By Alok Bhatt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

COX’S BAZAAR, Bangladesh – The Rohingya ethnic minority, for unexplained reasons, has been enduring a significant crackdown in Bangladesh as of recent.  The Rohingya ethnic minority comprises one of the most persecuted peoples on the planet.

Human rights violations against the ethnic group began attracting international attention in the late 70’s.  In 1978, great friction between the Rohingya ethnic minority and the majority group in erupted into a Myanmar government military operation.  As a result of the government’s persistent deprivation of the Rohingyas’ human rights, the ethnic minority abruptly began fleeing the country into Bangladesh.  In the late 80’s, subsequent to the mass exodus out of Myanmar, newly established laws of citizenship officially rendered the Rohingya Muslims stateless.  The laws stripped the Rohingya’s right to a nationality.

The latest waves of discrimination against the Rohingya Muslims expose them to much violence and prejudice.  Both local residents and agents of the state have been driving the stateless Rohingyas out of their homes in the Cox’s Bazaar region of Bangladesh.  Among the approximately 220,000 Rohingyas currently residing in Bangladesh, those living outside of makeshift refugee camps may be subject to beatings and arrest.  Myanmar’s border security has also been reported to mistreat escapees headed to Bangladesh.

The current rise in actions depriving the rights of the Rohingya ethnic minority in Myanmar represents a reprise from many similar situations in the 90’s.  The U.N. intervened when the Myanmar government staunchly enforced citizenship laws which denied Rohingya Muslims their nationality, the right to travel, the right to marry, and other civil and political rights.

Despite efforts by various human rights groups, in all of Bangladesh, only 28,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority are currently residing in makeshift refugee camps.  These 28,000 are a part of a much larger body of about 220,000 unregistered Rohingya Muslims.  The fraction makes fightfully clear just how unwanted the Rohingya minority is in Myanmar.

700,000 Rohingya ethnic minorities currently reside in Bangladesh.  The Rohingya Muslims have significant linguistic, cultural, and religious discrepancies with the Buddhist majority of Myanmar.  None of the 700,000 Rohingyas are recognized as individuals under Myanmar’s law, and are subject to Myanmar’s systematic oppression.  While the repression of the Rohingyas continues to attract the criticism of the international community and human rights groups, their ultimate fate remains uncertain.

By Michael E. Sanchez
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

KABUL, Aghanistan– A suicide bomber has killed an influential Afghan tribal chief in eastern Nangarhar province, officials say.  In addition 14 other people were killed.

During the Afghan civil war in the 1990s, Mohammad Haji Zaman was a powerful mujahideen warlord.  He led tribal forces in the Tora Bora region during the 2001 US-led Afghan invasion but is suspected of allowing al-Qaeda head Osama bin Laden to flee.  No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.  Mohammad Haji Zaman, also known as Haji Zaman Gamsurek, was addressing a gathering of refugees in the Khogyani district of Nangarhar when the blast went off.

Police official Col Abdul Ghafour told the AFP news agency the suicide bomber set off his explosives after approaching a group of tribal elders at the gathering.  The attack in the eastern province of Nangargar occurred when provincial authorities were distributing land titles to poor people in the Dashte Chimtala area.  General Ayoub Salangi, the provincial police chief, said  “The attack killed 15 people and around 15 others were injured.”

Mohammad Haji Zaman has been living in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, only recently returning to Afghanistan.

The wounded in Monday’s attack included Abdul Rahman Shams, the chief of the refugee department in the province.  It was not known who was the prime target of the attack.  Taliban spokesman were not immediately available for comment.  Also in the eastern region, NATO said Monday that their forces killed four insurgents and injured five others after the militants attacked their joint patrol with Afghan forces in Taqab district of north-eastern province of Kapisa.

There were no casualties among the combined forces on Monday;s firefight, the alliance said in a statement.

Chris Morris of the BBC says that Nangarhar is a province that, under the guidance of local tribal leaders, had become more peaceful in recent months.  But it is on the border with Pakistan, an important target for militants wishing to smuggle arms.

For more information, please see:

BBC News- Suicide Blast Kills Afghan Tribal Chief in Nangarhar– 22 February 2010

M&C News- Suicide Attack Kills 15 Afghans including Tribal Leader-22 February 2010

ABC News- Tribal Elders Killed In Suicide Blast-23 February 2010

By M.E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand– Hundreds of Rohingya, Burmese Muslim, refugees are believed dead after being pushed back into the sea by Thai authorities, according to human rights activists based in Thailand.

Image courtesy of The New York Times.

A report was issued stating that as many as 200 people are missing, while more than 300 others are believed to have died after they were set adrift by Thai soldiers. It is said by one survivor, that some of the refugees were sent back with their hands tied behind their backs in boats without engines.

The United Nations’ Refugee Agency has also voiced its concern about the reports and urged the government to investigate the incidents. In an official statement by Kitty McKinsey, spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Bangkok, she said, “We request the Thai government to take all measures necessary to ensure that the lives of Rohingya are not at risk and they are treated in accordance with humanitarian standards.”

Thai military authorities have denied these accusations, and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, has promised a full investigation. In a statement to the public, the Thai Foreign Ministry said it was “investigating and verifying all the facts and surrounding circumstances.” The ministry added that while the Thai government was dedicated to protecting its sea borders from all illegal activities, including illegal immigration, “we are committed to maintaining our traditional adherence to humanitarian principles and the protection of human rights”.

Vejjajiva told journalists that Thailand would investigate allegations that the Thai navy set hundreds of Rohingya asylum seekers adrift. The country’s defense minister will investigate these accusations, and report back to the Prime Minister with any findings as soon as possible.

