Impunity Watch: Asia

Amnesty international Annual Report on China; India Police Stop March by Tibetan Exiles; Myanmar forcing Cyclone Victims Out of Shelters

By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China - In an annual report on human rights worldwide, Amnesty International urged China to “live up to the human rights promises it made around the Olympic."  The report criticized China for shipping weapons to Sudan in defiance of a U.N. arms embargo and traded with abusive governments like Myanmar and Zimbabwe. "The Chinese government has too often pursued resources to fuel its growing economy at the expense of human rights, seeking relationships with oil- or mineral-rich countries such as Sudan, Myanmar and Zimbabwe", Amnesty said. 

The report also criticized China's expansion of the "re-education through labor" program, which allows the government to arrest people and sentence them to a manual labor without trial.  Moreover, the organization condemned the crackdown on Tibetan protests. The Dalai Lama's government-in-exile says more than 200 people have been killed since the protests erupted on March 10.  "Freedom of religion, expression and association for Tibetans continues to be severely restricted", Amnesty said, "and peaceful expression of support for the Dalai Lama is harshly punished".

China has rejected previous such reports. It says its human rights record has improved in recent years.

For more information, please see:

AP- Amnesty International condemns US, China in report - 28 May 2008

Bloomberg - Amnesty Accuses U.S., China, Russia of Rights Abuses - 28 May 2008

CNN - China, Russia, U.S. focus of human rights report - 28 May 2008

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NEW DELHI, Indian - More than 300 Tibetan exiles began walking on March 10 from the northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala, the seat of their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, to join in protests against Chinese rule inside Tibet.  Indian police stopped the march near a restricted military zone that stretches to the Chinese border at the last weekend. A statement from the marchers said police also impounded their food trucks and arrested their top leaders.  The marchers, surrounded by police, are now camping near Almora town waiting for an opportunity to get to the border.

Several prominent activist groups, including the Tibetan Youth Congress, organized the march.  The Dalai Lama has said he thought the march was dangerous and pointless.  But the marchers say their action was an effort to show solidarity with Tibetans inside Tibet and their resolve to win their freedom from China.

No direct orders have come from the central government in New Delhi on how to deal with the protesters.  However, India government said that it would not tolerate actions that embarrassed China.

For more information, please see:

AP - Authorities in India stop march by Tibetan exiles - 26 May 2008

Reuters - CORRECTED - Indian police arrest Tibetans nearing military zone - 25 May 2005

Washington Post - Tibetans say India choking food to stop China march - 29 May 2008

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YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's Junta is forcing cyclone victims out of shelters and refugee camps and sending some back to their devastated villages with virtually no aid supplies, United Nations and church officials said.  "The government is moving people unannounced," said Teh Tai Ring, a UNICEF official, adding that authorities were "dumping people in the approximate location of the villages, basically with nothing." The UNICEF official also said that some of the refugees are "being given rations and then they are forced to move."

The military government contends the mass evictions is out of concern the 'tented villages' might become permanent.  "It is better that they move to their homes where they are more stable," a government official said at one camp where people have been told to clear out by 4 pm, "Here, they are relying on donations and it is not stable."  According to newspaper New Light of Myanmar, a government mouthpiece, saying cyclone victims did not need supplies of "chocolate bars" from international community and could instead survive by eating frogs and fish.

No aid agency is known to be distributing chocolate, which would not be practical in the country's tropical heat.  Paul Risley of the UN's World Food Program, which is directing the effort for emergency food supplies, said his agency provides rice, ready-to-eat meals of rice and beans and high-energy biscuits.

