DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA

SABBAVARAM, VISAKHAPATANM, A.P., INDIA

Human rights in
communist regimes

SUBJECT

POLITICAL SCIENCE

NAME OF THE FACULTY

DR. T . Y . NIRMALA DEVI

NAME OF THE CANDIDATE :

KARAMTHOT SONUDEEP RATHOD

ROLL NUMBER: 24LLB056

SEMISTER : 1

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I convey my heartfelt appreciation to Assistant Professor DR. T. Y. NIRMALA DEVI
MA’AM, our distinguished professor in POLITICAL SCIENCE. Ma’am NIRMALA DEVI
has generously offered me the chance and privilege to take part in this thought-provoking and
educational endeavour, focusing on the concept of the “POLITICAL SCIENCE .” This
opportunity has been crucial in deepening my exploration and developing my viewpoint on
this subject area. I am particularly appreciative of the insightful guidance and consistent
support supplied by my professor throughout the process of creating this project. The
knowledge and abilities I've learned via this attempt will surely serve me well in my future
aspirations. I also wish to express sincere thanks to the academic’s division and the library
department of DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY for their
continued assistance and the availability of resources and books. Their amazing assistance has
been essential in enabling me to successfully complete this assignment within the required
deadline.

THANK YOU

CERTIFICATE
I, KARAMTHOT SONUDEEP RATHOD, hereby declare that the project titled “HUMAN
RIGHTS IN COMMUNIST REGIMES,” which I am submitting is entirely my own creation. All
ideas and extracts borrowed from external sources have been fully acknowledged and credited. I
highlight that this effort is clear of any unethical practices or instances of plagiarism. I maintained
the values of academic integrity and honesty throughout its preparation

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview of Communist Ideology and Governance

1.2 The Concept of Human Rights
2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

2.1 The Origins of Communist Regimes

2.2 Key Communist Movements: Marxism, Leninism, Maoism

2.3 Human rights in pre communist societies

3 COMMUNIST IDEOLOGIES AND HUMAN RIGHTIES

3.1 Marxist and Leninist views on individual vs collective rights

3.2 The role of the state in suppressing rights
3.3 The communist vision on freedom and equality

4 CASE STUDIES ON VARIOUS COMMUNIST REGIMES ( COMMUNIST

COUNTRIES )

4.1 THE SOVIET UNION

4.2 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
4.3 CUBA
4.4 NORTH KOREA
5 COMMON HUMAN RIGHTIES VIOLATION IN COMMUNIST REGIMES

5.1 Suppression of political dissent

5.2 No right to freedom go expression
5.3 Religious atrocities
5.4 Torture, arbitrary detentions and executions
5.5 Lack of judiciary
6 ADVANTAGES OF HUMAN RIGHTIES IN COMMUNIST REGIMES

6.1 Economic and social rights

6.2 Equality and class privileges
6.3 Great leader great policy’s
7 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

8 CONCLUSION

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 ABSTRACT

• This project includes and explores around the human rights issues in and around the communist
states and communist leaders focusing on the historical and the contemporary issues context of
countries such as Soviet Union, Cuba, China, north Korea through comparative analysis the
research examines the legal frameworks established by these regimes and their impact on
fundamental human rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and the right to a
fair trial and many other important rights which are common in nature and basic in structure

• The project dwells into the ideological foundations of communism, particularly Marxist theory,
and its interpretation and implementation in the governance of these states.

• Additionally, the project investigates case studies of human rights abuses, the role of state security
apparatuses, and the response of international human rights organisations.

• By evaluating both primary and secondary sources, which are available in the history of the
legendary communism this project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex
relationship between communist ideology and human rights practices.

• This project contributes to the discourse on human rights by highlighting the enduring challenges
faced by citizens under communist regimes and the international community’s efforts to address
these issues.

INTRODUCTION

Human rights can be defined as the most fundamental freedom which every human being is
supposed to enjoy irrespective of his or her gender, country, race or political beliefs. They comprise
civil, political, social and economic rights, whose enforcement varies with the different political
systems in place. In communist regimes, the perception and practice of human rights has been
profoundly influenced by the Marxist-Leninist ideology, which emphasises groups’ interests at the

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 expense of individual interests. This creates a contrast that is very significant in issues concerning
human rights in such countries.

These regimes melded by Communism, which is a doctrine agglomerated by Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels and later adopted by Vladimir Lenin, aim at obliterating capitalist classes and
restoring assets in a fair manner to achieve equality among its people. The main focus of communist
rule is very often depicted in terms of social and economic rights – the rights to work, to education,
to health and to adequate housing. In such states, the government assumes a dominant position in
providing these basic needs to the people. On the contrary, however, the concern for the wellbeing
of all too often encourages the outright violation of people’s basic rights, especially with regard to
free expression, diversity of political parties and opposition.

The attributes of communist countries, which include centralisation of power and presence of a
single political party, more often than not result to dictatorial regimes that abuse the civil and
political rights of their citizens.

