By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NEW DELHI, India – Today, New Delhi authorities arrested Baba Ramdev, a popular yoga instructor and Hindu talk show host, for his participation in an anti-corruption protest near Parliament.

“Remove the Congress party and save the nation,” urged Mr. Ramdev amongst thousands.

Mr. Ramdev and his supporters marched in protest of the government’s failure to control corruption and retrieve black money stashed away in foreign countries.

According to the Times of India, a Congress representative declared the protest a stunt.

“Lok Sabha polls will be in 2014 and 99 per cent could be in 2013.  This protest is to ensure that no dishonest person enters Parliament.  Such people should be boycotted.  We do not have a political agenda,” shared Mr. Ramdev.

After his detainment, authorities moved Mr. Ramdev to a bus expected to transport the yoga instructor to a Bawana police station located outside of New Delhi.  However, a large number of Mr. Ramdev’s supporters climbed on the bus, delaying its movement.  In the end, authorities ordered ninety buses to round up the protestors.

“We’ve deployed adequate security for Ramdev’s march.  Everything should be in control,” said a New Delhi police spokesman to Reuters.  However, he refused to comment on whether Mr. Ramdev received permission for the protest.

“Delhi Police is a puppet in the hands of the Central government.  We will not do anything that disrupts peace.  We wanted to march towards Parliament in a peaceful manner to make our voices heard,” said Mr. Ramdev.

For further information, please see: 

The Guardian – Indian TV star Baba Ramdev arrested at anti-corruption walk – 13 August 2012

New Delhi – Ramdev detained by police, fails to reach Parliament – 13 August 2012

News of India – Baba Ramdev taken into preventive custody – 13 August 2012

Reuters – Baba Ramdev’s detention lifted, protest continues – 13 August 2012

By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – On August 9^th, Gu Kailai’s murder trial will begin in the eastern city of Hefei.  Ms. Gu, the wife of former Communist Party member, Bo Xilai, will face a jury for the alleged murder of British businessman, Neil Heywood.

In early April, authorities arrested Mr. Gu and last week, prosecutors charged Ms. Gu with intentional homicide.  If convicted, Ms. Gu may face the death penalty.

On November 15, 2011, Mr. Heywood was discovered dead in his hotel.  Chinese authorities allegedly quickly categorized his death as overconsumption of alcohol.  Furthermore, Mr. Heywood’s body was cremated without an autopsy.

Prior to his death, Mr. Heywood resided in China for over a decade with his Chinese wife.  Moreover, he consulted with various companies, including a company founded by former MI6 agents, Britain’s secret intelligence service.

When Wang Lijun, Mr. Xilau’s long-time lieutenant, sought political asylum last February at a U.S. Consulate, suspicion arose.  According to CNN, Mr. Lijun feared for his life because he was holding incriminating information against Mr. Xilau, the former Communist Party chief.

Mr. Wang had previously headed Mr. Xilau’s campaign against organized crime.  However, after Mr. Wang voiced that Mr. Heywood might have been poisoned during a business dispute with Ms. Gu, trouble between the two ignited.

According to The Telegraph, Ms. Gu poisoned Mr. Heywood after he allegedly threated her son.  Mr. Heywood and Ms. Gu’s son purportedly clashed over their “economic interests.”  Fearing for her son’s safety, Ms. Gu, with her house aid, who is also facing the jury, poisoned Mr. Heywood.

A UK Foreign Office spokesman reassured that Britain is dedicated to finding justice for Mr. Heywood’s family.  “The details of the ongoing investigation are a matter for the Chinese authorities,” shared a Foreign Office spokesman last week.  “However, we are glad to see that the Chinese authorities are continuing with the investigation.  We are dedicated to seeking justice for him and his family and we will be following developments closely.”

For more information, please see:

Telegraph News – Gu Kailai poisoned Neil Heywood ‘after he threatened her son’ – 05 Aug. 12

BBC – Heywood murder: China sets Bo Xilai wife trial date – 04 Aug. 12

CNBC – China to hold Gu Kailia muder trial on Aug 9: sources – 04 Aug. 12

CNN – Murder trial starts next week for Chinese politician’s wife, friend says – 03 Aug. 12

 

By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – Yesterday, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) arrested more than 40 smugglers in its operation against the largest known cross-strait human-trafficking syndicate.  According to Taipei Times, this syndicate is responsible for smuggling hundreds of Chinese men and women into Canada and Australia.

