By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NEW DELHI, India – On Tuesday, Sonia Gandhi, president of India’s ruling Congress party, denounced the increase in rape victims.  Ms. Gandhi visited the home of a 16 year-old victim who had recently committed suicide.

“We will take strict action against the offenders,” promised Ms. Gandhi during her visit.  “Such barbaric acts are condemnable . . . [and] rapists should be given the severest punishment.”

According to New York Daily News, Ms. Gandhi, who is considered the most powerful politician in India, travelled to the girl’s village in the Haryana state to meet the victim’s relatives and relay the government’s outrage over the surge in such crimes.

“Now I am hopeful justice will be done,” said the victim’s mother after meeting Ms. Gandhi.

Last week, the victim burned herself to death after being gang-raped by men in the Jind district just 80 miles from New Delhi.  Furthermore, according to media reports, authorities have arrested five men, one of which was a police officer.

Over the last seven years, rape cases in the Haryana state have doubled.  Moreover, this past September, there were 12 purported rapes, and according to BBC, most of these victims were underage Dalits (formerly known as “untouchables”).

A member of Ms. Gandhi’s party, Phool Chanda Mulana, stated, “[S]uch incidents have happened earlier.”

On September 18th, a man committed suicide by swallowing pesticides in the Hisar district after he learned that 12 men gang-raped his underage daughter.  Furthermore, on October 1st, a man allegedly raped a 15 year-old Dalit girl with learning disabilities in the Rohtak district.  Within the same area and just two days after, a 13-year-old girl was purportedly raped by her 45-year-old neighbor.

In response, Haryana’s police chief, Ranjiv Dalal, asked the media to “exercise restraint” while reporting these attacks.  Mr. Dalal further stated that from January to August, the number of rape cases in the state had decreased to 455 rapes this year compared to 534 the same time last year.

“The nature of the crime created hype in the number of rape cases registered in Haryana,” said Hisar district’s Police Superintendent, Satish Balan.  “In two cases there were suicides which led to media coverage of rapes in Haryana otherwise the number of rapes registered has come down by 15%. This is the truth.”

Four U.N. agencies urged the Indian government to give the issue urgent attention in a letter to the country’s minister for Women and Child Development.

For further information, please see:

CNN – Indian girl seeks justice after gang rape – 12 October 2012

The International News – Sonia speaks out against rape cases – 10 October 2012

BBC – Sonia Gandhi visits Haryana rape victim family – 09 October 2012

NY Daily News – India’s Sonia Gandhi speaks out over rape cases – 09 October 2012

 

By Irving Feng
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

Dhaka, Bangladesh – A recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report alleges that tanneries in Bangladesh’s capital, that produce luxury leather goods sold around the world, are poisoning workers.

In Dhaka’s slum neighborhood of Hazaribagh, the tightly packed tanneries boast untreated waste water, which contains chemicals like sulfuric acid, chromium and lead as well as animal flesh.  The deadly cocktail of untreated waste water flows freely into open gutters near the tanneries which meanders its way through the city and into the city’s main river.

The tanneries employ roughly 15,000 workers including children as young as 11 years old.  The HRW report alleges a health and safety crisis that exists among the workers and their families.  Workers have contracted a host of health problems due to their occupation including a multitude of skin diseases, respiratory illness, diarrhea, and amputations caused by the operation of dangerous machinery.

Workers that were interviewed, like Sumon a 23 year old leather worker, reported shallow coughs and stabbing chest pains, most likely due to his exposure working at the tanneries.  He also reports that when he first started working at the tanneries, the fumes of the chemicals made him so ill he could not eat for 2 months, but now, the fumes don’t even register with him anymore.  Sumon believes that his occupation is hazardous to his health, but he has no choice because he is from an impoverished background.

Richard Pearshouse, author of the HRW report, saw firsthand how the residents of Hazaribagh lived.  Residents were reportedly bathing in black ponds in the slum neighborhood.  Young children employed in the tanneries were operating dangerous industrial machinery, cutting hides with sharp razor blades, and exposed to hazardous chemicals as they soaked hides.

