Environmentalists Murdered in Brazil

Environmentalists Murdered in Brazil

By Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Three environmentalists were murdered in Brazil in the last few weeks.  On May 24, 2011, José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva and Maria do Espírito Santo da Silva, a husband and wife team, were shot and killed in the state of Pará.  The two were leaders of the National Council of Extractive Workers (CNS) which advocates for sustainable uses of the rainforest and protests illegal logging and deforestation.

Police watch the body of Jose Claudio Ribeiro da Silva (Photo Courtesy of Associated Press)
Police inspect the body of José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva (Photo Courtesy of Associated Press)

Just days later, on May 27, 2011, Adelino Ramos was gunned down in the state of Rondônia.  Ramos was the leader of the Movimento Camponês de Corumbiara (Corumbiara Peasant Movement), which advocates for sustainable land reform.

The assassinations came right as proposed modifications were being debated for Brazil’s Forest Code.  The Forest Code, a 1965 law, lays out stipulations for Brazilian landowners to maintain a certain percentage of native forest on their lands as a legally protected reserve.  The majority of landowners do not adhere to these stipulations.

The proposed changes to the Forest Code would grant amnesty to landowners who illegally deforested parts of their land, up until July of 2008.  It would also reduce the size of legal reserves that must be maintained.  In a very controversial decision, the Congress approved the changes, sending the modified bill on to the Senate who will now debate the issue.

The authorities in Brazil deny any link between the killings and the changes to the Forest Code.  Afonso Florence, the Minister of Agricultural Development, maintains that “[t]he debate has another dynamic.  There is no direct association”.

Despite this, the authorities have said that they will make environmentalist protection a priority.  An emergency meeting of the President’s cabinet produced the promises that those who receive death threats will receive state government protection as well as national armed guard protection, if necessary.

Other environmentalist group leaders are not convinced that these promises will make any difference.  As Leila Salazar-López; the Program Director for the group Amazon Watch, stated, “[t]here are over 200 unsolved murders in the Pará state alone involving Amazon activists”.  In the past 25 years, there have been 1,580 reported murders of activists in Brazil.  This resulted in only 91 trials and a mere 21 convictions.

All three of the murdered activists were victims of harassment and received death threats in the days prior to their killings.  Police reports show that nothing was removed from any of the bodies and José Silva’s ear was cut off.

For more information, please see;

Latin America Press – Moves Toward Deforestation – 2 June 2011

UPI – Brazil Acts to Protect Amazon Activists – 1 June 2011

The Rio Times – Killing of Amazon Activists Sparks Protection – 31 May 2011

Act for Climate Justice – Brazil: Environmentalists Murdered in the Amazon and Debate Over a New Forest Code: Impunity Must End – 28 May 2011

Huffington Post Green – Adelino Ramos Killed: Third Environmentalist Activist Murdered This Week in Brazil – 28 May 2011

MORE THAN 300,000 PEOPLE STILL DISPLACED IN IVORY COAST

By Tamara Alfred
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ABIJAN, Ivory Coast – On Tuesday, the United Nations (UN) refugee agency reported that more than 300,000 people are still displaced from their homes as a result of ongoing violence two months after the political crisis that arose after the disputed November elections was solved.

People displaced by violence return to their villages in western Ivory Coast in April, but over 300,000 are still yet to return. (Photo Courtesy of CNN)
People displaced by violence return to their villages in western Ivory Coast in April, but over 300,000 are still yet to return. (Photo Courtesy of CNN)

The UN reported that most of the displaced are living in camps or with host families in the western part of the country.  Many of the displaced people were either victims of violence or witnessed other being slashed, burned or killed, according to Xavier Simon, the head of the Ivory Coast Doctors Without Borders.

“People tell us they can’t eat or sleep properly and that they suffer from anxiety and heart palpitations,” said Simon.  “Terrified of further violence or revenge attacks, many choose to remain in hiding or as refugees.”

According to Doctors Without Border, displaced people are at further risk because they are in areas with food shortages and threats of disease, all heightened by the rainy season.