The human rights practices in communist nations, especially the Soviet Union, Mao’s China, North
Korea, Cuba among others, have historically been subjects of controversy and debate within and
outside borders.

It is often claimed that those regimes tended to eliminate or control any political forces that
were considered threatening.

1.1 over views of communist ideology and governance

Communism, as expounded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels is based on the principles of class
struggle, the elimination of private property, and establishing a society devoid of both classes and a
state with a distribution of wealth as per the needs of human beings. It includes a theory that a
society will exist whereby revolution will take place where the working class (proletariat) will fight
and defeat the capitalist class (bourgeoisie) leading to a management of the economy by the state
via socialism.

In most cases, the leadership of communist countries has been based on a concept known as
democratic centralism, whereby there is a leading party – the Communist Party, and all power
belongs to it. Such an imposition of a single party system is argued to be the means of attaining the
end of a stateless and classless society. However, the majority of the countries that adopted
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 communism such as the Soviet Union and China and Cuba and North Korea, turned out to be very
oppressive regimes. There is usually no political pluralism and the only the Communist Party is
recognised as a legal political organisation. The State is also highly interventionist in the economy,
in social and media aspects and resorts to repression of dissenting voices.

Political control in communism focuses on achieving social equality as a result of government

ownership of the major economic resources. Thus, this is the system under which all citizens are
guaranteed by the government such provisions as employment, healthcare, housing and education.
This has brought about great strides, particularly in the achievements of social rights, in aspects
such as education, health care services, and reduction of poverty. In other aspects, however, the
excessive centralism and the absence of any curb on the authority of the state have resulted in gross
violations of human rights, especially in respect of personal freedoms.

1.2 THE CONCEPT OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Human rights, as they are more commonly interpreted today, are basic liberties and protections that
one possesses solely by virtue of being humane. They are however classified into two broad groups
which are civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights respectively.

1. Civil and Political Rights comprise of freedom of expression, right to bear arms, freedom
of worship, right to justice, inclusion in political activities among others. Such rights are intended to
shield individual citizen’s right from overreach by the state and also provide for individual’s liberty
as well as participation in politics.

2. Rights Related to Economic, Social and Cultural Development encloses the right to
education, right to health, right to social insurance, right to work and right to achieve a dignified
living. Such rights aim at the elimination of poverty in all its forms and providing equal opportunity
to every individual to realize their potential without any bias based on gender or social justice.

The international principle of human rights has been drawn mainly from the principles found in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), which attempts to outline all the basic civil,
political, social and economic rights that every human being should have.
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 In the case of communist systems issues of human rights were approached socialistic collective
way. Often these regimes support the principles of economic and social rights while suppressing the
principles of civic and political rights. It is viewed as a necessary part of their human rights
practices that there is equality in the economy, that the state provides services to the people, and that
there are no classes. But this attitude of collectivism also breeds intolerance to some of the basic
freedoms of people such as freedom to think and express oneself; associating and participating in
political activities and freedom of the media. In communist regimes such restrictions are often made
as justified for the needs of the so-called community and for the success of the revolution.

2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The connection between the concept of human rights and the communist regimes can be explained
historically tracing back the origins of the tenets and practice of communism in different regions of
the world. This includes examining the very foundation of human rights as a part of political
discourse, the political realities of the last century and finally the various attitudes towards human
rights that have been adopted by communist regimes.

2.1 THE ORIGINS OF COMMUNIST IDEOLOGIES

The communist doctrine came into being in the nineteenth century, as an ideological rebuttal to the
exploitation and social ills that accompanied the emergence of industrial capitalism. The ideological
founders of Marxism, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, imagined a world in which the oppressed
class, the working class, would fight the bourgeois class, put an end to private property and
establish a harmonious society without classes and without the enforcement apparatus. This
revolution, they maintained, would do away with all forms of exploitation and all people will be
able to access the resources and opportunities provided equally.

Marx and Engels regarded the states as instruments of the upper classes, which exist for the purpose
of subjugating the working people. Consequently, they expressed the need for the state to be

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 discarded altogether, believing the state to be a prosthetic device, to be used to keep the bourgeoisie
at bay, until a classless society was established. In this sense, human rights were not regarded as
something singular and personal, but rather as group oriented concepts that defined the working
class and the fight for social justice respectively.

2.2 THE KEY COMMUNIST MOVEMENTS MARXISM, LENINISM, MAOISM

Every political ideology goes through an evolution in form of movements and communism is no
exception. Moreover, People in different historical settings learn and practice communism
differently. Within communist ideology these three branches of thought are the most famous; they
reinterpret the basic ideas of communism in accordance with their internal and external political
realities. It is important to comprehend these movements in understanding the policies which the
communist regimes have adopted towards politics, social equity, and respect for human rights.

1. Marxism

This is how any communist ideology around the globe traces its route back Karl Marx and Friedrich
Engle’s work dating from the 1850s. Historically, marxism aims to analyze and ultimately destroy
capitalism by presenting an entire historical view on class struggle, emphasising the tradition of
oppression (the working class or proletariat) and the oppressors (the capitalists themselves or the
bourgeoisie). Karl Marx and Frederick Engels as illustrated in the Communist manifesto and other
writing such as Das Kapital which called for the subsequent formation of communist parties around
the world.