For more information, please see:

AFP - Myanmar lashes foreign aid, says survivors can eat frogs - 30 May 2008

AP - UN: Myanmar forcing storm victims from camps - 30 May 2008

Reuters - Myanmar starts mass evictions from cyclone camps - 30 May 2008

Burma Agrees to Accept All International Aid Workers; Six-Party Talks Expected to Resume Next Month; Taiwan and China Resume Talks Next Month

By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

YANGON, Burma - After a crucial two-hour meeting with the military chief Senior General Than Shwe, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that the Burma's junta agrees to grant entry to all international aid workers for cyclone relief operations.  The military government agreed to allow shipments to be delivered by civilian ships and small boats.  The military leader also agreed to allow the airport in Yangon, to be used to distribute international aid, Ban said.

However, it was unclear whether the junta would carry out its promise or let in experts and badly needed helicopters.  U.S. State Department spokesman, Thomas Casey, says, "There's a long history with the Burmese regime of having them make these kinds of commitments, but we don't know yet if they will follow through." United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the general made the statement "in front of many senior generals," convincing him that he would keep his word.

It's extremely welcome news to many international aid groups.

For more information, please see:

ABC News - U.N. Chief Says Relief Aid Will Allowed Into Myanmar - 23 May 2008

AFP - UN's Ban gets Myanmar to accept foreign aid - 23 May 2008

Bloomberg - Myanmar Grants Entry to All International Aid Workers, Ban Says - 23 May 2008

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PYONGYANG, North Korea - North Korea delivered to the United States more than 18,000 pages of its sensitive nuclear records, and the six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula will reportedly resume next month after an eight-month suspension.

Early this week, North Korea also agreed with the U.S. to blow up part of its Yongbyon nuclear reactor in a symbolic gesture, Yonhap News reported.  North Korea will destroy the cooling tower of the plant that produced weapons-grade plutonium after submitting its list of nuclear materials and programs.  The U.S. will lift its designation of the communist nation as a state sponsor of terrorism, senior North Korean diplomat Kim Kye-gwan said. 

The lead U.S. and North Korean nuclear negotiators, Christopher Hill and Kim Kye-gwan, are expected to meet in Beijing next week, in a sign Pyongyang may be closer to making a declaration of its nuclear programs, a diplomatic source said.  Christopher Hill will visit Beijing and Moscow next week to consult on efforts to move the stalled disarmament process forward.

For more information, please see:

AP - Official: NKorea very close to turning in nuclear accounting - 23 May 2008

Bloomberg - North Korea to Blow Up Part of Nuclear Reactor, Yonhap Reports - 21 May 2008

Reuters - North Korea to demolish nuclear facility soon: Seoul - 21 May 2008

XinHua - Hill to visit China, Russia regarding DPRK nuclear declaration - 23 May 2008

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BEIJING, China - Taiwan and China will resume direct talks next month after more than a decade.  China said it was preparing to resume direct talks with Taiwan, which is a sign of improving relations after the inauguration of the island's new leader.  Ma Ying-jeou, who took office as Taiwan's president vowing to mend ties with China, has raised hopes that long-term tensions may ease across the narrow strait dividing the two rivals.

Two days after Ma Ying-jeou took office in Taiwan, Beijing's top official for Taiwan, Chen Yunlin, said there had been "major positive changes" in the situation in Taiwan. "Currently, good developing momentum is emerging in cross-strait relations, bringing a rare and important opportunity," said Chen Yunlin. Ma also described the reaction from Beijing as a sign of "goodwill" and again called on the two sides to grasp the "historic opportunity" to mend ties.

Ma Ying-jeou, of the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party, succeeded Chen Shui-bian.  Chen Shui-bian was known for his pro-independence rhetoric during eight years in office, which caused a spike in regiotn tensions with Beijing.

