British Arms Fair Invites Countries with Child Soldiers

September 19, 2015

By Tyler Campbell

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ALGIERS, Algeria – This Tuesday marked the opening day of the Defence and Security Equipment Industry (DSEI) show. This is one of the world’s largest arms and securities fairs in world and it is held every two years in London. This is a massive event were more than 1,500 companies show off their best and latest weapons of war. On the guest list to the event are some of the biggest repeat offenders in human and civil rights violations.

Child Soldiers in Algeria (Photo of photo courtesy of telegraph.co.uk)

There were 61 countries officially invited to the event. Out of these 61 countries 14 of them have authoritarian leadership. More troubling is that the UN has flagged 23 of these 61 countries for serious child rights violations, including the use of child soldiers. Notable African countries with questionable human rights records on the list were Egypt, Angola and Algeria.

These invitations come in stark and almost ironic contrast to the message the European parliament was trying to send some of these countries only four days earlier. In debates about the British arms industry parliament talked about Azerbaijan and Angola, two countries with an invitation to the DSEI. The deteriorating situation of human rights in Angola was one topic that got touched upon.

This type of hypocrisy is not a new trend for the British arms industry. Britain has been selling arms to the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2010. This is one nation that has a long record of recruiting and using child soldiers. Another country, Saudi Arabia, has had its own problems with civil rights and continues to be Britain’s leading arms customer. In past years at the DSEI, devices clearly against British law have even been offered up for sale.

These problems have not gone unnoticed by London protesters. Human rights activist protested and attempted to block the set up of the event. They also have a protest schedule for each day the event is going on. Advertisements on the sides of buses around London have been replaced with “These visitors make huge amounts of money from weapons and equipment that kill people all over the world.”

The other side of the debate continues to say that this event and the British arms industry are important sections of the economy and are essential to jobs and a growing GDP. This is most likely not an understatement. The UK has continued to be the world’s second largest defense exporter, behind only the United States. For this to change it will take aggressive action and legislation by parliament.

For more information, please see:

EurActive – Nations using child soldiers are invited to British arms fair – 14 September 2015

Yahoo News – Mega arms fair met with protest in Britain – 15 September 2015

Global Information Network – Nations using child soldiers among guests at UK arms fair – 15 September 2015

Defense One – UK Invites ‘Countries of Concern’ To Shop for Weapons in London – 15 September 2015

Cuba’s Human Rights to be a Spotlight for Papal Visit

September 19, 2015

By Samuel Miller
Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, North America and Oceania

HAVANA, Cuba — Democracy activists have been scrambling to get the Pope’s attention: they want him to know that Cuban authorities have been arresting peaceful protesters and violating basic human rights. Laura Labrada Pollan, leader of a Havana group called Ladies in White said, “we are asking for a meeting, a few minutes with Pope Francis, so he can hear it from us, to show him that yes, there are political prisoners in Cuba.”

Workers Prepare for the Arrival of Pope Francis. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters UK)

However, members of Cuba’s fractured and officially illegal opposition party said they see little chance that the trip will bring significant change.

“Pope Francis wants his visit to have a major impact, but he won’t be able to work any miracles, because change depends on the Cuban government’s political will. And it has none,” said Elizardo Sanchez, president of the Cuban Commission on Human Rights.

“Cuba is at a human rights crossroads, with important advances such as the recent release of prisoners of conscience and other activists and a number of positive reforms to its migration laws overshadowed by the government’s determination to deploy new methods to stifle dissent,” said Amnesty International ahead of a state visit by Pope Francis.

Historically, Cuba has had a tenuous relationship with the Holy See.

In 1998, John Paul II called for greater respect for human rights during the first papal visit to Cuba, a historic trip that symbolized a nascent rapprochement between the Church and the one-time atheist state. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI criticized Marxism and spoke of the need for “new models,” considered by some to be a veiled message of disdain for the troubled country’s policies.

Amnesty International and other international organizations have not been allowed to enter Cuba since 1988, when a delegation from Amnesty International went to document the situation of prisoners of conscience and other individuals who were detained for political reasons across the country.

Although the country has been hesitant to allow these organizations to enter its country, Amnesty International claims advances have been made there, including a 2013 reform loosening travel restrictions and the release of political prisoners.

“However, the country still needs to make progress when it comes to allowing people to peacefully express their views without fear of being harassed, detained or attacked,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, the rights group’s director for the Americas.

Over the past few years, authorities in Cuba have switched from a strategy of incarcerating people viewed as political dissidents for long periods of time, to consecutive short term arrests and public smear campaigns.

In an act of goodwill before the visit, Cuban authorities released more than 3,500 prisoners last week, amplifying a gesture also undertaken for the previous papal trips. Cuba is sensitive to criticism of its human rights record, saying it needs to restrain critics it describes as “mercenaries bent on destabilizing the government.”

