International Human Rights Day: Human Rights Risk Atlas 2011 (PHOTOS)

In light of the ongoing controversy surrounding jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, China has the dubious distinction of joining the world's top 10 human rights offenders, according to a new report.

Released to coincide with International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, the Human Rights Risk Atlas 2011 evaluated 196 countries on their performance across 30 different categories, which included human security, labor standards, as well as civil and political freedoms. Prepared by the British global advisory firm Maplecroft, the new report shows there are now 92 nations listed as being in the "extreme" and "high risk" categories, up from 83 countries last year.

The Democratic Republic of Congo was ranked as the world's riskiest nation, with China falling two spots from last year to come in at #10. On the opposite end of the scale, the U.S. was ranked as having a "medium risk" at #131, while both the United Kingom (#154) and Germany (#181) are considered to have "low risk."

You can view more detailed information about the report and more rankings here.

In honor of International Human Rights Day, check out a selection of the report's rankings below:

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Democratic Republic Of Congo - #1

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Guatemala's 'Cayala City'

Giant Pandas In Paris

No Comfort Here: Japanese Sex Slaves Protest

The London Attacker's Radical Influences

U.S. Drone Strikes In Afghanistan

Unrest in Pakistan

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Most Surprising Rank

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Unbelievable

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2011 Human Rights Risk Atlas

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2011 Human Rights Risk Atlas

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Comments

[Balzac]

11:39 AM on 01/15/2011

Now that Aung San Suu Kyi is free, I think she can allow herself to bring that "thousand yard stare" back to her immediate surroundings.

[bparker001]

10:24 AM on 12/13/2010

This, human rights and poverty and hunger, would not be as big an issue in DR Congo if Harvard educated Dr. Oscar Kashala, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc. were able to run in next June's presidential election. He has a viable plan to change things in DR Congo but previously he was blocked from campaigning and this year he was offered $4 million from President kabala and friends not to run but he didn't accept the money. Leadership in DR Congo needs to be change to pay attention to the needs of the people not the pockets of a small number of greedy people.

[believethelie]

08:34 PM on 12/12/2010

Maybe this has already been mentioned but the poll called Rate the most surprising Rank, is 1 to 10 where 10 is unbelievable.

I have a question, if I consider it unbelievable that UK is ranked 154 then for me that means I cannot believe it is so low on the ranking; therefore I would rank that a 10, then isn't that the opposite of what the poll seems to imply?

Because the UK is a known haven for rapists murderers and violent criminals. It is fact that the Met Police in London alone are notorious for kettling, achieving clear-up rates, refusing to submit police reports to the Crown Prosecution, and rampant threatening of victims and intimidation of witnesses.

UK should be much higher on the Ranking of Human Rights Offenses. but the poll implies that I find it unbelievable that it is so high on the ranking, when in fact I find it unbelievable that the ranking is so low....

As much as I respect HP, this is another troubling example of their bizarre nature of making a carnival of serious matters

[jollyelle]

07:58 PM on 12/12/2010

It is clear the poll missed one important country committing inhumane acts.

[ammsamm]

09:41 AM on 12/12/2010

The number one spot should be shared by the United States of America and it's outpost, Israel (or is it the opposite way, I wonder...).

[YafoDalet]

12:08 PM on 12/12/2010

Indeed, if the report was prepared by HP commenters, who have long found the ultimate source of all evil on Earth.

[BGosh]

01:47 PM on 12/12/2010

Stay classy, HuffPo.

[BGosh]

08:56 AM on 12/12/2010

Just as frustrating is Gilad Schalit's kidnapping and seclusion is the total lack of interest from the Western media to cover it.

[barefoot2626]

11:28 AM on 12/12/2010

q> Gilad Schalit's kidnapping

He is a soldier.  He is captured.

[BGosh]

01:43 PM on 12/12/2010

Kidnapped from Israel. Through a tunnel. Without any visits for over 4 years.

[barefoot2626]

11:29 AM on 12/12/2010

PS:  Israel has thousands of  civilians in jail.

[Cyrus Trance]

06:39 PM on 12/12/2010

"Israel has thousands of civilians in jail."

So do lots of countries.

[LAThinker]

11:59 PM on 12/12/2010

The other name is criminals (or in some cases terrorists), civilians is a bit misleading .

[Lozange]

05:27 AM on 12/12/2010

Where is Israel's sex slave and human trafficking human rights violations record?

. . .

Dozens of brothels and peepshows have sprung up in Tel Aviv and Haifa in the last few years. There are over 20,000 women in prostitution in Tel Aviv. Their customers pay for 45,000 acts of prostitution every day. Women are held in apartments, bars and brothels where they are bought by up to 25 men a day. They sleep in shifts, four to a bed. (Police officials, Michael Specter, “Traffickers’ New Cargo: Naive Slavic Women, “New York Times, 11 January 1998, They cannot walk freely. They cannot leave the apartment as they wish. Usually the passports have been taken.
Amnesty International investigation of the trade in Russian women suggests Israel’s police and government officials have largely ignored the abuse.

