Tibetan Anger Continues

Tibetan Anger Continues

By Greg Donaldson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

DHARMSALA, India — More than thirty-three Tibetans have set themselves on fire in recent protests against the Chinese government. The Tibetans believe the Chinese government is attempting to destroy their identity and force Tibetans to conform to the culture the government has established.

A Tibetan Monk sets himself on fire in protest of the Chinese government (Photo Courtesy of Boing Boing)

The protests and self-immolations began in China but now have spread to the nearby country of India. Many Tibetans who have been exiled from China reside in India.

Since last Monday two Tibetans have died from setting themselves on fire in India. The self-immolations came in protest of the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s to India to attend an economic summit. Each protestor set themselves on fire and then ran to a public place where they could be heard protesting the Chinese government. Both demonstrators were rushed to the hospital after the fires were extinguished but each died in local hospitals.

The first demonstrator, Jamphel Yeshi, set himself on fire last Monday. By Tuesday afternoon more than two-hundred supporters marched through the city center of Dharamsala, India proclaiming Mr. Yeshi a martyr. The supporters carried Tibetan flags and posters with several images of Mr. Yeshi’s body on fire.

Tenzing Namdak, a man who participated in the Tuesday march told reporters that Mr. Yeshi “self-immolated for the cause of Tibet.” He continued “all the Tibetans have tried so many ways to get the attention, and somebody had to take the lead.”

The march continued throughout the upper part of the city with the crowd chanting “What do we want? Freedom!” “United Nations , please support us.” “Stop the killing.”

The second demonstrator, Lobsang Jamyang, gave three messages to a friend he dined with before self-immolating himself. The first message was that Tibetans in his village should work hard to preserve their language against the onslaught of Mandarin. The second message was that a couple in his village should reunite after being recently divorced. The third message was that Tibetans should be strong against China and not be cowards.

China’s crackdown seems to have created a sense of nationalism among the Tibetans. Kelsang Nyima, who left Tibet in 1998 and recently returned, to his Tibetan village in China, said he “can strongly feel the growing sense of nationalism among Tibetans. It is a huge change.”

Each Wednesday across the Himalayan plateau, Tibetans wear traditional dress, only speak in Tibetan, and avoid purchasing from shops run by Han Chinese.

The government controlled newspaper, The China Daily, has proposed a solution for the Tibetans: “embrace the goodwill of the Chinese government.”

For more information please see:

Boing Boing – Tibet is Burning: Exiles Mourn Latest String of Self-Immolation Suicide Protests – 2 April 2012

News Track India – Tibetan Exiles Mourn Recent Self-Immolation Incidents – 1 April 2012

Washington Post – Self-Immolations Reflect Rising Tibetan Anger – 1 April 2012

New York Times – Tibetan Exiles Rally Around Delhi Self-Immolator – 28 March 2012

 

 

 

 

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Announces Plan to Seek Presidency

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt–Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, already in control of nearly half of the seats available in parliament, announced that it would field its own presidential candidate. The announcement is a reversal of an earlier decision not to do so and will escalate tensions with the nation’s ruling generals and the group’s secular and progressive critics. The Brotherhood vowed in the wake of the 2011 uprising that resulted in the ouster of Hosni Mubarak that it would not field a presidential candidate so as not to monopolize power.

The Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Khairat al-Shatir. (Photo Courtesy of BBC).

Its candidate, Khairat al-Shater, is the group’s chief strategist and deputy leader. If he becomes president, he would give the Muslim Brotherhood, a formerly outlawed movement, a strong grip on both the country’s executive and legislative branches. al-Shater is a wealthy businessman, whose exploits extend from computers to furniture, and has previously spent 12 years in prison due to his connection with the Muslim Brotherhood. He was released only after last year’s uprisings began.

Before al-Shater came into the public eye, he spent many years working behind the scenes for the Muslim Brotherhood. In the advent of the uprising, his central role in driving the ideology of the Brotherhood has become much more prevalent since Mubarak has been removed from office. Western officials have expressed desires to meet with him and the International Monetary Fund team, seeking a broad consensus for a $3.2 billion loan deal, met with him for talks.