For more information, please see:

LA Times — Pope Francis heading for Havana in first leg of reconciliation tour – 18 September 2015

NBC News — In Cuba, Democracy Activists and Dissidents Hope to Meet with Pope – 18 September 2015

Reuters UK — Pope’s visit to Cuba raises prospect of human rights friction – 18 September 2015

Yahoo! News — Cuban dissidents not expecting miracles from pope visit – 18 September 2015

Amnesty Int’l — Cuba at a human rights crossroads as Pope Francis prepares to visit the country – 17 September 2015

China Releases Activists as Xi Jinping’s U.S. Visit Approaches

September 18, 2015

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China –

Guo Yushan, a Chinese scholar who aided blind activist Chen Guangcheng in his 2012 house arrest escape, has been conditionally released by Chinese authorities. Mr. Guo was released along with a former colleague, He Zhengjun.

Mr. Guo. (Photo courtesy of the Economic Times)

Mr. Guo was the head of the Transition Institute, a Chinese research institution, before Beijing authorities shut it down in 2013. The organization was pro-democracy and researched social and economic issues in China. Mr. He was the Transition Institute’s administrator.

Li Jin, Mr. Guo’s lawyer, has confirmed that Mr. Guo was released on bail on Tuesday. Li Jinxing, Mr. He’s lawyer, also confirmed his release. The reason for their release is still unclear. Because the release of Mr. Guo and Mr. He is conditional, the charges against them are still in effect and both men could be taken back into police custody.

Mr. Guo and Mr. He were detained at the same time that the Occupy Central protests were occurring in Beijing. Both men were arrested on suspicion of illegal business activity, which included the unlawful printing of books and other publications.

In 2012, Mr. Guo assisted Chen Guangcheng in his escape from China by helping him travel to the United States Embassy in Beijing. Mr. Chen then traveled to the United States, where then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton advocated on his behalf so that he could stay in the United States as a visiting student.

Mr. Guo could have been detained for his role in Mr. Chen’s escape from China. Initially, Mr. Guo was put on house arrest for 81 days, after which he stated in an interview that Chinese police had warned him of more severe consequences for his involvement in the escape. About a year later, Mr. Guo was taken into custody after police raided his apartment in Beijing.

Critics have accused the Chinese government of carefully timing the release of the activists with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming United States’s visit, which is scheduled for later this month. It will be President Xi’s first state visit to the United States since he became president in 2012. Throughout his presidency, President Xi has cracked down on lawyers, human rights activists, and others.

Many critics believe that the release of the activists was a symbolic measure taken to prevent the United States’ criticism of China’s human rights record. Sophie Richardson, the China Director at Human Rights Watch, told The Guardian that the Chinese government has made a series of small concessions in an effort to “keep human rights issues out of the summit”.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – China releases scholar ahead of its leader’s visit to US – 15 September 2015

The Guardian – Beijing releases activist on eve of Chinese president’s visit to US – 15 September 2015

The New York Times – China Releases Scholar Who Helped Activist Gain Asylum in U.S. – 15 September 2015

Radio Free Asia – China Releases Two NGO Activists ‘On Bail’ Ahead of President’s US Trip – 15 September 2015

U.N. Calls for Sri Lankan War Crimes Court

September 18, 2015

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—

The United Nations has released a report calling for a special court to try war crimes that occurred during the 26 year long conflict between the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tiger rebels. The U.N.’s report calls for a court that is comprised of international judges, local Sri Lankan judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and investigators.

The U.N. report charges both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebels with committing atrocities against civilians during the war, which ended in 2009. Around 100,000 people were killed during the war, and estimates indicate that an additional 40,000 people were killed during the final stage of the war. Additionally, tens of thousands of civilians went missing during the war and were never seen or heard from again.

The crimes listed in the U.N. report, committed by both the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tigers, include indiscriminate shelling in “no shell zones”, extrajudicial murders, enforced disappearances of tens of thousands of people, forced recruitment of adults and children, and acts of torture and sexual violence.

Sri Lankan civilians still suffer from the repercussions of the war between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebels. For example, some have been homeless since the war ended in 2009. (Photo courtesy of BBC)

The U.N.’s report states that if forced recruitment by the Tamil Tigers is proven in court, it will be classified as a war crime. The Sri Lankan government’s denial of humanitarian assistance during the war will also be classified as a war crime if that denial is proven in court.

Sri Lanka’s previous government, led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, resisted international calls to investigate the war crimes. Sri Lanka’s new government, which came into power under President Maithripala Sirisena early this year, promised that it would cooperate with U.N. directives.

However, now that the U.N.’s report has come out, Senior Sri Lankan minister Rajitha Senaratne has stated that the country will implement its own process for addressing the atrocities committed during the war. Mr. Senaratne also said that Sri Lanka is not ready to agree with international inquiries.

Earlier this week, Sri Lanka’s government released plans for a truth and reconciliation commission that will consider war crime allegations. While the court will accept advice from international entities such as the U.N., it will employ a Sri Lankan process to try the war crimes.