In 2010, the NIA’s border affairs uncovered evidence linking Feng Sheng-hsing, a former syndicate member, to Wang Cheng-wei, a member of another cross-strait trafficking group.

In 2005, Mr. Feng, using fake passports, smuggled hundreds of Chinese men and women into both Canada and the United States.  According to the NIA, Mr. Feng first purchased Republic of China (ROC) passports, searched for those wanting to leave China, and subsequently added the participant’s photograph to the passport.

The agency attested to the syndicate’s 50 successful operations, smuggling one to four people per operation, and its profit of $50,000 to $70,000 per person.  Moreover, the syndicate is purportedly the “largest human-trafficking group in Asia, Australia and North America” with estimated profits of $3.34 MM.

Contrary to Feng and Cheng’s eager participants, other syndicates participate in a younger and reluctant market.

On Monday, approximately 10,000 authorities arrested 802 suspects in China for child-trafficking and freed 181 children, who are often sold for adoption or labor.  These children were allegedly auctioned off to the highest-bidder for roughly $7,700 each.

In 2011, the Public Security Ministry released a report stating that the police have recovered tens of thousands of abducted women and children.  It highlighted a raid against a syndicate  trafficking Chinese women into Angola for prostitution that resulted in 19 rescued and 16 arrested.

“We have zero tolerance when it comes to child trafficking and will make the utmost efforts to make sure that every trafficker is caught,” said Chen Shiqu, the ministry’s Anti-Human Trafficking Director.

According to BBC, some believe that child-trafficking is the product of China’s one-child policy and lax adoption laws.  It has allegedly created a “thriving underground market,” stated Martin Patience of BBC.

Despite the reason behind its existence, human trafficking remains a profitable and strong market for organized crime.

 For further information, please see:

Taipei Times – NIA cracks human trafficking group – 11 July  2012

XinHua News – Police pledge to fight child trafficking – 7 July 2012

BBC News – Chinese police ‘smash’ trafficking gangs frees 181 – 6 July 2012

The Independent – Over 800 held after police break child-trafficking ring – 6 July 2012

Forbes – China Vice Busts Human Trafficking Ring – 23 June 2012

 

By Jenna Furman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

DHAKA, Bangladesh — On July 4, 2012, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report stating that detainees being held for their involvement in the 2009 government mutiny in Bangladesh were suffering from serious human rights abuses at the hands of Bangladesh’s special police force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

Nearly 3,000 paramilitary border guards are on trial for a 2009 mutiny which killed 74 people including 57 military commanders.

Thousands have already been found guilty of involvement in the mutiny in mass military trials. They face jail sentences for up to seven years and those who are also convicted of killing, rape or arson await the death penalty.

During the February 25-26, 2009 mutiny, Bangladeshi paramilitary border guards attacked force headquarters in Dhaka and spread their attack to surrounding towns. The mutiny occurred two months after the election of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina initially offered amnesty to the mutineers to end the rebellion but rescinded his offer when dozens of bodies were found in sewers and mass graves.

Following the revolt, the army and other security organizations detained thousands of suspects.

HRW reported that at least 47 of the paramilitary border guards awaiting mass trials for their alleged involvement in the 2009 mutiny have died from maltreatment while those that remain have been tortured through beatings or electric shock.

Brad Adams, HRW’s Asia director, Brad Adams, called the trial process “fundamentally flawed” and stated that suspects were being interrogated in secret locations. HRW calls for the Bangladesh government to establish an independent task force to address the human rights abuses and to close all secret, unofficial interrogation locations.

HRW claims that torture is in widespread use throughout the governmental forces of Bangladesh including the country’s army, special police force, and main intelligence agency.

HRW’s report refers to Bangladesh’s RAB as a “death squad” resulting from their suspected involvement in the human rights’ abuses. By May of this year, HRW stated that almost 200 people had died in RAB operations since early 2009 from extrajudicial killings or torture.

