Gold Mining Strikes Come to a Close in South Africa

Gold Mining Strikes Come to a Close in South Africa

By Heba Girgis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa—South African mines today reached an agreement on a wage deal with the unions and the protesters as the bulk of the gold sector’s striking miners returned to work under a threat of dismissal. This return marked a success for the new tough approach taken by the mining firms. At least 12,000 gold and 20,000 platinum miners were still pursuing an illegal wave of strikes that have now cost Africa’s largest economy over 10 billion rand just this year. The reported estimation was made by South Africa’s National Treasury.

Striking Mine Worker. (Photo Courtesy of All Africa)

In its interim budges policy statement, the treasury said, “Declining mining output and the spread of strike activity has depressed activity in related industries—including manufacturing, logistics and services, with negative consequences for GDP.”

The National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said that, “the worst in the gold sector is over. Members have accepted a new pay structure.” The Chamber of Mines’ offer, together with a package that was already on the table will give the mine workers a wage increase between 11 and 20.8 percent depending on the role in the mining process.

Spokeswoman, Marian van der Walt, for Harmony Gold, a gold mining company in the region, noted, “We’re very pleased that they signed and all of the uncertainty and turmoil in the market to an end.”

This agreement does not cover the platinum and coal sectors—only gold miners. The mine owners of these other two sectors are starting to count the cost of what may end up to be the worst labor unrest in the country since the 1980s.

Not all of the strikes are coming to an end. A six-week old strike at Anglo American Platinum, the world’s top producer of the precious metal, is not much closer to ending. It has 20,500 workers at its Union and the strikers continue to hold out for higher wages.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan told Parliament today, “We say very clearly that the problems in the mining area do reflect upon our growth prospects and it’s going to still take us some time to understand what the full impact on the growth is depending how and when these strikes actually end.”

 

For further information, please see:

All Africa – Gold Mining Companies, Unions Sign Agreements – 25 October 2012

Al Jazeera – South Africa Mines Agree Deal With Unions – 25 October 2012

Associated Press – ‘Worst is Over’ as South Africa Gold Miners Sign Pay Deal – 25 October 2012

Reuters – South Africa Strikes Ease as Gold Mine Pay Deal Reached – 25 October 2012

 

Four on Trial in Bahrain for Tweets Against the King

By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain — Four men in their twenties were recently detained and charged for statements they made on Twitter which allegedly insulted King Hamad.

A torn poster of King Hamad can get you at least two months in prison. (Photo Courtesy of the Guardian)

They were all arrested on charges of defaming the king on Wednesday and had their computers and other electronic equipment confiscated. Prosecutor Ahmed Bucheeri has said that the four will face, “an urgent trial before the criminal court.”

So far three of the cases have been adjourned to October 31 for submission of defense papers. The other case has been adjourned for the verdict on November 1. The three adjourned until the 31st have all denied the charges brought against them. Additionally, all three have been denied their respective requests for release. The fourth man charged admitted to committing the act, however, later notified the judge that he was informed he would be released had from custody had he admitted to the crime.

Bahrain has been in political tumult since the Sunni rulers suppressed the Shia majority’s pro-democracy protests last year. They put down the uprising through the use of martial law and help from other Gulf neighbors. The country is in great unrest and it is a daily commonplace occurrence that protestors and police will clash in the streets.

Since the uprisings, criticism of King Hamad or the Al Khalifa family has been considered a great offense. The court interprets any insult towards the ruling family as an insult on the country of Bahrain as a whole.

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (“ANHRI”), has called for the “immediate release of all the prisoners of conscience in the Bahraini prisons and respect the freedom of opinion and expression and the peaceful demonstration.”

ANHRI is upset about how these four bloggers have been arrested and in general, condemns the frequent and systematic violence in which Bahraini authorities deal with peaceful demonstrators. They have urged other international and regional human rights organizations to take greater action to change Bahrain’s policies which suppress human rights.

These four twenty year old men have not been the only alleged protestors who have been recently detained. A month ago, Zainab al-Khawaja, the daughter of a detained Bahraini activist, was imprisoned for two months for tearing up a picture of King Hamad.

Last July, protest leader Nabeel Rajab was convicted and sentenced to three months in jail for a comment he tweeted against the prime minister. Rajab was later acquitted on appeal which gives some hope to these four men on trial for similar charges.

