“Case 002” of Khmer Rouge Trial Begins

“Case 002” of Khmer Rouge Trial Begins

By Greg Donaldson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia 

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – In the opening statement of what many have called the most important stage of the Khmer Rouge trial, Prosecutor Chea Leang accused Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, and Khieu Samphan of turning the country into “a massive slave camp producing an entire nation of prisoners living under a system of brutality that defies belief.”

Nuon Chea speaks with his lawyer on Monday (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

This phase of the trial is known as “Case 002” and will examine Nuon Chea’s role in the killing of approximately two million people. Chea who is well known as “Brother Number Two” again wore his large sunglasses during the proceedings today as he has throughout the trial. While Cambodians are familiar with the accusations against Chea, hearing the stories and examples in a narrative caused many to cry.

Eighteen year old Tha Chanthy began to shed tears when explaining that her grandfather was killed by the Khmer Rouge. However, Chanthy said that she could come to terms with the past if justice was served. She explained “my grandfather died and he wasn’t guilty of anything. “We need to find justice for him.” “Even if he’s already passed away, if we can find justice then his spirit will be able to rest in peace.”

A key aspect of the case will be the prosecution’s ability to prove all of the defendants were engaged in a “joint criminal enterprise.” In order for the prosecution’s burden of proof to be met it will need to demonstrate each defendant had knowledge of and supported the implementation of a criminal plan.

The other prosecutor, Andrew Cayley, explained to the court that “none of the accused here ever soiled his hands with blood, but all set in motion a series of policies which unleashed an ocean of blood.” Cayley further explained that one witness will testify that Chea ordered the immediate execution of a large number of prisoners. The witness is currently serving a nineteen year sentenced for his role as head of Khmer Rouge’s main prison.

While many Cambodians are thrilled that the leaders of Khmer Rouge are being tried, pessimism among citizens of whether justice will be served is high. 74 year old Ieng Thirith has been declared “unfit” for trial due to medical reasons. Theary Seng, the founder of the Cambodian Center for Justice and Reconciliation explained “the release of Ieng Thirith is only one reflection on how incredibly late these trials are coming into place.”

Former prisoner Sum Rithy is undeterred by the manner the trial has moved forward. The former mechanic explained “the tribunal must continue, I’ve been waiting 30 years for this day.” “This isn’t a normal crime.” “This is a big case.” “Millions of people died.”

 

For more information, please see:

New York Times – Khmer Rouge Leaders Accused of Brutality ‘Defying Belief” – 21 November 2011

The Christian Post – Khmer Rouge Genocide Trial Leaves Cambodians Pessimistic – 21 November 2011

United Press International — Khmer Rouge Leaders’ Trial Under Way — 21 November 2011

Aljazeera – Khmer Rouge Trio Face Trial in Cambodia – 20 November 2011

Turkish Bus Attacked by Armed Syrians; Pressure for Assad Transition Increases

By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ANKARA, Turkey — A bus carrying Turkish pilgrims returning back from the hajj – the pilgrimage to Mecca and fifth pillar of Islam – came under attack at the Syrian border, resulting in two injured and a strong rebuke from the prime minister of Turkey.

Syrian President Assad has been warned by Turkish PM Erdogan that his time is limited (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera).

Bus passengers report that they were told to disembark at a checkpoint by around 8 armed men who appeared to be Syrian soldiers, but their affiliation is still unclear.

A bus driver and a pilgrim were shot as the gunmen opened fire. They were treated in a hospital in Antakaya, just across the border in Turkey’s Hatay province.

The statement from Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister of Turkey, warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that his time in power is limited. “You can maintain your grip on power in Syria with tanks and cannons, but one day you will be gone,” he said.

There have been rising tensions between Turkey and Syria since Ankara began becoming more vocal against the Syrian regimes brutal crackdown on anti-government protests.

