154,000 Political Prisoners in North Korean Camps

154,000 Political Prisoners in North Korean Camps

 

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SEOUL, South Korea – Despite the recent revision in their constitution calling for more respect on human rights, North Korea is estimated to be holding 154,000 political prisoners in six prison camps.

Nk camp North Korean camp.  Courtesy of Michael Danby. 

These political prisoners are held in separate camps from other criminals, i.e., those who commit robbery or murder, and are forced to work for more than ten hours a day for only about 200 grams of food. 

The prisoners, usually dissidents, defectors who have tried and failed in fleeing North Korea and those who have been “accused of being disrespectful towards the leadership” or lost a political power struggle, are also said to be denied any medical care.  They are forbidden from communicating with family members as well.

A South Korean government official, Yoon Sang-hyun, reported that North Korea had about 200,000 political prisoners in ten camps in the 1990s, but North Korea closed four of these camps after condemnation from the international community.

Yoon said, “North Korea perpetrates various crimes against humanity, including public executions, tortures or rapes, against those who try to escape.”

North Korea does have a history of being among the world’s worst human rights abusers, but North Korea has rejected any criticism on its human rights violations and the existence of gulags.

In another study released by the U.S. Congress, there were reports that North Korea’s concentration camps have “evolved into a mechanism for extorting money from citizens trading in private markets.” 

This report said that there has been a rise in “market activity” in recent years in North Korea, and markets are the “only source of food” for the poor.  However, the North Korean government has banned such market activity, arresting those who engage in market activity as “economic criminals” and sending them to camps. 

These economic criminals, held separately from political prisoners, are held in low-level labor camps and are allowed to go home in about one month.

Nonetheless, reports state that North Korean authorities have “extraordinary discretion” in determining who goes to these labor camps and who gets to leave.  Furthermore, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-il has absolute power and executions are carried out under Kim’s discretion.
 

For more information, please see:

 
BBC – North Korea gulags ‘hold 150,000’ – 17 October 2009

Canadian Press – North Korea holds 154,000 political prisoners in 6 camps: S Korean lawmaker says – 17 October 2009

Chosun Ilbo – N.Korean Officials “Use Gulag to Extort Bribes’ – 7 October 2009

Korea Times – N. Korea Holding 154,000 Political Prisoners – 17 October 2009

Proposed Changes to Peru’s Criminal Code Grant the Military Impunity

By Sovereign Hager

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

LIMA, Peru-The Peruvian government sent Congress a package of bills that would limit action by prosecutors and grant extraordinary powers to the military authorities.  One of the draft laws in question would modify the Criminal Code to prevent legal action against soldiers and police who kill or injure civilians in “emergency zones”.

The “emergency zones” are areas controlled by security forces by order of the executive due to terrorist threats or political protests.  Prosecutors who want to investigate human rights violations by the military in the “emergency zones” must obtain a technical report from the armed forces or police.  The report explain why the accused used a degree of force that caused death or injury.

The Peruvian government has added a definition of “use of force” to the draft law, detailing situations where a member of the armed forces would be exempt from responsibility where he or she caused the death of a civilian. Where an officer can justify civilian deaths by the level of hostility and dangerousness in the surrounding area, he or she will be exempt from criminal, civil and administrative responsibility.

Another controversial law proposed by the government would allow the military and police to remove the bodies of members of the security forces without the presence of prosecutors, which is currently required. This requirement would reportedly allow the military to disturb a crime scene without judicial authorization.

The debate over the changes to the Criminal Code has pro-military groups on one side and non-governmental organizations on the other. Defense Minister Rafael Rey argues that the armed forces are wrongfully accused of crimes committed during the 1980-2000 internal conflict. Rey argues that the number of people killed by armed forces during that period totals under 1,000 people.

The 2003 independent Truth and Reconciliation Commission report found that 69,280 people were killed or disappeared by insurgents or state agents.  Fifty to sixty percent of the crimes are attributed to the Shining Path Maoist guerrillas. Amnesty International has compiled evidence that torture, killings and disappearances by state agents were widespread and systematic enough to amount to crimes against humanity.

Attorney General, Gladys Echaíz has directly challenged the laws, saying that they place impermissible limits on the prosecutors office and prevent prosecutors from doing their constitutionally mandated duties. “I don’t think the military and police need a cloak of concealment,” Echaíz said.

The deputy chair of the congressional committee on defense and internal order, Carlos Bruce, has openly questioned the constitutionality of the new laws, saying that the prosecution service must remain independent from executive branch bodies. The head of the National Human Rights Coordinating Committee stated that “Any legal initiative to secure impunity affects those members of the military who justifiably and with self-sacrifice fight against terrorism.”

For more information, please see:

IPS – Rights-Peru: Gov’t Seeks Legal Shield for Security Forces– 14 October 2009

El Comercio – Proyecto del Ejecutivo Condiciona Labor de Fiscales, Afirma Echaíz – 7 October 2009

ACTUALIDAD –Gladys Echaíz:”Ley que regula funciones del Ministerio Público en zonas deemergencia nos condiciona” – 6 October 2009

Turkey Urges Israel to End Humanitarian Tragedy in Gaza

By Brandon Kaufman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ANKARA, Turkey– On Friday, Turkey urged Israel to end the “humanitarian tragedy” taking place in Gaza, saying ties between the two allies cannot recover if Palestinians continue to suffer and peace talks continue to stall in the Middle East.

Turkey’s Foreign Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, told reporters that “Ending the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza; reviving peace efforts both on the Palestinian and Syrian track; and most importantly reinstating a prevailing spirit of peace in the region… this is what he want.”  He further added that “when there is a return to the track of peace, these relations of trust with Israel will be established on the same level as before.”

