TENSION RISES BETWEEN BORDER STATES OF NORTHERN MEXICO AND TEXAS

TENSION RISES BETWEEN BORDER STATES OF NORTHERN MEXICO AND TEXAS

By Erica Laster                                                                                                                       Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Gunfire and death has resulted in increased tension among the northern Mexican states and Texas cities just across the border.   With politicians being gunned down , citizens being recruited to the cartels and cartels constantly patrolling highways, the Mexican states bordering Texas have forced many to retreat.  Colleges and Universities in Texas have also felt the impacts of drug cartel control and gunfire.

Mass grave found in Acapulco not the end of violence in Mexican States this weekend. Photo courtesy of cache.boston.com.
Mass grave found in Acapulco not the end of violence in Mexican States this weekend. Photo courtesy of cache.boston.com.

Many of Mexico’s victims speak on condition of anonymity, noting that “This is out of the government’s hands.  Mexico has been sacrificed and sold to the narcos.  It is the narcos who have the power.”

On Thursday near Acapulco, 18 bodies were removed from a mass gravesite.  Investigators believed their deaths may have been a mistake.  A video posted on YouTube led authorities to the gravesite after anonymous calls to the police.  The video depicts two men being forced to answer questions from an off scene interrogator, confessing to killing the Michoacan men in the graves over drug trafficking disputes.  These videos are a powerful tool, challenging the authority of the state as vigilante justice is brought by criminals.

This past Friday, cartels and military forces clashed after the death of Tony “the Storm,” leader of the Gulf cartel.  Three of his henchmen were also killed in the gunfire in Matamoros, Tamaulipas which could be heard across the border in Texas.  CNN reported that border colleges only a half a mile away,  including the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College were forced to cancel classes and rearrange weekend events “because of gunfire taking place across the Rio Grande.”

On Saturday, eighteen were killed in Ciudad Juarez.  While many used to believe that any murdered victims were involved with narcotics, now, everyone is at risk.  One incident included a family of seven being slaughtered outside their home, including two brothers, believed to be the targets.  Five more bodies were found dead inside of a car and two were found lying in the street.  This marked one of the bloodiest days of the year in Ciudad Juarez.

For More Information Please Visit:

CNN – Official: 18 People Killed In Ciudad Juarez – 7 November 2010

CNN – Gunmen, Forces Clash After Cartel Leader Killed – 6 November 2010

LA Times – Caught Behind Enemy Lines – 6 November 2010

Washington Post – Mistake May Have Led To Mass Grave Deaths In Mexico – 4 November 2010

Historical Election in Myanmar Tarnished by Threats and Unfairness

By Joseph Juhn
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar’s first election in two decades is causing much controversy. On Sunday, people voted in about 40,000 polling stations opened across the country. However, the vote is widely expected to end in victory for the Union Solidary and Development Party (USDP), which is backed by the country’s military junta.

Some of the larger parties contesting in this election, such as the Democratic Party and National Democratic Force, have accused the government of unfairness, including illegal collection of advance ballots and voters being threatened by the government if they don’t back the ruling junta’s party.

Signs of voter intimidation were also reported by the Chin Human Rights Organization, which said that in a ward in Chin State, western part of country, one of the polling stations was at an army checkpoint.

”How can people feel free to vote for the party of their choice if soldiers are watching them?” said programme director Salai Za Uk Ling.

Another problem was allegedly related with advance voting. Local authorities are believed to have helped the USDP to force people to vote early and for the junta party.

”We have learned that the USDP, together with ward authorities, is trying to get advance votes by cheating, bribing or threatening people,” said a letter from the Democratic Party to the Union Election Commission in the capital Naypyidaw.

International communities were quick to criticize this election procedure, the one notably by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“You look at Burma holding flawed elections today that once again expose the abuses of the military junta,” she said.

“It’s heartbreaking because the people of Burma deserve so much better,” she told university students in Melbourne, Australia.

The military junta has banned foreign journalists and international monitors from scrutinizing the vote. Thirty-seven parties were on the ballot, but most of these parties not backed by the military junta suffered from severely restricted campaigns and high fees for candidacy. Most of these parties’ political statements were also censored.

The constitution of Myanmar reserves 25 per cent of the seats in parliament for military appointees, while opposition parties have suffered major barriers. As a result, hundreds of opposition politicians, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, are under house arrest or in prison. Aung San Suu Kyi, now 65, has been held under house arrest for most of the time since the past election in 1990.