Marxism's Basic Concepts Discussed:

Police Strikes: Marx claimed that class conflict is intrinsic in time and motion; hence the
unequivocal necessity of the interrelation of forces in different class positions. In a capitalistic
environment, the bourgeoisie, who own the means of production that includes, land, factories, and
resources, most often than not always profits at the back of the labor class, the proletariats.

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 Economic System Without Private Property: In incompletely perfected Marx ‘s principles on
Communism concerning the economic system, all persons are entitled to the product of labor
notwithstanding their social standing or class position. For this reason, it is believed that the
distribution of resources will accommodate all persons regardless of their incurred expenses.

Russian and Chinese Revolutions: The Riots of the Working Class were Keenly Anticipated: Marx
was certain that the proletariat will become so dissatisfied with the bourgeoisie that they will rise up
and destroy the capitalist system. As a result of this revolution, in the wake of removal of the
capitalist system, the people will set up the dictatorship of the proletariat to eliminate the excesses
of the bourgeois class and move the society towards socialism.

The Final Development of Communism is Achieving a Society Without Class Distinctions And
Without Any Political Organisation: In the theory of Marxism, the final endpoint is the
establishment, of a society free of any strife, where individuals will not be governed by any
authority but each one will contribute to the society in relation to their capacity and take what they
need. This would be the society at this final stage – without any capacity to exploit fellow humans
or stratification of people through any societal systems’ hierarchy.

2. Leninism

Leninism is the adaptation of Marxist principles by Vladimir Lenin . leader of the Russian
Revolution and founder of the Soviet Union. Lenin modified Marxism to suit the conditions of early
20th-century Russia, which was not yet developed a strong industrial proletariat. Lenin’s key
contribution was the concept of a van guard party that would lead the revolution and govern the
state in the name of the working class.Key Principles of Leninism:

Vanguard Party: Unlike Marx, who believed that the proletariat would spontaneously rise up in the
revolution, Lenin argued that a highly organised, disciplined, and ideologically committed group of
revolutionaries was needed to lead the working class. This party, known as the Communist Party,
would act as the “vanguard” to guide the proletariat toward revolution and socialist governance.

Democratic Centralism: Lenin introduced the concept of democratic centralism, is a form of

governance where decisions are made centrally by the Communist Party leadership but are based on
internal party debates. Once decisions are made, all party members are expected to adhere to them
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 strictly, without further dissent. This centralised decision-making process became the hallmark of
governance in Soviet-style communist states.

The Dictatorship of the Proletariat: Lenin believed that after the revolution, the proletariat needed to
maintain strict control over the state to prevent counter-revolution and suppress the bourgeoisie.
This “dictatorship of the proletariat” would entail authoritarian measures to protect the socialist
state until communism could be fully realised.

Imperialism as the Highest Stage of Capitalism: Lenin expanded Marxist theory by focusing on
imperialism, arguing that capitalism had reached its final stage through the expansion of
colonialism and global capitalist markets. He believed that imperialist wars, such as World War I,
were a consequence of capitalist nations competing for resources and markets. According to Lenin,
the socialist revolution could break the chain of imperialism.

Leninism became the guiding ideology of the Soviet Union and later influenced communist
movements across the world. Lenin’s ideas of a vanguard party and centralised control would
become key elements of governance in other communist states, including China and Cuba.

3.Maoism

Maoism is the adaptation of Marxism-Leninism by Mao Zedong, the leader of the Chinese
Communist Revolution and founding father of the People’s Republic of China. Maoism diverged
from traditional Marxism-Leninism in its emphasis on the role of the peasantry in revolution, as
opposed to the urban proletariat. Maoism was deeply influenced by the conditions in China, where
the majority of the population was rural and agrarian rather than industrial.

Key Principles of Maoism:

Role of the Peasantry: Unlike Marx and Lenin, who saw the industrial working class as the
revolutionary force, Mao argued that the peasantry in China would be the driving force of the

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 revolution. Mao recognised that China’s rural population was far larger than its urban proletariat,
and he believed that the peasants, who suffered under feudal landlords, were capable of
revolutionary consciousness.

• Protracted People’s War: Mao developed the concept of protracted people’s war,
which focused on a prolonged, grassroots revolutionary struggle, particularly in rural areas. This
involved guerrilla warfare, mobilising the peasantry, and encircling cities from the countryside. This
strategy was key to the success of the Chinese Communist Party in defeating the Kuomintang
(Nationalist Party) in the Chinese Civil War.

Mass Line: Mao advocated the mass line approach to leadership, which emphasised close
connection between the Communist Party and the masses. The party was to formulate policies
based on the needs and concerns of the people, but also guide the masses toward socialist goals.
This was seen as a way to prevent the party from becoming detached from the people it governed.