Turkey is one of the more important countries acting as part of the international pressure to enforce regime change in Syria.  The two countries share a 910 km border.  Turkey is currently considering economic sanctions against Assad’s regime.  Turkish officials have also said that there have been tentative plans made to create a buffer or no-fly zone inside Syrian territory to protect civilians from Assad’s forces.

William Hague, the British foreign secretary, said on Monday that the international community will do everything it can to increase the pressure on Syria.  The possibility of further sanctions has not been ruled out.

“The behavior of that regime is appalling and unacceptable and of course we will do what we can to support democracy in Syria in the future,” Hague said.

Russia has accused Western nations of undermining the chances of a peaceful resolution in Syria by attempting to get the opposition to not seek compromise with the government. Moscow believes that the Syrian opposition should shoulder shared responsibility for the violence and should face international pressure to enter peace talks.

On Sunday, the Arab League rejected a Syrian request to amend a plan that would end the Country’s growing crisis.  Walid al-Moallem said the plan “compromised the country’s sovereignty, but that Damascus had not rejected the mission.”

The Arab league meets again on Thursday to discuss the situation in Syria.

3,500 people have been killed in Syria since the protests began in mid-March.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera — Turkish bus ambushed by Syrian gunmen — 21 Nov. 2011

Jerusalem Post — Turkish bus attacked in Syria, two wounded — 21 Nov. 2011

Washington Post — Turkish prime minister warns Syria’s Assad he can’t oppress people with tanks and guns forever — 21 Nov. 2011

Voice of America — Turkish Bus Attacked in Syria, 2 Wounded — 21 Nov. 2011

 

Teen’s Death Reignites Political Dissent in Bahrain, Opposition Rips King al-Khalifa’s Reign

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain–Thousands of mourners gathered in Bahrain for the funeral of a young protester whose life was taken by a police vehicle, as security forces attempted to dissipate demonstrators rallying against the nation’s leaders near a United States naval base, which is home to the Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

Bahraini police prepare to move the body of 16 year old Ali Youssef Badgar. (Photo Courtesy of Al-Jazeera)

Ali Yussef Baddah, age 16, was killed on the spot when a police car struck him in the Al-Jufair suburb after midnight on Friday 18 November 2011, according to Al-Wefaq, the largest Shiite opposition group in Bahrain.

Ali Badgar, Ali’s uncle, stated that he rushed to the area with Ali’s father, but the police had the site quarantined off and would not allow anybody to approach the scene. Badgar shared this statement with Al-Jazeera about the situation concerning his deceased teenager nephew.

“Our boy was dead and they left him lying in the street for hours.”

According to the state-run Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the police vehicle that killed Ali Yussef Baddah skidded into a group of “rioters committing acts of sabotage” due to an oil spill on the road. The BNA report stated that authorities are investigating the incident that occurred just moments before 1AM local time on Sunday 20 November 2011.

The Interior Ministry disputed opposition claims that police purposefully drove the car into the crowd of protesters, stating that the anti-riot police was “ambushed” by demonstrators and lost control after driving on an oil slick spilled by the opposition. It released the following statement concerning the incident.

“Shortly after midnight, vandals had poured oil on Al Shabab road, causing the driver of a police patrol to lose control of the vehicle and hit the pedestrian, who died at the scene.”

This past March, Bahrain imposes martial law and invited some 1,500 troops from Saudia Arabi and other Gulf neighbors to enter its borders.

The country has endured several months of anti-government protests and subsequent crackdowns in the geographically significant Gulf nation, particularly for the United States. The unrest and uprisings commenced when the country’s Shia majority started campaigning for greater rights and freedoms. Many Shia professionals, including lawyers, doctors, and nurses have been detained and tried on anti-state charges in a special security court since the beginning of protests inspired and ignited by uprisings sweeping through the Arab world like a wildfire.

Despite the resolve of the nation’s leaders to not change a thing, critics of the government have continued to openly and publicly display their dissent. A march in the village of Aali on Friday 18 November 2011 is one of many recent demonstrations against the current regime’s reign.

