Colombian President Files Human Rights Complaint Against Hugo Chavez in International Criminal Court

Colombian President Files Human Rights Complaint Against Hugo Chavez in International Criminal Court

By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

 

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe (Photo courtesy of casamerica.es)
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe (Photo courtesy of casamerica.es)

 

BOGOTA, Colombia – Alvaro Uribe, Colombia’s outgoing President, has filed a complaint in the International Criminal Court against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.  Jaime Granados, Uribe’s attorney, has also filed a lawsuit against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

According to a statement made by Granados, both the complaint and the lawsuit stem from human rights abuses by Chavez personally and by Venezuela as a state.  The alleged human rights violations at issue focus on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) being present within Venezuela’s borders.

Last month, President Uribe presented evidence which he claimed proved that the Venezuelan government allowed FARC and ELN members to operate freely in Venezuela.

The present complaint alleges that these two guerrilla organizations are training and planning attacks in Venezuela that are meant to be implemented in Colombia and against Colombian people.  Furthermore, the complaint alleges that Venezuela is harboring Colombian guerrilla chiefs.  Venezuelan officials dispute both claims.

Uribe’s actions came as he was leaving office to make way for the new Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos.  Less than a month ago, Venezuela broke diplomatic ties with Colombia, leaving many to speculate about the strain that the complaints will put on the two nations’ relationship.  To further compound matters, Uribe’s successor has indicated that he would like to strengthen ties with Venezuela.  Colombian President-elect Santos did not prohibit Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro from attending his inauguration.

After receiving the sash to take office, President-elect Santos stated “[t]he word war is not in my dictionary when I think about Colombia’s relations with our neighbors.”

There is evidence that President Chavez wants to put an end to the diplomatic crisis that exists between his country and Colombia.  After talks with Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner, President Chavez stated that he was “prepared to turn the page completely and look to the future.”

Some, including Marcela Prieto Botero, of the Institute of Political Sciences in Bogota, believe that the difference in opinion between the outgoing and incoming Colombian Presidents could be more of a benefit than a problem.  Now that Uribe has put the information on the table, Santos is free to use it and press Venezuela on action without having to accept the political accountability of being the first to make the accusation.

For more information, please see;

American Chronicle – Ex-president of Colombia Files Suit against Chavez over Guerilla Support – 9 August 2010

Merco Press – Uribe Files Complaint against Chavez before International Criminal Court – 8 August 2010

VHeadline.com – Complaint Filed against Hugo Chavez at the International Criminal Court – 8 August 2010

International assistance requested for severely malnourished Aboriginal children

By Polly Johnson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

Aboriginal children are often left to wander alone at night while their parents go out drinking.
Aboriginal children are often left to wander alone while their parents go out drinking. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters.)

NORTHERN TERRITORY, Australia – Child protection workers in Australia’s Northern Territory have told officials that international aid is needed for starving Aboriginal children.

In a submission to the Northern Territory’s government inquiry, the workers said that the situation is so bad that assistance from organizations such as the Red Cross or Oxfam is necessary, a shocking claim to emerge from one of the world’s most affluent nations.

The disturbing allegations come in the midst of Australia’s campaign election.

The Darwin Remote Office of the Northern Territory Department of Families and Children, the group responsible for child protection, also reported that children are often left to wander alone at night while their parents go out drinking. The report accused the authorities in the regions of not taking the problem seriously enough.

The inquiry submission called for the placement of child protection officers in Aboriginal communities. Currently, the Darwin-based team includes four welfare workers and four community workers who are responsible for fourteen thousand people in Darwin.

“The staffing resources that the NT government allocates to provide child-protection services to these and other remote communities is grossly inadequate and allows for little more than superficial child-protection responses,” the Darwin Remote Office team said in its submission

The team also recommended the enactment of an unborn infant-at-risk child category of child protection, in addition to parenting classes. There is a high rate of teenage pregnancy in the region.

Drug and alcohol abuse by parents, in addition to lack of education and high costs of fresh food, are major causes of malnutrition in children.