Cultural Revolution: One of Mao’s most controversial contributions was the Cultural Revolution
(1966-1976), aimed at eliminating capitalist and traditional elements within Chinese society and
reinforcing communist ideology. The Cultural Revolution led to widespread persecution of
intellectuals, destruction of cultural heritage, and political purges, with significant human rights
violations. Mao believed that constant revolution was necessary to prevent the rise of a new ruling
class and to maintain the purity of communist ideology.

New Democracy: Mao developed the idea of New Democracy, which allowed for a temporary
alliance between different social classes, including the national bourgeoisie, in the early stages of
revolution. Mao argued that this transitional period would help build the necessary foundation for
socialism in China’s semi-feudal, semi-colonial society.

Maoism influenced not only China but also several revolutionary movements in the
developing world, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It remains a significant
ideology for communist and socialist movements, especially in agrarian societies.

2.3 HUMAN RIGHTS IN PRE COMMUNIST SOCIETIES

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 Prior to the advent of communist government systems, the ideas surrounding human rights in most
regions of the earth were much informed by the then existing social, political, and economic
systems that were mainly characterised by social stratification, absolute governance, imperialism,
and capitalism at the most basic level. Today’s understanding of the concept of human rights had
not been conceived, and concepts of individual liberty and freedom were preferentially determined
by one’s social class, wealth, and the existing political systems.

Before the advent of communist regimes in the 20th century, the paradigm of human rights in world
history was mostly influenced by the dynamics of feudalism, colonialism, early capitalism, and
revolutionary processes. Rights tended to be reserved for ruling classes while commoners such as
peasants, workers, indigenous populations, and slaves were denied almost all freedoms. As the
system of capitalism grew, the rights of workers and political engagement became pressing issues
which led to the emergence of labor movements and calls for more inclusive civil rights. However,
it was only after the brutalities of the twentieth century (the totalitarianism and world wars), that the
idea of humn rights as universal began to be mooted.

3. COMMUNIST IDEOLOGY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

The philosophy of communism places the human rights ellipse in the dimension of service to
society and the economy, calling for the abolition of class rule and the joint utilisation of all
resources. It’s within this frame that communism – as a critique of capitalist systems – states that
the internalisation of individual rights portrayed in Liberal democracies above exists in the few rich
and or powerful individuals creating gross injustices and oppression of the masses.

To a Marxist, liberation of society from subjugation to the bourgeoisie by the proletariat is the only
way in which humanity can be completely free. Believing in the principles of communism, private
property confidence, equality and social justice, as well as meeting the basic needs of every member
in the society especially education, housing, health care, and job guarantees domestic job seeking
for everyone will all come under the umbrella of an extensive program of redistributing the wealth
created by societys productive forces. In a communist society, a person’s rights in relation to private
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 property and business, especially entrepreneurs and business people, are subordinated to other
members of society, most often with the help of the government, and that of equity, with no one
struggling in poverty or deprivation and or getting a disproportionate share of wealth capital
resources. It is, however, well-founded, as regimes that have called themselves communist have
been accused of over suppressing dissent and curtailing freedom of expression, political and
otherwise, in order to enforce their methods of rule. Abstinence from free practice of any liberties
below the level of orthodox economic activity, which how the factions bombarded each other, has
also led to unease regarding the nature of human rights in the dominations of communism, which
can afford but little to citizens and more to states.

3.1MARXIST AND LENIN VIEWS ON INDIVIDUAL VS COLLECTIVE RIGHTS

Marx’s Views on Rights of the Individual and of Collectives

Karl Marx maintained that individual rights and personal and property freedoms are concepts
manufactured by the capitalist societies. He considered these rights as primarily designed to guard
the interests of the bourgeois, the capitalist class, the owners of the means of production. For him
the emphasis on individual rights within the capitalist system was a disguise of the economic and
social supremacy which the bourgeois could have over the working class representation, the
proletariats. This contradiction with Marx’s theory lies in the fact that certain individual freedoms,
such as private property and the right to possess wealth ‘unfettered by’ society, encourage gross
inequality, oppression, and alienation.

Marx was not completely opposed to inalienable rights, but thought that in the post- revolution or
post- war society the whole concept of rights would be different. He described such a society where
ideal collective rights would prevent individuals from carrying disproportionate shares of the load.
And that is all people and not a select few who gain access to resources in a society. In communism,
the social unit cannot be the individual, but the community, which will not be individualistic about
anything unless it is meeting someone’s basic necessities like food, clothes and medicines, all of
them produced and owned by everyone. In as much as it is not going to protect individual rights,

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 such a system would embrace them as there will be no exploitation that the capitalist concept of
freedom and property brings in.

equal rights reigned, especially in terms of control and exploitation of the means of production, and
it could be realised only in the indefinite future.

Lenin’s Views on Individual and Collective Rights

Vladimir Lenin, as the key figure in the Russian Revolution and the founder of the Soviet Union,
extended and adapted Marx’s ideas to the practical realities of revolutionary struggle and
governance. Lenin shared Marx’s skepticism of individual rights within capitalist societies, viewing
them as tools of bourgeois control. However, Lenin placed even greater emphasis on the need for a
strong, centralised state to enforce collective rights and ensure the survival of the revolution.