The U.N.’s report states that Sri Lanka’s courts lack the necessary credibility to try the war crimes. The U.N. report also highlights the need for Sri Lanka to reform its criminal justice system. Currently, Sri Lanka does not criminalize war crimes, crimes against humanity, or enforced disappearances.

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights, has stated that only a court made up of international judges and investigators will be able to handle the many alleged war atrocities that occurred during the war.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – UN Urges Sri Lanka War Crimes Court – 17 September 2015

BBC – UN Human Rights Council Urges Sri Lanka War Crimes Court – 16 September 2015

New York Times – U.N. Urges Sri Lanka to Establish Court to Investigate War Abuses – 16 September 2015

The Wall Street Journal – U.N. Report Urges Sri Lanka to Set Up War Crimes Tribunal – 16 September 2015

September 17, 2015

In Focus

Guatemalan Justice System and Citizen Mobilization Lead to Major Victory in the Country’s Fight Against Impunity

In this podcast, Director of Programs Marcie Mersky analyzes the recent steps forward taken in Guatemala in the fight against impunity, including the resignation of President Otto Pérez Molina and his possible criminal prosecution on charges related to a multi-million dollar corruption scandal.

World Report

AFRICAA memorial to those killed or tortured during Kenya’s Mau Mau uprising against British colonial forces in the 1950s was unveiled in Nairobi as part of a British settlement with Kenyan veterans. The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced arrest warrants against two Kenyans accused of corrupting witnesses in the Court’s cases against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto. ICC judges said that the trial of Lord’s Resistance Army commander Dominic Ongwen, accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes, should occur in Uganda rather than The Hague. Meanwhile, the trial of Bosco Ntaganda, a rebel leader from the Democratic Republic of Congo, opened at the ICC. A rights group accused Sudan’s military of systematic abuses in Darfur, including rape, torture and killing civilians. The trial of Hissène Habré, the former leader of Chadaccused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture, continued in a special court in Senegal.

AMERICASIn Colombia, government and FARC negotiators created an international sub-commission to settle the question of how accountability for war crimes would be handled in an eventual peace deal between the two parties. Pressured by civil society’s demands, Guatemala’s president resigned and was indicted on corruption charges brought by the Prosecutor’s Office and a UN-backed investigative commission known as the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), established to dismantle criminal networks with ties to politicians and the security forces. Documents recently declassified by Argentina’s military shed light on acts of torture agents its soldiers during the 1982 war with the United Kingdom over the Malvinas Islands. In Mexico, a report issued by a group of international experts–including former Guatemalan Prosecutor General Claudia Paz y Paz and Colombian lawyer Alejandro Valencia– contradicted the government’s official account of what happened to the 43 college students from Ayotzinapa who were disappeared one year ago.

ASIAIn Nepal, the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) has urged the government to criminalize enforced disappearances in order to enable the commission to recommend action against perpetrators. While meeting with rebel groups, Myanmar’s president pushed for a ceasefire deal to end decades of conflict ahead of November elections. After the UN Human Rights Council announced it would release a report calling for accountability for war crimes committed duringSri Lanka’s civil war, the government put forth plans to establish a South Africa-style truth and reconciliation commission, set up a criminal justice mechanism and compensate victims. Australia’s Victoria State government wants to house Syrian refugees on an army base that was formerly used as a refuge for East Timorese refugees in the 1990s.

EUROPEIn Serbia, eight former police officers were indicted on war crimes charges related to the killing of over 100 civilians near Srebrenica in 1995. Meanwhile, Serbia and Kosovo agreed to exchange schoolbooks, the first official effort to do so since the 1999 war between the two states in 1999. Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted a justice sector reform strategy, a condition for the release of European funding for local war crimes investigations. After accepting the ICC’s jurisdiction over crimes committed during the 2014 Maidan protests, Ukraine extended the Court’s jurisdiction to include crimes committed anywhere in the country since February 2014, including in Crimea and the downing of Flight MH17. The president of the European Council committed European Union support to any negotiations aimed at reunifying ethnically divided Cyprus.

MENAIn Tunisia, hundreds of people protested against a proposed law on economic reconciliation that would offer amnesty for those accused of corruption. Meanwhile, the country’s truth commission has come under attack from the government and media. Protests over garbage collection in Lebanon havetransformed into a movement calling for broad institutional reforms to increase official accountability. The United Nations human rights chief called for an independent commission to investigate ongoing human rights abuses in Yemen, where a Saudi coalition is fighting against Houthi rebels.

Publications

Living with the Shadows of the Past: The Impact of Disappearance on Wives of the Missing in LebanonThis report examines the impact on women of enforced disappearances committed during Lebanon’s civil war, focusing in particular on the effects on wives of the missing or disappeared—and their children. The research is based on interviews conducted by ICTJ with 23 wives of missing or disappeared persons of varying backgrounds.

View Report

On the Path to Vindicate Victims’ Rights in Uganda: Reflections on the Transitional Justice Process Since JubaThe government of Uganda has been slow to address and remedy serious human rights abuses committed against civilians throughout the country, despite its commitment under the Juba peace talks.

View Report