For more information, please see:

AFP - Taiwan, China to restart talks in June: official - 23 May 2008

AFP - China says it is preparing to restart talks with Taiwan - 22 May 2008

BBC - Taiwan says China talks to resume - 23 May 2008

BBC - China looks to closer Taiwan ties - 23 May 2008

UPDATE: Burma's Junta Stolen International Food Aid

YANGON, Burma - Some of the international aid arriving into the country for the victims of cyclone was being stolen, diverted or warehoused by the country’s army, the directors of several relief organizations in Burma said. However, due to fear of angering the Burma's junta and jeopardizing relief operations, the aid directors in Burma declined to be quoted directly on their concerns about the stolen supplies.  Marcel Wagner, country director of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, confirmed that the army was diverting aid. He said the issue would become an increasing problem, although he declined to give further details because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Meanwhile, International aid shipments continued to arrive Burma, including five new air deliveries of relief supplies from the United States. Western diplomats said their representatives at the airport were making sure the cargo was unloaded efficiently and then trucked to staging areas.  However, the fate of the supplies after that remained unknown because the junta has barred all credentialed diplomats and aid workers, from accompanying any donated aid, tracking its distribution or following up on its delivery.  The European Union's top aid official has warned that the military government's restrictions on foreign aid workers and equipment were increasing the risk of starvation and diseases.  However, the Burmese government contended there were no outbreaks of disease or starvation among the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the cyclone.

For more information, please see:

New York Times - Aid Groups Say Myanmar Food Stolen by Military - 15 May 2008

Yahoo News - Foreign powers lean on Myanmar to open up aid effort - 15 May 2008

BRIEF: Kyrgyzstan Urged not to Extradite Uzbek Refugee

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - Rights groups are asking the government of Kyrgyzstan not to extradite asylum-seeker Erkin Holikov, fearing that he will face torture if returned to Uzbekistan.

Uzbek President Islam Karimov has been criticized by the European Union, the United States, and other nations for criminalizing dissent and condoning human rights violations.  There have been many allegations of torture and abuse in Uzbek prisons.  Karimov has denied all accusations, claiming that his main goal is to protect the national security of the country.  Kyrgyzstan has been accused of recklessly returning many refugees and asylum-seekers to Uzbekistan since the Andijan Massacre in 2005.

An Uzbek citizen, Holikov is currently in a Kyrgyz prison serving a four-year sentence for charges of illegal border crossing and failing to report a crime.  Uzbek authorities attempted to take Holikov on Tuesday with permission from the Kyrgyz prosecutor general, but due to his pending asylum case, the prison authorities did not release him.  Holikov is charged with religious extremism in Uzbekistan.

A spokesperson at Human Rights Watch stated that they were concerned that the Uzbek police would come back to take him, and "if he’s sent back, he’ll face a serious risk of torture or other ill treatment."

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch - Kyrgyzstan: Do Not Return Asylum Seeker to Uzbekistan - 13 May 2008

Reuters - Rights group urges Kyrgyzstan not to extradite Uzbek - 14 May 2008

BRIEF: Nepal’s Newly Elected Government Should Correct Past Human Rights Abuses

KATHMANDU, Nepal - Human Rights Watch urges the Nepal’s new government to take this political moment to correct human right abuses that occurred during the Maoist rebellion.

In a recent election, the Maoists won 220 seats of a total 601-seat assembly. With such a strong showing, the Maoists are positioned to begin a thorough investigation into the disappearances of thousands of person who were captured during the Maoist insurgency against the feudal monarchy.  

Family members remember members of Nepal's army and Maoist rebels coming into their homes in the dead of night, capturing people on suspicion of being enemy informants or sympathizers. The estimates of how many persons remain missing ranges from 600 to 6,000.

In some cases, the missing can be tracked to an army barracks in Kathmandu. Those that were released can recall the faces and names of those they saw there. Last December, a site about 10 miles outside Kathmandu was found that indicated human remains had been cremated there. There were plastic bags, half-burnt logs, buried pieces of clothes, and human remains.

Despite pleas from families and recommendations from human rights groups, an investigation remains questionable. The Maoists have openly stated that finding their missing comrades is a priority. However, others say that the Maoists have dragged their feet in fear of punishment for their own rights violations.  

