Itamar Mann: A new approach to defending the human rights of migrants | TED Fellows

譯者: Zoe Walmsley 審譯者: Helen Chang

[SHAPE YOUR FUTURE]

[塑造未來]

A decade ago,

十年前

after a peaceful revolution toppled the longtime Tunisian dictator Ben Ali,

突尼西亞的一場和平革命 推翻了獨裁多年的班·阿里

I was sitting in an orange grove outside of Athens, Greece.

我當時在希臘雅典郊外的一個橘林中

Undocumented migrants were hiding there.

那是許多無證移民的藏身之處

I came to interview them

我去採訪他們

about human rights abuses they had suffered while entering Europe.

關於歐洲邊界的人權迫害

One of them, a Tunisian fellow in a leather jacket, explained.

其中一個身著皮夾克的突尼西亞人說

The people who overthrew Ben Ali,

那些推翻班·阿里的人

they want democracy and a dignified life.

想要的是民主和有尊嚴的生活

“We, who have crossed the Mediterranean, want democracy and a dignified life.”

「而我們渡過地中海來此 就是要民主和有尊嚴的生活。」

What is the difference?

到底哪裡不同？

The migrant is a kind of revolutionary.

移民本身就是一種革命

This idea stuck with me

這念頭始終環繞不去

and informed my work as a lawyer and a scholar ever since.

從那以後，我成為了一位律師和學者

As Middle Eastern revolutions turned into civil wars,

隨著中東的革命運動轉為內戰

the refugee crisis unfolded in the Mediterranean.

難民危機也在地中海展開來

This exacerbated political pressures against asylum seekers.

加劇了難民尋求庇護時 面對的政治壓力

Initially, the European Court of Human Rights

一開始歐洲人權法庭

took a strong stand against border violence.

強烈譴責邊界暴力

In 2012, the court decided

2012 年，法庭決定

that Italy cannot turn asylum seekers back from the Mediterranean

義大利不能未經審訊就將難民

to dangerous Libyan territory, without first hearing them.

從地中海遣送回危險的利比亞境內

The human rights community cheered.

人權團體同聲叫好

I was not one of those who cheered.

我沒有

In my scholarship,

我的學術研究預測

I predicted that this kind of decision could also generate bad results.

這種決定可能帶來不良後果

States determined to enforce their own borders

那些決心加強邊防的國家

could turn back asylum seekers

可能會將尋求庇護的難民

even before they enter the supervision of their own courts.

在進入法令管轄區前就驅離

I was regretfully correct.

很遺憾地這預測是正確的

In recent years,

最近幾年

the Italians have relied on Libyan militias to do their dirty work.

義大利倚賴利比亞民兵替他們幹壞事

So eager are some European governments

ㄧ些歐洲政府

to ditch their own human rights obligations,

迫切地想逃脫人權義務

they've equipped and armed Libyan militia,

不惜花費武裝利比亞民兵

ignoring their rampant use of torture.

無視難民被以酷刑對待

This is also why, since January 2014,

這正是為何 2014 年一月以來

more than 34,000 migrants have died by drowning in the Mediterranean.

已經有超過 34,000 名 難民在地中海溺斃

And since COVID-19 began,

而且從 Covid-19 疫情開始

the militarized border in the Mediterranean

地中海邊界的武裝控管

has become in some ways even more extreme.

某方面來說更為加劇

But how does the militarized border cause deaths by drowning?

邊界的武裝防衛怎會導致溺斃？

I'd like to illustrate by a reference to a case I'm currently working on.

讓我用個手邊的案例來說明

On November 6, 2017,

2017 年 11 月 6 日

a group of asylum seekers left the Libyan coast

一群難民從利比亞海岸出發

and traveled through the Mediterranean, hoping to reach Europe.

希望經由地中海進入歐洲

As the overcrowded boat started to break down,

超載的船隻開始瓦解下沉時

they sent a distress signal,

他們發出了求救信號

and under international law,

按照國際法

states are obligated to facilitate the rescue of vessels in distress.

各國政府有義務對受難船隻提供救援

Now, a strange confrontation followed.

一場奇怪的衝突發生了

Two vessels, not one,

不只一艘而是兩艘船隻

came to pick up the asylum seekers in distress.

前來援救危急的難民

One of them was sailing under a European flag,

其中一艘打著歐洲的旗幟

its crew in civilian clothing.