One Western diplomat described al-Shater as a calm individual who “exuded control” in one meeting but displayed traces of a “bully” in another more heated discussion.

“He needs to have grown a thick skin of self-preservation, given his time in jail.”

Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood’s leader, shared these words with Reuters concerning the announcement.

“He is a national hero to Egypt. He created an institution from the sweat of his brow and when it was destroyed because he was in competition with the son of the toppled president, he was jailed and injustice done to him.”

The group officially announced its support of al-Shater on Saturday 31 March 2012 and it ended weeks of speculation and confusion among the group’s members. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt holds the views that Islamic principles should regulate each and every aspect of public and family life. The announcement split the group’s governing Shura council into two sides. One side favoring the selection of a candidate within the group and the other desiring an outside candidate, fearing repercussions from the rest of Egypt.

Mohamed Habib, a former Brotherhood deputy leader, shared these words through his Twitter feed about the division in the group on al-Shater’s selection.

“It is the right of the Brotherhood to field its own candidate but they should know they are losing much of their credibility and expanding the divide between them and rest of Egypt’s national groups.”

The Muslim Brotherhood says that it should form the new cabinet to reflect the parliamentary majority. But the existing constitution gives that power to the military or the newly elected president. The army has refused to back down and defended the performance of its cabinet and the army’s handling of the transition. Secretary-General Mahmoud Hussein cited the refusal to remove the cabinet and referred to “a real threat to the revolution and the democratic transition to an elected civilian government.”

Since the removal of Mubarak, Egypt has been in a state of flux and has shown glimpses of the potential for long-term stability. All of the suffering and lives lost in the demonstrations and protests cannot be forgotten as the country tries to move forward with progressive changes. One can only hope that the Muslim Brotherhood’s decision to go back on its vow is sincerely in the best interests of the people because they are the ones who need the most attention and support.

 

 

For more information, please see: 

Ahram – Brotherhood Frames Primary Components Of Constitution, Says Party MP – 1 April 2012

Al-Jazeera – Brotherhood To Run For Egypt’s Presidency – 1 April 2012

BBC – Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Names Presidency Candidate – 1 April 2012

CNN – Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood To Field Presidential Candidate – 1 April 2012

The Guardian – Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood To Field Presidential Candidate – 1 April 2012

Reuters – Brotherhood Presidency Bid Turns Up Heat In Egypt Race – 1 April 2012

 

 

Haiti Not Receiving Enough Humanitarian Aid to Combat Cholera Outbreak

By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti – Almost two years since the first reported case of cholera in Haiti, not much has changed.  The quick-acting intestinal illness has claimed thousands of lives in Haiti and many are wondering why more has not been done to help the struggling country.

The upcoming rainy season is going to only make the spread of cholera worse throughout Haiti. (Image courtesy of The New York Times)

Since October 2010, cholera has claimed the lives of 7,000 Haitians and has made over 530,000 others sick, according to NPR.  Literally one hundred thousand people are waiting to be vaccinated against cholera but the short funding has prevented this from happening.

Besides the cholera outbreak, the country never recovered from the devastating earthquake in 2010.

According to NPR, even with the plan for vaccination that the country has already laid out, only about 1% of the population will be vaccinated.  In order to really contain the outbreak, millions of people need to be vaccinated before next year’s rainy season.

Interestingly, the United Nations might be to blame for the entire cholera outbreak.  According to The New York Times, epidemiologic and microbiologic evidence suggests that United Nations peacekeeping troops imported cholera to Haiti and accidentally contaminated the tributary next to their base.  The troops came from Nepal and the contamination happened due to a faulty sanitation system.  Dr. Paul S. Keim says that the Haitian and Nepalese cholera strains are virtually identical, reports The New York Times.

The South Florida Caribbean News reports that the Haitian government and the United Nations alike are worried about the lack of humanitarian efforts in the country.  The humanitarian community seeks $231 million to fund effectively the island nation, and so far has only received about 8.5% of that amount.  The lack of funding has forced many humanitarian workers out of affected areas.