According to the military junta, her latest term of detention is to end one week after the election. However, similar promises have been breached in the past and there is no way to know what restrictions might be imposed even if she is set free.

“These elections are going to be neither free, nor fair, or inclusive. There is nothing in these elections that could give us grounds for optimism,” British Ambassador to Burma Andrew Heyn said.

For more information, please see:

Bangkok Post – Junta faces threat claims – 6 November 2010

The New York Times – Myanmar Votes in Election Controlled by Military – 7 November 2010

CBC News – Burma holds 1st vote in 20 years – 6 November 2010

Bloomberg Business Week – Complaints mount on eve of Myanmar election – 6 November 2010

Somali Pirates Release Ships after Record Ransom Paid

By Daniel M. Austin
Impunity Watch Reporter,  Africa

The Samho Dream, a South Korean oil supertanker. (Photo courtesy of Media Steed).
The Samho Dream, a South Korean oil supertanker. (Photo courtesy of Media Steed).

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Pirates off the coast of Somalia are in the process of freeing two ships in exchange for a record ransom. Specifically, a ransom of over $9 million (U.S. dollars) was paid for the release of the Samho Dream, and $7 million (U.S. dollars) was paid for the return of the Golden Blessing. The ransom for the Samho Dream is the largest ransom paid for a single ship since pirates began attacking international vessels off the coast of Somalia.

The Samho Dream, a South Korean oil supertanker, with its five Korean and nineteen Filipino crew members has been under control of Somali pirates since April 2010. The Samho Dream was estimated to have 2 million barrels of oil onboard, worth approximately $160 million dollars (U.S.), when it was captured. This ship was seized in the Indian Ocean as it was traveling from Iraq to the United States.

The initial price for the Samho Dream began at $20 million (U.S. dollars) but through negotiations that figure was whittled down to over $9 million. Once ransom the amount was agreed upon, the cash was ferried by helicopter to the ship and then dropped onto its deck. As of Saturday, a pirate name Hussein told Reuters, “We are counting our cash, and soon we shall get down from the ship.” A South Korean foreign minister expects that once the crew is safe, the South Korean crew members will be sent to a third country for medical evaluations before coming home.

The Golden Blessing, a Singaporean ship, with a nineteen member Chinese crew was captured on June 28. The Golden Blessing was transporting chemicals from Saudi Arabia to India when it was attacked. According to European Union Naval forces, the Golden Blessing was released Saturday after a ransom was paid. The Golden Blessing is now being escorted by Chinese naval vessels to safe waters.

According to a report released by the International Maritime Bureau, the first nine months of 2010 have been the busiest time for ship hijackings in the past five years. The report points outs that Somali pirates are responsible for a substantial number of theses seizures. This is due in large part to the absence of a functioning central government in Mogadishu. Ship hijackings have continued to occur even as European Union, NATO and other nations have stepped up naval patrols in the waters off Somalia.

For more information, please see:

Voice of America – Somali Pirates Release Two Tanker Ships – 6 November 2010

BBC Africa – Somali pirates receive record ransom for ship release – 6 November 2010

Associated Press – Report: Somali pirates release SKorean ship – 6 November 2010

Arirang – Somali Pirates Free Hijacked Korean Ship – 6 November 2010

Nigerian State Secret Service Captures Weapons Shipment – Iran Won’t Comment

By Daniel M. Austin
Impunity Watch Reporter,  Africa

Rockets seized by the Nigerian SSS at the Apapa Wharf in Lagos.(Photo courtesy of Diran Oshe).
Rockets seized by the Nigerian SSS at the Apapa Wharf in Lagos.(Photo courtesy of Diran Oshe).

ABUJA, Nigeria- Nigeria officials continue to search through 13 shipping containers looking for additional weapons. It is believed the military-grade arms shipment originated in Iran. The Iranian embassy in Nigeria has not offered any explanation on the seized shipment and believes any response to this incident will only cause more confusion. Moreover, the embassy stated that no Iranian has been arrested in connection with the seizure. Israel officials believe the weapons were only passing through the Nigeria port and their final destination was the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. A Hamas spokesman has denied this charge.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press — Nigeria: Iran won’t discuss arms seizure — 1 November 2010

LAGOS, Nigeria – Nearly a month after militants detonated a string of car bombs killing 10 people in the capital, Abuja, Nigerian State Secret Services (SSS) intercepted thirteen shipping containers filled with weapons and explosives. Upon opening the first container, officials discovered a substantial cache of weapons and explosives. Officials are continuing to examine the other twelve containers and suspect they contain similar cargo. These weapons were discovered after increased security measure implemented in response to this recent terrorist attack. This find is especially troubling amid fears that violence could disrupt parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for 2011.

