The Social repression Is defined as the acts and effects of controlling, containing, arresting, punishing and suppressing individuals, groups or large social mobilizations through state measures to prevent a demonstration in a position contrary to certain policies of the state.
The measures employed by governments to repress socially involve the control of information transmitted through the media, the manipulation of political and local leaders or the eradication of social movements that violate state ideals, among many others.
The violence Represents one of the characteristics of repression. This has been used throughout human history in restricting protests or social acts through the use of state forces such as national and regional police.
In more radical cases, this violence has also been carried by potentially more prepared forces such as the military, specialized brigades and in some cases armed and infiltrated party supporters who inform and act as a counterpart of Protestants.
Some actions commonly studied in acts of protest include physical violence and verbal By the police forces, military repression that can lead to arrest and imprisonment of leaders, and even disappearances.
In addition, there may be paramilitary forces that go against the groups that oppose the measures imposed.
The restriction of freedom of expression and meetings with ideals other than government, as well as aggression against human rights And assassinations of opposition leaders, are seen in very biased forms of social repression.
At present, it is also possible to see the repression in the censorship of Internet content, restricted and controlled so as not to allow access to information or interaction.
The countries with the highest censorship in the world are: Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, North Korea, China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Iran Vietnam.
Social repression: terror, violence and oppression
Repression seeks to prevent or eliminate the political participation of a society mainly by silencing it and instilling terror through persecutory actions that violate human rights, such as:
- Denial of citizens' rights
- Terrorism
- Torture
- Other extrajudicial punishments to curb dissidents, activists or the population that opposes them.
When political repression is punished and directed by the state, it can be said that there is talk of state terrorism in which there may be cases of genocide, killings of political figures or crimes against humanity that seek to generate fear and uneasiness in the population.
This type of systematic violence is typical of dictatorial and Totalitarian , Although it can also occur in Democratic governments ; Whose actions can be carried out by the army, secret police forces, paramilitaries or other armed groups where many times the final result ends in death.
On the other hand, oppression manifests itself in suffocation, pressure and subjection induced by threats to freeze actions and provoke the acceptance of any state policy.
Here fear, intimidation and abuse of power play a role, which are characteristic of tyranny, usually used to demonstrate authority.
Examples of social repression in history
In the world, more than 1.6 billion people (a quarter of the global population) are continually facing unfortunate consequences if they wish to raise their voice to claim their most basic rights, as well as to express their views, to be able to create organizations Parallel to the state or participate in peaceful gatherings.
Individuals who dare to protest for their rights in repressive countries are victims of persecution, physical abuse, psychological damage, imprisonment, among other violent actions.
In nations with such controls, it is the state that governs life in general and delimits it, so that the inhabitants do not have any support of justice with respect to the aggressions committed by the same.
According to a report by the Freedom House organization in 2011, these countries are among the list of the most abusive governments of human rights:
Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which currently remain in similar situations. Some examples of oppressive and repressive states are:
1- Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has been under the monarchy of Ibn-Al-Saud, in which royal family that dominates the territory has swept with all opposition that rises against its rules.
It is the seat of two of the most sacred sites of Islam, Mecca and Medina, guarded by the royal family with the title of guardians of those places.
In this country the restrictions imposed on the most severe women are:
- Impediment to exercise the vote, therefore having public office
- No driving
- The testimony of a woman is worth half that of a man
- Forced marriage
- They can not travel without a family man to accompany them
- They are forced to wear a veil.
2- Myanmar
Myanmar, also called Burma, located in Southeast Asia, had until 1962 a moderately stable democracy.
But since that year, a group of military officials understood that the democratic state was not the correct way to satisfy their own interests and took a coup and installed themselves in power with intolerance towards the rights and freedoms of the inhabitants.
Torture, the execution of dissidents and censorship became the daily bread of Myanmar. In 1988 there was a student revolution and the state became even more repressive.
In recent years, the regime has begun to study a number of reforms that seem hopeful, with a view to democracy.
3- Cuba
Fidel Castro came to power in 1959 by presiding over a revolution that overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista, and ruled until 1976 by decree, but then changed the constitution by reforming the structure of government.
Castro, held the three most important positions of the Cuban government: president of the Council of State, president of the Council of Ministers and first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party. In 2006, he transferred his power to his brother Raul Castro, who now governs.
Although Cuba had a good development and equity in education, the growth of economic, social and cultural law was not equaled with reference to the civil and political rights of citizens.
The government denied the basic freedoms throughout the regime led by Fidel, having periods of intense repression with imprisonment and insulation where medical care was denied, as well as torture, shootings, no freedom of expression and limited communication.
4- North Korea
North Korea is ranked number two on the list of most tyrannical countries. It is the only nation that, having no monarchy, has had the same family for three generations in government.
In this country there is censorship in the media, there are executions of enemies and periodic executions of political leaders and no one is allowed to leave the territory.
Essential freedoms have been severely limited by the dynasty of the Kim family. So much so that in 2014 the UN found that the abuses in North Korea are incomparable with the world today.
Extermination, slavery, rape, forced abortion, and other forms of sexual violence are common, and collective punishment is used to suppress dissidents. In this nation there are no independent means, civil society or freedom of religious beliefs.
References
- Stephen Frosh. Social Repression. (1999). Recovered from: link.springer.com.
- Linda Camp Keith. Political Repression Courts and the Law. (2011). Recovered from: upenn.edu.
- Jacqueline H. R. de Meritt. The Strategic Use of State Repression and Political Violence. (2016). Source: politics.oxfordre.com.
- Anita Gohdes & Sabine Carey. Protest and the Outsourcing of State Repression. (2014). Source: politicalviolenceataglance.org.
- The World's Most Repressive Societies. (2011). Source: freedomhouse.org.