Lenin believed that during the transition from capitalism to socialism (what he termed the
Dictatorship of the proletariat), individual rights, such as freedom of speech, political opposition,
and civil liberties, had to be curtailed to protect the collective interests of the working class.

For Lenin, the survival of the revolution and the establishment of a socialist society were of
paramount importance, even if that meant limiting certain individual freedoms temporarily.

He argued that bourgeois concepts of freedom were not genuine freedom but rather masked the
oppression of the working class. Therefore, in the early stages of socialism, the state must exert
control to suppress counter-revolutionary forces, redistribute wealth, and reorganise society along
socialist lines.

Lenin’s views on collective rights led to the creation of a highly centralised, authoritarian state
where the Communist Party held a monopoly on power.

3.2THE ROLE OF THE STATE IN SUPPRESSING RIGHTS

In communist regimes, the role of the state in controlling society is paramount and authoritarian,
especially in times of insurrection or socialist construction. The limitations placed on individual
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 freedoms, such as expression, political engagement, and opposition, have always been rationalised
by the communist theorists as a temporary measure for the purpose of safeguarding the revolution
and maintaining the enforced equality from internal enemies, whose aim is to disrupt the creation of
a classless society.

3.3THE COMMUNIST VISION ON FREEDOM AND EQUALITY

At the heart of communism is the ideal of a society without classes and the elimination of all forms
of economic oppression and exploitation, including the private ownership of the means of
production and the resulting distribution according to individual contribution.

Unlike the liberal democratic ideal which speaks of individual rights confined to political space, in
communism the most basic right is the right to be free from economic subjugation and inequality.
For communists, there is no such thing as freedom in a capitalist society because the vast majority
of the people can only remain enslaved within the confines of wage labor and wealth distribution is
tied to private ownership that breeds classes of people. Under communist society, freedom will be
the right to enjoy all the basic resources that an individual is entitled to, without being subjected to
the exploitation by others.

Housing, health care, education among other things will be accessible to all citizens in equal
measure in as much as access to these resources is concerned. Likewise, within the communist
perspective, the perspective on equality is not limited to abolishing the legal distinctions between
citizens, but it strives to put into practice the principles of equality of wealth and property in order
to eradicate the hierarchies constituted by material resources.

The state in the period of transition from capitalism to socialism is of great importance since it
promotes the significance of socialisation of all economic activities and the eradication of the
remaining capitalist class geared at safeguarding the working class.

Capitalists point out that whereas freedom is emphasised in possession of rights such as property
control and political involvement, these do not eliminate the economic oppression which hinders
real freedom. Hence, there is a communist utopia that strives to advance the well-being of the

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 society as a whole and where no individual is restricted in their capacity to develop by class or
economic exploitation.

4. CASE STUDIES OF VARIOUS COMMUNIST REGIMES

In the course of the twentieth century, many communist regimes appeared, each displaying specific
characteristics regarding their administration, human rights, and economic policies. While all of
these regimes were based Ideologically on Marxist-Leninism, they were, however, modified in
regard to the local setting.

The different regimes are informative on the real world application of sociopolitical policies,
their achievements and more importantly, their challenges especially in upholding human
rights and civil liberties.

4.1 THE SOVIET UNION (1922-1991)

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, founded in 1922 in the wake of the Russian Revolution of
1917, was the blueprint of Socialism. It wanted to implement Marxist-Leninist principles to achieve
a classless society – one of the most dominant and imperialistic ideas in the 20th century across
different spheres of life politics, economy and culture. This case study follows the chronology of the
events describing the rise, policies and fall of the Soviet Union and its communist ideology’s
controversies.

Formation and Early Years Known as the USSR, the Soviet Union was the result of the Bolshevik
Revolution spearheaded by Vladimir Lenin in which Historians detail how the provisional
government, which stood in place after the Tsar regime, was overthrown.

Lenin and the Bolsheviks put forth radical reforms which included the nationalisation of industries
and the redistribution of land to the peasantry. At first, the government employed the New
Economic Policy NEP in 1921, where some capitalist practices were permitted in a bid to restore
the economy in the wake of the civil war.

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 The net result of the NEP particularly in relation to the performance of the economy was slight
growth, but differences between the radicals and those who wanted to see the re-establishment of
the state control were constant

In the years following Lenin's death in 1924, the Leader of the Soviet Union became Joseph Stalin.
His time as a leader brought a radical change towards oppression and total state control. Following
that, the Soviet Union embarked on Five-Year Plans, the purpose of which was even greater
industrialisation and agriculture collectivisation.

The first Five-Year Plan (1928-1932) was focused on the development of the heavy industry, which
gave rise to the substantial growth of industrial output. However, it also caused a considerable
distress amongst the peasantry owing to the violent policies of collectivisation.