船員是普通百姓裝扮

The other was a Libyan vessel with its crew armed

另一艘利比亞的船上 載的是武裝的士兵

and in the very uniform of the government that these people had fled.

身著難民要逃離的利比亞政府制服

For the asylum seekers, the choice was clear.

難民們很清楚該選哪方

Many jumped into the water,

許多人跳進海裡

determined at all costs not to let the Libyans pick them up.

不顧一切想逃脫利比亞民兵

Twenty people drowned,

二十個人淹死了

victims of a contemporary struggle for liberation across borders.

他們是近代史上跨越邊境 投奔自由的受害者

What I didn't predict a few years back

幾年前我所沒想到的是

was the courageous response of civil society volunteers

非政府組織及義工會挺身而出

such as members of Sea-Watch,

例如海上救援組織 Sea-Watch 的成員

who have literally inserted their bodies between the Libyan forces

他們幾乎是把自己的身軀

and the migrants in the water.

擺在利比亞民兵與海中難民之間

Crucially, they've also brought back images

更重要的是他們還將 船上和成員身上揹的相機

from cameras on board and body cams.

拍到的照片帶回來了

These images allowed my colleagues,

這些照片讓我和我的同僚

Charles Heller and Lorenzo Pezzani

查理斯·海勒和羅倫佐·貝薩尼

to visually reconstruct the events of November 2017.

得以重建 2017 年 11 月發生的事件

When they came to my team and me

當他們來找我及我的團隊

asking that we go back to the European Court of Human Rights,

請我們重回歐洲人權法庭時

I was hesitant.

我猶豫了一下

States always have ways to circumvent progressive human rights decisions,

各國總有辦法巧妙規避 與時俱進的人權責任

but the evidence spoke for itself.

但證據會說話

With my colleagues Violeta Moreno-Lax and Loredana Leo,

在我的同事維拉塔·莫蘭諾拉斯、 洛芮丹納·里奧陪同下

we filed the case at the European Court of Human Rights.

我們向歐洲人權法庭提出訴訟

We argue that Italy, as well as Europe,

我們認為義大利甚至整個歐洲

cannot rely on Libyan militia to sidestep their own accountability.

都不應該倚賴利比亞民兵 來規避自身的責任

On a high level of generality,

籠統地說

the question is when is a point of contact established

關鍵在於雙方聯絡上的時間點

between a person in need of protection

一方是需要被保護的人

and a state that can protect them.

一方是能提供保護的國家

I've called this moment the human rights encounter.

我將這個時間點稱為人權面對面

It is a dramatic moment

這驚心動魄的片刻

in which legal commitments are put to an existential test.

是對法律承諾的現實考驗

It's not about human rights law generally,

重點不在於人權法

but a particular person in a particular time.

而是在於那當下、那一個人

About simple commitments we have to each other as persons.

那是人與人之間的一個簡單的承諾

It is not merely by chance that the sea becomes the environment

而海洋之所以成為大批難民跨越邊界

for this large-scale struggle for liberation across borders.

追求自由的場景並非湊巧

As for the court, it has recognized the human rights encounter,

當人權碰到肢體上、直接的衝突時

when it's physical and direct.

法庭就能依法介入處理

In the case I just told you about,

在剛才所舉的案例中

we go further.

我們有更進一步的進展

Even when mediated by technology or by proxy forces,

即使援用科技或代理人部隊

the underlying commitments to human rights should not change.

對人權最基本的承諾都不可動搖

In my organization, the Global Legal Action Network,

我所屬的全球法律行動網

we pursue this case I told you about

將剛才提到的案子

as part of a strategic litigation program.

視為策略訴訟計畫的一部分

We consider international law and the laws of many countries.

我們研究國際法及各國法律

We collaborate with researchers

同時與研究調查人員

and activists who use cutting edge technologies

及善用尖端科技的社會活動者合作

to document violations across many borders.

記錄下違法的邊境跨越

As war, persecution and climate change continue,

隨著戰爭、迫害及氣候變遷的延續

we believe this strategy will redefine the future of human rights lawyering.

我們相信這策略 將會重新定義人權訴訟的方式

The future of human rights lawyering

未來的人權訴訟

is not only about a struggle against one corrupt leader or another.

不會只是抗衡一兩個貪腐的政府領袖

It's also about questions concerning

同時還包含了一個重要議題

how do we all inhabit this planet together?

那就是人類整體 該如何共居於這個星球上

Thank you.

謝謝