In describing the overall situation, Paul Critchley, who runs the Bangladesh program for the aid group, Doctors Without Borders, he said, “Over the last few months we have treated victims of violence, people who claim to have been beaten by the police, claim to have been beaten by members of the host population, by people they’ve been living next to for many years.” He went on to say that, “We have treated patients for beatings, for machete wounds and for rape,” and the circumstance is now a “humanitarian crisis” now that the atrocities continue and in light of the most recent string of horrific events.

Since October, the unofficial Kutupalong makeshift camp with its dirt paths, flimsy shacks and open sewers has grown by 6,000 people to nearly 30,000, with 2,000 arrivals in January alone. There are an estimated 250,000 Rohingya in Bangladesh. They do not have citizenship, and are subject to abuse and forced labor, and where they cannot travel, marry or practice their religion freely. Yes, many continue to flee Myanmar in fear of repression and in search of a better life.  About 28,000 of them have been officially recognized by Bangladesh, and documented as refugees. They receive food and other assistance in a camp administered by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and have not been subject to the abuses and forced returns described by other Rohingya. But, the government has not allowed the agency to register new arrivals since 1993.

A Photograph of Women who suffered beatings and abuse in Myanmar. Image courtesy of The New York Times.

The most recent incident and possible deaths to hundreds sheds light on the fact that the problem has worsened, many human rights activists are trying to call attention to the issue to get other foreign involvement.

For more information, please see:

The New York Times – Burmese Refugees Persecuted in Bangladesh – 20 February 2010

World News – Persecution of Burmese Refugees – 20 February 2010

Open Democracy – Bangladesh government accused of crackdown on Burmese refugees – 18 February 2010

Asia Times Online – Bilateral Repression for Myanmar’s Rohingya – 22 February 2010

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SHANGHAI, China– Recent cyberattacks against American companies, including Google, has been linked to two prominent schools in China, Shanghai Jiaotong University and Lanxiang Vocational School.

Jiaotong is known to have one of China’s top computer science programs where a few weeks ago, Jiaotong students came out first in an international computer programming competition sponsored by I.B.M.

Lanxiang is a school that runs with military support and trains China’s computer scientists for the military.

Google had announced last week that some of its computer codes were stolen and that digital thieves had attempted to break into the accounts of human rights activists who oppose China’s policies.

In response to the cyberattack, Google confronted the Chinese government regarding its censorship policies where the government blocks politically and culturally-sensitive subject matters from search results in the country.

In China, controlling the web world is considered a matter of state security and although Beijing promotes Internet use for commerce, the government heavily censors materials it considers subversive.

However, the Chinese government had released a statement back in January claiming that their anti-hacking policy is transparent and has denied any involvement in the recent online attacks.

Nevertheless, a professor from Jiaotong’s School of Information Security Engineering who wished to remain anonymous said, “I’m not surprised.  Actually students hacking into foreign Web sites is quite normal.”

Conversely, a school official from Lanxiang said, “I think it’s impossible for our students to hack Google or other U.S. companies because they are just high school graduates and not at an advanced level.  Also, because our school adopts close management, outsiders cannot easily come into school.”

Google’s accusations against China regarding the cyberattacks have created a sensitive issue for the U.S. government in dealing with China. 

After Google went public with the accusations, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton challenged China’s Internet censorship, calling Chinese government control over the Internet an “information-age Berlin Wall.”
For more information, please see:

ABC – Schools in China Say They Weren’t Behind Hacking – 20 February 2010

FOX News – Cyberattacks Traced to Computers in Chinese Schools – 19 February 2010

NYT – 2 China Schools Said to Be Tied to Online Attacks – 18 February 2010

By M.E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

AMETHI, India – Multiple television channels broadcast a clip of a policeman beat a woman. The officer was suspended after millions viewed recorded attack.

Photograph of Sangeeta Kumar. Image courtesy of BBC World News.

Footage of the incident shows a policeman slapping a woman and pushing her to the ground, after which he punched and kicked her. The officer, Kailashnath Dwivedi of the Musafirkhana police station, claims he did it to force a confession after Sangeeta Kumar was accused of murdering her husband, Deepak Kumar. Correspondents say that the beating highlights the widespread problem of police brutality in India.

The woman, a member of the low-caste Dalit community, is accused of murdering her husband, whose strangulated body was found in their house on Tuesday. The footage appears to show an inspector assaulting the 26-year-old woman outside their home.

The woman was rounded up after some time and allegedly confessed to the crime, reported official, Satyendra Veer Singh. Despite the confession, Inspector Kailash Nath Dubey, however, beat her up while a second, subordinate female officer looked on. Condemning the incident, Singh said, “This kind of behaviour was really uncalled for. The lady had already confessed to the crime that she had murdered her husband….There was absolutely no need of beating up this lady so mercilessly.”

Singh went on to say that, “It was total brutality on part of the inspector. Finding him guilty, we have put him under suspension. A departmental inquiry is on. We will take necessary action against him.”

Subsequent to Singh’s announcement, a statement was issued addressing the gravity of the incident, and stated that the government has decided to terminate Dwivedi’s services, and would take immediate effect.

According to Indian law, there are strict guidelines on the arrest of a woman. A woman suspect can only be handled by a woman police officer and male policemen are not allowed to touch her. A policewoman has to be present at all times, including during interrogations. But most of these guidelines are regularly flouted by policemen in India.

Human rights activists are “appalled by this brutal attack on a woman.”

For more information, please see:

BBC World News – Indian policeman suspended over beating video – 18 February 2010

The Times of India – Inspector sacked for beating up Dalit woman – 18 February 2010

The Indian Express – Inspector suspended for thrashing woman before media – 17 February 2010

Press Trust of India – Cong slams Mayawati for police atrocity on Dalit woman -18 February 2010