Davutoglu said that Israel’s war in Gaza at the turn of the year “killed the peace perspective” in the Middle East.  He further commented that the ongoing turmoil in the Palestinian territories is at the heart of the bilateral complications between Turkey and Israel.

In his comments to reporters, Davutoglu made it clear that Ankara was still bitter that the war in Gaza disrupted indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria; talks which Turkey had mediated “with so much effort.”

Davutoglu also flatly rejected assertions that the government in Ankara is becoming anti-Israeli.  “The humanitarian situation in Gaza should be improved in the shortest possible time.  How can wanting this amount to being anti-Israeli?  This is a humanitarian attitude,” he said.  Davutoglu further added that “although no single rocket has been fired on Gaza from Israel over the past eight months, children in Gaza have no schools to go to, and people have no homes to take shelter in.”

Earlier in the week, Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister said that “Relations between Turkey and Israel have always been strong.  We have full confidence that they will always remain strong.”  Israel’s Prime Minister echoed similar statements this week saying that he hopes Turkish policy will be towards “strengthening peace.”

The Palestinian struggle for statehood enjoys broad ranging support in Turkey and so many wonder whether Turkey’s stance is a political one or whether it is grounded in the humanitarian objectives they outlined above.

For more information, please see:

Daily Star Lebanon- Turkey Tells Israel to End Gaza “Humanitarian Tragedy”- 17 October 2009

Tehran Times- Turkey Tells Israel to End “Tragedy”- 17 October 2009

Saudi Gazette- End Gaza Tragedy Turkey Tells Israel– 16 October 2009

Horn of Africa in Danger When El Nino Hits

By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ISIOLO, Kenya – According to UNICEF, the United Nations Children Fund, the number of children in the Horn of Africa that are starving is rising at an alarming rate.

Five million children under the age of five are suffering from malnutrition in six countries, including Kenya.  The latest UNICEF estimates said that these children are suffering as a result of the food shortage due to a prolonged drought and of the Somali conflict.

According to a statement made by UNICEF, in the past five months the number of children that need emergency food assistance has risen nearly one million in number.

“Unicef estimates that for the whole of 2009 some 500,000 children under five will suffer from life-threatening severe malnutrition.  For countries such as Kenya it is the fourth consecutive failed rainy season in a row.  The dry spell already led to enormous losses in livestock, increases in food prices and severe water shortages,” said the statement.

Food aid and humanitarian assistance are estimated to be given to 24 million people in Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and parts of Uganda, according to the UN.  This number is up from 20 million earlier this year.

The area is anticipating that rains from El Nino will cause flooding in parts of the region which will contribute to more water-borne illnesses and crop failures.  The disappearance of vegetation is expected to worsen the effects of flooding.

“More than 23 million people in pastoral, agricultural and sub-urban communities, as well as internally displaced people and refugees in the region, are reeling from the impact of water and food shortages, pasture scarcity, conflict and insecurity,” said Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Human Affairs John Holmes.  “While we cannot prevent these climatic shocks, we certainly can mitigate their disastrous effects through forward planning and the right funding from the donor community.”

The humanitarian community is undertaking flood contingency planning but due to financial constraints and humanitarian access issues, the OCHA has encouraged the international community to “increase their support” and to draw lessons from the past and be prepared and proactive in response to an emergency.

For more information, please see:

Relief Web – Horn of Africa Alert – October 2009 – 16 October 2009

UNICEF – Food and Nutrition Insecurity Deepens in the Horn of Africa as Heavy Rains Predicted – 16 October 2009

UN News Centre – Stricken by Drought, the Horn of Africa Readies for Expected Flooding – 16 October 2009

Daily Nation – 5m Children in Africa Starving – 15 October 2009

Embargo Ordered on Guinea Due to Atrocities

By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria – West African nations have ordered an arms embargo on Guinea and accused the military government of carrying out “atrocities” and “mass human rights violations” during an anti-government protest last month.

This violence stems from the growing criticism of junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara who seized power in December.  In September, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned atrocities” in which Guinean troops opened fire on civilians during an opposition rally at a stadium in the capital city Conakry.

Human rights groups estimated that 157 people died.  Although the junta puts the toll at 57 saying that the victims were trampled to death rather than shot.  Human rights groups also say that soldiers raped and sexually abused women during the crackdown.  The International Criminal Court (ICC) has recently opened an investigation regarding the deaths.

The European Union has called for Captain Camara to be tried for crimes against humanity and the African Union has called for him to step down.  Leaders with the regional bloc have expressed concern that Guinea’s political crisis is at risk of destabilizing the region.

The ECOWAS chairman, Nigerian President Umaru Yar’adua was called on to take “all necessary measures” to obtain the support of the African Union, European Union and United Nations to enforce an embargo on Guinea.  At a special meeting on Saturday Camara faced an African Union deadline to give a written pledge by midnight Saturday not to run in the upcoming polls.

On Friday, France urged its nationals to leave the country claiming the security situation in Guinea had worsened since the September protests.  Sources say that Criminals have been following travelers from the airport and then robbing them when they arrive home.

Justin Morel Junior, Guinean Information Minister, wrote to Captain Camara explaining that he no longer had the moral strength to be the government’s spokesman.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – France Welcomes Arms Embargo on Guinea – 18 October 2009

AFP – Guinea Junta Names Team to Probe Massacre Decree – 17 October 2009

BBC – Guinea Embargo Over “Atrocities” – 17 October 2009

Reuters – West African Leaders Impose Arms Embargo on Guinea – 17 October 2009

VOA – West African States Order Arms Embargo on Guinea – 17 October 2009