By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

HANOI, Vietnam – Yesterday, two Vietnamese songwriters underwent a 5-hour trial at Ho Chi Minh City’s People’s Court for their alleged anti-government songs violating Article 88 of Vietnam’s Criminal Code.  Tran Vu Anh Binh, facing six years in prison, and Vo Minh Tri, facing four years instead, were detained in late 2011.

Vo Minh Tri’s song lyrics purportedly condemned a police intervention and suppression of anti-China activists.  The lyrics further addressed other social justice issues.

Meanwhile, other singers have performed Tran Vu Anh Binh’s songs, including one of which criticizing the government for arresting insurgents.

According to the Global Post, the two produced two songs, “Anh La Ai?” (“Who are You?”) and “NuocToi Dau?” (“Where is My Country?”).  Furthermore, the lyrics of “Where is My Country?” include the following lyrics: Where is your nationalism?; Why consciously take orders from China?; You will leave a mark to last a thousand years; Your hands will be stained with the blood of our people.”

E News Park Forest reported that yesterday Amnesty International stated that the songwriters “should be released immediately and unconditionally.”

“This is a ludicrous way to treat people just for writing songs,” said Amnesty’s researcher in Vietnam, Rupert Abbott.  “These men are prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression through their songs and non-violent activities, and should be freed.”

Weeks prior to Tran Vu Anh Binh and Vo Minh Tri’s prison sentences, three Vietnamese bloggers were accused of disseminating anti-government propaganda and subsequently jailed for four to 12 years.

“There is a very disturbing trend of repression against those who peacefully voice opinions the Vietnamese authorities do not like,” continued Mr. Abbott.

On October 14th, the police in Ho Chi Minh City arrested university student Nguyen Phuong Uyen and three other students.  Nguyen Phuong Uyen allegedly participated in the circulation of leaflets censuring China and the Vietnam over their territorial dispute.  Although the others were released, Nguyen Phuong Uyen remains detained.

“Rather than trying to silence the young people of Viet Nam, the Vietnamese authorities should allow them to express their opinions and have a say in the development and direction of their country,” shared Mr. Abbott.

According to BBC’s South East Asia correspondent, Jonathan Head, Vietnam’s Communist Party is currently experiencing factional splits over mismanagement, fraud, and unstable economy.  Therefore, it is not welcoming to criticism.

For further information, please see:

Bangkok Post – Vietnam jails songwriters – 30 Oct. 2012

BBC – Vietnam jails two dissident songwriters – 30 Oct. 2012

Global Post – Viet Khang and Tran Vu Anh Binh, musicians, jailed in Vietnam for anti-government songs – 30 Oct. 2012

E News Park Forest – Viet Nam: Acquit Songwriters Who Face 20 Years In Jail – 29 Oct. 2012

 

 

By Irving Feng
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

DAVAO CITY, The Philippines – Vice mayor, Rodrigo Duterte, of Davao City has offered a 5 million pesos ($121,000) reward for the capture, execution and delivery of a known fugitive’s head.

 

The fugitive in question is Ryan Yu, the leader of a local car theft ring.  Duterte has offered the public two million pesos ($48,400) for Yu’s capture, four million pesos ($96,800) if he is killed, and an additional 1 million pesos ($24,200), on top of the aforementioned reward, if Yu’s head is literally delivered on ice.

Duterte has a reputation for being tough on crime and has been previously associated with death squads.  These death squads were responsible for the executions of over 200 suspected criminals during Duterte’s previous mayoral term from 2004 to 2009.  The executions included a number of minors as well.

Human Rights Commission (HRC) chairman Loretta Ann Rosales has criticized Duterte’s actions declaring that he has violated the law by ordering the extrajudicial killing of Yu.  Rosales claims that Duterte is depriving Yu of proper due process, and despite Yu’s alleged crimes and links to the car theft ring, enjoys certain rights under the law.

Duterte responded to the allegations by calling for Rosales to show him the specific laws that he has violated by ordering the capture of a known fugitive.  Duterte claims that there is nothing illegal about using the police and government to sanction the capture of a dangerous criminal linked to a local carjacking gang.

Ronald de la Rosa, the local Davao police chief, says his office was flooded with calls and messages from people asking if the reward offer was legitimate.  Rosa assured that the reward was very real, and Duterte says that the funds for the reward will be paid out from his political campaign contributions.

