Myanmar Detains a Prominent Political Opposition Figure

Myanmar Detains a Prominent Political Opposition Figure

By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

YANGON, Myanmar – A prominent political ally of the detained pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been arrested in Burma.  64-year-old Ohn Kyaing was taken from his home on Wednesday, according to the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).

NLD spokesman Nyan Win told the Associated Press the reasons for the arrest were still not known, but he pointed that Ohn Kyaing had been very involved in efforts to help the survivors of the cyclone that devastated Burma in May.

Ohn Kyaing joined the NLD after a long career in journalism and won a parliamentary seat in 1990 that was annulled by the military.  The Military Intelligence Service arrested Ohn Kyaing in September 1990.  He was sentenced to 17 years in prison for “writing and distributing seditious pamphlets” and “threatening the security of the state.”  After serving 15 years of a 17-year prison sentence, Ohn Kyaing was released from prison in 2005.

Ohn Kyaing is a close friend and former colleague of Win Tin, another former journalist turned opposition politician, who was the longest-serving political prisoner in Myanmar until his release September 23, 2008.  Win Tin said, Ohn Kyaing’s “is not unusual and something we have to expect. He is a close colleague, a good friend and a highly qualified man.”

Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association call for the immediate release of well-known former journalist Ohn Kyaing.  The two organizations say, “Despite last month’s release of about 9,000 detainees, including a handful of political prisoners, the military regime continues to arrest opposition members.”

Top United Nations human rights officials also called on Myanmar’s military junta to free the estimated 2,000 political prisoners it holds and end the detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

For more information, please see:

AP – Myanmar detains political ally of Aung San Suu Kyi – 02 October 2008

BBC – Burma opposition figure arrested – 02 October 2008

Bloomberg – Myanmar Should Free 2,000 Political Prisoners, Suu Kyi, UN Says – 03 October 2008

CNN – Myanmar detains ally of Aung San Suu Kyi – 02 October 2008

Reporters Without Borders – Journalist and opposition member Ohn Kyaing arrested again – 02 October 2008

Juvenile Offender Faces Execution in Iran

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

Mohamad_rezaSHIRAZ, Iran – Mohammad Reza Haddadi, a minor offender, is scheduled to be hanged on October 9. The Criminal Court in Kazeroon sentenced Haddadi to death on January 6, 2004, for the August 2003 alleged kidnapping and murder of taxi driver Mohammad Bagher Rahmat. Haddadi was 15 years old at the time. Haddadi’s co-defendants were all over 18 at the time of the crime and they received lower sentences.

According to his lawyer, Mr. Mostafaei, Haddadi didn’t commit the murder. Mr. Mostafaei states his client merely confessed to the murder because of his poverty and young age. Haddadi retracted his confession in a letter to the court as soon as he learned his mother had not received any money from his co-defendants. The letter explained that his co-defendants tricked him into taking the blame by falsely promising to provide his family with money and other benefits. Haddadi faces execution even though he retracted his confession and his co-defendants eventually withdrew their statements implicating him.

In February, Mr. Mostafaei wrote a letter to the head of the Iranian judiciary requesting that they reconsider Haddadi’s case. Mr. Mostafaei’s request was unsuccessful and Haddadi stands to be to be hanged on October 9. The hanging will take place at the Kaeroun prison in southern Iran.

The United Nations bans the death penalty for offenses committed by minors. Every state in the world has ratified treaties to prevent those under 18 (at the time of the crime) from being sentenced to death. The majority of states have complied fully with this obligation. Iran has ratified two treaties that prohibit juvenile executions: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Haddadi’s planned execution on October 9 violates Iran’s human rights obligation to not execute juvenile offenders.

Iran has the highest incidence of juvenile executions. In Iran, judges can impose the death penalty in capital cases if the defendant has attained “majority.” Majority, as defined by Iranian law means age 9 for girls and age 15 for boys. Six minor offenders have been executed in Iran this year. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, Iranian authorities are responsible for 26 of the 32 minor executions worldwide since 2005.

Currently, there are more than 150 juvenile offenders sentenced to death in Iran. Clarisa Bencomo, a Middle East children’s rights researcher for Human Rights Watch, explained that states that execute minor offenders acknowledge that such executions are wrong. According to Bencomo, “changes in law and practice need to be faster.”