The RAB has called the HRW report’s allegations baseless and the Bangladesh government denies all allegations of torture or extrajudicial killings.

On July 6, the Ministry of Home Affairs charged HRW with conspiring against Bangladesh. They also demanded that the HRW withdraw the report which they deemed unfair “meddling in the internal affairs of a country.”

The Bangladeshi government states that the trial is being held in a “fair and transparent manner” and that the accused are enjoying full legal support.

According to the Asian Human Rights Commission, the Bangladesh government plans to arrest members of human rights organizations and activists who were suspected of providing information for the HRW report. The government plans to charge these activists with treason and sedition among other criminal charges.

The Bangladesh government hopes that the mass military trials will be completed by the end of the year.

For further information, please see:

The Daily Star – It’s Part of an International Conspiracy: Ministers Slam HR Watch Report on BDR Trial, RAB, Human Rights Violation – 7 July 2012

Asian Human Rights Commission – Bangladesh: A call for Urgent Intervention for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Bangladesh – 6 July 2012

Human Rights Watch – Bangladesh: Torture, Deaths of Jailed Mutiny Suspects: Mass Trials Violate Right to Fair Trial for Accused in 2009 Violence – 4 July 2012

NY Times – Bangladesh: Rights Group Cites Abuses in Mass Trials of Guards – 4 July 2012

Reuters – Bangladeshi “Death Squad” Tortures Mutiny Suspects – HRW – 4 July 2012

Washington Post – Rights Group Urges Bangladesh to Stop ‘Unfair Trials’ of Border Guards in 2009 Mutiny – 4 July 2012

 

By Jenna Furman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NEW DELHI, India—Last Thursday the Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) killed twenty alleged Maoist rebels in the central state of Chhattisgarh.

Nineteen of the rebels died at the scene of the clash, another died shortly thereafter at a nearby hospital. Six of the paramilitary police officers were wounded in the attack.

The CRPF and the State police were undergoing a counter-insurgency operation late June 29 in dense forests located in the Maoist-dominated Bijapur district. The joint governmental forces planned to intercept a Maoist company at Silger in the Sukma district but encountered alleged Maoist rebels a mere three kilometers from their camp.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoist rebels as the biggest internal security challenge facing India.

Maoist rebels are active in more than a third of India’s districts. They have been mobilizing throughout India in an attempt to form a people’s government. The Maoist insurgents fight for the rights of India’s poor peasants and laborers.

In the past two years, 1611 people have died in thousands of incidents alleged to be part of the Maoist rebellion in India.

Following the June 29 encounter, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram praised the combined State and CRPF forces for their courage and skill in addressing the insurgency.

The Indian police stated that a large number of arms and ammunition were recovered from the area where the fire-fight began, some of which were the homemade variety of Maoist rebels. They also stated that the wounding of six of their officers provides proof enough that the encounter was not “fake” as the Opposition Congress declared three days following the incident.

Local tribal villagers have protested the police’s claim that Maoist insurgents were the victims of police fire but state that those killed were innocent villagers. Activists are calling the incident a “cold-blooded murder” of tribal villagers including women and children.

Former Delhi high court Chief Justice Sachar and other activists demanded a judicial inquiry into the alleged fire-fight between the police and Maoist rebels. Activists state that a delegation with President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will soon take place.

Their sentiment is echoed by Indians who have lost faith in India’s police system – a system where imagination substitutes for information, according to one police officer.

The chief of Central Reserve Police Force, K. Vijay Kumar stated, “We identified the Maoist and conveyed to the media on the same day. We have used extreme restraint.” When asked about the death of a teenage girl in the skirmish between police and alleged rebels, Kumar responded, “A bullet is gender blind, a bullet is age blind.”

A magisterial inquiry into the sequence of events surrounding the killings has been ordered.

For further information, please see:

The Hindu – Chhattisgarh Congress Contradicts Chidambaram on Bijapur Encounter – 2 July 201

NY Times – Controversy Grows in India Over Police Killing of Alleged Maoists – 2 July 2012

The Times of India – Chhattisgarh Maoist Encounter: Activists call it cold-blooded murder, CRPF denies allegations – 2 July 2012

BBC News – India Police Kill ’17 Maoists’ in Chhattisgarh – 29 June 2012