any have opted to do so. Amnesty
agreements made by past governments have not always been
honored. Although the situation since the coup is not clear,
prior to the coup citizens were free to travel within the
country, except to some restricted areas. The PDRY continues
to issue passports, and foreign travel for some citizens is
approved .
Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens
to Change Their Government
Political power is concentrated within the highest level of
the Yemen Socialist Party. Personal and factional allegiances
play a major role in decisionmaking by the party leadership.
The Constitution guarantees universal suffrage to citizens over
the age of 18, and elections are held regularly. However, only
candidates approved by the party may contest elections and no
other parties or political action groups are permitted. There
is a long tradition of violent coups, graphically illustrated
by the events of 1986 .
Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and
Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations
of Human Rights
When Amnesty International and other human rights groups
requested information about human rights violations, the
Government attempted to place the entire blame for abuses on
Ali Nasir and his supporters.
Section 5 Discrimination Based on Race, Sex, Religion,
Language, or Social Status
Equality of the sexes is guaranteed by law, and women
frequently hold government and service jobs. Polygamy, child
marriages, and arranged marriages are forbidden. There is
little information available on the position of minorities.
CONDITIONS OF LABOR
Working conditions, once among the best in the area, have
deteriorated markedly in recent years and will certainly have
worsened since the latest coup. Child labor is common but is
more prevalent in the rural areas than in urban centers, where
children must compete with adults for scarce employment.
Child labor in rural areas is often the result of traditional
parent-child job training and apprenticeship rather than
exploitation. Information is not available on minimum wage,
hours of work, and occupational health and safety standards.