The upcoming hurricane season (May through November) brings even more worries for the countries.  The heavy rainfall only increases the spread of cholera.  According to The South Florida Caribbean News, resources are needed to overall improve access to clean water and maintain solid waste management systems, along with increasing preparedness ahead of hurricane season.

According to The New York Times, Anthony Banbury, a U.N. assistant secretary general said last week, “We don’t think the cholera outbreak is attributable to any single factor.”  Additionally, many believe that the prime time to suppress the epidemic passed long ago; now that it has had time to spread, the problem is becoming much more difficult to control.

So as Haitians continue to die from the dehydrating illness, humanitarian efforts will continue and hopefully expand.

For more information, please visit:

Newser — How Bickering Aid Workers Brought Cholera to Haiti — 1 Apr. 2012

South Florida Caribbean News — UN Concerned Over Funding for Humanitarian Services in Haiti — 1 Apr. 2012

The New York Times — Haiti’s Cholera Outraced the Experts and Tainted the U.N. — 31 Mar. 2012

NPR — In Haiti, Bureaucratic Delays Stall Mass Cholera Vaccinations — 27 Mar. 2012

Fugitive Iraqi VP Travels to Qatar

By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Tariq al-Hashimi, Iraq’s fugitive Sunni vice president, left the country on Sunday for a diplomatic visit to Qatar, despite being under an international travel ban imposed by the Iraqi government.  The development is likely to put a wrench in the Iraqi government’s recent attempts to repair ties with other Arab nations.

Tariq al-Hashimi, Iraq's fugitive VP (Photo courtesy of CNN).

Al-Hashimi has increasingly frustrated the Shi’ite led government in Baghdad, as he has thus far avoided their attempts to prosecute him on terrorism charges.

Last December, al-Hashimi fled to the semiautonomous Kurdish region of Iraq after the government accused him of using his bodyguards as a personal death squad and issued an arrest warrant.  For the last few months he has lived under the protection of Kurdish officials, who refuse to turn him over for a trial in Baghdad.

Al-Hashimi has denied all of the charges levied against him, and claims he is the victim of a political witch hunt.

This visit is the first time al-Hashimi has left Kurdistan since the issuance of his arrest warrant.

Iraqi officials are enraged that al-Hashimi was allowed to leave Iraq.

“How could they let him leave?” said Ali al-Moussawi, an adviser to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. “He is prevented from traveling. This is a violation. And receiving him in Qatar is a violation.”

Al-Moussawi has called upon Interpol, the international police organization, to arrest the vice president.

Iraq has been making strides recently to portray itself as a stable, functioning country, mending rifts with its powerful Sunni Arab neighbors.

The Qatari prime minister recently expressed concern about the growing sectarianism in Iraq, and the disenfranchisement of the country’s Sunni minority.  Similar concerns have been expressed by other Sunni-led Gulf states, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Sunni Gulf states are also wary of the close ties Iraq’s government has formed with the Shi’ite state of Iran, which they see as a rival.

Al-Hashimi’s office has said that he does plan to return to his temporary headquarters in Kurdistan once he finishes his diplomatic travels.  Any attempt to re-enter Iraq will likely set off a struggle between Iraqi and Kurdish authorities over who controls the country’s airports, borders, and airspace.

Before official news of al-Hashimi’s travels emerged, al-Malawi issued a warning to other Arab states that afford him an official welcome.

“They must know that the accused is wanted by a country which is a member of the Arab league … so he is not supposed to be received as a vice president, which is a violation of the nature of the international relations,” he said.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera — Fugitive Iraq vice president arrives in Qatar — 1 April 2012

Boston Globe — Qatar: Iraq’s fugitive VP arrives for visit — 1 April 2012

CNN — Iraqi VP visits Qatar despite travel ban — 1 April 2012

New York Times — Iraq’s Fugitive Vice President Travels to Qatar — 1 April 2012

The Guardian — Fugitive Iraqi vice-president Tariq al-Hashemi travels to Qatar — 1 April 2012