At the height of the crisis, approximately 1 million people were displaced and hundreds killed.  The violence began when Laurent Gbagbo refused to cede power to the newly-elected president, Alassane Ouattara.  Both parties have been accused of atrocities in the violence.

“Many of the dead are buried in mass graves,” said Melissa Fleming, the U.N. refugee agency spokeswoman.  “Over 500 houses and a pharmacy were destroyed in five villages.  As estimated 17,000 people are displaced in that region, including an unknown number reportedly still hiding in the forest.”

On Wednesday, the head of the Human Rights Division of the UN Mission in Ivory Coast called for immediate and impartial investigations into reports of attacks by the armed forces.  On Thursday, the Ivorian government responded by announcing that it had formed a commission to investigate the crimes.

President Ouattara has repeatedly promised no mercy for human rights abusers regardless of their political party.  However, on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch released a statement saying that no one from Ouattara’s camp had yet to be arrested.  Those currently under investigation are all former officials of the government of Laurent Gbagbo.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement, “We need concerted action designed to break the cycle of impunity, bring perpetrators to justice and rehabilitate victims in their rights and dignity.”

More than 100,000 Ivorians are estimated to have sought refuge in Liberia.

For more information, please see:

Reuters AlertNet – Ivory Coast: Fear persists even after violence subsides – 17 June 2011

CNN – Ivory Coast announces commission to investigate post-election crimes – 16 June 2011

CNN – 300,000 still displaced in Ivory Coast – 14 June 2011

MILITARY COURT IN BAHRAIN PURSUES PHYSICIANS FOR GIVING TREATMENT TO PROTESTERS

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain–A special military court has begun trial of some 48 medical professionals, accused by the local government of supporting weeks of pro-democracy protests throughout the country. The Court of National Safety held its initial sessions in politically motivated cases against opposition members of parliament and a well-known defense lawyer. The proceedings took at Salmaniya Medical Complex, without notifying the lawyers or the families of those on trial.

Doctors and nurses holding a banner while marching from the Salmaniya Medical Complex, now at the center of the court proceedings (Photo Courtesy of CNN
A banner in front of the Salmaniya Medical Complex (Photo Courtesy of CNN)

Most of the convictions against the individuals on trial were charges such as “participating in unauthorized demonstrations and incitement of hatred against the regime.” These charges yielded prison sentences from one to five years. One of the lawyers for the doctors said they had been tortured, forced to confess, and denied access to counsel during the initial hearings. Bahraini officials denied any allegations of systematic torture and asserted that any incidents of abuse would be properly investigated and prosecuted.

Human Rights Watch reports that it is aware of at least 82 individuals for whom verdicts had been delivered in the Court of National Safety as of June 13, while several dozen more cases are pending. Out of the 82 cases, 77 were convicted on some charges and only five were completely acquitted. There is evidence that most of the charges are originating from hospital staff choosing to treat hundreds of wounded protesters. Bahraini officials have accused the doctors from stealing medicines from the hospitals and stockpiling arms to support the protesters.

Many international human rights groups have expressed serious concern with hauling civilians in front of a military court, especially when wounded civilians are the catalyst of the investigation. David Michalski, of Medecins Sans Frontiers, shared these sentiments with an Al-Jazeera correspondent:

“The net effect of this, including the detention of the doctors and the medical personnel, the net effect for the patient is some patients are very fearful, and they don’t know where to go when sick and injured, [or] if they are injured in these protests. Medical personnel should be allowed to deliver treatment in an impartial manner.”

The preliminary sessions of the Court of National Safety against these individuals came just days after the Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, met with US President Barack Obama in Washington, DC, to garner support for a “national dialogue” with opposition forces.

Bahrain is host to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and has called on its fellow Sunni-led Gulf neighbor Saudi Arabia to help disrupt the pro-democracy protests that began in March. The ruling royal family consists of Sunni Muslims while the majority of the nation is made up of Shiite Muslims. Its leaders have placed the onus for the protests on sectarianism and Iran’s involvement.