The policy of collectivisation sought to establish large and state-owned farms by merging smaller
cubicles of land, owned independently by peasants. However thes this objective was never achieved
peacefully without peasant resistance which called for brutal repression. All these measures led to
the Great Famine of 1932-1933 which was particularly excruciating in Ukraine resulting to several
millions of deaths. The regime of Stalin also had its own period of the Great Terror that began in the
year 1936 and lasted until 1938 where several political purges were conducted to eliminate all the
enemies that were believed to be within the communist party and society as a whole. During the
great terror period there were mass arrests, show trials and executions which all caused fear among
the society.

The Contribution of Ideology and Repression

Marx and Leninism was at the core of Soviet state with its teachings advocating for the rule by the
workers through a dictatorship and the need for a state apparatus to protect the regime from
enemies. The same rationalisation for repression however went to dealing with, intolerance of
opposition, foreign and internal censorship and information. To achieve the objectives of the State,
all the means of communication were controlled and the State engaged in propaganda in its quest to
showcase its achievements and vilify its so-called enemies both within and outside its borders.

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 Nikita Khrushchev came to power after Stalin’s death in 1953 and began a process of De-
Stalinization, which included a condemnation of the practices instituted by Stalin. He pursued
policies which sought to lessen state repression and promote greater internal dialogue within the
Communist Party and society in general. In her famous speech delivered in 1956, Khrushchev
denounced the purges undertaken by Stalin, while at the same time articulating the concept of
peaceful coexistence with the West which was unfortunately undercut by events such as the Cuban
Missile Crisis of 1962.

In Khrushchev’s time there was some cultural and political thawing, but economic problems
continued and the regime sought unsuccessfully to contain the rising discontent. Thus for instanced,
the Hungary Invasion of 1956 signified the extent to which the Soviet Union was willing to go in
order to secure its grip over Eastern Europe.

We can say that the Soviet Union constitutes an interesting but also very challenging empirical case
of communism; it depicts all the ideologies in which they claim and all the actions that are done in
reality. On the one hand, the USSR made considerable steps forward in its industrial and
technological development but did so at the cost of authoritarian rule, oppression, and massive
violations of human rights. The disintegration of the Soviet Union suggests that every system has its
threshold – especially one that seeks to eradicate the force of individual will and seeks corrective
measures to align the citizens with their aspirations. The legacy of the Soviet Union still has an
impact on the present-day debates on issues such as governance, rights, and communism as an
ideology.

4.2 THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA (1949-PRESENT)

The year 1949 – the year of the founding of the People’s Republic of China – was the onset of the
rule of communism with Mao Zedong as the chief architect of the order.

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 The basic ideas that Mao held are profoundly based on the Marxism-Leninism doctrines though
with a dose of pride in revolution that is Chinese. The first few years were spent on the land issue
i.e. deprivation of landlords of holdings and giving them to peasants, which was agrarian reform.
However, whereas the period 1958 to 1962 saw the Great Leap Forward, which was a campaign
aimed at changing management systems in agriculture within the shortest time possible and seek for
the industrialization of the China society less than agriculturally dependent activities though
agriculture collectivisation, and fonds of producing steel at the backyards.

Due to this many of Great Leap Foward’s commitments were not sustained and this led turned to a
prolonged draught that exterminated an approximated 15 to 45 million populations.

The Revolutionary Campaign or The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) which followed Mao was
intended to eliminate the influence of any capitalist and traditional features in the society.

It led to the terrorization of scholars, loss of historical sites, and chaos.

After Mao’s period, Deng Xiaoping promoted reforms that opened up the economy much to the
extent of allowing some capitalist tendencies in they economic sector but retained political power in
the hands of the ruling Communist Party. In contemporary times, there is what is known as
economic ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics’ that differ’s from the militarized extreme
communism of cultural revolution days, in that liberalization of the economics of the nation has
been permitted but political control and suppression of dissent has been enforced and is still being
enforced more so in Tibet and Xinjiang regions.

4.3 CUBA(1959-PRESENT)

Cuba’s communist regime began with Fidel Castros revolution in 1959 which overthrew the Batista
government.

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 The new government nationalised industries and implemented extensive social programs, including
education and healthcare, achieving significant improvements in literacy and public health.

However, the Castro regime maintained tight control over political expression, suppressing dissent
and restricting freedom of the press. Political opposition was met with imprisonment or exile, and
many human rights organisations have criticised Cuba for its lack of civil liberties.

Despite the economic challenges faced by Cuba, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union
in the early 1990s, the regime has remained resilient. In recent years, limited economic reforms
have been introduced, allowing for some private enterprise while maintaining the Communist
Party’s dominance in political life.

The regime continues to face criticism for its human rights record and suppression of free
expression, but it also touts its achievements in social welfare and healthcare.

4.4 North Korea (1948-Present)

North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), was
established in 1948 under Kim Il-sung. The regime is characterised by a highly centralised,
authoritarian government, with the ideology emphasising self-reliance and nationalism. North
Korea has maintained a strict state-controlled economy and implemented policies of collectives
similar to those of the Soviet Union and China.

