UN experts urge US authorities to address systemic racism and racial bias

In the wake of violent protests prevailing in the United States against racial discrimination, the United Nations has “urged” the country to address racism systematically and called for an independent investigation into cases that involve police brutality. Unrest has rocked America since George Floyd died in police custody in Minnesota on May 25 and has become the latest face of the Black Lives Matter movement. Appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, at least 30 independent experts have jointly called for the US to “reform its criminal justice system” in the statement issued on June 5. 

In the comprehensive release, UN broke down racism in the US by mentioning the “roots in slavery”, followed by the killings that fueled lynching and also the “double standards” of the American government in “inciting and threatening violence against protesters”. Floyd died with a police officer kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes, Breonna Taylor was shot in her sleep when police officials raided her house, and Ahmaud Arbery was first chased while jogging in the neighbourhood then brutality shot. UN has noted all these cases that involve racial orientation of the victim and “strongly condemned” the incidents while calling for “urgent action”.

“We strongly condemn the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and call for systemic reform and justice. The latest videos to surface showing white men chase, corner, and execute a young man who was out jogging, or showing an officer kneeling with his weight on a man’s neck for eight minutes shock the conscience and evoke the very terror that the lynching regime in the United States was intended to inspire,” the experts said.

“Given the track record of impunity for racial violence of this nature in the United States, Black people have good reason to fear for their lives," they added.

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UN noted ‘double standards’ of US govt

In the same statement, the peace-keeping body noted the “double standards” of the US government that have been uncovered in the recent handling of the demonstrations over Floyd’s death. According to UN, the threats of instigating violence against the protesters are in “stark contrast” of the way largely white protests against COVID-19 lockdown were controlled. 

“Statements from the US Government inciting and threatening violence against protesters stand in stark contrast to calls for leniency and understanding which the Government had issued in the wake of largely white protests against COVID-19 restrictions on services like barbershops, salons, and spas”, experts said.

The experts also noted US President Donald Trump’s warning to the demonstrations when he said that he would send in military to dismiss the violent demonstrations. According to independent investigators, those remarks by POTUS “involves legal instruments used primarily against people of African descent, but rarely in their defence in similar situations.”

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