A/HRC/23/51 - Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights

B. Replies received between 1 February and 30 April 2013 relating to communications sent before
1 December 2012
13. The table below lists, in chronological order, communications dating before 1 December 2012 to which a reply or an
additional reply has been received in <strong>the</strong> period between 1 February and 30 April 2013. Copies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> full text <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
communications sent and <strong>the</strong> reply received during <strong>the</strong> reporting period can be accessed from <strong>the</strong> electronic version <strong>of</strong> this report
available on <strong>the</strong> OHCHR website. Some names <strong>of</strong> individuals or o<strong>the</strong>r information have been rendered anonymous or o<strong>the</strong>rwise
unidentifiable. English translations <strong>of</strong> some replies received in Arabic, Chinese and Russian will be made available as soon as <strong>the</strong>y
are ready.
14. The table below also includes additional responses to 15 communications received before 1 February 2013, which were
inadvertently omitted in <strong>the</strong> previous report A/<strong>HRC</strong>/22/67 due to technical errors. These cases are IND 15/2010; BHR 2/2011; IND
8/2011; SLV 3/2011; CAN 3/2011; HUN 1/2012; HUN 2/2012; SYR 3/2012; LBN 2/2012; KOR 1/2012; IRN 8/2012; PAK
6/2012; GBR 2/2012; OTH 9/2012 and OTH 10/2012.
73
Date
Type
15/10/2010
JAL
17/03/2011
UA
Case No
Country Mandate(s) Summary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> allegation transmitted Reply
IND 15/2010
India
BHR 2/2011
Bahrain
Migrants; Sale <strong>of</strong>
children; Slavery;
Trafficking;
Health;
Alleged sale <strong>of</strong> children for forced labour in mines. According to <strong>the</strong> information
received, an estimated 70,000 bonded child labourers from Nepal and Bangladesh
work at <strong>the</strong> so-called "rat mines" <strong>of</strong> Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya State, India. In most
cases, <strong>the</strong> children are allegedly purchased by middlemen or abducted or sold by
gangs in Nepal and Bangladesh to <strong>the</strong> mining mafia in Meghalaya. The working
conditions at <strong>the</strong> mines are allegedly hazardous, unhygienic, cruel and inhuman.
Deaths <strong>of</strong> children due to <strong>the</strong> unsafe working conditions are reportedly common,
and <strong>of</strong>ten remain unreported. The children reportedly live in huts made with plastic
sheets and <strong>the</strong>re is a lack <strong>of</strong> safe drinking water and proper sewage system.
Allegedly, girls are also <strong>of</strong>ten bought by <strong>the</strong> mine owners and subject to sexual
exploitation. There is also information suggesting that some children are trafficked
fur<strong>the</strong>r from <strong>the</strong> mines to o<strong>the</strong>r places for sexual exploitation. Reportedly, <strong>the</strong>re is
a lack <strong>of</strong> interventions in this matter by <strong>the</strong> State Government.
Alleged takeover <strong>of</strong> hospital by <strong>the</strong> army. According to <strong>the</strong> information received,
<strong>the</strong> Army <strong>of</strong> Bahrain commandeered and occupied Salmaniya hospital, <strong>the</strong> main
hospital in Manama, and blocked access to it. Reportedly, entry and exit from <strong>the</strong>
building had been prohibited, and <strong>the</strong> electricity cut <strong>of</strong>f. Additional reports have
been received that security forces had attacked medical workers and occupied
smaller state and private medical centres.
08/08/2012
18/04/2011
14/12/2012
A/<strong>HRC</strong>/<strong>23</strong>/<strong>51</strong>