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – Nepal: The Human-Rights Test – 28 April 2008

Thaindian News – Past Misdeeds Return to Haunt Nepal Army - 13 May 2008

Reuters – Peace Here,Nepal Mothers Want News of Missing Sons - 11 May 2008

BRIEF: Growing Frustration Over Burma Junta's Slow Response to the Cyclone Relief Effort

YANGON, Burma - The United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon has condemned Burma's military government for its "unacceptably slow response" to helping cyclone victims.  Ban said Burma's leaders had not returned his repeated calls and letters to them, including a second letter sent on Monday, seeking greater co-operation with the UN and other international relief efforts.

The United Nations said the World Food Program is getting in only 20 percent of the food needed because of bottlenecks, logistics problems and government-imposed restrictions.  "There is obviously still a lot of frustration that this aid effort hasn't picked up pace" 10 days after the cyclone hit, said Richard Horsey, spokesman for the U.N. humanitarian operation in Bangkok. 

The official toll for the cyclone has risen to almost 32,000 and almost 30,000 others are still missing.  Relief agencies have accused the Burmese military regime of keeping the high-quality supplies donated provided by the UN and other organizations for victims of cyclone and handing out rotten and low-grade food.

AP - UN chief condemns Burma response - 12 May 2008

AP - Myanmar cyclone victims getting low-quality supplies- 13 May 2008

BBC - UN critical of Burma's response - 13 May 2008

BBC - UN frustrated at Burma response - 13 May 2008

Independent - Burmese junta accused of hoarding food aid and handing out rotten rice - 14 May 2008

BRIEF: Dalai Lama and China to Meet over Torch Protests, Tibet

Dalai Lama - International Herald Tribune

BEIJING, China – The Dalai Lama and Chinese officials have planned talks to discuss the controversies surrounding Tibet and the protests although Chinese President Hu Jintao has continued to criticize the Tibetan spiritual leader.

President Hu Jintao, speaking at a news conference with the Japanese Prime Minister, said that he wanted the Dalai Lama to stop trying to divide China, incite violence, and harm the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. He told reporters, “We hope that the Dalai will express his sincerity through his acts. We hope the Dalai will stop acting to separate the homeland, stop orchestrating the inciting of violent acts and stop undermining the Beijing Olympics, so as to create the conditions for further discussions. We hope that the contacts will have a positive result.”

In response to the criticisms, the Dalai Lama has expressed reservations about the effectiveness of the up and coming talks. He said, “These are helpful to maintain trust, clear misunderstanding.” In response to questions that China is holding the talks in bad faith, intending only to quell international disapproval, the Tibetan spiritual leader said, “Too early to say.”

For more information, please see: 

AP – China Warns Dalai Lama Not to Obstruct Beijing Games – 7 May 2008

International Herald Tribune – Dalai Lama Looking Forward to Talks with China, with Reservations – 12 May 2008

Malaysia Charges Blogger for Sedition

Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin Outside the Courthouse - International Herald Tribune

By Kristy Tridhavee
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Asia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysian authorities have charged a prominent Malaysian blogger, Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin, for sedition in connection to his online reports alleging that the Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak is involved in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin pleaded innocent to the charges although he does not refute that he authored the article. He told reporters that he should have the right to hold government officials responsible for their wrongdoings.

Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin said he was not worried about the sedition charge, suggesting he had evidence for his article. He said, “I am happy. We bloggers have declared war on the government. We are not scared of the government. The government should be scared of us. Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin added, “Is it seditious to influence people against corrupt leaders?"

In Malaysia, bloggers provide anti-government commentaries. They present themselves as a replacement for mainstream media, which is controlled by Malaysia’s political parties. Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin and his online blog is quite popular. Dozens of dissidents and bloggers gathered outside the courthouse to show their support.