For more information, please see:

CNN-Rights group urges Bahrain to stop military tribunals-14 June 2011

Human Rights Watch-Bahrain: Stop Military Court of Travesty Justice-14 June 2011

Al-Jazeera-Bahrain medics on trial over protests-13 June 2011

The Guardian-Bahrain doctors deny stealing medicines or stockpiling arms-13 June 2011

New York Times-Bahrain-Doctors Seized in Crackdown Say They Were Tortured in Custody-13 June 2011

Peace Negotiations Watch

Originally sent to Peace Negotiations Watch Subscribers on June 8, 2011.

Thank you for your interest over the past years in Peace Negotiations Watch.  In order to provide better targeted information and more detailed coverage of individual countries and topics, PILPG has decided to move to a new format for our news updates, and to discontinue the publication of Peace Negotiations Watch.  In its place, interested parties can sign up for country-specific and topical news updates.  PILPG will be publishing the following weekly news updates:

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Peace Negotiations Watch is a weekly publication detailing current events relating to conflict and peace processes in selected countries.  It is prepared by the Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG) and made possible by grants from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Ploughshares Fund.

Chinese Legislator Dies in Police Custody

By Greg Donaldson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – The death of a Chinese legislator, during his detention in police custody, has triggered mass protests throughout the Chinese province of Hubei. Ran Jianxin, a member of the local People’s Congress had been investigating accusations of corruptions in a city-backed land deal, but was arrested May 26th on bribery charges and died while in police custody on June 4th.  Mr. Ran’s family alleges that the bribery charges were fabricated in order to halt Jianxin’s corruption investigation.

Protests in Hubei (Photo Courtesy of BBC)
Protests in Hubei (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

Xinhua, China’s official news agency, quoted his cousin as saying that Mr. Ran’s body bore signs of an “unnatural death.” Ran’s body had multiple cuts and bruises. The New York Times released several photos online that allegedly show Mr. Ran’s corpse.

On Saturday 2,000 protestors stormed government headquarters in Lichuan to express their rage over the death of the legislator. Local authorities sent armed riot-police to disperse the crowd, but the protesters resisted. After fighting through the police, the crowd tore down the electric iron gate of the government compound according to the Epoch Times. Hundreds were injured as reports alleged that the  police beat the crowd with electric batons and protestors fought back with bottles and eggs. Eventually, officials sent armored vehicles which ended the riot.

Ms. Yuan of Lichuan City told Radio Free Asia (RFA) “the crowd demanded justice and demanded the murderers be captured.” Ms. He who works for a drug store told RFA that many protesters who were wounded and covered with blood came to her store to seek medical help.

Ms. Zhang told RFA that Ran worked hard for the well-being of civilians, and that people wished to seek justice for him. “A good official did many good things for his people, but was killed by officials from another area,” she said.

According to Hong Kong-based Apple Daily, several thousand Lichuan City residents gathered in front of the government offices on June 9, holding banners that read “Secretly Killed for Offending the Leaders.”

Li Jingsong, a lawyer, from Beijing, told RFA that detention centers in China are overseen by the Public Security Bureau, and hence there is a lack of effective monitoring and supervision. According to Li, Ran’s death again demonstrated that the legal rights of detainees in China’s detention centers are not protected.

“The main problem is that they have no regulations on management,” he said. “The detention centers and the public security system are too closely tied together.”

Two city officials have been detained in connection with Mr. Ran’s death, the Communist Party newspaper Global Times reported. Two others, a local prosecutor and a deputy director of the city’s Communist Party, have lost their jobs, according to Agence France-Presse.

For more information, please see:

Tibetan Review – Thousands clash with police in China over sympathetic bureaucrat’s custodial death – 13 June, 2011

BBC News – China unrest: 25 arrested after clashes with police – 12 June, 2011

The Epoch Times – Thousands Protest in China’s Hubei Province, After Official’s Suspicious Death – 12 June, 2011

New York Times – Chinese Street Vendor Dispute Expands into Violent Melee – 12 June, 2011