The Kim dynasty’s rule has been marked by severe human rights abuses, including political prison
camps, censorship, and the suppression of any form of dissent. The government maintains a tight
grip on information, and citizens are subject to extensive surveillance. The regime has faced
international condemnation for its human rights record and nuclear weapons program. Despite
widespread poverty and economic challenges, the ruling regime has prioritised military spending
and the preservation of its power.

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 5. COMMON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION IN COMMUNIST REGIMES

1.Free Speech is Crushed and Censorship is Enforced.

– The Communists invariably interfere with the freedom of expression by controlling the media
and eliminating all opposing voices. Criticizing the government is legally prosecuted in most
instances and those that do are in for repercussions like being imprisoned, harassed or even killed.

2. War Against Political Plots.

Communism has always banned active and passive oppositions including politics. Citizens are not
permitted to engage in either competitive or non-competitive elections and are ruled under the
dominance of the communist party. Political activists and opposition forces are usually targeted and
end up being jailed or in most cases go fugitive.

3. Political Oppression and Re-Direction in Prisons.

Many communist regimes, including the former soviet union and North Korea, have gained a
negative reputation for the widespread use of political repression to lock up anyone that does not
conform to established regimes. Thinkers, enemies of the state, also called ‘revolutionary’ enforcers
are often imprisoned in the IRB gulag system and made to endure slave labor under extreme
weather elements.4. Lack of Freedom of Religion: Communist regimes, especially in countries like
China, Russia, as well as many developing nations, view religious institutions and practices as
potential threats to their rule and therefore have been known to suppress them. Religious leaders are
often persecuted and places of worship are destroyed or heavily regulated.

5. Surveillance and Infringement of Privacy:

State surveillance over citizens is one of the common characteristics in a communist regime. The
state deploys secret agents and state security agencies to within such private domains as
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 communication, daily movements, and activities, watching for any form of dissent and inciting fear
upon the public.

6. Suppression of Freedom of Assembly and Association.

Public displays of discontent such as protests and strikes, and the formation of independent labour
unions are mostly outlawed or strictly regulated. Most of the time, civil society is tightly managed
by the government and only those organisations which conform to its policies are permitted to exist.

7. Torture and Extrajudicial Killings.

Torture and extrajudicial killing are daily occurrences in the regime of most of the communist
states. The detainees of the state, in particular the political prisoners, suffer extreme violence in
order to obtain a ‘confession’ from them or as efforts to silence them.

These violations are often justified in the name of preserving the revolution maintaining state
security or advancing the collective good, but they result in significant human suffering and the
suppression of basic human freedoms.

8.lack of judiciary .

Another common human right violation in communist countries is the lack of judiciary in most
communist systems the judiciary is not autonomous and handles under the control of communist
regimes. Courts are often used as instruments of state representation

6. ADVANTAGES OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN COMMUNIST REGIMES

FOLLOWERS of communism pointed out, however, that it has some advantages in addressing
certain specific kinds of collective human rights, especially economic and social ones, despite the
gross violation of human rights in many communist regimes.

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 6.1 ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

In communist regimes, one of the pivotal aspects is to ensure and protect economic and social
rights for every citizen with a view of creating a society that satisfactorily meets everyone’s
demands and wants. One such provisions that is of great significance is the economic
egalitarianism, that is the regeneration of wealth and resources aiming at reducing class differences
and poverty alike.

This often leads to the adoption of measures, which are often termed as radical measures, that
ensure provision of housing, education and health care to all people, enabling all the citizens
irrespective of their social status to attain basic standards of living.

At work is perhaps one of the most fundamental aspect as well, and it is quite common for the state
to safeguard the right to work by centralizing the control of the economy in such a way as to ensure
that scarcely any person is unemployed.

Social and economic rights are assured as the first priorities, thus communist regimes contend that
such societies are more fair and just to the people, free from the economic and social distress that
capitalism imposes to the people.

6.2 EQUALITY AND CLASS PRIVILEGES

The concept of equality occupies a primary position within the ideological spectrum of communist
regimes, as the main focus remains on the eradication of class privileges and achieving a classless
society.

Therefore all those who dare to divide society into classes, especially wealthy and working classes,
are deterred by abolition of private possession of means of production and equal distribution of all
resources. Theoretically speaking, this is intended to do away with the benefits which are often
extended to the imperial classes in a capitalist set up which includes better education, health care,
and job opportunities.

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 On the contrary, all types of regimes governed by communism seek to promote that every person in
society will have their basic needs and chances equally regardless of their status in society.

Through the elimination of the privileges associated with being a member of a certain social class, it
is hoped that there will be less economic and social strata in order to create a fairer society, where
each individual shall work to enhance the well-being of the society and ‘take’ from it according to
the social order.

Yet, the majority of these regimes have been faced with challenges in some sense of the word
because ideal equality has never been achieved given that other elites have a way of creating
different types of privileges for themselves.