Local authorities have allegedly ignored labor and environmental laws as well as court orders to clean up their acts.  The government’s hands off approach in the Hazaribagh area that houses approximately 90% of the tanneries in Bangladesh has created a dangerously unsafe environment teeming with hazardous chemicals.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association has attempted to alert the proper authorities of the state Hazaribagh is in without any luck of swaying the government into taking action.  The government has alleged that there is a possible plan being devised to relocate the tanneries out of the slum neighborhood.  It is believed, however, that the government is delaying this process due to pressure from the tannery owners.

The Hazaribagh tanneries and the leather industry in Bangladesh have emerged as a major source of economic wealth in the country.  Though the country is still highly impoverished, the leather goods industry has helped make a dent by hauling in an estimated $663 million in 2011.  The chief importers of Bangladeshi leather are China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain and the United States.

For further information, please see:

Accessories Magazine – Human Rights Group Warns of Toxic Leather Tanneries in Bangladesh – 9 October 2012

The Chicago Tribune – Photos: Toxic tanneries drive Bangladesh leather exports: report – 9 October 2012

Reuters – Toxic tanneries drive Bangladesh leather exports: report – 9 October 2012

The Times of India – Bangladesh: Tanneries harm workers, poison communities – 9 October 2012

Zee News – Bangladesh tanneries spew pollution, says report – 9 October 2012

The Himalayan – Workers pay high price at Bangladesh tanneries – 18 February 2011

By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NEW DELHI, India – Yesterday, five family members were sentenced to death for the murder of a young couple in 2010.

Members of the young girl’s family tortured the couple in an alleged honor killing.  Authorities arrested the girl’s parents, cousin, uncle, and aunt the day after the couple’s murder.

“It can be safely concluded that the prosecution has been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused persons had caused the death of the victims with the common intention after giving them merciless beatings by tying them with rope and thereafter electrocuting them on various parts of their body,” said Judge Ramesh Kumar on Monday.

However, the convicted family could appeal against the decision in a higher court.

Last year India’s Supreme Court ruled that honor killings would receive the death penalty and deemed the crime a “barbaric slur” on the nation.

According to Telegraph, Yogesh, a taxi driver, wanted to marry nineteen-year-old Asha, the daughter of a vegetable seller, but Asha’s family objected because Yogesh belonged to a lower caste.

Local media reports revealed that the Autopsy reports showed that the couple had been tied up, beaten with metal pipes, and electrocuted.

“Medical examination had revealed that the two had died due to the thermoelectric shock from repeated electrocution,” read the Indian Express newspaper.

There are no statistics regarding the number of honor killings in India, but one 2010 study states that as many as 900 people are killed each year for falling in love or marrying despite their families’ objections in the northern states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Most parents in India still prefer arranged marriages within their own caste and relationships outside of caste are frowned upon.

According to Telegraph, New Delhi lawyer, Ravi Kant, has been fighting to pass a law that will provide detailed and harsh penalties to reduce honor killings

“Such a punishment will certainly have a huge impact on the society. It will serve as a strong deterrent to one and all. The sentencing is also in line with the Supreme Court directive and it must be lauded,” shared Mr. Kant.

For further information, please see:

BBC – Death penalty for family members in India ‘honour killing’ – 05 October 2012

Telegraph – Death penalty for family members over India ‘honour killing – 05 October 2012

Washington Post – Indian honor killing family get the death penalty – 05 October 2012

 

 

By Irving Feng
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – Protestors clashed with local police forces in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek over the current prime minister’s failure to place the Kumtor gold mine under state ownership.

The central government headquarters were stormed by protestors on Wednesday, who demanded that the current prime minister, Zhantoro Satybaldiyev, step down from power in favor of new leadership that would do more good for the general public.  Kamchibek Tashiyev, leader of the nationalist Ata Zhurt party, led the charge.

Tashiyev and his supporters in the nationalist Ata Zhurt party attempted to pass a law earlier this year to nationalize the Kumtor mine but failed to garner enough support in parliament for the initiative to pass.  The current prime minister’s decision to defend foreign interests in the mine fueled the anger of the nationalists who were attempting to place Kyrgyzstan’s economic interest back into Kyrgyz hands.