In another instance according to Shiite opposition group Al-Wefaq, a Shiite mosque was targeted by security forces, leavings large sections of it damaged. The group said that hundreds of people had been injured by security forces on Friday 18 November 2011 and Saturday 19 2011.

More than 30 individuals have lost their lives to the nation-wide protests. Opposition groups claim that more than 1,000 people, predominantly Shiites have been detained and some 2,000 have lost their jobs for allegedly taking part in the protests and demonstrations.

A report prepared by The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), which has been investigating the alleged abuses during the continued social uprising, is due this coming Wednesday 23 November 2011. Mahmoud Cherif Bassiouni, an Egyptian-born professor of international criminal law and a former member of the United Nations Human Rights panels, heads the five-member panel of the BICI preparing the investigation. The commission was established in July 2011 with the consent of Bahrain’s leaders.

In the months following the beginning of the uprisings, the panel has received well over 8,000 complaints, testimonies, and documents. Members of the panel have interviewed over 5,000 witnesses and alleged victims of violence. These witnesses and alleged victims include detainees, police personnel, doctors, and journalists. In the course of its information gathering, the panel has drawn controversy from various human rights groups for the way it has conducted its investigation.

The Bahrain Mirror, an e-newspaper operated by dissenters, published a report last week arguing that the BICI lacks the requisite credibility to conduct a valid report because it failed to consult civil society and Bahraini NGOs. The e-newspaper released the following statement concerning the BICI’s lack of credibility. It has also reported that the panel was created by the King Hamad al-Khalifa to avoid a UN fact-finding commission.

“The BICI chief repeatedly hailed the King of Bahrain, the Ministers and the government officials for their cooperation with the Commission, while he took harsh stance toward a number of victims whom were believed (even by the Commission itself) were subjected to violations or arbitrary arrest, torture, or unfair trials, even it amounted to explicit criminalization of one of those sentenced to death while final verdict has been issued against him yet.”

The U.S. State Department on Friday 18 November 2011 updated its travel alert on Bahrain, detailing the “potential for unrest” and states that all visitors face “increased scrutiny” from Bahraini authorities.

“Travel in and around Bahrain could become dangerous without advance warning.”

One can only hope that the government decides to hear and act on the demands of its citizens because they are substantially at more risk than travelers and tourists.

 

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Factbox: Arab Spring Momentum In Middle East, North Africa – 20 November 2011

Al-Jazeera – Bahrain Teenager Killed by Police Vehicle – 19 November 2011

Ahram – Bahrain Protester Killed By Police Vehicle – 19 November 2011

Bahrain Freedom Movement – Teenager Killed in Bahrain Amid High Tension – 19 November 2011

CNN – Clashes Break Out in Bahrain After Teen’s Death – 19 November 2011

Washington Post – Bahrain: Teen Killed When Police Car Skidded On Oil Slick During Protests – 19 November 2011

Brazilian Indigenous Leader Murdered In Front of Tribe

by Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America 

BRÁSILIA, Brazil – This past Friday, an indigenous leader of the Guarani tribe was shot to death in front of his people.  Nisio Gomes was the 59 year old leader of an indigenous tribe that had recently returned to their ancestral land amid controversy.

Nisio Gomes the leader of the Guarani tribe. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News)

Witnesses report that 40 gunmen assaulted the tribe early Friday morning in the southwestern region of Mato Grosso do Sul.  Gomes was shot in the head, arms, chest and legs and then his body was dragged away to a location that is still undetermined.  Gomes’ son was shot with rubber bullets when he tried to intervene and stop the attackers.  It is reported by Al Jazeera news agency that three other Guarani tribal members were also taken in the attack.

Police believe at this time that the gunmen were hired by local ranchers; attempting to remove the presence of the Guarani.  The tribe had been evicted earlier due to a dispute with the cattle ranchers regarding land ownership.  The tribe had recently returned to the area, in early November, setting up camp near the town of Amambai.

“Everything indicates that ranchers, who want the land to raise cattle and plant sugarcane, hired the gunmen to get rid of Gomes, who was an outspoken defender of Indian rights,” said Renato Santana the spokesman for the Indian Missionary Council.