Aboriginal people only make up two percent of Australia’s population, yet suffer from high rates of imprisonment and mental health issues.

The inquiry came just days before the United Nations announced that it plans to examine Australia’s human rights record. Amnesty International’s Claire Mallinson says that Australia has failed to comply with human rights, particularly with respect to the Northern Territory region.

For more information, please see:

ABC Radio Australia – UN to critique Australia’s human rights record – 9 August 2010

SOS Children’s Village – Children from cut -off native communities have been found starving in one of the world’s richest countries – 6 August 2010

The Independent – Children found starving in rural Australia – 5 August 2010

Radio New Zealand – Severe malnourishment in young Aborigines reported – 5 August 2010

BBC – Aboriginal children ‘starving’, welfare workers say – 4 August 2010

The Australian – Indigenous children in remote centres ‘starving’ – 3 August 2010

BBC Arabic FM Broadcasts Suspended by Sudan

By Laura Hirahara
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

Map of the Northern cities affected by the suspension. Photo courtesy of BBC News
Map of the Northern cities affected by the suspension. Photo courtesy of BBC News

KHARTOUM, Sudan– As of Monday, all BBC Arabic FM radio transmissions to Northern Sudan have been suspended by the government pending negotiations between the both parties.  Government statements claim their disputes with BBC’s activities go back two years.  BBC Arabic is charged with bringing unauthorized equipment into Sudan and working in the southern regions without government approval.  These actions violate an agreement from 1999 which allowed BBC Arabic to first broadcast in the country.  Kamal Obaid, the Information Minister of Sudan, said Monday that a new framework deal is needed to negotiate with the British government.  BBC Head of Africa Jerry Timmins said, “We are very disappointed that the Sudanese people in Northern Sudan are no longer able to access the impartial news and current affairs of BBC Arabic on FM radio.  We hope that we will be able to continue broadcasting at some point.”

Sudan’s government emphasized that this suspension has nothing to do with the content of BBC Arabic’s broadcasts, which reach an estimated 4 million Sudanese in the northern cities.  Rather, it is an effort to enforce President Omar al-Bashir’s warning  earlier in the year that any foreign organizations who refused to abide by the authority of the government would be expelled.

While both sides appear open to resolving the dispute and resuming BBC Arabic broadcasts, Bashir has a history of censoring local press.  Some human rights groups fear he is expanding his earlier efforts to eliminate any reporting in Sudan that is contrary to his administration.  In July, after securing another five year term as president, Bashir sent agents to Rai al-Shaab, an opposition newspaper representing the People’s Congress Party.  In addition to arresting four journalists, the office was shut down.  Three of those journalists were sentenced to prison terms ranging in length from two to five years.  The leader of the PCP, Hassan al Turabi, was arrested the next day and spent 45 days in a jail before he was released without charges.  In response, Mr. Turabi said, “I thought they would want to appear democratic for a while – at least to put on a show for the West.”

BBC News- Sudan Suspends BBC Arabic on FM Radio– 9 August, 2010

CNBC- Sudan Suspends BBC Arabic Radio in North Sudan– 9 August, 2010

Pulitzer Center- After Press Crackdown in Sudan, President Omar al-Bashir Meets With Member of ICC in Chad– 21 July, 2010

Reuters Africa- Arabic Radio Suspended in North Sudan– 9 August, 2010

The Canadian Press- Sudan Suspends License for BBC Arabic in the North Over Alleged Agreement Violations– 9 August, 2010

Bolivian City Held Hostage by Protesters

By R. Renee Yaworsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

Buses held up at a roadblock. Photo courtesy of AFP.
Buses held up at a roadblock. Photo courtesy of AFP.

POTOSI, Bolivia—Thousands of protesters in Bolivia have been holding an entire city hostage for over 10 days.  The only roads leading out of the city have been blocked by protesters who have also disrupted the rail line to Chile and begun a hunger strike.

Six thousand miners in Potosi, Bolivia, have been protesting President Morales’ policies, accusing him of neglecting impoverished citizens.  The protesters have demanded more regional investment, the creation of a new cement factory, the settlement of land disputes, and a bigger airport.  They also want certain mines to be reopened that officials have closed.