For further information, please see:

Gulf Daily News – Four on Trial for Insulting His Majesty – 23 October 2012

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information – ANHRI Calls the Bahraini Authorities to Stop Suppressing the Peaceful Demonstrations – 23 October 2012

Saudi Gazette – Bahrain Detains Four for Defaming King on Twitter – 19 October 2012

Guardian – Bahrain Charges Four Men with Insulting King – 18 October 2012

 

European Parliament Calls on EU Council of Ministers to Impose EU Wide Visa Bans and Asset Freezes on Officials in Magnitsky Case

Press Release
Hermitage Capital

25 October 2012 – The European Parliament passed with an overwhelming majority a resolution calling on the Council of Ministers of the EU to impose EU wide visa sanctions and asset freezes on Russian officials involved in the false arrest, torture and death of whisleblowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. The European Parliament also called on the Russian government to conduct a credible investigation into Magnitsky’s death and to cease persecuting his mother and widow.

The report was presented by Kristiina Ojuland MEP (Estonia/ALDE Party), the special rapporteur on the Magnitsky case in the European Parliament. On the floor of the European Parliament, Ms. Ojuland said: “Although former president Dmitry Medvedev promised to cast light to this case, we still have not seen justice served. Visa bans and asset freezes are concrete reactions…and demonstrate the EU’s value based policy. Let us be clear, the Magnitsky case is more than a tragedy of an individual fighting organized crime. …we cannot let EU banks accept the fortunes of corrupt individuals stealing from the Russian people.” 

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/afet/pr/908/908403/908403en.pdf

The EU Parliament has twice before called for progress in Russia’s investigation into Sergei Magnitsky death. Because of the lack of action, the EU Parliament is now specifically calling on the Council of Ministers of the EU to implement sanctions. Similar calls have been made by parliamentarians of Sweden, Holland, the UK and Poland, as well as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

Marek Migalski (Poland /ECR Party) said: “Sergei Magnitsky…was killed, was tortured in a Russian prison. Our responsibility is just doing the minimum – that which is proposed by Ms Ojuland’s report – that is the introduction of visa bans, the freezing of assets on those whom we suspect may be involved in the process of killing this innocent man.”

Andris Piebalgs, a member of the European Commission and speaking on behalf of the EU High Representative on Foreign Affairs said: “The Magnitsky case has become one of the emblematic cases in this respect, not only for the Russian people but also for the EU. The … reason why we continue to be active in the Magnitsky case is that we believe that Russia itself should have a great interest in solving it.”

The next step is for the recommendations voted on by MEPs to be brought up at the next meeting of the EU Council of Ministers.

 

For further information please contact:

Hermitage Capital
Phone:             +44 207 440 1777
Email:              info@lawandorderinrussia.org
Website:          http://lawandorderinrussia.org
Facebook:        http://on.fb.me/hvIuVI
Twitter:           @KatieFisher__
Livejournal:     //hermitagecap.livejournal.com/

Violence between Israel and Gaza Escalates

By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East 

GAZA CITY, Gaza — Four Palestinians were killed and two Thai nationals were seriously injured within a twelve hour period last Wednesday when Israel launched an aerial assault on Gaza.  The act was a response to events that occurred last Tuesday, when Palestinian fighters launched six rockets at Israel.  The Israeli military said it had fired 72 rockets and mortar shells over the border since midnight.

 

Israel launched an aerial assault on Gaza City that resulted in the deaths of two Hamas fighters. (Photo Courtesy of Al Jazeera)

The aerial bombardment began Tuesday evening and continued well into the early morning hours on Wednesday.  Israeli aircrafts killed two fighters from the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, in northern Gaza, sparking more rocket fire.  An early morning raid killed a third fighter from the Popular Resistance Commitees (PRC) near the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, while a Hamas fighter died of injuries he sustained during Tuesday night’s air raid.  Since Monday, 6 Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks, while 12 have been injured.

“4 Palestinians killed in a day is a spike in numbers, with the killings and also the rockets there is an increase in tension, things currently are really tense in Gaza as border crossings are closed,” said Nicole Johnston, a reporter for Al Jazeera.