Police resorted to violence in their response to the uproar with tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowd of angry protestors.  The Kyrgyz Health Ministry reports that 10 protestors were injured, three of whom are being treated for gunshot wounds.  No police were injured during the clash.

The Kumtor mine is perhaps the largest gold mine operated in Central Asia by a foreign interest.  The Canadian company, Centerra, operates the mine generating roughly $1.9 billion in profits each year.  The current administration’s reluctance to nationalize the gold mine in favor of keeping the operations in foreign hands is alleged to be a sell-off of Kyrgyzstan to foreign interests.

The former Soviet country has been marked by violent protests since its independence in 1991 which led to the disintegration of two presidencies.  Both former presidents fled abroad to escape the bloody protests.  The most recent upheaval over the Kumtor mine has been the most violent outbreak since the April 2010 revolts which lead to the overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

Attempts have been made in the nation’s brief history to attract foreign investors to the highly impoverished yet resource rich country.  Violence from nationalists groups viewing foreign investment as an unwelcomed, however, has perhaps deterred foreign interests from established a strong economic foothold in the nation.  Other experts, however, believe that the most recent fit of violence will not scare off potential investors.

Political analysts also believe that Tashiyev and his Ata Zhurt party may be using the conflict over the nationalization of the Kumtor mine as a grab for power.  Tashiyev has called for an official overthrow of the current administration but has disappeared after the riots over the mines.

For further information, please see:

Hurriyet Daily News – Rioters attack government buildings in Kyrgyzstan – 3 October 2012

Registan – Tashiev Leads Bishkek Protests – 3 October 2012

Reuters – Kyrgyz police repel protesters seeking ouster of government – 3 October 2012

The Washington Post – Rioters led by nationalist politicians attack government buildings in Kyrgyzstan – 3 October 2012

By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

MALÉ, Maldives – On Monday, Maldives’ ex-president, Mohamed Nasheed, did not attend his court hearing in Malé.  Mr. Nasheed faces charges of abuse of power for unlawfully ordering for the arrest of Maldives’ chief criminal court judge, Abdullah Mohamed.

Last week, the Hulhumale Magistrate Court directed the ex-president to appear before it Monday but also, to not leave Malé without its permission.

In addition to his failure to appear in court, Mr. Nasheed did not seek the court’s approval when he left the capital to participate in election campaigning.

According to Associated Press, Mr. Nasheed, who served as Maldives’ first democratically elected president, believes that he was “forced from office in a coup d’etat.”

“The coup has not yet been completed,” Mr. Nasheed informed the AFP news agency after his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held a protest in Malé last Friday to criticize the charges against him.

Furthermore, according to BBC, the ex-president denies the charges against him and believes that the trial is politically driven.  To Mr. Nasheed, the court’s purpose in restricting his travels was to prevent him from campaigning in the upcoming elections.

“Once they started to set up a fabricated court, bring in judges who are not judges of that court, and the whole structure of it is so… politically motivated, it is very obvious it is not meant to serve justice,” Mr. Nasheed shared.

In any event, if Mr. Nasheed is convicted, he may face up to three years in jail or banishment to a remote islet in the archipelago.  Furthermore, it may bar him from disputing future presidential polls.

“People will not allow the regime to steal the next election. A free and fair election is our over-arching goal,” said Mr. Nasheed.

After he either resigned or was forcibly moved by the Maldives police, Mr. Nasheed’s deputy, Mohamed Waheed, replaced him as president.

According to the Associated Press, the new president’s spokesman, Abbas Riza, denied Mr. Nasheed’s allegations against the court and said that the court order was “the usual practice, according to the country’s law.”

For more information, please see:

Aljazeera – Maldives ex-president to face trial – 01 October 2012

Associated Press – Maldives’ ex-president fails to show in court – 01 October 2012

BBC – Maldives ex- President Mohamed Nasheed defies court – 01 October 2012

Boston News – Maldives court orders police to bring ex-president – 01 October 2012