6.3 GREAT LEADERS AND GREAT POLICIES

The development of a communist system in the countries where it occurred depending on quite a
large number of leaders each of whom played a major role in the internal and external politics of
their countries. These leaders were thought out as those who would unify countries under
communist rule and brought about radical transformation in every aspect of their countries’
economies, social orders and governance.

1. Vladimir Lenin.

Being the driver of the revolution after which the Soviet Union was established, Lenin was one of
the key figures behind the first communist government formed after the October Revolution in
Russia in 1917. These included NEP, which modified the former policy of war communism by
introducing, for a while, some elements of capitalism in order to rehabilitate an economy devastated
by war and civil discord stroking between Lenin’s notion of ideation and practical application.
Lenin built the architecture for the economic and political system of the soviet state.

2. Joseph Stalin

. It was in the times of Stalin's leadership when drastic policies such as the Five Year Plans and
collectivisation were put into practice which aimed at the quick industrialisation of the Soviet Union
and the integration of its agriculture. These policies, however provided economic growth and
industrialisation of the USSR; they also resulted in widespread hunger and oppression, most notably

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 through the purges and the forced labor camp system of the Gulags. Stalin’s policies, while costly in
human lives and limb, ensured the Soviet Union’s emergence as a super power within the global
arena.

3.Mao Zedong:

When ruling the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong implemented a range of revolutionary
policies such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The Great Leap Forward
attempted to industrialise China at a much faster rate, promoting collective farms and people’s
militias to rapidly mobilise labor. However, this policy caused the worst famine in history. The
Cultural Revolution sought to eliminate capitalist as well as traditional aspects of society in China,
and hence turned on the educated classes, resulting in chaos in the society. Despite such failures, the
policies of Mao planted the seeds for the economic and social development of China in the years to
come.

4.Fidel Castro:

In Cuba, Fidel Castro’s leadership of the Cuban Revolution established a communist government
committed to social priorities, especially universal health and education systems, which contributed
to better standards of literacy and health. Castro sought to achieve social justice by getting rid of the
underlying causes of inequality and establishing a social order based on socialist ideas. This,
however, came at a cost, for all political aspects were suppressed and the citizens had no freedom to
oppose the government.

5.Ho Chi Minh:

Ho Chi Minh played a key role in the fight against French colonialism in Vietnam and in the
subsequent establishment of a Communist government in all of Vietnam following the end of the
Vietnam conflict. He was concerned with national liberation and socialism, strategising land
reforms, collectivisation, and state control of the economy. As such, Vietnam under his rule was
very much about economic equality and social welfare, but such policies were also the reason
behind political oppression and restriction of freedoms.

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 The policies of these leaders were often aimed at fostering a more egalitarian and fairer society by
way of wealth redistribution and putting more emphasis on the community.

Nevertheless, these policies were often implemented at the expense of individual freedoms and
caused immense pain to many especially in political oppression, slavery and economic
catastrophes. Even so, their legacies remain relevant in the contemporary conversation about
communism, politics, and development.

7. COMPARITIVE ANALASIS

The merits and demerits of human rights within the scope of a communist regime provide an
intricate situation wherein the idealistic ambitions do not often translate into the reality.

Though communism on paper strives for the good of the masses, the abolishment of all social
classes and even achievement of civil political socioeconomic rights, their practice has often led to
gross abuses of human rights.

Human rights in a communist context are mostly beneficial when it comes to economic and social
aspects because the government aims to provide certain essential services to the population and tries
to eradicate stratification.

Such measures can help in creating a more just society and provide better guarantees with regards
to some basic needs, such as a job, health care, and education. On the other hand, however, the
drawbacks have to do primarily with the absence of any political and civil rights.

Unfavourable to the individual, non-existent courts, no political liberty usually ends up being in a
dictatorship where no single person can express their viewpoint freely as the citizens are always
watched over by the government.

It would seem that communism advocates for fairness and the wellbeing of everyone in society as a
whole, however throughout the history of communism, these very ideas have often been

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 accomplished by violating personal freedoms and causing a lot of pain through oppression and bad
economy.

To sum up, while communist regimes are most successful in ensuring economic and social
well-being of the population, they often neglect to ensure civil and political rights, hence
creating a conflict between the state of collective well-being and the freedom of the individual.

8. CONCLUSION

To sum it up, communist regimes pose a dilemma when viewed through the human rights lens.
Even as they seek to promote fiscal parity, systemic welfare and social quality, which most often
involves providing every citizen with accessible health care, education and job opportunities, all
this comes at the expense of personal liberties.

There is a hostility towards freedom of expression and other forms of political expression.
Judiciaries are not independent. These factors contribute to the daily violation of civil and political
rights. Even though the concept of a society without classes and without discrimination is an
integral part of the doctrine of communism, its practical realisation has most often tended towards
totalitarianism, economic waste and severe abuse of human dignity.

In the end, the variations in contexts of encouraging the respect for collective rights and
individual rights in most communist systems have endured some challenges, thus showcasing
both the merits and demerits of this form of political system.

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