The identities of the gunmen have yet to be released.  The state-run newspaper, Agencia Brasil, reports that identification of the shooters will be near impossible as they covered their faces.

In the Mato Grosso do Sul region, roughly 50,000 indigenous people live in extreme poverty and are constantly fighting ranchers for rights to the land.  The region is coveted by the ranchers because it is prime cattle raising land.  On the other side of the battle are the indigenous Guarani, who are attempting to defend it as tribal lands guaranteed to them by the Brazilian constitution.

Human rights activists have arrived to conduct investigations into what is being termed by the Brazilian government as a systematic campaign of violence towards the Guarani people.  Officials report that in the past eight years over 250 Guarani people have been killed in the Mato Grosso do Sul state alone.

“The people will stay in the camp; we will all die here together. We are not going to leave our ancestral land,” was the statement of one Guarani to the Roman Catholic Indigenous Missionary Council.

 

For more information, please see;

Aljazeera – Brazilian Indigenous Leader Killed – 20 November 2011

BBC – Brazil Indigenous Guarani Leader Nisio Gomes Killed – 18 November 2011

CNN – Brazilian Indigenous Chief Executed, Dragged by Gunmen – 18 November 2011

The New York Times – Brazil: Chief Killed in Land Dispute – 18 November 2011

 

Raul Castro Enacts Expansive Property Legislation in Cuba

By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

HAVANA, Cuba – This past week, Raul Castro enacted legislation that allows residents to buy and sell property for the first time in nearly 50 years.  However, do not assume Castro’s new policy is to create a better life for his people.  The Cuban government wants to rejuvenate its economic system, not promote the basic property rights of the citizens.

Cubans suffer from serious overcrowding due to a housing shortage; the new legislation is a welcome change. (Image courtesy of PolicyMic.com)

Cubans have lived under harsh oppression for half a century.  Historically, according to BBC News, parents were able to pass property on to their children, but buying and selling property was not allowed.  The new law, which took effect on November 10, allows Cubans to own a maximum of two properties and to freely buy and sell properties.  Additionally, back in October, the Cuban government passed legislation that allowed Cubans to purchase and sell vehicles, although it is still heavily regulated.

Previously, Cubans lived in overcrowded apartment buildings due to a severe housing shortage, reported BBC News.  Cubans could not legally buy or sell properties, but could merely swap them with each other through very informal processes, according to Salon.com.

While the Cuban government is seeking to overcome economic depression, many are still dismayed by the fact that there are severe restrictions on movement and the lack of a democratic process, specifically a lack of political opponents.

The New York Times calls this new legislation “a major break from decades of socialist housing.”  According to Salon.com, the Cuban citizens appreciate the change, even if it is not for human rights reasons.

Many people are skeptical of Castro’s economic policies over the last year.  His allowance of private enterprise is welcomed, but it has not generated any results as of yet, at least economically.  Castro reiterated the fact that the new law is not designed to promote any kind of accession to wealth, according to The Miami Herald.

The new law allows families to relocate to a bigger or smaller property as is necessary.  However, it is still difficult to manage.  The Miami Herald reports that there are still so many restrictions, and such a housing shortage, that it will be difficult for people to find the place they need.  Cubans are skeptical because corruption is obviously still rampant, and the residents foresee many title issues in the future.

Many hope that this is just the first step of many in promoting human rights and better treatment of Cuban citizens.

For more information, please visit:

Associated Press — Amid Economic Reforms, Cuba Goes After Corruption — 20 Nov. 2011

PolicyMic.com – Cuba Needs to Focus on Human Rights More than Economic Freedoms — 20 Nov. 2011

The Miami Herald — Cuba’s Housing Reform Draws Praise, Doubts — 20 Nov. 2011

Salon.com — Cuba’s Private Property Revolution — 19 Nov. 2011

BBC News — Cuba Passes  Law Allowing Private Home Sales — 3 Nov. 2011