Palestinian armed groups fired 50 home – made shells from the Gaza strip as a response to Israel’s air raids.  Israeli sources say that at least 6 Israelis were injured by the attack.  Palestinian sources say that fighter groups within the region have formed a joint operations center to counter any Israeli wide spread attacks.

During a tour of the area around Gaza, Defense Minister Ehud Barak vowed that “Hamas would receive its punishment for what happened [here].”  “No terror element responsible for causing damage in Israel, or to Israelis will be spared,” he said.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ensured that “every community within 7 kilometers would be properly protected against rocket fire.”  An Iron Dome battery, one of Israel’s missile defense systems, intercepted 7 rockets that were fired at the town of Ashkelon.

Haaretz reports that as of now, all Israeli communities within mid-range of Gaza rockets are properly reinforced to protect against the fire.

The events occurred after Egypt tried to negotiate a truce between Israel and Hamas following a round of violence where approximately 80 rockets and mortar shells were fired at the areas surrounding the Gaza strip.  A Palestinian official close to the talks told Reuters last Wednesday that “[t]he contacts Cairo made resulted in a verbal promise by Hamas to calm the situation down and Israel… would refrain from attacks unless it was subject to rocket fire.”

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera — Israel and Gazans in tit-for-tat Attacks — 24 October 2012

Gulf Today — Israeli Raid Kills Four Palestinians — 24 October 2012

Haaretz — Palestinians: Egypt Trying to Mediate Hamas – Israel Truce — 24 October 2012

International Middle East Media Center — Palestine Today 10 24 2012 — 24 October 2012

The Jerusalem Post — Palestinian Official: Egypt Mediating Hamas-Israel Truce — 24 October 2012

U.S. Record on Human Rights Criticized

By Mark O’Brien
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, United States — Russia’s foreign ministry denounced the United States this week for what it called “serious problems” in the U.S. human rights record.

Russia criticized the United States and its record on human rights this week, turning the tables on it called American double standards. (Photo Courtesy of The Christian Science Monitor)

Presenting their own report on human rights to foreign nations, Russian leaders condemned what they called the American double standards on human rights.  Specifically, they criticized harsh conditions in prisons, use of the death penalty, mistreatment of adopted children, and the United States’ failure to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay.

“Washington’s attempts to become the world’s tutor on democracy are baseless,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov during a hearing by the Duma International Affairs Committee.

The report, which was not actually released after being presented on Monday, was the second paper from the Russian Foreign Ministry on human rights abroad.  The first was released in December, not long after a report from the U.S. State Department criticized Russia.

Among the criticisms outlined in the report were racial profiling, police brutality, Internet censorship and rising right-wing extremism.  It also condemned the United States for “extra-judicial” killings overseas by drones, its involvement in Afghanistan, CIA “renditions,” and failing to sign and ratify more than a dozen international treaties and conventions on human rights going back 80 years.

Konstantin Dolgov, who authored the new Russian report, said the purpose was to expand the dialogue of human rights abuses worldwide by showing no country is perfect.

“Nobody likes to be hectored,” he said.  “We are a young democracy, we have our problems, but we also have serious achievement that we hope won’t be overlooked.”

Dolgov and other authors based the report largely on the work of American academic and non-government sources.  They claimed the data shows that U.S. criticisms of other countries are often less than objective, ignorant of cultural significance, and sometimes hypocritical.

“They criticize and judge everyone except themselves,” Dolgov said.  “We think the U.S. should not try to monopolize the role of leader, teacher, and mentor in the field of human rights.  If they want to do this, they should be aware that they are also being monitored.”

The official U.S. response to the Russian report was “Bring it on,” according to the Christian Science Monitor.  The news organization quoted State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland as saying that would be the response from any agency, whether American or international.

“[The United States] is an open book, and we have plenty of non-governmental organizations of our own that make assessments about our human rights and that represent to the government what they think needs to be done,” Nuland said.

For further information, please see:

The Christian Science Monitor — Russian Report Criticizes US on Human Rights, US responds ‘Bring It On’ — 24 October 2012

Global Research — Russia Denounces US Human Rights Record — 23 October 2012

The Chicago Tribune — Russia Condemns United States for Human Rights Record — 22 October 2012

The Moscow Times — Foreign Ministry Slams U.S. on Human Rights — 22 October 2012