“We’re taking this to the bitter end,” one hunger striker said.  Potosi Town Council president Remberto Gareca told AFP, “This strike . . . is the people’s answer to the lies of the government.”

The southern mining city has been barricaded by roadblocks constructed of boulders, virtually holding numerous citizens and tourists hostage, unable to leave.  Over 100 foreign tourists, mostly Europeans, are still trapped and waiting to be set free.  Also held captive are about 500 Bolivians.  Potosi is a city of about 200,000 people, all of whom are in danger of being affected.

One thousand people have been stranded a couple miles north of Potosi for over a week.  One of these told AFP, “We’re cold, hungry and afraid.”  Protesters were holding dynamite to intimidate those held captive, saying they would make an explosion if anyone tried to escape.

The blockade has already sparked a shortage of food in the city.  There are concerns about tourists’ health, as Potosi has a high altitude and may cause some people to get ill.  Older people and those with existing health problems are the most at-risk.

There have been reports that protesters have threatened to blow up any bus that attempted to leave the city.  On Friday, protesters piled rocks on a local airport runway to prevent a plane from landing to aid tourists.

“Our rules are tough here,” one protester explained.  “We don’t let any vehicle through.  There are 6,000 of us.  We’re organized.”

The governor of the local district has been supportive of the protesters, even participating in the recent hunger strike.  Also participating are many regional officials, union and farm leaders.  As of yet, the Bolivian government has not moved to amend the situation.

For more information, please see:

ABC – Tourists trapped in blockaded city – 8 August 2010

AP – Protest traps tourists in Bolivian highland city – 7 August 2010

AFP – Bolivians on hunger strike, cut rail links to Chile – 7 August 2010

Migrant Laborers in the United Arab Emirates Stranded Without Pay, Way Home

By Alyxandra Stanczak
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

Migrant worker in Sharjah, UAE, where many workers have faced abandonment. (Photo courtesy of dawn.com)
Migrant worker in Sharjah, UAE, where many workers have faced abandonment by employers. (Photo courtesy of dawn.com)

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates – Thirty-eight Bengali and Pakistani workers are currently stranded in the emirate of Sharjah after their Indian employers fled the country, leaving the workers without ten-months of back pay. The workers earn approximately $220 a month, and there is no sign that the employers have any intention of paying the workers. These workers are forced remain in the UAE without work visas as they generally do not have enough money to return to their respective homes.

In March, the workers took to the Emirati courts to attempt to seize their lost wages, but no progress was made on the issue. They have also registered their status as abandoned with the courts, resulting in an issuing of passports which would allow them to leave the country. It is customary for employers of migrant workers to retain the passports of their employees upon entering the UAE for work purposes.

This past week, the abandoned workers attempted to appeal to the Ministry of Labor. The Ministry stated that they cannot help these workers because of the legal action that they previously took against their employers. Saher Shaikh stated that “The authorities are extremely proactive and supportive in trying to help camps in this situation. [However], this particular camp … seems to be dragging on for a quite a while.”

These thirty-eight workers currently face eviction, and cannot afford food, water, and power – much less a flight home. They are surviving on handouts they receive off the streets.

Approximately 12 million foreign workers, primarily from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and other South Asian countries, have come to the UAE and other Gulf countries where they earn higher wages than they can in their respective home countries. Mirgrant workers they do not have substantial legal protection in the UAE, and cannot form labor unions. Since the economy in the UAE has slowed, migrant workers, particularly in the emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi, face abandonment as their employers liquidate their remaining assets and flee the country when ventures prove unprofitable.

A non-profit group, Adopt-A-Camp, has been set up by Saher Shaikh to provide assistance to Gulf workers in these situations.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Gulf laborers remain stranded – 5 August 2010

Change.org – Exploited workers stranded in Dubai – 3 August 2010

Migrant Workers – UAE: Thousands of laborers left to fend for themselves – 23 July 2010

Reuters – Migrant workers collateral damage of UAE slump – 20 July 2010