For more information, please see:

Iran Human Rights – Urgent: The Minor Offender Mohammad Reza Haddadi is Scheduled to be Executed on October 9 in Southern Iran – 5 October 2008

Iran Human Rights – 32 Minor Offenders Executed Since 2005- 26 of the Executions Have Taken Place in Iran – 10 September 2008

Amnesty International – Mohammad Reza Haddadi, Aged 18; Reza Hejazi, Aged 19; Iman Hashemi, Aged 18: Child Offenders – 13 March 2008

Human Rights Watch – Iran: Halt Execution of Juvenile Offender – 22 February 2008

Stop Child Executions – Three More Youth Sentenced to Death in Iran – 12 January 2008

BRIEF: Fijian Acdemic Says Elections Are Not End to Conflict

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Dr. Alumita Durutalo, a political scientist at the University of the South Pacific, says that returning Fiji to elections will not be the end to the political conflict.  Durutalo says the country has not completely resolved the political conflict since the first coup in 1987.  It was also suggested that instead of constantly pushing for Fiji to return to elections, Australia and New Zealand could help Fiji by helping to establish good political, social, and economic governance.

Durutalo elaborated on her position when she said, “What leaders have focused on is just going back to elections. That is good but we must remember that the nature of conflicts are so complex, some have evolved from the pre-European period, and that is why I say that we must look for solutions first before we carry on.”

For more information, please see:
Islands Business – Roots of Fiji conflict must be addressed for political stability, says academic – 30 September 2008

Fiji’s President Rejects Request to Dismiss Interim Government

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Fiji’s President has rejected the National Federation Party’s request to shut down the interim government. Fiji’s prime minister says efforts to rebuild the country will not be weighed down by criticism.

The NFP is calling on President,  Ratu Josefa Iloilo, to promote democratic elections so that Fiji can reestablish a free and legitimate government. Pramod Rae, NFP general secretary, proposes that Fiji’s president create a “caretaker government” “with the sole objective of organizing free and fair elections under the provisions of the 1997 Constitution.”

Mr. Rae believes that, in rejecting the NFP’s request, the President was following advice from the interim Attorney General’s office.

Meanwhile, interim prime minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, has announced that the legality of the interim government is not what is important, but rather, the efforts to rebuild the nation.

Individuals and politicians alike have phoned in their concerns in an effort to gather support against the interim government’s politics.

The NFP’s management board meets today in Lautoka to draft a reply to the President.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Fiji’s president rejects calls to oust government – 05 October 2008

Fiji Times – No longer about legality: Interim PM – 05 October 2008

Fiji Live – Cabinet will stay, says Fiji President – 04 October 2008

Violence Against Christians Continues in India

By Shayne R. Burnham
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NEW DELHI, India – Religious clashes among the Hindus and the Christian minority has caused violence to erupt in two Christian villages in the state of Orissa.  Two homes and one church were set on fire, resulting in the killing of one person.  Christians have responded with some violence.

What has sparked the violence was the murder of Hindu holy man Swami Laxamananda Saraswati and four of his followers on August 23rd.  Holding Christians responsible, Hindu attacks on Christian villages, churches and people followed.  Since the murder in August, 32 people have died and thousands of Christians fled their homes.  The number of Christians living in relief camps has increased from 12,000 to 20,000.

Christians make up 2.3 percent of India’s population.  Tension began to mount as early as the 1990’s when Hindus blamed missionaries of converting Hindus to Christianity.  In response to the violence, Premier Manmohan Singh’s stated that the attacks in Orissa were a “national shame” and that his government had taken a “firm stand” to halt it.  Authorities have imposed a curfew in at least nine towns and over 3,700 federal police have been deployed in Orissa, yet the violence continues.  It is believed that the government is turning a blind eye to the attacks.

Amnesty International urged that “India should match its words with its actions and ensure that members of the Christian minority community in Orissa are protected against renewed communal violence.”  They also state that New Delhi should “conduct a prompt and impartial investigation into the attacks… publish the results and bring those responsible to justice.”

Pope Benedict has also condemned the attacks and urged the European Union to treat persecution of Christians as a humanitarian emergency.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Amnesty Urges India to Protect Minority Christians – 2 October 2008

The Economist – Hindu-Christian Tensions in India – 25 September 2008

Reuters – India Authorities Impose Curfew, Christians Attacked – 1 October 2008