Nigerian officials led journalists to a yard adjacent to the seaport Apapa Wharf in the costal city of Lagos to show them a portion of the recently discovered weaponry.  Suspicion arose when the clearing agent offered any price necessary to ensure that the shipping containers were unloaded at an off-dock facility instead of at the port where security measures are more rigorous.  Upon further inspection, the bill of lading falsely claimed that the shipping containers in question held construction materials, specifically floor tiles.  However, security officials soon discovered the individual crates contained weapons. The munitions included rocket launchers, 107mm artillery shells, machine guns, grenades and other explosives. The SSS is continuing to search for other containers that may contain similar cargo. While the ownership of the shipping containers and their final destination are still not known, it is believed they were shipped from Iran

Several militant groups currently operate in Nigeria, and any one of them could be connected to this weapons shipment. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility for the string of car bombs that exploded in the capital earlier this month. Furthermore, MEND has threatened more attacks, although their destructive capabilities may be hindered by the recent arrest of its top leaders. Along with MEND, the Boko Haram, a militant Islamic group, operating in the northeastern part of Nigeria, could also be linked to this weapon shipment. The Boko Haram recently attacked a police station, killing police officers and government officials. This brutal assault has led many to fear the group may be planning additional attacks.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Nigeria’s secret police intercept weapons shipment – 27 October 2010.

Canadian Press – Nigeria: Artillery rockets, rifle rounds included in weapons seized in shipping containers – 27 October 2010.

Nigerian Compass – SSS intercepts containers laden with rocket launchers – 27 October 2010.

Nigerian Tribune – Customs seize 13 containers of arms, ammunition in Lagos – 27 October 2010.

Reuters Africa – Nigerian secret service intercepts arms shipment – 27 October 2010.

Report cites hundreds of rapes on Congo-Angola border

By Polly Johnson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

Security forces raped as many as 700 women and girls along the Congo-Angola border (Photo Courtesy of Al Jazeera).
Security forces raped as many as 700 women and girls along the Congo-Angola border (Photo Courtesy of Al Jazeera).

CONGO – Almost seven hundred women and girls were raped along the Congo-Angola border during a mass expulsion of some seven thousand Congolese from Angola in October, according to a recently released United Nations report.

The report was released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and said that 6,621 people arrived in two territories of Luiza and Tshikapa/Kamonia, in Western Kasi province.

Many of the victims said that they were locked in dungeon-like conditions for several weeks and raped repeatedly.

Separately, doctors conducted examinations of 35 women in the Congolese town of Tembo last week, confirming that they had been raped and left without clothes in the bush along the border.

The reports come after the wave of mass rapes that occurred in eastern Congo between July 30 and August 3 by rebel militiamen.

“What worries us is that rape seems to be becoming endemic in several parts of Congo.  We fear it’s becoming part of the routine,” said U.N. spokesman Maurizio Giuliano said, referring to the recent rapes that occurred in the eastern Kivu province.

U.N. officials call Congo the worst place in the world for sexual violence.  Despite the presence of U.N. peacekeepers, more than 200 women were raped in a single thatched-roof village in eastern Congo a few months ago.

This is not the first time the countries have expelled each other’s citizens. Last year, Angola expelled 160,000 Congolese, while Congo expelled 51,000 Angolans.  Relations have deteriorated between the countries, due in part to offshore oil ownership, Angola’s diamond exports, and closer Congolese relations with Rwanda and Uganda.

Lambert Mende, the DRC information minister, said that the no reports of rape have been reported to authorities.

“We’re not informed. We don’t know, these figures are not confirmed,” Mende said. “There are expulsions, perhaps there are rapes but we have received no complaints and we don’t want to launch a dossier.”

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – UN: Mass rapes on Angola-DRC border – 6 November 2010

AP – UN: 700 sexual attacks seen on Congo-Angola border – 6 November 2010

CNN – UNICEF reports sexual violence in the Congo region – 6 November 2010

New York Times – Hundreds Were Raped on Congo-Angola Border – 6 November 2010

Reuters Africa – Hundreds abused during Angola expulsions, U.N. says – 6 November 2010