Rosa conveyed that Yu and his gang were responsible for more than 40 stolen vehicles which were stashed in a local warehouse.  The discovery of the stolen vehicles prompted Duterte’s call for Yu’s head.  Duterte and Rosa have conveyed that the offer is to expedite the capture of a very dangerous criminal who could be armed with automatic weapons.

The reward is to facilitate Yu’s capture; however, it is also incentive for a fairly dangerous endeavor.  Duterte says that those who go after Yu need to know that Yu will most likely be armed and incredibly difficult to capture.  Because Yu will not come into custody peacefully, it may be possible that Yu must be killed in order for him to be incapacitated.

For further information, please see:

Philippine Daily Inquirer – Don’t castrate gov’t, Duterte tells CHR chief – 29 October 2012

Philippine Star – Duterte mulls raising bounty for car theft ring leader to P6 million – 29 October 2012

Davao Sun Star – Duterte to Human rights commission head: Show me the law I violated – 29 October 2012

NY Daily News – Mayor in the Philippines offers $121,000 reward for decapitated head – 26 October 2012

By Irving Feng
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – Photographs depicting kindergarten teachers in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang allegedly abusing young children were posted on the social networking site “Weibo” last Wednesday.

The pictures that were taken and uploaded on China’s social networking site, Weibo, showed a teacher holding up a student by the ears as the student screamed and writhed in pain.  The teacher can be seen smiling in the photograph as she is holding up the child by the ears.

Additional photographs displayed a child being put upside down in a trash can and a child’s mouth being sealed with tape.  A video also circulated on social networking sites which showed a teacher slapping a five year old girl in the face repeatedly.

Parents of the students at The Blue Peacock Kindergarten, the location where these abuses took place, have cried out in public outrage for the alleged abuse that their children have suffered.  The father of the girl who had been slapped repeatedly alerted local police after his daughter arrived home from school with bruises on her face.  The classroom’s security camera confirmed the physical punishment.

The teacher who held up the student by the ears was later identified as Yan Yanhong, a 20 year old private kindergarten teacher from Wenling city.  Yan was detained by local police on Thursday after the infamous photos were posted on the internet.

Yan, a 20 year old unlicensed teacher, commented to local news sources that the photo depicts her and the student merely having some fun.  Her fellow teacher who had helped Yan take the pictures was punished by being placed under a 7 day administrative detention.  The teachers have also been ordered by local authorities to publically apologize to students and parents.

Because kindergarten is not about of China’s nine-year compulsory curriculum, it does not enjoy the adequate necessary government funding and assistance.  There is a severe shortage of public kindergartens so the rise in private schools providing early education to Chinese students has stepped up to fill the void.  Unlicensed teachers, like Yan, have also been hired hastily by these private schools to help relieve the shortages of available private education for young Chinese children.

Private kindergartens often do not have proper supervision like their public counterparts.  The teachers are also severely underpaid due to cost cutting measures implemented due to the financial pressures of operating these schools.  An average private kindergarten teacher in the Zhejiang province of China can expect to earn roughly 20,000 RMB, which is about 30% of the salary enjoyed by their public school counterparts.

Local laws also do not provide favorable protection to the students.  Chinese law does allow for the charge of abuse to be applied to teachers who harm their students.  The punishment of these abusive teachers is also left up to school administrators and the educational authorities.

Pundits have expressed a need for the Chinese government to up their spending on early childhood education.  Currently, the Chinese government spends about 1.2 of total educational expenditures on kindergarten education programs; developed countries spend an average of 6-8%.

For further information, please see:

Shanghai Daily – Abuse scandal kindergarten head sacked – 28 October 2012

BBC – China outcry over picture of teacher hurting pupil – 25 October 2012

China Daily – Abusive teacher exposes lack of supervision – 25 October 2012

Global Times – Kindergarten teachers detained for “ear pulling” in East China – 25 October 2012

Huffington Post – Chinese Kindergarten Teacher Allegedly Lifts Student Off Ground By Ears, Shares Photo On Internet – 24 October 2012

By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – On Thursday, authorities offered up to a $32,000 reward for information revolving around the series of self-immolations in China’s Tibetan-inhabited region, Gannan.  Furthermore, authorities anticipate awarding $7,7000 for information regarding planned immolations.