Source: http://antiisgood.wordpress.com/2009/06/12/sex-slavery-the-growing-trade-in-israel/

[RubalKhali]

11:30 PM on 12/11/2010

Yes, War Does Have Rules
Sep 24, 2010
In Haifa earlier this month, an Israeli colonel identified as "Yossi A." said repeatedly that "in a war zone there are no civilians." The colonel, who drafted operating regulations for military bulldozers, was testifying in a civil trial about the death of Rachel Corrie, an American activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza in 2003.

[RubalKhali]

11:28 PM on 12/11/2010

Israel Should Respect Rights of Migrant Workers
Oct 8, 2010
The Israeli Interior Ministry says it is about to deport between 1,000 and 1,200 children of foreign workers. Prime Minister Netanyahu justified the deportations - which would include children who are not enrolled in school, do not speak fluent Hebrew, or are less than five years old, among others - as a deterrent to "illegal immigration that could flood the foundation of the Zionist state" with non-Jewish immigrants.

[barefoot2626]

11:49 PM on 12/11/2010

I guess than can't find any Jews who are willing to work.  Go figure:  they get free room and board and the non Jews have to work.  Foreign workers should just bug  out.

But let's remember how Israel is a land of many colors.

Cough.

[Cyrus Trance]

04:30 PM on 12/12/2010

"What claim?"

Your claims that Israel started the 1948, 67, and 73 wars.

You don't remember?

I have been asking you for months to post a credible link that proves your claims and so far you have not been able to do so.

Your response is usually a silly rant about how the six day war started on June 5th and lasted for six days. It so ridiculous it makes me think you have a mental condition.

[RubalKhali]

11:28 PM on 12/11/2010

Oct 8, 2010
The Israeli government should grant legal status to a 60-year-old village with a population of about 600 Palestinian-Israeli citizens. Authorities have refused to recognize the village as residential, even as they approved an immediately adjacent residential development for Jewish Israelis. The authorities have given no justification for the difference in treatment.
Oct 8, 2010
The Israeli government should grant legal status to a 60-year-old village with a population of about 600 Palestinian-Israeli citizens. Authorities have refused to recognize the village as residential, even as they approved an immediately adjacent residential development for Jewish Israelis. The authorities have given no justification for the difference in treatment.
Oct 8, 2010
The Israeli government should grant legal status to a 60-year-old village with a population of about 600 Palestinian-Israeli citizens. Authorities have refused to recognize the village as residential, even as they approved an immediately adjacent residential development for Jewish Israelis. The authorities have given no justification for the difference in treatment.
http://www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/israel-and-occupied-territories

[Flying Sparkz1]

05:50 PM on 12/11/2010

It would be very informative to have a complete list. I would be interested to see how Colombia is ranked compared to other Latin American countries.

[Jacob77030]

05:35 PM on 12/11/2010

G aza should be on this list. The future state of pal will definitely be on it.

[LMPE]

04:58 PM on 12/11/2010

Gee, even Japan slips when it comes to minority rights.

[AlexABC]

07:23 PM on 12/11/2010

Japan has almost no minorities.

[Manny Peddy]

03:00 PM on 12/11/2010

I notice that almost any article and any thread somehow morphs into one long litany of assorted "characters" describing in great detail, over and over, how much they hate the JOOZ and Israel.

It gets pretty tiresome, after a while, when most of those making the accusations represent and are apologists for groups that have far uglier records and histories than the Jews and Israel.

[Manny Peddy]

03:26 PM on 12/11/2010

Good for you. And who are you defending? People with your views used to be neoNazis or Soviets usually, but I would bet money you are a Muslim and/or Muslim apologist.

[StevieTheK]

03:41 PM on 12/11/2010

You didn't even spell the H word correctly

[LAThinker]

12:07 AM on 12/13/2010

I think it is some kind of illness. Those people need to seek help, They keep posting here to get feeling of righteousnesses, but it is just a temporary relief, so they come for more. Very sad.

[Aziat]

02:50 PM on 12/11/2010

I see the Israel haters have thoroughly disgraced themselves on this thread. Good.

[barefoot2626]

03:20 PM on 12/11/2010

And we all know what a lover you are.

[Aziat]

04:09 PM on 12/11/2010

Why dont you quit while youre behind?

[BGosh]

08:53 AM on 12/12/2010

Living their lives is a desperation ploy to prove the Israelis are the scourge of reality. Of course, they're not anti-Semites....