The charges against Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin stem from an article he wrote on his blog Malaysia Today, which was entitled “Let's Send the Altantuya Murderers to Hell.”  Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin implies that the deputy prime minister and his wife were involved in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Two policemen, Azilah Hadri and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar, are presently in the midst of a trial where they are charged for the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu. The prosecution alleges that the policemen killed Altantuya Shaariibuu and then destroyed her body with explosives in the jungle.

Abdul Razak Baginda, a close friend of the deputy prime minister, is charged with abetting the murder. Abdul Razak Baginda is associated with the case because prosecutors allege he ordered the murder after Altantuya Shaariibuu pestered him for money after he ended their affair.

Days after his jailing, Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin was released because authorities could not ensure his safety while in prison. While in prison, Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin was put into the same cell block as the two policemen that are charged and being prosecuted for the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu. When he arrived, the two policemen shouted at him, threatening his life and blaming him for bringing attention to the trial again.

For more information, please see:

International Herald Tribune – Malaysian Blogger Charged with Sedition – 6 May 2008

International Herald Tribune – Malaysian Blogger Jailed for Article – 6 May 2008

Malaysia Star – Raja Petra: I Was Threatened  – 10 May 2008

Reporters Without Borders – Online Newspaper Editor Freed on Bail, Pending Trial on Sedition Charges – 9 May 2008

UPDATE: As Deadline for Reinstating Judges not Met, Coalition Breaks in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - In an announcement today, the head of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif, stated that his party will be pulling out of the coalition government in Pakistan.  Many believe that the future of Pakistan's democracy is strongly linked to the coalition (see Impunity Watch article here).

The coalition was formed in February after the parties involved had won a majority of seats in the parliamentary election (see Impunity Watch article here).

According to Nawaz, the split is largely due to disagreements over how to reinstate judges deposed by President Pervez Musharraf last November.  The coalition originally set an April 30th deadline for reinstating the judges, but were unable to meet it.  They then set a second deadline, declaring that "on Monday, May 12, 2008, all deposed judges will be restored" (see Impunity Watch article here).  Today, the coalition was unable to meet that deadline.

The PML-N wants the judges to return with all of their old powers, whereas the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) (the majority party) wants their powers to be limited.

From here on out, Sharif stated that his party would support the PPP on an issue-by-issue basis from the back-benches.  He said, "we will not become part of any conspiracy to destabilize the democratic process."  A statement from the PPP stated that the PML-N decision was causing "a pause in the process and not a break in the purpose of restoration of judges."

For more information, please see:

BBC News - Pakistan government set to split - 12 May 2008

Impunity Watch - BRIEF: Shaky Pakistan Coalition Government Holds Talks on Judges - 30 April 2008

Impunity Watch - UPDATE: Judges to be Reinstated in Pakistan - 2 May 2008

Impunity Watch - UPDATE: Pakistan Opposition Parties Form Coalition Government - 22 February 2008

BRIEF: Demanding Fair Trials, Taliban Suspects Go on Hunger Strike

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - According to local officials and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, for the past week about 300 Taliban prisoners have been on a hunger strike in the Kandahar prison, demanding fair trials.

Ahmad Wali Karzai, head of the Kandahar provincial council, stated that "about 20 of them have sewn their lips."  Other sources say that the prisoners have only taped their mouths shut.

The fasting prisoners include some convicted suspects, but mostly those awaiting trial.  They are protesting that the justice procedures are not fair and independent, and they want defense lawyers to be present during hearings and investigations.

The International Committee of the Red Cross visited the prisoners over the weekend and provided medical attention.  Three prisoners are in poor condition.

According to the Justice Minister, Mohammad Sarwar Danesh, "the prisoners have reason to criticize because the justice system is working a little slowly."  To address the problem, the country's top judge has met with the Kandahar governor, and will soon meet with local officials.

For more information, please see:

AFP - Taliban suspects on hunger strike in Afghan jail - 11 May 2008

International Herald Tribune - Jailed Taliban suspects on hunger strike in southern Afghanistan, demand fair trials - 11 May 2008