According to BBC, Chinese authorities issued a notice stating that the immolations have “seriously impacted social stability and harmony as well as people’s ability to live and work.”

The note further stated, “Anyone who reports and informs the legal authorities on the people who plan, incite to carry out, control and lure people to commit self-immolation will be awarded 50,000 yuan.”  Furthermore, anyone is able to provide information regarding the “black hands,” those behind four recent self-immolations, will be receive 200,000 yuan.

Since February 2009, approximately 60 ethnic Tibetans, many of whom were nuns and monks, have committed self-immolation to protest China’s rule in Tibet.  Moreover, the recent “black hands” incident occurred near the Labrang monastery.

As China’s dominant ethnic group, Han, moves into historically Tibetan areas, countless Tibetans accuse the Chinese government of eroding their culture and suppressing their religious freedom.

“This fourth self-immolation in the space of a week underlines that protests in Tibet are continuing and intensifying. We can only expect this to continue until Tibetans are granted the freedom they demand,” shared Free Tibet’s Stephani Brigden.

On Wednesday, the government attributed the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Dalai Lama, for promoting self-immolation.  However, according to AFP, the Dalai Lama has not denounced such acts and prefers to remain “neutral.”

 

For further information, please see:

Examiner – China offers rewards for information about immolations – 26 Oct. 2012

Hindustan Times – Self-immolation: China police offer reward for info on “planned” suicides – 26 Oct. 2012

AFC – China offers rewards to expose Tibetan immolations – 25 Oct. 2012

BBC – Tibet immolations: China offers rewards for information – 25 Oct. 2012

 

 

By Irving Feng
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SITTWE, Myanmar – Violence between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists flared up again in Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine causing the deaths of approximately 60 inhabitants, roughly 31 of which were women.

Rakhine was the stage of a brutal conflict between the majoritarian Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims last June when the rape and homicide of Buddhist woman was blamed on Muslims.  Last June’s violence caused countless deaths and thousands more were displaced when their homes burned to the ground.

Officials are still investigating what exactly set off the violence this time around.  In addition to the existing casualties, dozens of others sustained injuries and thousands of homes along with several religious buildings were destroyed.

An accurate picture of the situation in Rakhine is still elusive as the state access is restricted making the information difficult to verify.  Witnesses to the violence and tragedies, however, have reported that at least 25 men and 31 women have been killed.  Roughly 1,900 homes have also been set ablaze.  It is still uncertain which side, whether the Buddhists or the Muslims, have sustained the most casualties.

The violence has affected the towns of Yathedaung, Kyaukpyu, Kyauk Taw, and supposedly countless others.  Thousands have begun to flee their homes, and approximately 50 boats carrying Rohingya Muslims were reportedly headed for Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state.

Those fleeing are believed to be heading to the refugee camps situated in the outskirts of Rakhine capital, Sittwe.  The prior conflict in June had already displaced thousands of inhabitants who have been bunkered down in the makeshift camps for months.

The U.N. expressed its concerns regarding even more displaced inhabitants fleeing for the already overcrowded camps in the periphery of Sittwe.  The thousands of refugees fleeing their homes and seeking safety include many women and children.

The international community watches on as the United Nations and local police forces call for calm and peace among the conflicting groups.  President Thein Sein had negotiated ceasefires and uneasy peace between the two conflicting groups in the past; however, the government has been unable to implement a permanent solution to the violence.

The estimated 800,000 Rohingya Muslims are still considered illegal immigrants in Myanmar, and Bangladesh, where many have fled from, continues to deny Rohingyas refugee status.  Amnesty International has demanded Myanmar to repeal the 1982 citizenship law that continues to subject Rohinya Muslims to their stateless condition.  However, the state of affairs regarding Rohingya citizenship in Myanmar has yet to be addressed.

For further information, please see:

Bangkok Post – 20 die in Myanmar violence – 25 October, 2012

BBC – Burma Rakhine clashes death toll at 56 – state officials – 25 October, 2012

Centre Daily Times – 56 dead in new ethnic violence in Myanmar – 25 October 2012

Reuters – Sectarian violence worsens in Myanmar’s volatile west – 25 October 2012